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examinations


INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS
AND EXAMINATION CANDIDATES

 

1. WRITE THE EXAMINATIONS

Introduction


Examinations are administered twice per year typically in the first week of May and the last week of October. You must use the attached Application to Write Technical Examinations form to apply to write the examinations. It provides details on fees, deadlines, conditions, and other relevant information.

The examinations are of three hours duration and may be either Open or Closed Book at the examiner's discretion. You will be notified of the current textbooks and exam information approximately 4 -5 weeks after you submit your application. Four weeks prior to the examination you will receive further information on the date, time, and location of your exam as well as an admittance slip. On the day of the examination you will need to present your admittance slip together with a piece of photo-identification.

You will be notified in writing of your marks by the end of June and December. Marks cannot be revealed over the telephone.

Examination papers are destroyed 30 days after receipt of notification of the marks.

If your examination assessment gives you a choice in the selection of examinations you write, you must ultimately pass the examinations originally chosen. You may not switch to others and ignore the failed examinations.

Syllabi

Engineering
The examinations follow the various APEGGA Engineering Syllabi. Each syllabus describes the required subjects and provides a description of the course content of each subject. Each engineering program is divided into three sections:

  • Preliminary and Basic Studies: consisting of up to 12 examinations, covers technical material basic to an engineering education. You may be required to write any number of examinations in this area depending on the academic level at which you are accepted into the program and on your chosen
    discipline.

  • Complementary Studies: consisting of up to 3 examinations, covers non-technical material common to all engineering education in economics, engineering in society, and organization and management. You may be required to write up to three Complementary Studies examinations.

  • Professional Level: covers material specific to one engineering discipline. The examinations specified within each discipline may contain Group A (compulsory) and Group B (optional) examinations. The number in each will be dependent upon the discipline and your academic qualifications.

Geology
The examinations follow the APEGGA Geology syllabus. The syllabus describes the required subjects and provides a description of the course content of each subject. The Geology program is divided into three sections:

  • Fundamental Science: consisting of up to 9 examinations, covers technical material basic to a geology education. You may be required to write any number of examinations in this area depending on the academic level at which you were accepted into the program.

  • Fundamental Geoscience: consisting of up to 6 examinations, covers basic geology subjects. You may be required to write any number of examinations in this area depending on the academic level at which you were accepted into the program.

  • Other Geoscience: consisting of up to 14 examinations, covers optional and advanced areas of geology study. You may be required to write any number of examinations in this area depending on the academic level at which you were accepted into the program.

Geophysics
The examinations follow the APEGGA Geophysics syllabus. The syllabus describes the required subjects and provides a description of the course content of each subject. The Geophysics program is divided into three sections:

  • Fundamental Science: consisting of up to 7 examinations, covers technical material basic to a geophysics education. You may be required to write any number of examinations in this area
    depending on the academic level at which you were accepted into the program.

  • Core Subjects: consisting of up to 11 examinations, covers basic geophysics subjects. You may be required to write any number of examinations in this area depending on the academic level at which you were accepted into the program.

  • Major Options: consisting of up to 7 examinations, covers optional and advanced areas of geophysics study. You may be required to write any number of examinations in this area depending on the academic level at which you were accepted into the program.

Textbooks

APEGGA makes every attempt to ensure you have the most current textbook information for your
examination. Since textbooks and examinations change every session, we are only able to confirm the name of the matching textbook(s) when you apply for your examination.

To apply for your examination(s), please submit the Application to Write Technical Examinations form with your payment. Once we receive your application and payment, we will contact the appropriate Examiner and obtain the following information:

  • Name of textbook(s) for the current examination;

  • Whether the exam is Open or Closed Book;

  • Type of calculator permitted (programmable vs. non-programmable);

  • Other reference materials permitted, if any (charts, tables, formula sheets, etc.)

We will then send you a letter enclosing your receipt for payment and advising you of the above information. Please allow 4 – 5 weeks for a response. You are encouraged to apply early and before the application deadline as this will allow us to forward the relevant information to you sooner.


Please be aware that examinations will change every session. If you fail or defer an examination, the examination information (textbooks, calculators, Open or Closed Book) may be different than for the previous session.

Old Examinations and Previous Textbook Lists

Old technical examination papers are available for purchase through the APEGGA office, Attn: Examinations Coordinator. Only one old examination paper is available for each subject and may be purchased for a nominal fee by using the attached Old Technical Examination Order Form.


