The small buildings BCIN exam has a reputation for being a step up from the House exam, and that reputation is earned. You are still working mostly in Part 9 of the Ontario Building Code, but the syllabus pulls in a lot more of Part 3, more building types and more cross-references. If you only study houses, you will feel it on exam day.

This guide walks through what the Small Buildings category covers, which code sections show up on the 2024 syllabus, how it differs from the House exam, and how to study so you can find answers quickly in an open book, timed setting.

First, Make Sure You Are Studying the Right Code

The 2024 Ontario Building Code (O. Reg. 163/24) came into effect on January 1, 2025. According to the Ontario Building Officials Association, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing moved all Building Code examinations to the 2024 Code beginning March 30, 2026. If you are writing now, your exam is based on the 2024 Code, not the 2012 Code.

A few points worth knowing before you start:

• The ministry publishes study guides (syllabi) for the 2024 exams on ontario.ca. The Small Building syllabus is your official checklist.
• The exam format did not change with the transition: 70 questions in 3 hours, open book, with 70% as the passing threshold.
• If you passed an exam under an older edition of the Code, you do not need to re-qualify for it.
• Old 2012 study materials are now out of date. Section numbers moved in places (for example, Cottages is now Section 9.37, formerly 9.36), so 2012 notes can send you to the wrong page.

What the Small Buildings Category Covers

Designers qualify in categories that match the type of building they design. Municipal designer forms that reference Table 3.5.2.1 of Division C describe the categories this way:

• House: a detached house, semi-detached house, townhouse or row house containing not more than two dwelling units in each house.
• Small Buildings: generally a building of not more than 3 storeys in building height and not more than 600 m² in building area, used for the residential, business and personal services, mercantile and lower hazard industrial occupancies that fall within Part 9.
• Large Buildings: a building that is not a house or small building.

In practice, Small Buildings means the full range of Part 9 buildings: small apartment buildings, stacked townhouses, offices, retail units, small industrial buildings and mixed use buildings. That variety is why the syllabus reaches well beyond houses. Always confirm the exact wording of your category in Division C of the Code itself, since that is the legal source.

The 2024 Small Building Syllabus at a Glance

The ministry’s Small Building syllabus lists the parts of the Code that may be examined. Here is the big picture, organized the way the Code is organized.

Division A: Compliance, Objectives and Functional Statements

Part 1 (with a small exception), Part 2 and Part 3 of Division A are included. Expect at least a few questions on how compliance works and how objectives and functional statements connect to acceptable solutions.

Division B: Acceptable Solutions

• Part 1, General: all, including the defined terms you will use constantly.
• Part 3, Fire Protection, Occupant Safety and Accessibility: large portions, including Section 3.1 (General), 3.2 (Building Fire Safety), 3.3 (Safety Within Floor Areas), 3.4 (Exits), 3.7 (Health Requirements) and 3.8 (Barrier-Free Design).
• Part 4, Structural Design: selected articles on loads, plus foundations (with exclusions) and design requirements.
• Part 5, Environmental Separation: included, except air leakage, surface and ground water, and sound transmission.
• Parts 6 and 7: limited, specific provisions only.
• Part 9, Housing and Small Buildings: listed in full, with no carve-outs.
• Part 11, Renovation and Part 12, Resource Conservation: included.

Division C: Administrative Provisions

Design and general review, permits and inspections, and alternative solutions and rulings.

Supplementary Standards

SA-1, SB-1, SB-2, SB-3, SB-7, SB-9, SB-10 and SB-12 are listed. Note that SB-10 appears on the Small Building syllabus but not on the House syllabus, which makes sense given that Small Buildings includes non-residential buildings.

The Part 9 Sections You Can’t Afford to Skip

Because Part 9 is examined in full, you need working familiarity with every section. That said, some sections carry more weight because they apply to almost every building and generate a lot of scenario questions.

9.10 Fire Protection

This is the heart of the exam for many candidates. Section 9.10 covers fire separations, fire-resistance ratings, occupancy separations, spatial separation and exposure protection, smoke alarms, and more. In small buildings you will be dealing with multiple suites and mixed occupancies, so practise questions that ask for the required rating between two specific uses. The 2024 Code also replaced the old penetration requirements with new articles, so update any notes you made from the 2012 edition.

9.9 Means of Egress

Exit counts, travel distance, exit separations, egress from dwelling units and from suites in non-residential occupancies. Questions here often combine 9.9 with 9.10, for example asking about the fire separation of an exit that serves several suites.

9.8 Stairs, Ramps, Handrails and Guards

Rise, run, width, headroom, handrail and guard requirements. Pay attention to the difference between stairs within a dwelling unit and other stairs (public stairs), because the dimensions differ. SB-7 (Guards for Housing and Small Buildings) is also on the syllabus, so know when it applies.

