The BPC exam is replacing the interview. Here's what that actually means.

Last reviewed: 21 October 2026 · checked against the BPC's own pages and the other sources listed at the bottom

What changed

On 1 July 2025, the Victorian Building Authority became the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC). That wasn't just a name change — the BPC brought together the VBA, Domestic Building Dispute Resolution Victoria and the domestic building insurance arm of the VMIA. (source)

In January 2026, the BPC started rolling out a new way of assessing applicants, beginning with Domestic Builder (Unlimited). (source)

Domestic Builder (Unlimited), the old way:

• A face-to-face interview with assessors
• A separate plan-based exam
• 40 supporting documents

The new way:

• One exam, tailored to your registration class
• No interview
• 7 supporting documents

The BPC said the new approach would extend to other building and plumbing registration classes over the following months, and planned to bring the reduced paperwork to all domestic and commercial builder classes by the end of March 2026. (source) Its eligibility page still says that, depending on the class, you may be required to complete an exam or an interview. (source)

The BPC's stated reason for removing the interview is to reduce human bias and protect against corruption. In practical terms: you're no longer being judged in a room by a person. You're answering questions against a standard. The BPC designed the new Domestic Builder (Unlimited) exam with the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). (source)

Which classes sit the new exam

The BPC is transitioning gradually. It began with Domestic Builder (Unlimited) in January 2026 (source) and said all exams would be available online by June 2026. (source)

The classes listed include Domestic Builder (Unlimited), the limited Domestic Builder classes — carpentry, framing, footings and slabs, cladding, roof tiling, pools and spas, retaining walls, waterproofing and more — Commercial Builder classes, Demolisher classes, Building Inspector (pool safety) and Building Designer. (source)

You don't opt in. The BPC will tell you by email if you need to sit an exam, and the timeframe you have to complete it. (source)

Some applications are now online only

Important — exams are being held in person

What the exam is actually like

Format. It's not an essay and it's not a viva. Questions are multi-format — multiple choice, drag and drop, reorder, true/false and image select. (source) Exams are tailored to the knowledge and experience each registration class requires, and the questions are randomised and changed frequently. (source)

Length. 1 or 2 hours — your notification letter confirms which. The BPC sets the length based on the class you're applying for and factors such as your qualifications, building experience, employment history and technical referees. (source)

Questions and pass mark. The BPC doesn't publish a question count or a fixed pass mark. It sets a passing standard that reflects minimum competence; every exam version is held to the same standard, and the pass mark adjusts to the difficulty of the questions. (source) HIA reports that the Domestic Builder (Unlimited) exam has 100 questions drawn from a pool of about 1,000, with two hours to complete it, and that a shorter 50-question, 60-minute exam will be available for certain applicants. (source)

Delivered by. Janison-Proctortrack. (source) Your ID check during onboarding, the scan of your room and the exam itself are recorded through your webcam and microphone (source), along with your computer desktop. (source)

Open book — with conditions. Sitting online, you can use the BPC's permitted reference materials, but only the online versions accessible inside the exam, plus the exam's own Resources, Calculator and Notes functions. No printed notes. No cheat sheets. No quick-reference guides you've made yourself. In person it's different: for a transitional period, the BPC is letting applicants who have their own hard copy reference materials sit at a BPC location, and it says hard copy materials are allowed for in-person exams — confirm with the BPC what you can bring. (source) (source)

During the exam. A countdown timer sits in the top left of every screen. You can flag questions and use a progress grid to go back to anything answered, unanswered or flagged — right up until you press Finish or time runs out. (source)

When. Sat remotely, it's available 24/7 within the timeframe the BPC gives you. If you're sitting in person, the BPC sets the date, time and location. (source)

Ending. You must finish within the allotted time: if you haven't, your answers submit automatically when it runs out. (source) If you need adjustments to how you sit the exam, ask before it (see below).

The cost nobody mentions

To access the Australian Standards during your exam, you need an active subscription or a purchased online version. The BPC is explicit that this is the test taker's responsibility, not theirs. (source)

1. Budget for it. It's a real cost on top of your application fee.
2. Sort it out early and know your login before exam day — you have to enter those credentials mid-exam to get in.

