Registration Criteria & Instructions
for Filling Out The Application For Registration
You are evaluated according to Section 13 of the Regulations
accompanying the Engineering, Geological and Geophysical Professions
Act as follows.
13 A person who meets the following requirements and applies
to the Registrar for registration is entitled to be registered
as a professional member:
(a) the applicant is a Canadian citizen or is lawfully admitted
to Canada for permanent residence;
(b) the applicant is of good character and reputation;
(c) the applicant has a knowledge of the Act and the regulations
under the Act, and general knowledge related to the practice
of engineering, geology or geophysics, which has been demonstrated
by passing an examination that is prescribed by the Board
of Examiners;
(d) the applicant demonstrates to the Board of Examiners
that the applicant has a proficiency in the English language
that is sufficient to enable the applicant to responsibly
practise the profession of engineering, geology or geophysics;
(e) the applicant meets one of the following requirements:
(i) the applicant is admitted as a member-in-training and
has obtained at least 4 years of experience in work of an
engineering, geological or geophysical nature that is acceptable
to the Board of Examiners;
(ii) the applicant is enrolled as a student under section
6(b)(ii) and
(A) has completed all examinations prescribed by the
Board of Examiners, and
(B) has obtained at least 8 years of experience in work
of an engineering, geological or geophysical nature that
is acceptable to the Board of Examiners, at least one
year of which is obtained after completion of the examinations
referred to in paragraph (A);
(iii) the applicant is admitted as an examination candidate
and
(A) has completed the examinations referred to in section
8(b), and
(B) has obtained at least 4 years of experience in work
of an engineering, geological or geophysical nature that
is acceptable to the Board of Examiners;
(iv) the applicant is not in a register or record referred
to in subclause (i), (ii) or (iii), but has the combined
academic qualifications and experience acceptable to the
Board of Examiners that would be required for registration
as a professional member had the applicant progressed through
one of those registers or records.
The following chart outlines the various categories of registration
and the criteria that must be met to qualify for each.
REGISTRATION
CRITERIA
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EDUCATION
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EXPERIENCE
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CHARACTER
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LAW & ETHICS
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ENGLISH LANGUAGE
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MEMBERSHIP
CATEGORY
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Professional Member
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Foreign Licensee
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Member-In-Training
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Exam Candidate
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Degree in one of the professions
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Student
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At least 2 years post secondary
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At least 1 year in related position
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You will note from the application form that
you cannot apply to be an exam candidate. Rather, it is a
category in which you are enrolled if you have a degree in
one of the 3 professions but APEGGA has assessed you exams.
If you do not have a degree, your application will not be
considered unless you meet a minimum set of academic, experience
and character requirements. You must possess an academic background
equivalent to at least two years post secondary education
in areas that relate to the science or technology of engineering,
geology or geophysics, have at least one year of experience
in a position that is related to the practice of the professions,
and be of good character.
This brochure gives instructions for filling out the registration
form and information on the registration criteria in the order
they appear on the Application for Registration. The bold
italicized sections provide the basic instructions for filling
out the form.
Please print or type. Check the box for the category
in which you feel you are qualified to be registered and the
profession/discipline in which you want to be assessed.
If you feel you meet the requirements of Section 13 (with
the possible exception of (c)), and are a Canadian Citizen
or Landed Immigrant, apply to be a Professional Member. If
you feel that you meet the requirements of Section 13 (other
than (c)), but you are not a Canadian Citizen or Landed Immigrant,
apply to be a Foreign Licensee. If you feel you meet the academic
and character requirements but do not have the experience
necessary, you should apply to be a Member-In-Training (MIT).
If you do not meet either the academic or experience requirements
but do meet the minimum standards to apply, you should request
registration as a Student. You must also be an Alberta resident
and Canadian Citizen (or Landed Immigrant) to be a Student.
If you apply to be a Member-in-Training (MIT) your work experience
will not be reviewed nor will your post graduate academic
studies experience credit, if any, be reviewed.
