Engineer First Time Applying in Canada
This category is for engineers-in-training (EIT) or other individuals who are applying for registration as a professional engineer (P.Eng.) for the first time in Canada.
To apply for registration as a professional engineer (P.Eng.) with Engineers and Geoscientists BC you must meet academic, experience, law and ethics, language, and good character requirements.
A free webinar titled Path to Professional Licensure is available in the Knowledge Centre. It is recommended that anyone applying for registration to become a professional engineer view this webinar to learn about the application requirements and how best to present one's qualifications.
To apply for registration as a professional engineer, you are required to have the equivalent of graduation from a 4-year full-time bachelors program in applied science, engineering, geoscience, science, or technology. If you do not have an undergraduate degree in engineering from an accredited university program, you may be assigned academic examinations and/or an interview.
To obtain your professional engineer status you must demonstrate that you have met the minimum academic requirements for registration. You are required to have the equivalent of graduation from a 4-year full-time bachelors program in applied science, engineering, geoscience, science, or technology.
This normally means that you have a bachelor's degree in engineering from an accredited university program. If you do not have an undergraduate degree in engineering from an accredited university program, your academic background will be assessed against the syllabus for the specific discipline of engineering you are applying for. If you are missing required elements, you may be assigned academic examinations.
Please note that until all assessed deficiencies have been cleared, either by successfully completing the examinations or by passing approved equivalent courses, some of your experience prior to completing the assigned topics may not be credited towards the required 4 years of satisfactory experience.
Credit is typically given for up to 1 year of experience gained prior to completion of academic requirements if it meets the Competency Framework or Satisfactory Experience Guidelines of Engineers and Geoscientists BC and is supervised by an appropriate professional. This is examined on a case-by-case basis.
You may be granted exemption from examinations if:
- You have an undergraduate engineering degree recognized by an engineering accreditation body that has a Mutual Recognition Agreement with Engineers and Geoscientists BC:
- You have an undergraduate engineering degree and an approved postgraduate engineering degree in the same discipline as that of your undergraduate engineering degree.
- You have an undergraduate engineering degree and at least 5 years of engineering experience under the direct supervision of a professional registrant (or equivalent). The decision to grant a reduction or an exemption is based on the results of an interview.
- You have an undergraduate degree or equivalent in applied science, engineering, geoscience, science, or technology; and have written and passed the US Fundamentals of Engineering and the Principles and Practice of Engineering exams in the discipline of registration for which you are applying.
Applicants who do not fulfill the syllabus requirements and are generally recognized to be an expert in a discipline of engineering or who are particularly well qualified in a discipline of engineering with the required depth and breadth of academic background and competencies will be interviewed to assess whether they can be considered to have met the academic requirements for registration.
To become registered as a professional engineer, you must demonstrate that you have a minimum of 4 years of satisfactory engineering work experience. To satisfy the Canadian environment experience requirement, applicants must satisfy the Canadian Environment Competencies, and demonstrate knowledge and experience of Canadian regulations, codes, standards, quality control, safety awareness, professional accountability and communication. If you gain experience in a different discipline from your academic degree, you will need to undergo an academic review and possible interview and/or examinations.
Acceptable engineering work experience must include the application of theory and should provide exposure to, or experience in, the following broad areas: practical experience, management, communication, and the social implications of engineering.
For more information, please refer to the Competency Assessment Guide.
The requirement for experience in a Canadian environment is assessed using Canadian Environment Competencies. Previously, Canadian environment experience was demonstrated through a time-based requirement (i.e., at least 12 months in a Canadian environment).
The Canadian environment competencies are a subset of eight competencies that have been identified from the existing 34 competencies of the competency framework, and that best demonstrates knowledge and experience of Canadian regulations, codes, standards, quality control, safety awareness, professional accountability and communication. The intent is to align the assessment method of the Canadian environment competency requirement with the online Competency Assessment System and to provide better definition and objectivity.
1. Technical
- 1.1. Regulations, Codes & Standards
- 1.6 Safety Awareness
- 1.9 Demonstrate Peer Review and Quality Control
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2. Communication
- 2.1 Oral Communication (in English/French)
- 2.2 Writing (in English/French)
- 2.3 Reading and Comprehension (in English/French)
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| 5. Professional Accountability
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6. Social, Economic, Environmental & Sustainability
- 6.2 Engineering and the Public
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In order to satisfy the Canadian environment experience requirement, all professional engineering applicants are required to achieve each of the Canadian competencies at the minimum category level.
