Question 1

What is the ExAC and who has to take it?

Accepted Answer

The Examination for Architects in Canada (ExAC) is the national registration exam that assesses the competencies a candidate acquires during the internship period. It has been adopted by every Canadian licensing authority except Quebec, which runs its own OIQ professional exam. Candidates must hold Intern or Candidate status with a Canadian architectural regulator, have full CACB certification, and have at least 2,800 approved experience hours. Passing the ExAC, together with the regulator's other requirements, is one of the final steps toward licensure as an architect in a province or territory.

Question 2

How is the ExAC structured?

Accepted Answer

The ExAC is a paper-and-pencil objective exam written once a year over two consecutive days in four half-day sessions. It is divided into four separately-passed sections covering 13 competency themes. Section 1 covers programming, site and environmental analysis, coordinating engineering systems, cost management, schematic design, and design development. Section 2 covers the National Building Code of Canada and the National Energy Code for Buildings. Section 3 covers the Final Project documentation and Sustainable Design Literacy. Section 4 covers bidding and contract negotiations, construction-phase office and field functions, and project management.

Question 3

What question formats appear on the ExAC?

Accepted Answer

The majority of ExAC items are multiple choice, but the exam also uses pairing/matching, ordering of elements, completions (fill-in-the-blank), and short written answer. Sections 1 and 3 include a small number of short-answer items in addition to multiple choice, while Sections 2 and 4 are multiple choice. Two mirror versions of the exam are prepared, one in English and one in French, containing the same items and tasks. Sample exam items are provided in the annual ExAC Preparation Guide.

Question 4

How do I pass the ExAC and how many attempts do I get?

Accepted Answer

Each of the four ExAC sections is scored and passed separately, with the cut score for each section set annually through a standard-setting process rather than a fixed percentage. You must pass all four sections within three consecutive attempts; if you do not, you must begin the process again. A section you have already passed remains credited while you work to clear the remaining sections within that window. Section-level pass rates vary by year and are reported in the annual ExAC Technical and Statistical Report.

Question 5

What references should I study for the ExAC?

Accepted Answer

The annual ExAC Preparation Guide is the primary study resource and lists the supporting references reviewed each year. Key references include the National Building Code of Canada 2020 and the National Energy Code for Buildings, the relevant CCDC documents (such as CCDC 2 stipulated price, CCDC 3 cost-plus, CCDC 4 unit price, CCDC 5A/5B construction management, and CCDC 23 bidding guide), RAIC Document Six (the Canadian Standard Form of Contract for Architectural Services), the Canadian Handbook of Practice for Architects, and your province or territory's architect act. Provincial amendments to the building and energy codes also apply.

Question 6

How is the ExAC different from the Quebec OIQ exam and the U.S. ARE?

Accepted Answer

The ExAC is used by all Canadian jurisdictions except Quebec, where candidates instead write the OIQ professional exam in French under that province's own framework. Unlike the computer-based, multi-division U.S. Architect Registration Examination (ARE), the ExAC is a single annual paper-and-pencil exam delivered in four half-day sessions over two days. Both exams test professional practice, codes, and project delivery, but the ExAC focuses on the Canadian context, including the National Building Code of Canada, CCDC documents, RAIC contracts, and provincial architect acts.

Question 7

When is the ExAC offered and how do I register?

Accepted Answer

The ExAC is administered once a year, simultaneously across Canada and the Northwest Territories, in English or French. For the 2026 cycle, registration is open from June 1 to July 10, 2026, at noon local time, and candidates register through their provincial or territorial regulator. Because it is offered only once annually, candidates plan their experience-hour milestones and study schedule around that single sitting. Confirm current dates, deadlines, and fees on the official ExAC website.

Question 8

How much should I study for the ExAC?

Accepted Answer

Most candidates invest roughly 150 to 250 hours across all four sections, concentrated over three to six months before the annual sitting. A common approach is to study by section: build design-phase knowledge for Section 1, work through the National Building Code and energy code for Section 2, review specifications, building science, and sustainable design for Section 3, and study CCDC contracts and construction administration for Section 4. Practising sample questions under the half-day session format helps build pacing and exposes weak competency themes to remediate before the exam.

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