2024 Ontario Building Code
Every practice answer tells you exactly where it lives in the code.
3,269 verified questions across all 15 BCIN exams. Buy the exam you're actually writing; each one costs less than a single attempt at Humber.
A property owner erects a detached garden shed with walls, a roof and a floor that occupies 9 m2 of area. The shed contains no plumbing of any kind and is not a structure designated in the building code. Under the definition of "building" in the Building Code Act, 1992, is the shed a "building"?
- Yes. Any structure consisting of a wall, a roof and a floor is a building, whatever area it occupies.
- No. A structure occupying 10 m2 or less is a building only if it contains plumbing or is designated in the building code.
- Yes. All detached accessory structures are designated in the building code, so the shed is a building regardless of its size.
- No. Sheds are a class of structure that the Act exempts in all cases, whatever their area or plumbing.
Pick an answer. You'll see the exact article it comes from.
Answer B.
BCA s. 1(1)Why B, and where the other options go wrong
The s. 1(1) definition captures structures over 10 m2, structures of 10 m2 or less only when they contain plumbing, stand-alone plumbing, sewage systems, and structures designated in the building code; a 9 m2 plumbing-free, non-designated shed falls outside every branch. A ignores the 10 m2 area threshold that clause (a) builds in. C invents a designation; clause (d) requires an actual designation in the building code. D is wrong because the Act contains no blanket exemption for sheds; the shed escapes only because of its size and lack of plumbing.
How the program gets you to 70%
Open book is why people fail, not why they pass. You get the whole compendium and about two and a half minutes a question, so hunting for the article is what beats you. Three stages fix that, in order. Nothing clever, just the work in the right sequence.
Learn where things live
Practice by topic with instant feedback. Every answer prints its citation, so each question doubles as a navigation drill. That is the skill the exam actually measures.
Drill what changed in 2024
Study material written before March 2026 points your finger at the wrong page. Former 9.8.4.4A is now 9.8.4.5 and the fire separation articles shifted by two. "House" is no longer a defined term while "secondary suite" is. Framing spacings moved from 305, 406 and 610 mm to 300, 400 and 600, and farm buildings gained an entire new Part 2. 280 questions in the bank are flagged as 2024 changes, covering those plus the open riser ban and guard openings.
Sit two full mock exams
Every exam comes with two full mock exams, not one. Each is 70 questions against a three hour clock, with flagging, a question navigator and auto submit at zero. They are not a random draw from a pool: each one is weighted across every topic on the syllabus, so neither paper leaves out an area and lets you think you are ready for it. The bank behind them covers the published syllabus section by section, which is where the parts a 70 question paper cannot reach are practised. Results break down by topic. They are named Red and Blue in the app, so you can sit one, study, and sit the other on fresh questions.
All 15 exams, and what each one costs
Buy one exam or several. Nearly every registration category requires General Legal/Process, so it is where most people start.
