ExAC Study Blog

Free ExAC study notes, guides, and strategies from licensed Canadian Architects for Intern Architects preparing for the Examination for Architects in Canada.

Ultimate ExAC 2026 Preparation Guide: How to Study Smarter and Pass — The one guide to read first: the exam format, the short list of references that actually matter, a realistic study plan, smarter study methods, and exam-day strategy, all in one place.
ExAC Flashcards for Intern Architects — Examitect's ExAC flashcards are a recall-cue deck covering all four sections and the thirteen official objectives, with each card cited to the source it comes f
ExAC Study Plan: A Week-by-Week Schedule — Examitect's study plan turns your exam date into a real week-by-week schedule: you set how many weeks you have and which sections you are taking, and it spreads
Free ExAC Study Notes for Every Section — Examitect's study notes are a free, public library that covers all four ExAC sections, the thirteen official objectives, and every key reference, from CHOP and
ExAC Mind Maps and Flow Charts Explained — Examitect's mind maps and flow charts are interactive diagrams of the Examination for Architects in Canada that link every objective to the exact chapters and r
ExAC Podcasts for Intern Architects — Examitect's ExAC podcasts are short, Architect-led episodes that walk through each objective of the Examination for Architects in Canada in plain language, acro
How to Become an Architect in Canada — The full path to architectural licensure in Canada: a CACB-accredited degree, the IAP internship, the ExAC, and provincial registration.
How to Tab the NBC 2020 for the 2026 ExAC — Good news: tabbing the NBC 2020 is the highest-return hour you will spend preparing for ExAC Section 2. To tab the NBC 2020 for the 2026 ExAC, place permanent e
Can You Pass All 4 ExAC Sections With Only One Month of Studying? — Yes, some candidates do, because the ExAC uses a cut score. Here is who pulls it off, the 30-day plan, and when to split the sitting instead.
From IAP completion to ExAC sitting: a month-by-month timeline — The gap between finishing the Internship in Architecture Program and sitting your first ExAC is longer than most interns expect. There is an eligibility applica
How to Pass ExAC Section 1: Programming, Pre-Design, and Site Analysis Strategies — Section 1 is broad and closed book. Read CHOP and CHING, drill the pre-design workflow, and start timed practice in Week 2, not Week 6.
You May Not Finish the Section 2 NBC/NECB Exam, and You Can Still Pass — Section 2 is timed, code-heavy, and ruthless. Pace under two minutes per question, move on when stuck, and never leave a scantron blank.
ExAC Exam Hacks: Proven Strategies to Pass on Your First Try — Six repeatable hacks Canadian architects used to pass the ExAC first try: four references, weekly section rotation, scenario practice, and exam-day pacing.
Should You Start with Short Answers or Multiple Choice on the ExAC? — The pacing rule for ExAC Section 3: open with multiple choice, bank the fast marks first, then write short answers with the time you have left.
ExAC Practice Questions vs Mock Exams: How to Use Both to Pass on Your First Try — Two tools, two jobs: practice questions build daily retrieval; mock exams calibrate pace and fatigue. The 12-week schedule that blends both.
CCDC 2 vs RAIC Document 6: What ExAC Candidates Need to Know About Canadian Contracts — The two Canadian contracts behind Section 4: who signs what, how the architect acts as Consultant, and where candidates lose marks at the seams.
Where Section 4 candidates lose the most marks — Section 4 (Construction and practice) trips up a predictable set of candidates for predictable reasons. Most of the marks that go missing come from five well-do
Do You Really Need to Read the IAP for the ExAC? — The IAP is on the official primary list, but the ExAC tests CHOP, CCDC 2, and RAIC Document 6 instead. Read the honest triage.
ExAC Section 1 Construction Cost Questions: Using Yardsticks for Costing the Right Way — The Section 1 cost workflow that wins marks: Class C estimate, location factor, escalation, design contingency, soft costs, with a worked Yardsticks example.
CHOP Study Guide for ExAC: Key Chapters Every Intern Architect Should Master — A focused CHOP study guide. The chapters worth mastering, the ones worth a careful read, and the ones safe to skim before exam day.
Is Reading the Books and Practising Questions Enough to Pass the ExAC? — Necessary, not sufficient. The ExAC tests applied judgment, so connect every chapter to a real project moment before exam day.
What Are ExAC Questions Really Like? Are There Trick Questions? — ExAC questions are not trick questions; they are best-answer questions with close distractors. Learn the styles and how to spot the right one.
ExAC Section 4 Project Management: Schedules, Change Orders, and Closeout Made Simple — How ExAC Section 4 actually tests schedules, change orders, claims, and closeout, with the CHOP chapters and CCDC 2 clauses worth memorising.
ExAC Section 3 Construction Cost Questions: Using Yardsticks for Costing the Right Way — Section 3 tests cost as design reasoning, not calculation. Apply Yardsticks methodology to Final Project budget decisions on the closed-book ExAC.
NBC 2020 for ExAC Section 2: Part 3 vs Part 9 Explained for Intern Architects — The applicability rule that decides Part 3 versus Part 9, what each Part actually covers, and how to tab both for Section 2 open-book exam day.
How to Pass ExAC Section 1: Programming, Pre-Design, and Site Analysis Strategies — Section 1 is the cost and design front end of the ExAC. Programming, site analysis, and the elemental cost method are where marks quietly slip.
How Many Questions Are on Each ExAC Section? Question Types and Exam Format Explained — The ExAC does not publish a fixed question count per section, but the format mix per section does. The seven formats and where each one appears.
Why Do People Say to 'Just Read CHOP and Ching' for the ExAC? — The shortcut is real wisdom from people who passed, just compressed. What it gets right, what it leaves out, and the full ExAC reference strategy.
All four ExAC sections in one sitting: how to decide — Most Intern Architects register for all four ExAC sections in a single cycle. Most should. This post makes the case for that default, names the narrow set of si
ExAC 2026 Exam Guide: Format, Sections, and What to Expect on Test Day — A plain-English walkthrough for Intern Architects: the four sections, multiple choice versus short answer, what is open book, and the shape of an actual test day.
ExAC Resources to Focus On: A Smart Study Strategy for Intern Architects — The tiered ExAC reading list. Read CHOP and CHING, tab NBC 2020 and NECB 2020, drill Yardsticks and RSMeans with practice questions, skip the rest.
Best Study Schedule for the ExAC: A 12-Week Plan for Working Intern Architects — Twelve weeks, the weekly rhythm that fits a full-time job, three schedule styles compared, and how to recover from missed study days.