What's New on the 2026 ExAC: Changes from 2025

If you're writing the Examination for Architects in Canada (ExAC) this year, the most important thing to understand up front is this: the 2026 ExAC is the same exam it has been for years. The four-section structure, the 13 themes, the open-book Section 2 with the National Building Code, the practice-based question style; none of that is changing.

What does change every year is which version of the official ExAC Preparation Guide applies, which editions of codes and contracts you're being tested on, and the specific emphasis the examination places on each objective. The 2026 cycle is no different. This article walks through what's actually different about 2026, and just as importantly, what isn't.

1. The reference editions are NBC 2020 and NECB 2020

For Section 2 (Building Code and Energy Compliance), the 2026 ExAC uses the National Building Code of Canada 2020 and the National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings 2020 as its official references. If your study materials, notes, or practice questions were built around an older NBC edition, refresh them.

The 2020 NBC introduced meaningful structural changes from prior editions, the most visible being the addition of a new occupancy group (Group G: Agricultural) and various renumbering and clarification work in Parts 3 and 9. If you're transitioning from a 2015-NBC-era study program, do a one-pass walkthrough of the 2020 table of contents before going deep, just to recalibrate your mental map of where things live.

2. A new ExAC Preparation Guide is published every year

This is the single most important document for any ExAC candidate, and it's freely available. The 2026 ExAC Preparation Guide includes:

• An overview of the content of the exam by section
• The full list of General and Specific Objectives
• Sample questions in Appendix 2
• The complete list of References and Resources (Appendix 3)
• Practical advice for the day of the exam
• Lists of permitted and prohibited items

Even if you used the 2025 guide, you should download the 2026 edition. Differences are usually small but they're not nothing; sample questions get refreshed, the objectives list can be re-emphasized, and guidance on permitted reference materials sometimes shifts.

3. The format itself is unchanged

The 2026 ExAC remains a pencil-and-paper exam delivered in four three-hour sessions over two consecutive days, simultaneously across all participating provinces and territories. It is offered in both English and French. You may only use HB pencils on the answer sheet; bring more than one sharpened pencil and a good eraser. None of this is new for 2026, but it's worth confirming against the official guide because logistics sometimes shift quietly between cycles.

4. CCDC and RAIC documents continue to track current editions

Section 4 of the ExAC tests heavily on the CCDC contract suite and RAIC Document 6. The 2026 ExAC references the current published editions of these documents. If you've been studying off older versions, particularly if you've been working off notes that reference superseded CCDC editions; verify against the current versions before exam day.

The most-tested CCDC documents (CCDC 2 Stipulated Price, CCDC 3 Cost Plus, CCDC 4 Unit Price, CCDC 5A and 5B for construction management, CCDC 14 Design-Build, CCDC 23 Guide to Calling Bids, CCDC 30 IPD) haven't seen sweeping rewrites recently, but their general conditions and clause numbers are precise and worth memorizing in their current form.

5. The CACB has not approved any prep course or study guide

This is true every year, but it's especially worth repeating because marketing language from prep providers can sometimes blur the line. The CACB and the CExAC do not endorse, accredit, or approve any third-party course or study guide. Anything that claims otherwise is misrepresenting itself.

What good third-party resources can do (and what ours is built to do) is organize, summarize, and cross-reference the official readings so you can study efficiently. They are aids. The exam itself tests your professional judgment based on your internship experience and your understanding of the foundational references. The Preparation Guide remains the only authoritative document.

6. What hasn't changed, and what to lean on

For the bulk of your prep, the 2026 ExAC rewards exactly what it has always rewarded:

• Knowing how to navigate the NBC fast. Tabbing, flipping, using the index; these skills determine your Section 2 performance more than memorization.
• Knowing the CCDC documents cold. Which contract fits which delivery method, who holds what, where General Conditions sit, what triggers Substantial Performance.
• Real internship exposure to project delivery. The exam tests judgment under realistic conditions. There's no substitute for having seen RFIs, site reviews, and payment certifications in practice.
• Time management. Roughly 90 seconds per question. The candidates who do well practice answering quickly, not exhaustively.

What to do this week

If you're starting your 2026 ExAC prep right now, here's a sensible first move:

1. Download the 2026 ExAC Preparation Guide from exac.ca and read it end to end. Two hours, one sitting.
2. Confirm your provincial registration window with your licensing authority.
3. Order a printed NBC 2020 and NECB 2020; you need physical copies for Section 2.
4. Build a 12-week study plan working backward from your exam date. We have a sample 12-week schedule you can adapt.
5. Decide on a structured study guide. Whether it's ours or another, having one organized synthesis of the source material saves hundreds of hours.

Frequently asked questions