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Qualification · apprenticeship
From apprentice to journeyperson: the hours, the exam and the ratios.
A construction trade is learned in hours — in periods of 2,000 hours — up to the qualification exam that leads to the journeyperson certificate. Here is how the path breaks down, when the rate changes, and how many apprentices one journeyperson can supervise.
The apprenticeship periods
From 1 to 5 periods of 2,000 hours, by trade.
The apprenticeship duration is calculated in hours worked in the trade and in training hours. It is divided into periods of 2,000 hours each.
| Periods | Total duration | Trades |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2,000 hours | Reinforcing steel worker, Heavy equipment operator, Excavator operator |
| 2 | 4,000 hours | Cement mason, Roofer, Crane operator |
| 3 | 6,000 hours | Bricklayer-mason, Insulator, Tile setter, Carpenter-joiner, Boilermaker, Sheet metal worker, Millwright, Heavy equipment mechanic, Assembler, Glazier, Painter, Plasterer, Resilient flooring installer, Interior systems installer |
| 4 | 8,000 hours | Electrician, Refrigeration mechanic, Fire protection mechanic, Pipefitter |
| 5 | 10,000 hours | Elevator mechanic |
Source: CCQ — Apprentice (“Apprenticeship” table), retrieved September 19, 2026.
The apprenticeship booklet
The official hour counter.
When an apprentice receives their competency certificate, they also receive their apprenticeship booklet: it tracks hours worked, training credits, the list of employers and the hours required for the exam.
The hours counted are those employers report to the CCQ through their monthly reports. A notice is sent to the apprentice as soon as at least 1,600 hours have been recorded in their name — a marker before the period ends.
Changing periods
- Once 2,000 hours are completed, the employer adjusts the rate for the new period.
- The new rate applies from the period change, even though the CCQ processes reports with about a two-month delay.
- A new booklet is mailed after each period; if it does not arrive within three months, contact the CCQ.
- If the threshold is passed without the new rate, the employer pays it retroactively: up to 10 days in residential, up to 20 days elsewhere, if the apprentice did not notify the employer.
The qualification exam
The passage to the journeyperson certificate.
The exam is open to the apprentice who has completed their apprenticeship, to the one who has completed 85% of it, or to the person who demonstrates experience at least equal to the trade’s total duration.
Eligibility
The apprentice is notified by the CCQ at 85% of their apprenticeship. They may take the exam then or wait until 100% is complete.
Registration
At the end of the final period, the CCQ sends a letter requiring registration within one month. Without registration, the work permit is suspended.
Fee
$100, non-refundable, valid 12 months less one day. The apprentice must schedule the exam at least four months before it expires.
Source: CCQ — Qualification exam, eligibility, retrieved September 19, 2026. A person whose file shows experience outside construction or outside Québec has it reviewed (minimum duration: 4 weeks).
Apprentice-journeyperson ratios
How many apprentices one journeyperson can supervise.
In the residential sector, the ratio is 1-1 for all trades. In the industrial, institutional-commercial and civil engineering sectors, it is 2-1 for most trades and 1-1 for the others.
| Trade or specialty | Ratio on the books |
|---|---|
| Bricklayer-mason | 2-1 |
| Insulator | 2-1 |
| Tile setter | 2-1 |
| Carpenter-joiner | 2-1 |
| Boilermaker | 2-1 |
| Cement mason | 2-1 |
| Roofer | 2-1 |
| Electrician | 2-1 |
| Sheet metal worker | 2-1 |
| Reinforcing steel worker | 2-1 |
| Refrigeration mechanic | 2-1 |
| Crane operator, class A | 1-1 |
| Crane operator, second man | 1-1 |
| Crane operator, class B | 1-1 |
| Security systems installer | 1-1 |
| Elevator mechanic | 1-1 |
| Heavy equipment mechanic | 1-1 |
| Fire protection mechanic | 1-1 |
| Millwright | 2-1 |
| Assembler | 2-1 |
| Glazier | 2-1 |
| Heavy equipment operator, class A | 2-1 |
| Heavy equipment operator, class B | 2-1 |
| Excavator operator, class A | 1-1 |
| Excavator operator, class B | 1-1 |
| Floor sander | 2-1 |
| Painter | 2-1 |
| Plasterer | 2-1 |
| Resilient flooring installer | 2-1 |
| Interior systems installer | 2-1 |
| Taper (painter), new surface | 2-1 |
| Taper (plasterer), new surface | 2-1 |
| Pipefitter (plumber, heating appliance installer) | 2-1 |
Source: CCQ — Apprentice-journeyperson ratios, retrieved September 19, 2026. The residential ratio is 1-1 for all trades. A 2-1 ratio means 1 or 2 journeypersons per apprentice, 3 or 4 for two, 5 or 6 for three.
Additional supervision
For each journeyperson employed, one additional apprentice may be supervised — up to two apprentices on site — if one of two conditions is met: one of the apprentices is in their final period, or one of the apprentices is a woman. Those two situations do not stack.
Excluded from this possibility: single-period trades (reinforcing steel worker, heavy equipment operator, excavator operator) and the crane operator trade.
Frequently asked
The apprenticeship, in plain terms.
How many hours does it take to become a journeyperson in Québec?
The apprenticeship is divided into periods of 2,000 hours each, and the number of periods ranges from 1 to 5 depending on the trade. A reinforcing steel worker, a heavy equipment operator or an excavator operator has one (2,000 hours); an elevator mechanic has five (10,000 hours). Most trades — carpenter-joiner, bricklayer-mason, painter, plasterer — have three, or 6,000 hours.
When can you take the qualification exam?
An apprentice becomes eligible at 85% of their apprenticeship. They may choose to take it then or to complete 100% of the apprenticeship before registering. At the end of the final period, the CCQ sends a letter requiring registration within one month: registration is mandatory, even without setting an exam date. Without registration, the work permit is suspended.
How much does the qualification exam cost?
The registration fee is $100, non-refundable, and valid for 12 months less one day from payment. It is up to the apprentice to contact customer service at least four months before that period ends to schedule the exam; after that, the fee is due again.
Does the hourly rate change during the apprenticeship?
Yes. As soon as the apprentice has completed the 2,000 hours of their period, the employer must adjust the wage rate for the new apprenticeship period. The new rate applies from the period change, even though the CCQ takes about two months to process monthly reports. If the apprentice passed the threshold without receiving the new rate, the employer must pay it retroactively — up to 10 days in residential and 20 days elsewhere if the apprentice did not notify the employer.
How many apprentices can one journeyperson supervise?
At minimum, one journeyperson per apprentice on a site. In the industrial, institutional-commercial and civil engineering sectors, most trades are at a 2-1 ratio: 1 or 2 journeypersons per apprentice, 3 or 4 for two, and so on. For each journeyperson, one additional apprentice may be supervised — up to two apprentices on site — if one of them is in their final apprenticeship period or if one is a woman. Those two situations do not stack.
Does a DEP speed up the apprenticeship?
Yes. When a DEP recognized in the industry is completed, the hours spent earning the diploma are increased by 50% and deducted from the trade’s total apprenticeship hours. Credits are posted automatically to the apprenticeship booklet once the program completion is entered in the training profile.