APEGGA can also provide a list of textbooks used for previous sessions upon request. However, please keep in mind that those textbooks might be different than the textbooks for your current exam. Please contact the Examination Coordinator for more information.


The Board wishes to caution applicants against relying too heavily on the old examinations and previous textbooks as an indication of what to expect for the current examination. The sample examinations and previous textbooks list are intended to be a general guide only and do not necessarily reflect what the current exam and/or textbooks will be. The Board will not protect you against changes in format, textbooks, difficulty or emphasis.

Confirmatory and Course-by-Course Examinations

If you are assessed confirmatory examinations you must write the APEGGA examinations. Course
equivalents will not be allowed. The purpose of confirmatory examinations is to confirm the quality of your undergraduate program and to test your understanding of material already taken.

If you are assessed examinations on a course by course basis due to deficiencies in your academic
background, you may be granted exemption from the APEGGA examinations by taking course equivalents from the University of Alberta or The University of Calgary. In addition, Athabasca University offers a limited number of acceptable course equivalents at the Preliminary Studies level. Should you wish to take a course that is not listed as approved but that you feel may qualify as a course equivalent, you must submit a detailed course description to the APEGGA office at least two months in advance of the deadline to apply for the requested course equivalent.

If you are contemplating taking equivalent courses you should contact the appropriate academic institutions because course quotas may exist. If you advise them you need the course to fulfill an APEGGA requirement they are usually very accommodating.

Grades

For APEGGA examinations, a mark of 50% or greater is required to pass.

For course equivalents, a clear pass is required. For the U of A and the U of C a passing grade of C (not C-) or above is required

Time Limitations

You must write confirmatory examinations at the times indicated in your examination assessment letter. You must start to write course by course examinations by the examination session specified in your examination assessment letter and must attempt at least one examination (or course equivalent) every year (two examination sessions) thereafter. For non-degreed applicants the examinations should be completed within ten years. For those with baccalaureate degrees that are not in engineering, geology or geophysics (e.g. B.Sc.- Chemistry, Math, Physics, etc.) the examinations should be completed in five years.

If you do not apply for and pay for the examinations by the appropriate deadlines, your file will be
withdrawn.

Failure to Appear

If you apply for and pay for your examinations but fail to appear for the designated examinations, there will be no refund of the examination fees and you will be given a mark of zero (i.e. a failure).

Failure to Pass

If you have been assessed three confirmatory examinations (2A + 1B), and you fail one or two of them, you will have to re-write the failed examination(s) and will likely be assessed an additional examination. If you fail all three original assessed examinations you will be given a full assessment of examinations which usually includes 9 Professional level examinations plus 3 Complementary Studies examinations, and may also include additional Preliminary and Basic Studies examinations. If you fail all examinations as a result of failing to appear, your application will also be withdrawn.

If you have been assessed five confirmatory examinations at the Preliminary and Basic Studies level, plus 2A+1B+CS-1, your file will be reassessed by the Board of Examiners after you have written the five Preliminary and Basic Studies examinations. If you have failed one or more of those five examinations, the Board may assess you additional examinations.

If you have been assessed examinations on a course by course basis and you fail an assessed examination, you will be permitted three further attempts. Should you not pass the failed examination in four attempts the Board may withdraw your application.

Geology

If you have been assessed three confirmatory examinations and you fail one or two of them, you will have to re-write the failed examination(s) and will likely be assessed an additional examination. If you fail all the original assessed examinations you will be given a full assessment of examinations which usually includes 12 examinations and may also include additional examinations. If you fail all examinations as a result of failing to appear, your application will also be withdrawn.

If you have been assessed examinations on a course by course basis and you fail an assessed examination, you will be permitted three further attempts. Should you not pass the failed examination in four attempts the Board may withdraw your application.

Geophysics

If you have been assessed three confirmatory examinations and you fail one or two of them, you will have to re-write the failed examination(s) and will likely be assessed an additional examination. If you fail all the original assessed examinations you will be given a full assessment of examinations which typically includes five Core Section examinations plus seven Major Option examinations may also include additional examinations. If you fail all examinations as a result of failing to appear, your application will also be withdrawn.

If you have been assessed examinations on a course by course basis and you fail an assessed examination, you will be permitted three further attempts. Should you not pass the failed examination in four attempts the Board may withdraw your application.

