Building exams - Frequently asked questions

If the date and time are unsuitable, email us at onlineexams@bpc.vic.gov.au within 3 days of receiving your notification.

For extension requests, the new date should be within 2 weeks of the notified timeframe end date unless extenuating circumstances apply. You may be asked to supply supporting documentation to verify these circumstances.

No – you will be provided with a BPC laptop on the day.

The length of your exam will be confirmed in your exam notification letter.

Yes – you should be familiar with the areas of experience and permitted reference materials for the class you have applied for.

Yes – review the list of permitted reference materials for the class you have applied for.

All reference material will be available for viewing online during the exam.

Email us at onlineexams@bpc.vic.gov.au with your application number at least 48 hours before the scheduled exam.

Refer to the exam rules on the building exams page.

We will advise you if any breaches were observed that affect the outcome of your exam.

Serious breaches may result in failure of your exam and refusal of your application.

You must immediately inform the exam supervisor.

Yes, an exam timer will appear in the top left-hand corner of your screen to let you know how much time you have left.

Yes – you can:

• flag questions at any time during the exam to return to them to review.
• review a summary of the status of all the exam questions at any time
• review all questions if you have time at the end of your exam.

The exam has a grid button next to the question number which provides a progress summary of all questions answered, not answered, not read or flagged.

You can only review questions while you have time remaining and have not yet ended your exam by pressing Finish.

If you finish your exam before the exam time has expired, you may submit your answers or spend the additional time reviewing your answers.

When the exam time has expired, your answers will be automatically submitted.

You cannot go back to view the exam questions or your answers once your exam has expired.

You must complete your exam within the allotted time. If you do not finish before the scheduled finish time, your exam will automatically be submitted when the time expires.

If you did not complete the exam within the required timeframe and there were exceptional circumstances preventing you from completing it, you may be offered another opportunity to complete the exam.

You may be required to provide evidence in writing to support your request.

If this occurs, email us at onlineexams@bpc.vic.gov.au.

The BPC has established a fair passing standard that reflects the minimum level of competence required for registration.

Every version of an exam is set to the same standard with the pass mark changing dependent on the difficulty of the questions in that exam.

You will be notified via email if you passed your exam and any further steps in your assessment.

If you fail your exam, your application is likely to be refused. We will contact you in writing to advise you of the outcome of your application.

If you pass, your application will move to the next stages, and you may be asked to provide further information if required.

We will notify you in writing if you need to provide any further information. 

If you do not meet the required standard in the exam, your application may be refused (you will be notified in writing).

Yes – to do this you must lodge  an application for internal review. This will be confirmed in the written notification of application refusal.

Find more information about the internal review process and how to apply.

If you fail your examination, and your application is refused as a result, you will need to make a new application for registration to have the opportunity to sit another examination.