At the 2025 Association of Chief Inspectors meeting it was agreed that, effective January 1, 2026, the 1B4 power engineering examination paper will only be administered in the multiple-choice format. This is a beginning of the initiative to move towards multiple choice examinations at the 1st class level. With proven success at the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th class levels, converting the 1st class examinations to a multiple choice format will continue to provide a comprehensive level of testing of the subject material and ensure that candidates are tested on all areas of the syllabus.
The syllabus and pass mark of the 1B4 examination will not change. The amount of questions on the examination has been set at 100. There will be no difference between passing the 1B4 examination in essay format or multiple-choice format for credit towards 1st class certification.
Please follow updates on the SOPEEC website with regards to this implementation process as well as the process for any further examination changes. If you have any questions, please contact the SOPEEC Coordinator of Examinations, Tom Leming, at leming@absa.ca
