Exam format
NPPE exam format: what's actually on the test
The structural facts of the NPPE: question count, timing, scoring rules, and how the exam is delivered, straight from the current NPPE Candidate Guide.
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There is no negative marking on the NPPE: every question scores 0 or 1, with no penalty for a wrong answer. Answer every question, since an unanswered question scores the same as a wrong one.
| Total questions | 110 |
|---|---|
| Scored questions | 100 |
| Unscored / pilot questions | about 10, unlabeled |
| Duration | 150 minutes (2.5 hours) |
| Question type | Multiple choice, 4 options, one correct answer |
| Negative marking | None: an unanswered or wrong question scores the same as skipped |
| Book policy | Closed-book |
| Languages | English and French |
| Reading level | approximately a grade 10-11 reading level |
| Delivery | remote, webcam-proctored by default (test centres exist only for exceptional cases), administered by Meazure Learning |
| Sittings per year | 5, each a 3-day window |
What the exam is not testing
It's easy to assume an engineering licensure exam tests engineering calculations. It does not.
What it tests
Professionalism, ethics, professional practice, law for professional practice, professional law, and regulation/discipline. See the full syllabus.
What it doesn't test
Technical engineering or geoscience calculations, discipline-specific design standards, or your provincial statute's exact section numbers.
Next: understand how the pass mark of 65 actually works, see the 2026 sitting dates, or read the exam day guide for what remote proctoring actually looks like.
Frequently asked questions
- 110 total: 100 scored questions that count toward your result, plus roughly 10 unscored "pilot" questions mixed in to field-test future exams. You cannot tell which is which.
- No. Each question scores 0 or 1; there is no penalty for a wrong answer, so every question is worth attempting.
- Yes. The exam is available in English and French, and you can switch language during the exam.
- No, it is closed-book.