If you are not sure which category to apply for, put
a question mark in the box and explain in the comments section
at the end. If registration in more than one profession is
sought i.e. engineering, geology or geophysics, fill in the
boxes for the professions involved and write the word "Multiple"
beside one of the boxes. If you possess degrees in disciplines
that are not listed e.g. architectural, bio-medical,
bio-resource, ceramic, electronic, forestry and welding engineering,
you may indicate another discipline of your choice
but you will be assessed against the syllabus of one of the
disciplines that is listed.
NAME
Provide both your legal name and your preferred name.
Your preferred name will appear in the APEGGA member register
and on your stamp and seal unless you tell us otherwise on
the application form and the stamp and seal form. Your membership
certificate will be issued in your full legal name.
RESIDENCY
Provide the information requested under Home and Business
Addresses and indicate which one you prefer for communications
from APEGGA. If neither is preferred indicate your preference
on a note attached to this application form.
NOTIFY APEGGA OF ALL ADDRESS CHANGES. DO NOT RELY ON POSTAL
FORWARDING SERVICES.
Alberta residency is not a requirement for membership. This
means that you may freely move in and out of the province
while retaining the same status with APEGGA. The Student examination
program, however, is a special privilege extended to Alberta
residents only.
There are some practical considerations, however. If you
are already an MIT in another province there may be advantages
in becoming registered there first as a Professional Member
before requesting registration in APEGGA just as there may
be advantages in completing your registration with APEGGA
before requesting registration in a new jurisdiction. You
should become familiar with the requirements in both areas.
Exam Candidates must make special arrangements with APEGGA
to have examinations administered outside Alberta.
CITIZENSHIP
You must be a Canadian Citizen or a Landed Immigrant to request
registration as a Professional Member. Otherwise, you apply
for registration as a Foreign Licensee. The registration criteria,
however, are the same for both categories. The only privilege
held by Professional Members that is not held by Foreign Licensees
is the privilege of taking part in the administration of the
Association by running and voting in Association elections.
If you were not born in Canada and you wish to be registered
as a Professional Member, a copy of your citizenship papers
or the Canadian Immigration Record and Visa is required. There
is no citizenship requirement to be either an MIT or an Exam
Candidate. Students must be Canadian Citizens or Landed Immigrants
and Alberta residents.
POST SECONDARY EDUCATION
Please list all post secondary education. The academic
achievements must be confirmed by the institution(s) that
you attended by using the attached Request for Academic Documents.
Forward the Request Form directly to your educational institution;
do not return to this office. The reverse side of
that form clarifies under what circumstances we require either
a Certification of Graduation or Transcripts.
APEGGA will arrange for the certification or transcripts
for University of Alberta and The University of Calgary graduates
who apply to be MITs at the Graduating Student Lunch.
When copies only are supplied or when APEGGA staff takes
true copies (T-copies) of what appears to be originals supplied
by the applicant, and confirmatory examinations are assessed,
the freedom in the choice of examinations will generally be
eliminated, e.g. an applicant from a school on the foreign
degree list who would be assessed a choice of 2 from Group
A plus 1 from Group B, may have the examinations
specified. The academic examiner may specify the particular
professional examinations from Group A and B that the candidate
is to write. Usually of the three examinations specified,
two are in the candidate's area of practice and one is in
an allied area.
Further, when originals are not received directly from the
educational institution, experience may not be used to reduce
or eliminate the examination assessment.
Engineering
In Canada, the Canadian Engineering Accreditation
Board (CEAB), a subgroup of the Canadian Council of Professional
Engineers sets standards for engineering education and inspects
all engineering schools for compliance with these standards.
Graduates from these accredited programs are deemed to be
academically qualified for registration.
In the USA, the Accreditation Board for Engineering
and Technology (ABET) provides a similar function. APEGGA
will generally accept engineering graduates from ABET accredited
engineering programs as being academically acceptable for
registration. However, APEGGA reserves the right to assess
confirmatory exams to these graduates if an examination of
the transcripts reveals some areas of concern. APEGGA does
not accept engineering technology graduates from ABET accredited
engineering technology programs without assessing a number
of exams.
In the U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Hong
Kong there are similar accreditation systems. Graduates
of programs accredited by the Engineering Institutes in these
countries from 1989 on and in Hong Kong from 1995 on, while
continuing to be reviewed by the Board of Examiners, would
normally look to be exempt from confirmatory exams. However,
the Board reserves the right to assign examinations if, in
the opinion of the examiners, there are grounds for concern
such as the nature and amount of advanced standing credit,
course deficiencies, academic performances or a lack of information
on the program of studies.
