Section 2 of the ExAC is the open-book section. You're permitted to bring your printed copy of the National Building Code of Canada 2020 and the National Energy Code for Buildings 2020 into the exam room. On paper, this sounds like an advantage. In practice, the open-book format only helps you if you can find anything in the code in 30 seconds or less. Tabbing well is what makes that possible.
This is a complete guide to tabbing your NBC 2020 in a way that actually saves time during the exam, not the cosmetic tabbing some candidates do that ends up cluttering the binder and slowing them down.
The materials you actually need
- A printed copy of the NBC 2020. The full version, not the highlights. If you don't already have one, order it from NRC well in advance; it ships, it's not a same-day purchase.
- Plastic Post-It Durable Tabs (or equivalent). Paper tabs tear in a multi-day exam. Plastic tabs hold up.
- 4–5 colours. No more. Too many colours becomes noise instead of signal.
- A fine-tip permanent marker. Sharpie Fine; labels stay legible and the ink doesn't bleed.
The colour system
Less is more. A workable system:
| Colour | Use for | Example tabs |
|---|---|---|
| Red | Part 3: large buildings (most-tested) | 3.1.11, 3.2.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.8 |
| Blue | Part 9: small buildings | 9.5, 9.10, 9.36 |
| Green | Parts 4, 5, 6: structural, environmental separation, mechanical | 5.4, 5.5, 6.2 |
| Yellow | Index and reference tables | Index (loose), Climatic Data, Appendix A |
| Black/Bold | Top-level Part dividers | Start of Parts 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 |
What to tab in Part 3 (the most-tested)
Part 3 covers buildings other than houses and small buildings: most of the projects you'll be tested on. The key articles to tab:
- 3.1.11: Firestopping. Frequently tested. Know the maximum dimensions (20 m horizontal, 3 m vertical).
- 3.1.17: Combustible projections.
- 3.2.2: Building height and area. Determines which construction type applies.
- 3.2.3: Spatial separation between buildings. Limiting distances and unprotected openings.
- 3.2.4: Fire alarm and detection systems.
- 3.3: Safety within floor areas. Includes occupancy-specific provisions.
- 3.4: Exits. Travel distance, exit width, dead-end corridors.
- 3.7: Health requirements and food premises.
- 3.8: Accessibility design. Barrier-free path of travel, washroom requirements.
What to tab in Part 9
Part 9 covers houses and small buildings. Key articles:
- 9.5: Design of areas and spaces.
- 9.7: Windows, doors, and skylights.
- 9.10: Fire protection. Subset most often tested.
- 9.32: Ventilation.
- 9.36: Energy efficiency. Tied directly to NECB.
The single biggest time-saver: pull the index loose
The alphabetical index at the back of the NBC is the most underused tool on exam day. It is the fastest path to anything you can't immediately locate by Part. Detach the index from the binding (carefully) so it sits flat as a separate reference. Now you can keep it open beside the open code, scanning the index without flipping back and forth.
This single move can save you 5–10 minutes over the course of the exam. Confirm with your invigilator that loose pages are permitted before relying on it.
Don't just tab: know where things live
Our ExAC Study Guide includes an NBC navigation chapter that walks you through Part 3 and Part 9 with the same logic you'll need under exam pressure; the tabs become reminders, not a substitute for knowledge.
Get the ExAC Study Guide ($200 CAD)The mistake to avoid: over-tabbing
It is genuinely possible to put too many tabs in your NBC. Past about 60–70 tabs, you start spending time scanning your tabs instead of finding articles. Every tab competes for visual attention. The best candidates have 40–60 carefully chosen tabs, not 100+ scattered ones.
A useful test: pick a random topic you've been studying, time yourself finding the relevant article. If it takes more than 30 seconds, the issue is usually that your tabs are too dense or your colour system is inconsistent. Edit ruthlessly.
How to practice with your tabbed NBC
Tabbing is only half the work. The other half is muscle memory. In the final two weeks before your exam:
- Pick 20 random NBC questions per study session.
- Time yourself looking up each one.
- Anything over 30 seconds, mark it. Add a tab if needed, or shift its location.
- Repeat the same questions a week later. They should be faster the second time.
By exam day, you want the act of opening to a topic to feel automatic. The tabs are training wheels; the real goal is intuitive familiarity with the layout.