Rereads

You are permitted to view your exam paper under supervision at either the Calgary or Edmonton APEGGA Offices (by special arrangement only). If you wish to view your exam(s), you must contact the Exams Coordinator to arrange a viewing. There is no fee for viewing exams.

If you feel your paper merits a higher mark you may apply for a reread within 30 days of notification of your grade. Reread requests must be made in writing and must provide specific details on each question that you feel deserves extra marks. The fee for a reread request is $50.00, which is refunded only if the mark is raised from a failing grade to a passing grade.

2. APPEAL THE EXAMINATION ASSESSMENT

Keeping in mind the assessment policies of the Board, if you feel that the Board has overlooked something and you wish to question the examination assessment there is an appeal process available. You may request:

A Reconsideration by the Executive Committee of the Board of Examiners.

1. A written request for reconsideration of a decision must be received by APEGGA within 30 days of receipt of the letter advising you of the Board's decision.

2. A fee of $100.00 (G.S.T. exempt) must accompany the request. If the examination assessment is waived or reduced, the fee will be refunded.

3. The request must provide detailed reasons, appropriate supporting materials, and grounds for the reconsideration. The request must provide new or additional information or material that was not
previously before the Board when it rendered the decision being appealed from and that might have
resulted in the Board rendering a different decision had that information or material been available to it.

4. The request will be directed to and reviewed by the Executive Committee of the Board of Examiners.

5. The applicant making the request must include the words:

"I recognize in making this request that the Board may make a different decision than the one previously given. I agree to be bound by the new decision given by the Board of Examiners upon reconsideration of my application."

If you wish to appeal the decision of the Executive Committee after reconsideration of your assessment, you may request:

An Appeal to the Full Board of Examiners.

The Full Board meets twice a year.

1. An appeal request must be made in writing, and received by APEGGA within 30 days of receipt of the letter advising you of the decision of the Executive Committee.

2. A fee of $100.00 (G.S.T. exempt) must accompany the appeal.

3. The request must provide detailed reasons, appropriate supporting materials, and grounds for the appeal. The request must provide new or additional information or material that was not previously before the Executive Committee when it rendered the decision being appealed from and that might have resulted in the Executive Committee rendering a different decision had that information or material been available to it.

4. If your appeal is successful both the fee for the reconsideration and the appeal fee will be refunded, otherwise both are forfeited.

5. The appeal letter submitted should also state:

"I recognize in making this request that the Full Board of Examiners may make a different decision than the one previously given. I agree to be bound by the new decision."

* Please note that nothing done by way of a reconsideration or appeal under this policy removes from the applicant the statutory right of an appeal to the Appeal Board given by Section 31(4) of the Engineering, Geological and Geophysical Professions Act in the event of a decision by the Board of Examiners to refuse an application. If the Board has required an applicant to pass one or more examinations and/or to obtain additional experience, it means the Board’s decision has been to defer, not refuse, approval of the application until it is satisfied that the applicant has complied with the requirement.

3. DEFER WRITING THE EXAMINATIONS

If you are not in a position to attempt to write examinations at the specified time, you may
of your examinations to the next examination session. The following rules will apply:

1. Deferral requests must be made in writing and can either be mailed, faxed or emailed to the Registration Department, Attn: Exams Coordinator. Your request must include a written explanation of the reasons for the deferral.

2. APEGGA will receive deferral requests up to the day of the examination.

3. Examination fees paid will not be refunded if the deferral request is received after the deadline to apply to write the examination.

4. Textbooks and exam information may change from one session to the next. If your application is deferred to the next session, you will be notified of the new textbook and exam information once that information becomes available.

5. One deferral request may be granted by staff. Subsequent requests will be evaluated by the Board. If there is no clear commitment by you as to when the examination will be written, your application will be withdrawn.

4. WITHDRAW/REACTIVATE YOUR APPLICATION

If you do not wish to pursue registration with APEGGA you may withdraw your application. Membership and/or exam fees paid are not refunded. It is better to advise APEGGA of your decision to withdraw voluntarily than to have APEGGA withdraw your application involuntarily for failing to have met examination deadlines.

Files withdrawn may be reactivated at a later date but you will be subject to review under whatever rules may be in place at that time. You will be charged a reactivation fee. The reactivation fee will be based on whether the original application was for M.I.T. or P. Eng./P. Geol./P. Geoph. status.

For further information contact the Exams Coordinator.

Revised April 2005