- Two full mock exams with every exam you buy, 70 questions each against a 3 hour clock, marked and broken down by topic
- Each one is weighted across every topic, rather than drawn at random, so neither paper leaves out an area and lets you think you are ready for it
- The bank behind them covers the published syllabus section by section, so the parts a paper does not reach are still there to practise
| Exam | Who sits it | Price | Add to cart |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal and processEvery qualification path starts here | |||
| General Legal/Process Two full mock exams, 209 questions | Every qualification path, the universal first exam | $149 | |
| Designer Legal/Process Two full mock exams, 216 questions | Designer stream, confirm your category in QuARTS | $129 | |
| Powers and Duties of a CBO Two full mock exams, 179 questions | Chief building officials and deputies | $109 | |
| BuildingsBy the size and complexity of what you work on | |||
| House Two full mock exams, 170 questions | Part 9 residential designers and inspectors | $129 | |
| Small Buildings Two full mock exams, 228 questions | Designers and inspectors working beyond houses | $129 | |
| Large Buildings Two full mock exams, 200 questions | Part 3 practitioners | $109 | |
| Complex Buildings Two full mock exams, 236 questions | Post disaster and high complexity scope | $109 | |
| Services and systemsMechanical, plumbing and structural scopes | |||
| HVAC, House Two full mock exams, 192 questions | Residential mechanical designers | $129 | |
| Building Services Two full mock exams, 212 questions | Service systems plan review and inspection | $129 | |
| Building Structural Two full mock exams, 228 questions | Structural plan review and inspection | $129 | |
| Plumbing, House Two full mock exams, 182 questions | Residential plumbing scope | $109 | |
| Plumbing, All Buildings Two full mock exams, 184 questions | Full plumbing scope including inspectors | $129 | |
| Fire, life safety and sewage | |||
| Fire Protection Two full mock exams, 337 questions | Sprinkler and standpipe scope | $109 | |
| Detection, Lighting and Power Two full mock exams, 321 questions | Fire alarm and emergency systems scope | $109 | |
| On-site Sewage Systems Two full mock exams, 175 questions | Sewage system installers and inspectors | $129 | |
One exam is charged at its own price. Add two or more and every one of them is $99, whether you buy them the same day or come back for the next one later.
Not sure which categories your registration needs? The exam selection guide walks through every qualification path. Payments are processed by Stripe: Visa, Mastercard and American Express, with tax shown before you confirm.
Which of the 15 exams do you need?
Your registration category settles that, so tell the guide what you work on and it comes back with the exams that apply to you and what they cost together. Tick as many answers as fit you: plenty of people do more than one of these.
Which exams should you buy?
Every path below comes from our exam selection guide, which reads the Ministry's published list of 16 examinations. Two or more exams are $99 each, whichever ones you pick.
More than one row can be yours at once. Somebody who designs houses and small buildings takes both scale rows; somebody who designs buildings and inspects sewage systems takes both of those. Add the rows that fit you together, and count an exam named twice only once.
What you do, one row or several
| What you do | Start with | Also worth a look |
|---|---|---|
| I design buildings | General Legal/Process 2024, 209 verified questions, $149 on its own | Designer Legal/Process 2024, 216 verified questions, $129 on its own |
| I am a building official or inspector | General Legal/Process 2024, 209 verified questions, $149 on its own | Powers and Duties of a CBO 2024, 179 verified questions, $109 on its own |
| I install or inspect on-site sewage systems | General Legal/Process 2024, 209 verified questions, $149 on its own On-site Sewage Systems 2024, 175 verified questions, $129 on its own | Nothing else the guide names |
| I work for a registered code agency | General Legal/Process 2024, 209 verified questions, $149 on its own | RCA Powers/Duties. On the Ministry's list of 16 examinations. We have not built a bank for it. |
Then every scale of work you take on
Work at more than one of these scales and each one carries its own examination. Which of them your registration category actually names is settled in QuARTS, not here.
| Scale | Adds |
|---|---|
| Houses only | House 2024, 170 verified questions, $129 on its own |
| Small buildings | Small Buildings 2024, 228 verified questions, $129 on its own |
| Large buildings | Large Buildings 2024, 200 verified questions, $109 on its own |
| Complex buildings | Complex Buildings 2024, 236 verified questions, $109 on its own |
| I am not sure yet | Nothing extra from this answer |
Then every discipline that applies
| Discipline | Adds |
|---|---|
| Structural | Building Structural 2024, 228 verified questions, $129 on its own |
| Building services | Building Services 2024, 212 verified questions, $129 on its own |
| HVAC | HVAC, House 2024, 192 verified questions, $129 on its own |
| Plumbing | Houses only: Plumbing, House 2024, 182 verified questions, $109 on its own Any other scale: Plumbing, All Buildings 2024, 184 verified questions, $129 on its own More than one of those at once: Plumbing, All Buildings 2024, 184 verified questions, $129 on its own |
| Fire protection | Fire Protection 2024, 337 verified questions, $109 on its own |
| Detection, lighting and power | Detection, Lighting and Power 2024, 321 verified questions, $109 on its own |
| On-site sewage systems | On-site Sewage Systems 2024, 175 verified questions, $129 on its own |
Worth knowing before you book
- The Ministry's syllabus hub lists both General Legal/Process and Designer Legal/Process and does not say which streams each one applies to. We start the list with General Legal/Process and leave the other one a click away. Confirm which one your category needs before you book.