For other foreign degree applicants, the Canadian
Engineering Qualifications Board (CEQB), a subgroup of the
Canadian Council of Professional Engineers, has prepared a
list of foreign institutions that meet certain standards set
by CEQB from information published by third party journals.
These institutions are not accredited by a body that APEGGA
recognizes, therefore the candidates are typically assessed
three confirmatory exams at the professional level to verify
the quality of their education plus an examination on engineering
economics. If the applicant's undergraduate institution is
not on this list typically nine confirmatory exams are assessed
that cover preliminary through to professional level subjects.
When an applicant with an engineering degree has been assessed
exams, he/she will be enrolled as an Exam Candidate.
A non-degree applicant will have his/her post secondary education
compared to a syllabus of choice and will be assessed exams
on a course by course basis to upgrade his/her academic background.
The applicant will be enrolled as a Student.
Geology
There is no national accreditation system for geology. APEGGA
has developed a geology syllabus against which the transcripts
from all geology applicants are compared. Applicants with
degrees may be assessed exams on a course by course basis
and will be enrolled as Exam Candidates.
Foreign applicants with geology degrees will be assessed
exams on a course by course basis if the academic information
is clear or may be assessed confirmatory exams if the information
is not clear and will be enrolled as Exam Candidates.
Applicants without a degree will be assessed exams on a course
by course basis and will be enrolled as Students.
Geophysics
There is no national accreditation system for geophysics.
APEGGA has developed a geophysics syllabus against which the
transcripts from all geophysics applicants are compared. Applicants
with degrees may be assessed exams on a course by course basis
and will be enrolled as Exam Candidates.
Foreign applicants with geophysics degrees will be assessed
exams on a course by course basis if the academic information
is clear or may be assessed confirmatory exams if the information
is not clear and will be enrolled as Exam Candidates.
Applicants without a degree will be assessed exams on a course
by course basis and will be enrolled as Students.
General Information on Writing Exams
More detailed information on exam administration will be
provided should you be assessed exams but the following chart
provides some information in a condensed form.
Questions
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Type of Examination Assessment
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Confirmatory
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Course by Course
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Are approved course equivalents allowed?
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No, but an approved Masters program may be substituted
for confirmatory exams
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Yes
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Are there time constraints?
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Must start at the next exam session following the six
month semiannual period in which the assessment was
made
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Must write at least one exam every 2 exam sessions
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Are there penalties for failures?
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Yes, extra exams are assessed
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No, 4 attempts are allowed
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Is there a maximum time allowed?
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If assessed 3 exams, they must be written in one session.
If assessed 9 exams, 4 sessions are allowed
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5 years with a degree 10 years without a degree
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Technical exams are administered in Alberta
in the first week of May and November. Syllabi including course
content and recommended texts are provided and course equivalent
lists are provided when equivalents are allowed. One copy
of an old exam is generally available. No instruction is provided
by APEGGA.
Note to Students: APEGGA is pleased to be able to offer an
examination route to registration for those who are not academically
qualified and cannot go back to school full time. Do not underestimate
the difficulty in completing an examination program. Students
may either challenge APEGGA examinations as the result of
self-study or write approved University course equivalents.
If you choose to take course equivalents you should be aware
that on average there are two course equivalents required
for every APEGGA engineering examination and that few course
equivalents are offered at night. If you are an engineering
technologist you will likely be assessed 20+ examinations.
As a geological technologist you may be assessed 15 to 20
examinations but, on average, there is only one course equivalent
required for each examination.
EXPERIENCE
If you are applying to be a Professional Member or
Foreign Licensee provide full employment details in reverse
chronological order (present/most recent first) including
the period of employment, the company name and location and
the name and current address of supervisors. Details of the
position should include the position title, the general responsibilities
that can be found in a job description, the specific assignments,
values and successes. In addition to increasing independence,
initiative and responsibility you must show evidence of levels
A, B, C and D experience (further details of which follow
in this write up and in the Experience Guideline) for the
years for which you are seeking credit. It would be helpful
for the Board if you list the years for which you are seeking
credit and the number of months of each year you feel were
at levels A through D. Extra sheets will be required. Your
experience can only be judged on the information you supply.
