The hardest part of preparing for the Examination for Architects in Canada isn't the content. It's the volume. Between CHOP, the NBC, the full CCDC suite, RAIC Document 6, NECB, sustainability frameworks, and the recommended supplementary readings, you're staring at several thousand pages, and you're holding down a full-time architectural job while trying to absorb it.
This is a 12-week study plan that assumes you're working full time and can commit roughly 10 to 18 hours of focused study per week. It's based on what worked for candidates who passed all four sections on their first attempt, not a theoretical ideal.
How time should be split across the four sections
Not all four ExAC sections are equally demanding to prepare for. Most candidates underestimate Section 4 (Project & Practice) and overestimate Section 1 (Design). Here's a defensible split for total study time:
| Section | What's tested | Suggested time share |
|---|---|---|
| Section 1: Design | Programming, site, engineering, cost, schematic, design development | ~20% |
| Section 2: NBC & NECB | Open-book code navigation, accessibility, fire, energy | ~30% |
| Section 3: Final Project | Construction principles, materials, processes, specifications | ~20% |
| Section 4: Project & Practice | Bidding, contracts, contract administration, business of practice | ~30% |
Section 2 gets a heavier weight because navigating the NBC quickly is a perishable skill; you have to keep flipping the code regularly or you lose the muscle memory. Section 4 gets a heavier weight because the volume of CCDC + RAIC + CHOP material is genuinely large and candidates routinely struggle with it.
The 12-week schedule
Weeks 1–2: Orientation and Section 1 (Design)
Use the first two weeks to read the official 2026 ExAC Preparation Guide cover to cover, set up your study workspace, and get your printed NBC and NECB. Then start with Section 1: Design. Cover Themes 1, 2, 3, and 4: Programming, Site & Environmental Analysis, Engineering Systems, and Cost Management.
- Primary references: CHOP Chapters 6.1–6.3, the cost data references (RSMeans, Hanscomb), Building Construction Illustrated for systems clarity.
- Output: One-page summary notes for each theme. You will reference these every week from here on.
- Practice: 10–15 questions per theme, end of each week.
Weeks 3–4: Finish Section 1 + start Section 3
Cover Themes 6 and 7 (Schematic Design and Design Development), then pivot to Section 3: Theme 8 (Construction Principles, Materials & Processes). The transition from design to construction is natural, and Theme 8 is heavy on practical knowledge that you've likely already touched at work.
- Primary references: Building Construction Illustrated (the most underrated book for the ExAC), CHOP Chapter 6.4 on construction documents.
- Practice: Begin doing mixed-section practice on the weekend so you don't lose Themes 1–4.
Weeks 5–7: Section 2: The NBC Marathon
This is the most important block in the entire plan. Three full weeks on the National Building Code is not overkill. Section 2 is open-book, but if you don't know the structure of the code in your bones, the open-book format will not save you under exam time pressure.
- Week 5: Part 3 deep-dive: occupancy classification, fire separations, exits, accessibility (3.8). This is where most questions live.
- Week 6: Part 9 (small buildings), Parts 4–6 (structural, environmental separation, mechanical), and the NECB.
- Week 7: Tabbing your physical NBC, doing 50+ timed code-lookup drills, and reading our NBC tabbing guide if you haven't already.
The goal at the end of week 7 is to be able to find any topic in the NBC in 30 seconds or less. If you can't, you're not done with this block; extend it before moving on.
Skip the synthesis work entirely
The Issued for Interns ExAC Study Guide condenses CHOP, NBC, CCDC, and RAIC Document 6 into one structured resource organized by ExAC theme, saving you 50–80 hours of synthesis work over 12 weeks.
Get the ExAC Study Guide ($200 CAD)Weeks 8–10: Section 4: Project & Practice
Three weeks is the minimum for Section 4. The CCDC suite alone is substantial, and you also need RAIC Document 6 (Themes 12 and 13), bidding (Theme 9, plus our CCDC cheat sheet), and Construction Phase office and field functions (Themes 10 and 11).
- Week 8: Theme 9: Project delivery methods and CCDC contracts. Memorize which CCDC fits which delivery method.
- Week 9: Themes 10 and 11: Construction phase office and field. CCDC 2 General Conditions in detail, payment timelines, change orders vs change directives.
- Week 10: Themes 12 and 13: RAIC Document 6, professional liability, Sustainable Design Literacy.
Week 11: Full mock exam + targeted review
Take a full simulated exam under timed conditions. Four three-hour sittings over the weekend if you can manage it. Then spend the rest of the week reviewing every question you missed and re-reading the relevant theme summaries. This is where you discover which weak spots actually cost you points; they're rarely the ones you predicted.
Week 12: Light review and rest
Stop learning new material. Re-read your own summary notes. Do 30–60 minutes of practice questions per day, no more. Re-tab any NBC sections that weren't sticking. Sleep more than usual. The biggest mistake candidates make is cramming the final week and walking into the exam burned out.
Weekly rhythm that actually works
Within each week, the schedule that holds up best for working candidates is:
- Mon–Thu: 60–90 minutes per evening, single-topic focus.
- Friday: Off. Genuinely off. Recovery is part of the plan.
- Saturday: 3–4 hour block in the morning. Reading-heavy work.
- Sunday: 2 hour block. Practice questions and weekly review.
Total: roughly 13–15 hours/week. Add a few hours during the Section 2 weeks and the final mock-exam week. Subtract them in week 12.
What to track
At minimum, keep a simple spreadsheet with:
- Each theme listed
- Hours spent per theme
- Self-rated confidence (1–5) per theme, updated weekly
- Practice question accuracy by theme
The point isn't precision; it's spotting patterns. If your accuracy on Theme 5 (NBC) hasn't moved in three weeks, that's your signal that what you're doing isn't working and you need to change tactics (more code-lookup drills, less reading).