- The guide says officials also write technical exams matching what they review and inspect, and that the mix depends on the role and the municipality. Confirm it with your employer and against Ministry guidance.
- Registered code agencies have their own examination on the Ministry's list, RCA Powers/Duties. We have not built a bank for it, so there is nothing here to buy for it.
- HVAC (House) is the only HVAC examination on the Ministry's list of 16.
- The list carries Plumbing (House) and Plumbing (All Buildings). The guide reads the naming as the scoping: House variants for house scale work, the broader variants for all buildings.
- Take on house scale work and something larger, and the list carries Plumbing (All Buildings) on its own rather than both plumbing exams. The guide scopes the broader variant to all buildings, which takes in house scale work, so the narrower one would be a second sitting for ground the first already covers.
- Which building scale exam your category requires depends on the scope of buildings you work on. At the price of a sitting, writing the wrong scale is an expensive detour.
- Scale is what decides your building exam, so until you know yours there is no building exam to put on the list. The free syllabi are the best public description of each exam's territory.
A starting point, not a determination. The categories you are required to hold sit on your registration in QuARTS, and no chooser on a sales page can tell you what they are. Use this list to see what things cost, then confirm your categories in QuARTS, or against Ministry guidance, before you book a sitting. Read our guide to which BCIN exams you need.
Prices above are for one exam on its own. Pick two or more and every one of them is $99. Changed your mind? Email us within See all exams.
What the alternatives cost
Your other options for the same exam, at the prices they publish.
| BCINprep | Other prep sites | College courses | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price per exam | $109 to $149 | $158 to $375 per exam | $383 to $904 per course |
| Citation on every answer | Yes, under each question | Not demonstrated | Course notes only |
| 2024 changes module | Flagged in every bank, 280 across the catalog | Not demonstrated | Varies by instructor |
| Complete papers, not a random draw | Two full mock exams per exam, each covering every topic | Sometimes | No |
| Exams with a bank you can buy | All 15, one at a time | 3 to 9 | One per course |
| Schedule | Instant, self-paced, no expiry | Self-paced | Fixed weeks |
Competitor figures are the prices those vendors publish on their own sites, and college figures come from the provider course pages, captured August 2026. Prices move, so check theirs before you compare. If you spot one that is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.
Questions people ask before buying
Which exam should I take first?
Almost everyone starts with General Legal/Process, the qualification exam every practitioner category needs. Designers then add a technical category, most often House. Your required categories are listed against your registration in QuARTS, and the exam selection guide walks through all of them. The free quiz mixes Legal and House questions and scores you by topic, so you can see which side you are weaker on before you buy.
It is open book. Why would I need practice questions?
Because 70 questions in 180 minutes gives you about two and a half minutes each. If you have to hunt for the article, you run out of clock. Every one of our answers prints its citation, so each question trains the navigation reflex the exam actually scores.
How do I know the answers are right?
Check them. The citation is printed under every answer, so you can verify against your own compendium in seconds. Behind that, every question was written from the source text and independently re-checked before publishing, and the method is published in full. Every question also carries a report button. Reports get read, and a confirmed error is corrected in the next bank update.
How long do I get access, and are updates included?
Access doesn't expire and there's no renewal. Every update to a bank you own through the 2024 code cycle is free.
Can my employer pay?
Yes. Checkout emails a Stripe receipt showing the amount and the date.
One failed attempt at Humber costs $150.
Every exam in the catalog above costs less than that, and the 12 question quiz costs nothing at all. Most people start with General Legal.