The exam
NPPE exam format: questions, sections and exam-day rules
How the NPPE is built: what each of the six sections covers, how the questions are written, how long you get, and what remote proctoring requires.
What each of the six sections covers
The professional practice exam is built from six sections, and the blueprint fixes how many questions each one contributes. The current blueprint dates from 2017 and was still in force on October 1, 2026. A review was expected around mid-2026, so check the blueprint on nppexam.ca before you start.
Professionalism
- Questions
- 7 to 10
- What it includes
- What professionalism and professional status mean; the roles and responsibilities of professionals in society and toward management; the engineering and geoscience professions in Canada and their scopes of practice; the value of the professions to society.
Ethics
- Questions
- 17 to 21
- What it includes
- The role of ethics in society; classical ethical theories (utilitarianism, duty, rights and virtue ethics); the codes of ethics of Canadian regulators and how they govern conduct; common dilemmas, such as conflicts of interest, and how to reach an ethical decision.
Professional Practice
- Questions
- 27 to 32
- What it includes
- Accountability for your work and standards of practice; relations with other professionals; statutory and non-statutory standards and codes; insurance, risk and quality management and due diligence; environmental responsibility and sustainable development; software and liability for its errors; authenticating documents with your seal; the duty to inform and whistleblowing.
Law for Professional Practice
- Questions
- 23 to 28
- What it includes
- The Canadian legal system; contract law, tendering and construction liens; tort law and negligence; Quebec's civil law compared with the common law elsewhere; business, employment and labour law; workers' compensation and occupational health and safety; arbitration and other dispute resolution; intellectual property.
Professional Law
- Questions
- 7 to 10
- What it includes
- The acts, regulations and bylaws of the provincial and territorial regulators; admission to the professions; illegal practice, enforcement against unlicensed practice and misuse of title; professional and technical societies.
Regulation of Members and Discipline Processes
- Questions
- 7 to 10
- What it includes
- Discipline procedures; practice reviews of individuals and of firms; continuing professional development.
Sources:NPPE blueprint (nppexam.ca)
How the questions are written
Every question is multiple choice with four options and exactly one correct answer. Many describe a workplace situation, such as a manager overruling a safety recommendation, a conflict of interest or a contract dispute, and ask for the best action or the legal position. Often more than one option sounds reasonable, so the exam tests judgment under the codes of ethics and Canadian law, not recall alone.
Of the 110 questions, 100 are scored and 10 are experimental. Experimental questions are being trialled for future exams and do not count toward your result. There is no penalty for a wrong answer, so answer every question and give each one the same care.
The pass mark is a scaled score of 65, which is not 65 percent. Scores are equated across sittings, so a pass reflects the same standard whichever sitting you write, and the result is reported only as pass or fail. Candidates who fail receive a report of their performance by content area.
Timing and exam-day rules
What the clock and the remote proctor mean for you on the day.
2.5 hours for 110 questions
That is 150 minutes, or about 1.36 minutes (82 seconds) per question. At one minute a question you would finish with about 40 minutes in hand.
Closed book
No notes, textbooks or reference material. What you use on the day has to be in your head, which is why preparation is about recall and understanding.
Remotely proctored
You write online, watched by a remote proctor through your webcam. Test centres are used only in exceptional cases.
A second camera since June 2026
You need a phone or tablet as a second camera. Read the current candidate requirements on nppexam.ca and test your setup well before exam day.
English or French
Every question is available in French, and you can switch between English and French during the exam.
Pass or fail, about 2 to 3 weeks later
Your result comes through your regulator, not the exam administrator. If you pass, you get no score detail.
Try a question in the NPPE's style
This is an NPPE Pro practice question written in the NPPE's scenario style, not a real exam question: those are confidential. Pick an answer to see why each option is right or wrong. More examples are on the NPPE sample questions page.
Ethics · Duty to the public
Your employer asks you to approve a design you believe does not meet the building code, and says the client will be unhappy with any delay. Under Canadian codes of ethics, what comes first?
What the format means for your preparation
Because the weighting is fixed, your study time can follow it. Professional Practice and Law for Professional Practice supply 50 to 60 questions between them, so they deserve the most hours. The three smaller sections still carry 21 to 30 questions together, and they are smaller bodies of material, so covering them well is efficient.
Scenario questions are learned by answering them. Practise with questions that explain every option, sit at least one full mock exam to test your pace over 2.5 hours, and spend your review time on the sections where you lose marks. NPPE Pro has 4 full-length mock exams on the same timer, each with a report by topic.
For a plan built around this structure, see how to pass the NPPE and NPPE exam preparation. For the bigger picture, including who requires the exam, what each regulator charges and how to register, start with the NPPE exam guide. Upcoming sittings are on the NPPE exam dates page.
Want a quick read on where you stand first?
Our sister site runs a short NPPE practice test with no account. Take it, then come back for the plan, the lessons and the full mock exams.
Questions people ask
More answers in the NPPE FAQ.
What is the format of the NPPE?
The NPPE has 110 multiple choice questions, each with four options and one correct answer, to be answered in 2.5 hours. 100 questions are scored and 10 are experimental questions that do not count, and there is no penalty for guessing. It is closed book and remotely proctored, and since June 2026 candidates need a phone or tablet as a second camera.
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.
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.
Can I write the NPPE in French?
Yes. Every NPPE question is available in French, and candidates can switch between English and French during the exam. In Quebec, the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec does not use the NPPE and sets its own professional exam in French.
What is the pass mark for the NPPE?
The pass mark is a scaled score of 65, which is not the same as 65 percent. Scores are scaled so that a pass means the same thing at every sitting, and results are reported only as pass or fail. Candidates who fail receive a report showing their performance by content area.
Is there a penalty for wrong answers on the NPPE?
No. A wrong answer scores the same as a blank one, so there is nothing to lose by answering every question. If you are unsure, rule out the options you know are wrong, choose the best of the rest, and move on so the time goes to questions you can answer with confidence.
Do the experimental questions on the NPPE count?
No. Of the 110 questions, 10 are experimental questions being trialled for future exams, and they do not count toward your result. Only the other 100 are scored. Treat every question as one that counts, and answer each with the same care.
How much time do you get per question on the NPPE?
About 1.36 minutes, or 82 seconds, on average: the exam allows 2.5 hours (150 minutes) for 110 questions. A pace of about a minute each leaves roughly 40 minutes for the harder questions. A full timed mock exam is the best way to test your pace.
Do I need a second camera for the NPPE?
Yes. Since June 2026, candidates need a phone or tablet as a second camera, in addition to the webcam on the computer they write on. The NPPE is remotely proctored, and test centres are used only in exceptional cases. Check the current requirements on nppexam.ca and test your setup before exam day.
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