9.5 Design of Areas, Spaces and Doorways

Room sizes, ceiling heights and doorway sizes. The 2024 Code changed some provisions for secondary suites, including ceiling heights, so do not rely on memory from the older edition.

9.23 Wood-Frame Construction and the Span Tables

Expect questions where you read a span table for joists, rafters or beams. Know how the tables are arranged (species and grade, spacing, live load or snow load, and deflection criteria) so you can land on the right row in seconds. The 2024 Code also added a new Subsection 9.23.13 on lateral load resistance (wind and earthquake), which is worth reading closely because it is new material.

9.32 Ventilation and 9.33 Heating and Air-Conditioning

Here is a big difference from the House exam. The House syllabus essentially leaves out Section 9.32 and limits 9.33 to a single sentence (those topics are covered by the separate HVAC House exam). The Small Building syllabus includes all of Part 9, so ventilation and heating are fair game. The 2024 Code expanded mechanical ventilation requirements in 9.32.3 and moved air duct system requirements into Subsection 9.33.6.

The Building Envelope Sections

Sections 9.13 (Dampproofing, Waterproofing and Soil Gas Control), 9.15 (Footings and Foundations), 9.25 (Heat Transfer, Air Leakage and Condensation Control), 9.26 (Roofing) and 9.27 (Cladding) produce many straightforward lookup questions. Soil gas control in 9.13.4 was harmonized with the 2020 National Building Code, so review it fresh.

Energy Efficiency: Part 12, SB-10 and SB-12

Know how Part 12 directs you to the energy efficiency standards and which standard applies to which building. Residential buildings within Part 9 generally go to SB-12, while SB-10 covers other buildings. Read the scope and compliance options of each standard before you try to memorize any numbers.

If you want structured practice with these sections, our Small Buildings BCIN exam prep course organizes questions by code section so you can see exactly where you are losing marks.

Why Part 3 Matters on a “Part 9” Exam

Many candidates are surprised by how much Part 3 appears on the Small Building syllabus. There are two reasons. First, Part 9 itself sends you to Part 3 in certain cases, and you need to recognize those hand-offs. Second, small buildings bring up topics like barrier-free design (3.8), plumbing fixture counts (3.7) and fire alarm and sprinkler provisions in Section 3.2 that a house rarely triggers.

You do not need to master Part 3 the way a Large Buildings candidate does. You do need to know how to get into the right subsection fast, read the article, and get out.

How the Small Buildings Exam Differs From the House Exam

• Building types: House is limited to detached, semi-detached, townhouses and row houses with no more than two dwelling units each. Small Buildings covers all Part 9 occupancies.
• Part 9 coverage: House excludes several subsections and most of 9.32 and 9.33. Small Buildings lists Part 9 in full.
• Part 3 coverage: both include Part 3 material, but Small Buildings covers more of it, including full barrier-free design.
• Supplementary Standards: Small Buildings adds SB-10.

If you already hold the House qualification, you have a head start, but plan time for ventilation, non-residential occupancies and Part 3.

Study Tips That Actually Work

1. Print the syllabus and use it as a checklist. Mark each section as “know it”, “can find it” or “lost”. Your study time goes to the third column.
2. Tab your code book by section, not by topic. Tab 9.5, 9.8, 9.9, 9.10, 9.23, 9.32, Part 3 subsections and each Supplementary Standard you will use.
3. Learn the definitions. Terms like building area, building height, storey, suite and fire separation decide many answers before you open Part 9.
4. Practise under time pressure. With 70 questions in 3 hours you have roughly 2.5 minutes per question. Practise skipping and coming back.
5. Read the whole article. The answer is often in a later sentence or an exception that starts with “except” or “despite”.

For more general strategies, see our post on Ontario Building Code exam tips.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the small buildings BCIN exam open book?

Yes. The exams are open book, with 70 questions in 3 hours and a 70% pass mark.

Do I need to pass the House exam before Small Buildings?

Not necessarily. They are separate technical exams with separate syllabi. Many people start with House, but you can study directly for Small Buildings if that is the work you plan to do. You will also need the applicable legal/process exam to qualify as a designer.

Is the Small Buildings exam based on the 2024 Building Code?

Yes. Ontario moved all Building Code exams to the 2024 Code beginning March 30, 2026. Use the 2024 syllabus and a 2024 Code.

Which Supplementary Standards are on the Small Buildings exam?

The 2024 syllabus lists SA-1, SB-1, SB-2, SB-3, SB-7, SB-9, SB-10 and SB-12.

Ready to Start Studying?

The small buildings BCIN exam rewards candidates who know the Code’s structure, not those who try to memorize it. Build your tabs, work through the syllabus section by section and test yourself under real time limits. Our Small Buildings course gives you practice questions mapped to the 2024 Code so you walk in confident. If you still need your legal exam, pair it with the General Legal/Process course.