For more information, please refer to the Guide to Canadian Environment Competencies for Applicants and Assessors.
Up to a maximum of 1 year of pre-graduation or co-op experience may be accepted if it is supervised by the appropriate professional and if it otherwise satisfies all experience criteria detailed by Engineers and Geoscientists BC.
Applicants with post-graduate degrees may be given credit for engineering experience gained as part of their post-graduate studies.
There are additional requirements if you are applying for registration in computer engineering, environmental engineering, forest engineering, integrated engineering, marine engineering, naval architectural engineering, software engineering, or structural engineering.
The following guidelines should be used by those gaining experience in the following areas of practice. The intent is to provide information on the types of activities that should be reported as experience.
Applicants who wish to apply for registration through the software discipline can refer to the detailed information provided to determine whether they are required to be a professional registrant with Engineers and Geoscientists BC.
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English Language Competence for Practice is evaluated through:
- An essay written as part of the Professional Practice Examination (this is phasing out after November 2022),
- Communication competencies through the Competency Assessment System,
- Comments of referees/validators, and
- Comments of interviewers (if an interview is required), and
- If required, an approved English Language Test (IELTS, CAEL or Duolingo English Test*) beginning in January 2023. More guidance can be found in Assessment of English Language Competence (PDF).
*Note that an experience assessment will be conducted first before determining whether an appropriate English language test is required. Do not register or submit results unless an approved English language test is specifically assigned or requested.
All applicants must prove that they are of good character and good repute. Engineers and Geoscientists BC will review the information provided in your application to ensure that you meet these standards. To learn more about these requirements, see the page for Good Character Requirement and Registration Hearings.
Applications are made through Engineers and Geoscientists BC's Online Application tool.
- A completed online application.
- Certified* copies of 2 pieces of government-issued identification (ID) for registration. Both pieces of ID must contain the applicant’s full legal name, must be valid (i.e., not expired) at the time of registration, and at least 1 piece of ID must contain your photo. For more guidance on acceptable forms of IDs, please review the Guideline on Certified Identification Documents. Applicants are required to upload as 1 document through their application dashboard.
- Official transcripts, sent directly to the offices of Engineers and Geoscientists BC from your educational institutions (EITs are exempt if already submitted). If required, a transcript request letter is available to send to your academic institution(s).
- Completed experience report using the Competency Assessment System,
- Thesis abstracts for masters or PhD if applicable (submitted through the Competency Assessment System), and
- Confirmation of registration/licensure from other professional engineering regulatory or certification organizations outside of Canada, if applicable.
In lieu of 3, 4, and 6, US-Licensed Professional Engineers may submit an NCEES Record. Note that upon review, applicants with an NCEES record may be required to report their experience using the Competency Assessment System.
*To have your document certified, the copies of both your original IDs must be signed, dated and stamped by an acceptable certifying official. Please refer to the
Guideline on Certified Identification Documents for a list of acceptable certifying officials and the steps for ID certification.
Find more information about application and registration fees on the Fee Schedule.
Throughout your application process, you can expect fees for:
If applicable to your application, additional fees may be required (e.g., academic exams, interviews).
After registration is granted, all registrants are subject to annual fees (prorated in the first year of registration).
Fee Schedule
If you have further questions, you may find the answer on our Frequently Asked Questions.
It takes approximately 4–6 months to review your application after we have received all of the required documents.
For information about checking the status of your application please see Application Status.
Initially, an academic review is done to determine if you meet the minimum academic requirements for professional registration set by Engineers and Geoscientists BC. If these requirements are not met, academic examinations may be assigned. Next, your experience will be reviewed to determine whether it meets minimum experience requirements. An interview may be required as part of the experience review process.
If you have an engineering degree that requires some additional exams to be assigned, but have more than 5 years of satisfactory engineering experience, you may be granted an interview in order to determine if all or some of the academic exams can be waived on the basis of your experience. There is no guarantee that an interview will result in the waiving of academic examinations.
All applicants for professional registration are required to sit and pass the Professional Practice Examination, complete the Professional Engineering and Geoscience Practice in BC Online Seminar, and fulfill the English Language Competency and Good Character requirements.
Upon registration with Engineers and Geoscientists BC, you will be sent a notification email along with a seal and your certificate of registration.