Prepare
NPPE books: what to read, and how much of it
The suggested reading list, how to choose one law book and one ethics book, and why you do not need to read every page.
The NPPE suggested reading list
As listed on nppexam.ca. Pick one book from each area.
Ethics and professional practice
- Book
- Canadian Professional Engineering and Geoscience: Practice and Ethics
- Authors
- Andrews, Shaw and McPhee
Ethics and professional practice
- Book
- A Practical Guide to Ethics and Professional Practice
- Authors
- Samuels and Sanders
Law
- Book
- Law for Professional Engineers
- Authors
- Marston
Law
- Book
- Practical Law of Architecture, Engineering, and Geoscience
- Authors
- Samuels and Sanders
Which two NPPE books to pick
The two ethics and practice books cover the same ground: professionalism, codes of ethics, professional practice and how the professions are regulated. The two law books cover contracts, tort and the other legal topics in the blueprint. Neither book in a pair is required over the other, so choose by what you can get hold of and which style you find easier to read.
One option is to take both from Samuels and Sanders, who wrote one of each, for a consistent style across ethics and law. Another is Andrews, Shaw and McPhee with Marston. Look at the table of contents and a sample chapter before you buy: they will tell you more than any review.
Whichever you choose, check the edition. Law and practice change, so a recent edition is safer than an old copy passed down from a colleague, especially for law. Your regulator's own act, code of ethics and bylaws complete the set, and they are published on its website.
Do you need to read every page?
No. It is a worry we hear often from candidates: two textbooks, hundreds of pages, and a full-time job. But the NPPE does not test the books page by page. It tests the six blueprint sections in 110 questions, and the books cover far more than that, including background that is useful in a career but rarely the point of a question.
Use the blueprint to decide which chapters matter, and use practice to decide which of those you actually need. If you answer a topic's questions correctly and can say why, skim its chapter. If you keep missing them, read it properly. That way your reading follows your gaps instead of the page numbers.
This is how NPPE Pro is built: short lessons on each of the 52 topics, questions that show what you have not yet understood, and the book kept nearby for depth. The NPPE exam preparation guide puts the whole approach in order.
How to use an NPPE textbook efficiently
Treat the book as a reference you consult, not a novel you finish.
- 1
Map the chapters to the blueprint
Go through the table of contents with the six sections beside it and mark which chapters belong to which. Chapters that match nothing go to the bottom of the list.
- 2
Order your reading by weight
Professional Practice and Law for Professional Practice first and longest, Ethics next, then the three smaller sections.
- 3
Test before you read
Answer about ten questions on a topic first. If you get them right and can explain why, skim the chapter. If not, read it carefully.
- 4
Read in short sections, then recall
One section at a time, then close the book and write the rule down in a sentence. If you cannot, read it again.
- 5
Return for what you miss
When a practice question catches you out, look up that point in the book. Over time the book becomes a place you visit for specific answers.
- 6
Keep your regulator's code alongside
Read your regulator's code of ethics next to the ethics chapters. It is short, and it is the clearest example of the duties the exam asks about.
Let your results decide which chapters to read
NPPE Pro's readiness score shows, for each of the 6 domains, how much you have covered and how accurately you answer. A low score in one domain tells you which chapters of your book deserve a proper read; a high one tells you where a skim will do.
The lessons themselves are the short version: 564 cards across 52 topics, so you can study daily on a phone and save the textbook for depth. See the readiness score and the NPPE study material guide.
What candidates say about NPPE Pro
5.0 on Google(read the reviews on Google, opens in a new tab)“I had already attempted the NPPE exam 3 times... the practice questions, flashcards, and review tools helped me focus on my weak areas. This time, I passed successfully.”
Omer Kanam
Passed after 3 failed attempts. Google review
“The practice questions closely reflect the actual exam and helped me identify my weak areas and improve my confidence. Thanks to NPPE Pro, I passed my NPPE exam.”
Nazar Smil
Passed the NPPE. Google review
Questions people ask
More answers in the NPPE FAQ.
Which textbooks are recommended for the NPPE?
The NPPE's suggested reading list pairs one ethics and practice book with one law book: Andrews, Shaw and McPhee's Canadian Professional Engineering and Geoscience: Practice and Ethics, or Samuels and Sanders' A Practical Guide to Ethics and Professional Practice; and Marston's Law for Professional Engineers, or Samuels and Sanders' Practical Law of Architecture, Engineering, and Geoscience.
Do I need all four NPPE books?
No. The suggested reading list offers two ethics and practice books and two law books, and the advice is to read one of each. Reading both books in a pair mostly means covering the same topics twice. Spend that time on practice questions instead, and keep your one book of each kind as a reference.
Do I have to read the whole NPPE textbook?
No. The exam tests the six blueprint sections, not every page of the book. Map the chapters to the blueprint, read the ones for the heaviest sections first, and use practice questions to find which topics need a careful read and which only need a skim.
Do I still need the textbook?
Not to get started. NPPE Pro's lessons cover every topic the NPPE tests in short pieces you can study daily. The regulators' recommended textbooks remain the authoritative reference, and they are worth having nearby when you want more depth on a topic the readiness score flags.
What should I read besides the NPPE books?
Your own regulator's act, regulations, code of ethics and bylaws, which are published on its website. They are the clearest examples of the principles behind the Ethics, Professional Law and Regulation and Discipline sections. EGBC applicants also complete EGBC's own online seminar on practice in British Columbia, which is separate from the NPPE.
Is the NPPE open book?
No. The NPPE is closed book. You cannot bring notes or textbooks, and a remote proctor watches through your webcam and a second camera on your phone or tablet. That is why preparation is about understanding and recall rather than knowing where to look things up.
What sections does the NPPE cover?
The NPPE blueprint has six sections: Professionalism (7 to 10 questions), Ethics (17 to 21), Professional Practice (27 to 32), Law for Professional Practice (23 to 28), Professional Law (7 to 10), and Regulation of Members and Discipline Processes (7 to 10). Professional practice and law together make up more than half the exam.
How long should I study for the NPPE?
Plan for several weeks rather than a few cramming weekends. NPPE Pro's default plan is eight weeks of short daily sessions, because the exam covers six sections of law, ethics and practice and steady daily study is easier to keep up beside a job. If your sitting is sooner, the plan counts back from your date and compresses to fit.
Your first session takes fifteen minutes.
Tell NPPE Pro your sitting and it builds the plan. The 14-day trial starts from your first finished lesson, and no card is needed.