Admission exams
Seeking equivalency
Admission exams may be required once your application has been evaluated. For example, if your training is deemed partially equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in Quebec. The purpose of these exams is to enable you to obtain a full equivalence of training. This page also contains information about filling these gaps with training activities and courses.
The OIQ offers several admission examination sessions each year, generally in the spring and fall. We invite you to visit this page regularly to learn about upcoming dates and to complete your registration.
About admission exams
Who are they for?
Entrance exams are intended for those whose training is not equivalent and who have certain gaps. If this is your case, you will receive an email once your admission application has been évaluated. You can then register for the next exam session in the required fields, or find a training activity deemed equivalent by the OIQ. The dates of these exams are generally listed on this page, in the introduction.
How do I register?
You can register by using the form provided on this page. Admission Exams are held in Montreal twice a year, during the first two weeks of May and November. It is not recommended to register for more than 3 exams per session. You must take them in French, except in exceptional cases. To find out the dates and times of the upcoming admission exams, please review this page or contact us.
How much does it cost?
You must pay a registration fee for each exam, even if it is a repeat after a failure. Consult our fee schedule to find out the costs. If you are absent from an exam for any reason, the OIQ will not reimburse you for these fees even if you have notified us. Also, fees that have already been paid cannot be carried over to pay for your registration for a future exam. If you choose to take equivalent courses at a university, then the university’s registration fees apply.
How does the exam work?
Admission exam sessions last three hours. Remember to arrive half an hour early with your identification. Before you take the exam, the proctor will give you instructions on how to proceed. If you do not follow these instructions or are caught plagiarizing, you may be subject to penalties ranging from a failure to a denial of your engineering permit.
What can I bring to the exam?
Allowed materials include textbooks, personal notes, and non-programmable calculators (see the list below). IMPORTANT – Prohibited materials include computers, cell phones, programmable calculators and any other electronic devices, including electronic dictionaries.
When will I receive my results?
The passing grade for the OIQ’s entrance exams is 50%. You will receive your results by email as soon as possible. Typically, results for the May session are sent by June 24, and results for the November session by December 24. The OIQ will not answer any questions about your results until they are released.
What documents should I consult to prepare for the admission exams?
The OIQ provides two resources: a description of the admission exams with a bibliography organized by subject or engineering field, and sample past exams by subject or engineering field. These past exams are offered as examples and include only the questions, not the answers. The type and number of questions may vary from one exam to another, and the documents can be downloaded below.
Who can I contact if I have questions ?
If you have questions related to admission exams, please send us an email : [email protected]
Can I appeal a failing grade?
You can request a review within 30 days of receiving the failure notice by completing the designated form and paying the applicable fees (one fee per exam). These fees may be refunded if your request is approved.
Documents to help you prepare
Note on the intellectual property of examination samples provided by Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (“OIQ”)
Examination samples found on the OIQ’s website are the exclusive property of the OIQ and their use is strictly limited to academic and personal purposes. Any unauthorized reproduction, distribution or commercial use of these examination constitutes an infringement of the OIQ’s intellectual property and is strictly prohibited. The OIQ reserves the right to take all appropriate legal action against any unauthorized use of its examination samples.
If the code of the exam you have been prescribed is not included in the lists below, please contact us: [email protected]
Examination descriptions and bibliographies (in French)
Previous exams for BASIC STUDIES
Previous exams for AGRO-ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
Previous exams for FOOD ENGINEERING
Previous exams for BUILDING ENGINEERING
Previous exams for BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
Previous exams for BIORESSOURCES
Previous exams for CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
Previous exams for CIVIL ENGINEERING
Previous exams for ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
Previous exams for ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
Previous exams for GEOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
Previous exams for GEOMATIC ENGINEERING
Previous exams for INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING
Previous exams for COMPUTER ENGINEERING
Previous exams for SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
Previous exams for MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Previous exams for MECHATRONICS ENGINEERING
Previous exams for MATERIALS AND METALLURGICAL ENGINEERING
Previous exams for MINING-MINERAL ENGINEERING
Previous exams for ENGINEERING PHYSICS
COMPLEMENTARY studies exams
Training Activity: Engineering Design
The OIQ and its academic partners have designed a training program for people who have not acquired the minimum number of engineering design credits in their academic or professional career.
This training includes a theoretical and a practical component, which are explained below.
The documents La conception en ingénierie (in french) will help you and your supervisor understand the expectations for the various stages of the training and assessment process.
When you are ready to start the practical component of this training, we ask that you first submit your project topic to the OIQ for approval before you begin. Please use the Project Proposal Form and send it to [email protected].
Once the project is complete, you must submit the Project Summary Form to the OIQ, signed by the person who supervised you.
Theoretical Component
It consists of self-taught learning of the engineering design methodology done by the reading of one of these 2 books:
- Engineering Design: A Project-Based Introduction (de Clive L. Dym et Patrick Little)
- Introduction à la conception en ingénierie (de Caroline Boudoux, Xavier Attendu et Jérémie Villeneuve)
Once your self-study is complete, the OIQ will validate your knowledge with an exam. To register for the engineering design methodology exam, fill out the form below.