Before exam day

Allow time for onboarding

Before you can sit, you go through onboarding in Janison-Proctortrack: a system check, a face scan, government photo ID (licence or passport), and desk and room scans. (source) Approval usually takes 8 to 24 hours, but the BPC says to allow up to three days — and you can't start the exam until it's approved. Applicants who leave onboarding to the last minute run out of runway. (source)

Check your computer

• A laptop or desktop with a keyboard and mouse, a working webcam and microphone, and high-speed internet
• Tablets, Chromebooks and phones don't qualify
• You need administrator rights to install Proctortrack — a locked-down work laptop can fail (the BPC FAQ mentions an "Error 404")
• No suitable computer? Email the BPC to arrange an alternative. (source) (source)

Need a different date?

Email onlineexams@bpc.vic.gov.au within 3 days of your notification. The BPC says new dates should generally fall within two weeks of the timeframe you were given, unless there are extenuating circumstances, and you may need to provide evidence. If you decide not to proceed, tell the BPC at least 48 hours before your scheduled exam. (source)

The rules, in plain English

During the exam you must:

• Stay plugged into power
• Hold a stable internet connection
• Keep webcam, speakers and microphone on
• Stay seated and in view of the camera — if you stand to stretch, stay in frame
• Be alone in the room
• Have only one browser open

On your desk you may have: a drink, reading glasses, and medication such as an inhaler or pain relief. That's it. Everything else comes off the desk. (source)

Not permitted:

• Talking — including reading questions out loud to yourself
• Help from anyone else
• Printed material, including notes you've prepared (online sittings — see below for in-person)
• Google, Bing or any search engine
• Any AI tool such as ChatGPT
• Phones, watches, earbuds, headphones, tablets, electronic notebooks
• Your own calculator — there's one built into the exam
• A second monitor
• Recording, screenshotting or writing down questions, during or after

If you breach the rules, you may be required to re-sit in person, undergo further assessment, or have your application refused. (source)

If you already have hardcopy reference materials

There's a transitional arrangement. Applicants who already hold hardcopy permitted reference materials can ask to sit the exam in person at a BPC location — email onlineexams@bpc.vic.gov.au — and the BPC says hard copy materials are allowed for in-person exams. In-person places are limited, so this can delay your exam being scheduled, and the BPC says that once the transition period ends it will stop offering in-person exams for this reason. (source) (source)

If you need adjustments

If you need reasonable adjustments to how you sit the exam, contact the BPC within three business days of receiving your exam invitation, by email or on 1300 067 088. (source)

Results, failing and re-sitting

You won't see a result on screen — the BPC emails it to you. (source) If you pass, the email tells you the next steps in your assessment. (source)

If you don't meet the required standard, your application is likely to be refused, and you'll be notified in writing. You can seek an internal review of that decision. To sit again, you need to lodge a new application for registration. It isn't a free re-sit. (source)

If you missed the exam window and there were exceptional circumstances, you can ask for another opportunity — the BPC may require written evidence. (source)

That's the case for preparing properly the first time rather than treating the exam as something you'll figure out on the day. (The BPC keeps your ID for 12 months to support any future exam attempts, and your exam recording for 6 months for auditing and appeals.) (source)

Is a Cert IV enough to get registered?

Not on its own. The BPC says the Certificate IV in Building and Construction (Building) is not a prescribed course for any registration class under the Building Regulations 2018. It partly meets the knowledge requirements for domestic builder classes, and applicants without the prescribed course for their class may be asked to sit an additional BPC exam. (source)

For Domestic Builder (Unlimited), the prescribed qualification is a Diploma of Building and Construction (Building) (CPC50210 or CPC50220), or one of two specified construction management degrees, and the BPC's info sheet asks for at least 3 years of practical experience. (source)

The BPC says experience should be supervised by a registered building practitioner, paid (employment or contracting), cover technical, supervision and contractual work, and have been gained within the last seven years. It says not to rely on owner-builder experience or experience from training courses, which it may disregard. (source)

What each class asks for, class by class: Domestic Builder (Unlimited) and Domestic Builder (Limited), including carpentry.

Where we fit

We're not an RTO and we don't run six-week Zoom courses.

Qualify Pro is face-to-face mentorship in small groups, in Melbourne, run by a registered building practitioner who has been through the system. You're taken through what the assessment actually expects, using your own experience and your own jobs as the material — not a generic slide deck.

See how the builder registration course works →

Common questions

Not sure where your application stands?

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