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The Powers and Duties of Chief Building Officials exam

The broadest legal exam: almost all of the Building Code Act, including registered code agencies, all of Division C Part 1 (including fees and designated persons) and the Division C qualification rules, from the point of view of a chief building official.

Legal and processLegal

multiple choice questions
70
multiple choice questions
to finish
3 hours
to finish
to pass
70%
to pass
you work from the code
Open book
you work from the code

Last updated

Who needs it

Chief building officials (always required, with or without a technical exam), supervisors and managers of inspectors, inspectors with CBO powers for plumbing or sewage systems, and out-of-province officials using the As of Right route. It is also accepted as the legal exam for inspectors and BCIN designers.

Passing Powers and Duties of Chief Building Officials also covers: General Legal/Process and Designer Legal/Process.

Free Powers and Duties of Chief Building Officials study guide

One chapter per section of the exam, following the Ministry's study guide for the Powers and Duties of Chief Building Officials exam, in plain language, with every rule linked to the 2024 OBC article it comes from.

  1. 1Interpretation and rolesDefinitions in the Act and the roles of owners, designers, builders, chief building officials and others.5 min read
  2. 2Enforcement authoritiesAppointment of chief building officials and inspectors, records, upper-tier and joint enforcement, boards of health, provincial enforcement.6 min read
  3. 3Permits, construction and demolitionAll of sections 8 to 14: permits, conditional permit agreements, change of use, notices of readiness, occupancy, inspections.6 min read
  4. 4Unsafe buildings and maintenance inspection programsUnsafe building orders, emergency orders, liens and deemed taxes, and maintenance inspection programs.6 min read
  5. 5Qualifications and insurance under the ActQualification requirements for officials, designers, RCAs and sewage system work, and insurance.5 min read
  6. 6Registered code agencies under the ActNotice to the CBO, functions and scope of powers, certificates and orders, expiry and termination of appointments.5 min read
  7. 7Inspection and enforcement powersIdentification, entry to dwellings, recovery of expenditures, powers of inspectors, obstruction and warrants.5 min read
  8. 8Disputes, appeals, authorizations and rulingsReview of inspectors' orders, the Building Code Commission, appeals, service, BMEC, binding interpretations.6 min read
  9. 9General provisions: immunity, regulations, by-laws and offencesImmunity, regulations, municipal by-laws, offences and penalties, proof of orders, restraining orders and licence suspension.5 min read
  10. 10Code structure and scope items from Divisions A and BReferenced documents and the listed Division B scope and definition items.5 min read
  11. 11Division C Part 1 in fullAll of Division C Part 1: application, design and general review, permits and inspections, search warrants, designated persons.6 min read
  12. 12Qualifications, registration and RCAs (Division C Part 3)All of 3.1 (including chief building official qualifications), the listed designer, sewage and RCA items, classes of registration.6 min read
  13. 13Change of use and renovation (Parts 10 and 11)Change of use and the Part 11 renovation framework: classification of existing buildings, proposed construction.5 min read
Start with chapter 1

Practise for the Powers and Duties of Chief Building Officials exam

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Frequently asked questions

How many questions are on the Powers and Duties of Chief Building Officials exam?
70 multiple choice questions in 3 hours. You need 70% to pass.
Is the Powers and Duties of Chief Building Officials exam open book?
Yes. The exam is open book: you work from the code, so knowing where to find an answer quickly matters as much as knowing it.