Once you have passed this exam, you will be able to begin the practical component of the engineering design training.
Practical Component
The practical component consists of carrying out an engineering design project to demonstrate that you are capable of applying the principles of the design methodology independently.
To help you succeed in this practical component, the OIQ has developed guides in specific major engineering fields (see below). We strongly recommend that you consult these guides to obtain additional information on engineering design and see different design project examples.
Please note that this engineering design training has been developed in collaboration with the following academic institutions:
- École de technologie supérieure
- Sherbrooke University, engineering faculty
- Laval University, faculty of science and engineering
- Government of Quebec
- Polytechnique Montréal
- University of Quebec at Trois-Rivièress
- University of Quebec in Abitibi-Témiscamingue
List of design training guides by domain
Equivalent Courses
The admissions committee may recognize courses taken at a Quebec university as “equivalent” to those required to fill a gap identified in your file.
This may apply to:
- a course that you have already completed, but have not yet submitted to the OIQ
- a course you are planning to take, for which you wish to obtain prior approval
We recommend obtaining prior approval from the OIQ before registering for a course.
For a course to be considered, you must:
- Complete the course request form and send it to [email protected]
- If you have already completed a course, provide a detailed course outline and ask your university to send an official copy of your transcript directly to the OIQ.
Assessment Method for Submitted Courses
For a course to be recognized for equivalency purposes, its assessment method must reliably validate the candidate’s learning outcomes.
Courses that rely solely on written assignments, readings, discussions, forums, or any other form of group participation, without formal individual assessment, do not allow for the confirmation of learning outcomes and therefore cannot be recognized.
An assessment deemed adequate must include an individual exam, administered either in person or online.
Specific requirements for online exam
- When the exam is not administered in person, the educational institution must implement a live digital proctoring system that allows for:
verification of the candidate’s identity - continuous monitoring throughout the duration of the exam
Applicants must also provide official proof from the educational institution confirming the use of this system, such as an email containing instructions sent by the institution. Without this proof, the online exam cannot be recognized for equivalency purposes.
Several courses offered by Canadian educational institutions have already been approved by the Committee on Admission to Practice, as they have been deemed relevant to meeting certain training requirements. Below are lists of courses recognized as equivalent, grouped by exam type.
If the course you have completed appears on one of these lists, you do not need to submit an application for approval. Simply email us at [email protected] to inform us and ask your educational institution to send an official transcript directly to the OIQ.
If the code for the exam prescribed to you does not appear in the lists below, please contact us.
Tables of equivalent courses by exam type
Special Circumstances
Failed Exam
Failing an exam does not prevent you from obtaining your title. You may register to retake the exam within the prescribed timeframe or choose to complete an equivalent course. However, after two failures of the same exam, successful completion of an equivalent course will be required.
Absence or No-Show
An absence from an exam, regardless of the reason, will not be counted as a failure. However, registration fees are non-refundable and cannot be transferred to a future exam registration, even if you have notified the OIQ of your absence.
Deadlines and Extensions
Upon expiration of the prescribed timeframe, you may request a one-year extension. Up to two extensions may be granted if your file demonstrates significant progress, such as successful completion of an examination or an equivalent course.
File Closure and Reopening
Request for Reopening
If your file has been closed due to exceeding the prescribed timeframe or a period of inactivity, you may request that it be reopened. This process must be completed using the designated form and submitted with the applicable fee.
Applicable Conditions
The conditions for reopening vary depending on the reason your file was closed. In certain cases, you will be required to provide at least one new element demonstrating progress toward fulfilling one of the requirements set out in your original prescription. The reopening request form outlines the conditions applicable to each situation.
Review of the Request
Once received, your request will be reviewed to determine whether it is eligible for file reopening.
Reassessment of your File
If your request is deemed admissible, your file will be reassessed by the Admissions Committee in accordance with the rules in effect at the time of the request.
This reassessment may result in a refusal or modifications to the prescribed examinations. Any failed examinations will be carried forward into your new prescription unless you can demonstrate that the requirements have been satisfied through completion of an equivalent course or relevant professional experience.
Request an Exam Review
If you wish to have the grade obtained on an exam reviewed, you may submit a review request within 30 days of the date on which the notice of failure was sent.
To do so, complete the Exam Review Request Form and submit it along with the applicable fee. If your request concerns more than one exam, a separate fee applies to each exam. The amount of the fee is indicated in the form. The fee may be refunded if the review decision is favourable to you.
To support your request, you will be permitted to review your exam booklet and must include a letter explaining the grounds for your request.
Sanctions for Fraud
Any act of fraud or attempted fraud in connection with an admission exam may result in the closure of your file or the refusal of your application for admission.
Questions
Contact us if you have any questions about these exams or obtaining your training equivalencies.
Contact the OIQ