Key takeaways
- →You can't register for the AMF's mortgage brokerage examinations without first completing AMF-recognized compulsory training based on the PQCH curriculum.
- →The AMF's own site refers to this step as “examinations” — plural — covering the competencies a courtier hypothécaire needs to advise clients soundly.
- →Exam fees, formats, and scheduling are set and updated by the AMF directly, not by training providers — always confirm current details on the AMF's own exams page rather than a course provider's marketing page.
- →Passing the examinations moves a candidate into the probationary period, not directly into practice — there's still a supervised step ahead.
Prospective courtiers hypothécaires often go looking for a specific pass mark, fee, or number of questions the way they might for a real estate or insurance exam elsewhere. The AMF doesn't structure its public information that way for mortgage brokerage — it structures it as a sequence, and directs candidates to its own pages for the operational details that change over time.
That's the right instinct to follow here too: understand the sequence and the prerequisite, then go to the regulator's current page for the numbers that matter on exam day.
01 · What must you complete before you're eligible to write the AMF exams?
Eligibility starts with AMF-recognized compulsory training, delivered by third-party providers against the Programme de qualification en courtage hypothécaire (PQCH) curriculum. The AMF does not run the training itself — it recognizes providers and sets the curriculum requirements they must meet.
Because training is delivered by recognized providers rather than the regulator, the practical differences between programs — format, pacing, cost — can vary. See our guide on choosing a mortgage licensing course for how to compare them before enrolling.
02 · What do the AMF's mortgage brokerage exams actually test?
In the AMF's own words, the examinations exist so “the future professional possesses all necessary competencies to provide sound advice to clients.” That points to the exam's subject matter without dictating a fixed set of numbers: brokerage rules, professional conduct, and the mortgage products a courtier hypothécaire will be advising on.
Concretely, the AMF requires two exams for the mortgage brokerage sector: exam 16-116, covering how to set up an ethical professional practice in compliance with the rules governing mortgage brokerage, and exam 16-611, covering how to complete a mortgage brokerage transaction suited to a client's situation and needs. A candidate must score at least 60% to pass each one; failing to follow the instructions given during the sitting also counts as a failed attempt, though the AMF can cancel a failure where exceptional circumstances warrant it.
On exam day, every candidate is given an e-tablet loaded with the exam preparation manuals, and the AMF publishes a tablet user guide and video specifically to help candidates get comfortable with that format before they sit down. Once passed, an exam stays valid for two years from the date the first exam was passed — and all required examinations must still be valid on the day a candidate begins the probationary period, which is why timing training, exams, and the start of probation together matters more than treating each step as its own deadline.
For current exam fees and the registration procedure itself, go directly to the AMF's exams page rather than a secondary source — these are administrative details the regulator can and does update.
Studying for the AMF exams
Build the business you'll need once you pass.
While you're preparing for certification, start planning how you'll process files efficiently once you're practising. Treadstone's fulfillment support helps Quebec courtiers hypothécaires scale without hiring in-house.
03 · What happens once you pass the AMF examinations?
Passing moves a candidate into the probationary period, not directly into independent practice. That's a supervised phase working under a probationary certificate, with the candidate's activities covered by an employer's professional liability insurance and the Financial Services Compensation Fund.
See our fuller walk-through of how to become a mortgage broker in Quebec for how the probationary period leads into the representative's certificate application.
04 · How do you choose an AMF-recognized training provider?
Compare providers on format (online vs. in-class), how current their material is against AMF requirements, and whether the training is structured to actually prepare candidates for the AMF's examinations — not just to satisfy a minimum-hours checkbox.
- →Confirm the provider's training is currently AMF-recognized before enrolling, not just recognized historically.
- →Ask how recently the curriculum was updated against the PQCH standard.
- →Check whether the provider offers exam-prep support specifically, separate from the base course.
05 · What happens if you fail an AMF mortgage brokerage exam?
Since September 15, 2025, a candidate who fails an initial mortgage brokerage exam is entitled to rewrite that exam up to three times, provided the compulsory training completed as a minimum qualification is still valid — that training stays valid for two years from the date it was successfully completed. There's no separate cooling-off period built into those first three attempts; the constraint is simply keeping the training current while resitting.
A third failure resets the clock, not just the exam: A candidate who fails a third supplemental exam must wait one year from that failed attempt before reregistering for the initial exam — and must also successfully repeat the compulsory training itself, even if it's technically still within its two-year validity window.
Full detail, including how the rules changed from the pre-September-2025 framework, is on the AMF's own rules for rewriting failed exams page — worth reading before a first attempt, not just after a failed one, so the retry math is never a surprise.
06 · Is there a separate exam to become a Responsible Officer or independent representative?
Yes. Anyone qualifying to act as a firm's Responsible Officer in Mortgage Brokerage (RO-MB), or registering as an independent representative, must also pass exam 16-117, covering how to set up an ethical professional practice in compliance with the rules governing the management of a mortgage brokerage firm.
No additional formal training course is required for this exam — but the AMF is explicit that candidates should prepare using its own Guide for Responsible Officers (E-117), which sets out the competencies the exam is built around. Skipping that preparation because “no training is required” is a common misreading of what the AMF actually means by the phrase.
Frequently asked questions
This article is general information to help you scale — not a substitute for tailored advice on your specific business, licensing, or compliance obligations. All figures are illustrative examples for planning purposes; actual costs vary by province, market, and brokerage.