Practice
Writing the NPPE online: remote proctoring, setup and timed rehearsal
The NPPE is a closed-book exam written on your own computer under a remote proctor. What that involves, how to set up, and how to rehearse the 2.5 hours.
What remote proctoring involves
APEGA manages the NPPE on behalf of the participating regulators, and Meazure Learning delivers it online. You start with your own regulator, not the administrator: register before your regulator's deadline for the sitting you want, and once you are approved, book an exam time in the booking window. Windows open roughly a month before each sitting and close one to two weeks before it. The exam dates page lists them.
On the day, a proctor watches you through your webcam and, since June 2026, through a phone or tablet set up as a second camera. The exam is closed book, so notes, textbooks and other materials stay out of reach. Your regulator and nppexam.ca set out what is allowed and how check-in works, and those are the rules that count, not anyone's summary of them, including this one.
Sources:NPPE exam administration (nppexam.ca)NPPE exam format (nppexam.ca)NPPE exam dates (nppexam.ca)
A setup checklist for exam day
General preparation that suits most remotely proctored exams. Your regulator and the exam administrator set the actual requirements, so check this list against your booking instructions.
A quiet, private room
Somewhere you will not be interrupted for the full 2.5 hours plus check-in. Tell the people you live with when the exam starts and ends.
Your ID within reach
Have the identification your booking instructions ask for ready before check-in starts, so you are not searching for it with the clock running.
A stable internet connection
Use the most reliable connection you have. A wired connection, or sitting close to the router, lowers the chance of a dropout.
A cleared desk
The exam is closed book, so remove notes, books and extra devices from your workspace before you check in.
Your phone or tablet charged
You need it as a second camera. Charge it, keep it plugged in if you can, and have a way to stand it up steadily.
Your computer checked early
Read the technical requirements in your booking instructions days before the exam, and fix anything that does not meet them while there is still time.
The rules for writing the NPPE online come from your regulator and from nppexam.ca, and they can change between sittings. Read your booking confirmation and those pages before exam day. NPPE Pro is independent and not affiliated with the exam's administrators or any regulator.
Pacing 110 questions in 2.5 hours
Spread evenly, 2.5 hours gives you a little over 80 seconds a question. These checkpoints show where an even pace puts you.
30 minutes
- Questions done at an even pace
- 22
1 hour
- Questions done at an even pace
- 44
1.5 hours
- Questions done at an even pace
- 66
2 hours
- Questions done at an even pace
- 88
2.5 hours
- Questions done at an even pace
- 110
How to rehearse under exam conditions
A full timed mock is the closest you can get to the real sitting. NPPE Pro's 4 mock exams run on the same 2.5-hour clock.
- 1
Book a 2.5-hour block
Pick a time that matches your exam slot if you can, and treat it as fixed. Rehearsing at the same time of day shows you how alert you will be.
- 2
Use the setup you will use on the day
Same room, same computer, a cleared desk and no notes. NPPE Pro recommends a laptop or desktop for full mocks, like the real exam.
- 3
Start the timer and do not pause it
Answer every question, since the NPPE has no penalty for guessing. Star the ones you want to revisit and keep moving.
- 4
Check your pace at the halfway mark
At 75 minutes an even pace puts you at question 55. If you are well behind, you are spending too long on scenarios you cannot settle.
- 5
Read the report the same day
The report breaks your result down by topic and explains every question. Note the topics that cost you most and practise them before the next mock.
A report after every timed mock
When you submit, or when the 2.5-hour timer runs out, NPPE Pro scores the mock and shows your strengths and gaps by topic. You can review every question with its explanation, or filter to the ones you starred or got wrong, then retake the mock later to see whether the gaps closed.
If a rehearsal is interrupted, your answers and remaining time are saved, so you can resume where you stopped. NPPE Pro uses 65% as its own target on the mocks. The NPPE's pass mark is a scaled score of 65, which is not the same as 65 percent.
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.
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.
Why do I need a phone or tablet to write the NPPE?
Since June 2026, candidates writing the NPPE online need a phone or tablet as a second camera alongside the webcam on their computer. Treat it like any other piece of exam equipment: charged, ready to stand steadily, and set up before check-in. Your booking instructions explain how it is used.
Can I write the NPPE at a test centre instead of online?
Only in exceptional cases. The NPPE is delivered online with remote proctoring, and test centres are the exception rather than an option you choose at booking. If you think your situation might qualify, ask your regulator early, well before the booking window for your sitting opens.
Who runs the NPPE?
APEGA manages the NPPE on behalf of the participating regulators, and Meazure Learning delivers it online with remote proctoring. You register through your own regulator, which also sends you your result.
How do I register for the NPPE?
Apply to write the NPPE through your provincial or territorial regulator, before that regulator's deadline for the sitting you want. Once approved, you book an exam time with the administrator during the booking window, which opens about a month before the sitting.
Can I take NPPE Pro's mock exams on my phone?
Yes, but a laptop or desktop is better for full mocks. NPPE Pro runs in the browser on any device, and short practice sessions suit a phone well. For a 2.5-hour mock, NPPE Pro suggests a computer so the rehearsal looks like the real exam, which you also write on a computer.
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.
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.
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