How many questions are on the NCSO exam?
ACSA does not publish a fixed question count for the NCSO exam. Its NCSO Information Booklet (February 2025) states only that "the exam will include various question formats" and that candidates have up to 2 hours. Anyone quoting an exact number is guessing.
What is actually confirmed
ACSA publishes the time limit, the pass mark and the fees, but deliberately not the question count. The confirmed facts are: up to 2 hours, written online, 75% to pass, $65 for the initial attempt and $80 for a rewrite.
Why the count is withheld
Withholding it discourages gaming the format. It pushes candidates to prepare on the material rather than optimising a questions-per-minute strategy — which is also why practising with a broad question bank across all ten modules beats memorising a fixed set.
What to do instead of counting
Prepare so that question count is irrelevant. If you can answer confidently across every module and you have rehearsed working under a two-hour clock, the number stops mattering. Practise with mixed-module sessions rather than studying one topic at a time, because the real exam will not group questions helpfully for you.
Practise by module
- Legislation
- H&S Programs
- Hazard Assessment
- Inspections
- Incident Investigation
- COR Auditing
- Emergency Preparedness
- Fall Protection
- Confined Space
- WHMIS / GHS
Questions people ask
How many questions are on the NCSO exam?
ACSA does not publish a fixed count. The booklet states the exam includes various question formats and allows up to 2 hours.
Is the NCSO exam multiple choice?
ACSA states the exam includes various question formats. It does not confirm that every question is multiple choice.
Last updated 9 August 2026.
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Sources
Exam facts on this page come from the certifying body's own published material. Last verified 9 August 2026.
- ACSA, NCSO Information Booklet (February 2025) — 75% pass mark, up to 2 hours, $65 initial / $80 rewrite, 3-month deferral, 11 compulsory + 2 elective courses, 3 years (6,000 hours) field experience within 10 years.
- Alberta Construction Safety Association — NCSO program
- Canadian Federation of Construction Safety Associations
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