It is unlikely that a brief summary will provide all the information
required.
If you are applying to be a Member-In-Training, a brief
summary of your work experience will confirm that you have
applied for the right category. A detailed review
of your experience will not be undertaken. A complete Experience
Guideline is enclosed.
If you are applying to be a Student, a brief summary
of your work experience will confirm that you meet the minimum
requirements to be a student. However, if you have extensive
experience and wish to benefit from a possible reduced assessment
of examinations on the basis of your experience full details
will have to be supplied as for those applying to be Professional
Members. A complete Experience Guideline is enclosed.
APEGGA requires that an applicant with a degree in engineering,
geology or geophysics have at least four years of experience
that is acceptable to the Board of Examiners. Generally, the
experience requirement must be met after completion of your
degree requirements (i.e. not graduation) although summer,
co-op and intern work experience may be awarded up to six
months credit. Extensive technology experience prior to completion
of the degree may also be given some credit.
APEGGA requires that a student who has completed an examination
program have at least eight years of experience that is acceptable
to the Board of Examiners, at least one year of which must
be after completion of the examinations.
The Board recognizes that not all applicants are able or
given the opportunity to perform full professional work immediately
after graduation. However, the Board is prepared to grant
credit for some amount of work that is below the level where
the full application of engineering, geological or geophysical
principles is expected, but where it is obvious that an increasing
level of responsibility and initiative is being assumed.
The Board will award credit for A Level experience - orientation
and non-technical training - if the orientation is in the
early stages of the career and does not exceed 1 or 2 months
and if the non-technical training falls within the areas of
management skills, communication skills and understanding
the societal implications of the work that is being done.
Full credit may be awarded for B Level experience - formal
technical training - if it is a logical extension of the academic
background on which your registration has been granted. In
house courses may be acceptable. An approved post graduate
program, may be eligible to receive some experience credit.
Please refer to the Experience Guideline for more detailed
information.
Full credit may be awarded for C Level experience - technician,
technologist or technical support level - to a maximum of
12 months.
Full credit will be awarded for D Level experience - where
the application of engineering, geological or geophysical
principles and practical experience are evident. At least
2 years must be at D Level.
The Guideline for Experience Requirements for Professional
Membership provides more details on levels A and D experience,
the need for professional supervision, mentoring, documentation,
and at least one year of North American experience and outlines
types of experience that may need greater documentation to
prove the extent of D Level experience. The guideline also
explains how to receive experience credits for post graduate
academic studies and work carried out as a Post Doctoral fellow
or Research Engineer. It also introduces the concept of an
optional midterm review to ensure that applicants are on track
in obtaining experience that is satisfactory to the Board.
Post graduate studies experience credit does not apply to
applicants seeking enrollment as Members-In-Training.
REFERENCES
Please provide the names and current addresses of at
least three persons who are familiar with significant time
elements of your experience, at least one of whom is/has been
your supervisor and at least two of whom are professional
members with APEGGA or another comparable professional association.
Under relationship indicate whether the reference is/was your
employer, supervisor, mentor, colleague, friend or client.
A standard Reference Questionnaire, a copy of which
is enclosed in this package for information only, will be
sent by APEGGA to the three references above (or to
supervisors, not listed as references, if elements of your
experience are not sufficiently covered by the listed references)
to confirm your employment experience, your character and
your English language competency. In the case of applicants
who are looking to be registered as Members-In-Training a
letter requesting a character reference will be sent by APEGGA
to only one reference.
CHARACTER
You must be of good character and reputation. Character is
defined as the combination of qualities which distinguishes
one individual from another. Good character connotes moral
and ethical strength and undoubtedly includes integrity, candor,
honesty and trustworthiness. Character is what a person is,
while reputation is what others believe that person to be.
