The power engineering exam format, verified
Most SOPEEC power engineering exams: 5th Class through 2nd Class, follow one standardized multiple-choice format. Seven First Class papers remain long-answer; paper 1B4 became 100 MCQ / 3 hours on January 1, 2026. Some study sites still publish the wrong numbers. Here are the facts, straight from the SOPEEC standard.
Verified exam facts: 5th to 2nd Class
* 5th Class questions have five choices (a–e); 4th, 3rd, and 2nd Class have four (a–d).
Format by paper
| Certificate | Papers | Questions | Time | Pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5th Class | 1 paper | 100 MCQ | 3 hours | 65% |
| 4th Class Part A (4A) | 1 paper (4A) | 100 MCQ | 3 hours | 65% |
| 4th Class Part B (4B) | 1 paper (4B) | 100 MCQ | 3 hours | 65% |
| 3rd Class Part A (3A) | 2 papers: 3A1, 3A2 | 100 MCQ each | 3 hours each | 65% |
| 3rd Class Part B (3B) | 2 papers: 3B1, 3B2 | 100 MCQ each | 3 hours each | 65% |
| 2nd Class Part A (2A) | 3 papers: 2A1, 2A2, 2A3 | 100 MCQ each | 3 hours each | 65% |
| 2nd Class Part B (2B) | 3 papers: 2B1, 2B2, 2B3 | 100 MCQ each | 3 hours each | 65% |
| 1st Class (A & B) | 8 papers | Mostly written / essay* | ≈3½ hr (essay) | 65% |
Part A and Part B are product groupings, not always a single exam paper. 4th Class is two papers (4A and 4B). 3rd Class is four papers (3A1, 3A2, 3B1, 3B2). 2nd Class is six papers (2A1, 2A2, 2A3, 2B1, 2B2, 2B3). Each paper is its own sitting. A pass on one paper does not carry over to the others. A SteamTicket 3A or 2A purchase covers every paper in that part.
* 1st Class is the exception. Most of its eight papers are still written, essay-style, in most jurisdictions about 3½ hours each, where you answer 5 of 7 questions, not 100-question multiple choice. The transition has started: effective January 1, 2026, paper 1B4 is now 100 multiple-choice questions, the first 1st-Class paper to convert; the other seven (1A1–1A4, 1B1–1B3) remain written. SOPEEC has not published a schedule for the rest, so always confirm the current 1st-Class paper structure with your regulator. SteamTicket’s 1st Class Part B bank is multiple-choice practice, it mirrors the new MCQ 1B4 paper and builds the underlying knowledge for the essay papers.
The facts other sites get wrong
If you’ve seen conflicting numbers while studying, you’re not imagining it. For the multiple-choice papers (5th through 2nd Class), a few common errors float around online:
- “3.5 hours”, the SOPEEC multiple-choice papers are 3 hours each, not 3.5. (The written 1st Class papers are a separate, longer format, see the note above.)
- “150 questions”, SOPEEC multiple-choice papers are 100 questions. (Some older or non-SOPEEC formats used 150; the current standard does not.)
- “50% to pass”, the pass mark is 65% on every SOPEEC paper, every class.
- “3A is one paper”, Third Class Part A is two examinations, 3A1 and 3A2. Second Class Part A is three: 2A1, 2A2, and 2A3. The A/B names are how courses are sold, not the sitting you register for.
One format, eleven jurisdictions
Eleven of Canada’s thirteen jurisdictions write the standardized SOPEEC papers, so the format above applies whether you write in Alberta (ABSA), British Columbia (Technical Safety BC), Saskatchewan (TSASK), Ontario (TSSA), or elsewhere. Since March 1, 2023, Technical Safety BC’s 3rd, 4th and 5th Class exams have used the same 100-question / 3-hour / 65% format as Alberta’s, on the SOPEEC-approved syllabus it has adopted. Question wording and topic weighting can differ by regulator. Quebec runs its own MMF system. Nunavut’s Class 5 certificate is expressly non-standardized; confirm Classes 1 to 4 with the Chief Inspector. Local question counts in Manitoba, New Brunswick, the Northwest Territories, and Yukon still need a check with that regulator. See your province page for local details.
Practice in the real format
For 5th through 2nd Class, SteamTicket’s mock exams use the SOPEEC multiple-choice format: 100 questions, 3-hour timer, 65% pass line, scored by unit. Real exam questions are worded differently.
See Pricing