You fail to demonstrate good character when:
§ you willfully obtain or attempt to obtain registration
or renewal of registration by cheating on examinations or
making or causing to be made a false statement on the application
§ you commit an act or series of acts that relate directly
to the practice of engineering, geology or geophysics that
affords grounds for the belief that you will not engage in
the practices in accordance with the Engineering, Geological
and Geophysical Professions Act and the Regulations and By-laws
accompanying the Act
§ you have committed an act or series of acts that are
inconsistent with the qualities of honesty and integrity and
you have not been rehabilitated or have not made adequate
reparation
§ you have been convicted of a criminal offense or a
civil offense impacting your practice
Good character is determined, with other sources of information,
by the response to a general question on the Reference Questionnaire
and by the responses to the specific questions on the application
form. All questions on the form must be responded to
with a yes or no answer. If the answer to any of these questions
is yes, you must provide details in writing. You may do so
in a sealed envelope, the contents of which will be disclosed
only to those members of the Board and staff who have a need
to know. An affirmative answer to any question does
not necessarily mean that you will be refused registration.
If this information raises concern about your character, you
will be given another opportunity to respond to the concern
in writing.
KNOWLEDGE OF LAW AND ETHICS
You must demonstrate knowledge of professional law and ethics.
This may be accomplished by passing the National Professional
Practice Examination (NPPE). The examination may be written
when you have at least two years of experience. More information
on the NPPE is provided in the brochure for the NPPE, the
Application to Write the NPPE, and the NPPE Literature Order
Forms. The costs and dates change at the beginning of each
year so if your form is out of date call us for the current
information before you submit the form.
If you have passed an equivalent examination for another
Canadian Association or are registered in another Canadian
Association, you need only read the EGGP Act, Regulations
& By-laws and the Guideline
For Ethical Practice V2.0 and sign and return the Act,
Regs and By-laws Confirmation. These will be provided to you
when we acknowledge receipt of your application.
Indicate on the form how you meet or plan to meet this
criterion by checking one of the boxes.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE COMPETENCY
You must be fluent in the English language. Applicants
whose native language is not English must confirm their ability
to write and speak English in one of two ways. Either provide
a letter in your own hand writing explaining why you feel
that your English is acceptable or get a TOEFL score of 600
or better on hand-written exam or 250 or better on computer
exam. Lengthy exposure to English through education
or experience may be sufficient to meet the competency requirements
but your comments will be verified by your references. For
more information on TOEFL, contact TOEFL, Box 6151, Princeton,
New Jersey, 08541-6151, USA. Several organizations can help
you prepare for the TOEFL test. Results should be sent back
to APEGGA directly from TOEFL. It is important that you are
confident of your capabilities in the English language before
you tackle any exams that you may be assessed.
Indicate on the form how you meet or plan to meet this
criterion by checking one of the boxes.
PROFESSIONAL STATUS
Please fully disclose any activity or registration with
APEGGA or other associations. This will ensure the fastest
possible treatment of your application.
If you are registered with another Canadian or US Association/Ordre/State
Board, APEGGA will confirm your registration with your home
association using the Confirmation of Registration form, which
has been included in this package for your information only.
You must be a fully paid up Professional Member and must realize
that APEGGA reserves the right to conduct a full review to
ensure full compliance with all the registration criteria.
CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The professions of engineering, geology and geophysics are
increasingly facing varied demands from the public, government,
the economy and technology. As the environment in which we
practice adapts and adjusts to these demands, it is important
we keep pace with the changes. To help engineering and geoscience
professionals meet the challenge, our governing APEGGA Council
approved a mandatory Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
Program as a requirement for all registered members. It is
a self-directed program that has been designed to be flexible
in order to address the many needs of our diverse membership
and, at the same time, includes elements that help to ensure
protection of the public, APEGGA's primary responsibility.
All new members will be provided with a Continuing Professional
Development Guideline upon approval of registration at which
time it will be their responsibility to have a CPD plan in
place.
The Association is taking a leadership role in the development
of such a program in Canada. As such, the Governing Council
recognizes that adjustments may have to be made. It is a living
program that will be reviewed on a regular basis.
COMMENTS
You are welcome to comment on anything else that you feel
is pertinent to your application. The Board will also consider
your feedback on the registration criteria, process and documentation.
Sign and date the application after reading the four
point declaration.
Thank you for following the instructions.
Revised January 10, 2000
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