“I don't know what CBA wants from me.”
Use CBA Pro to understand the structure and expectations.
Common CBA roadblockCBA P.Eng Support
Complete Your P.Eng CBA From Your Own Experience
CBA Pro interviews you about your own work and turns your CV and your answers into a formatted draft for you to review and improve. Every fact comes from you. If you already have a draft or assessor comments, a licensed P.Eng reviews your competencies line by line.
CBA returned with comments? See rejection support
- Built for Canadian P.Eng applicants
- CBA Pro + expert support
- Review and rejection support available
- Ethical guidance only
- Supports PEO, APEGA, APEGS, EGBC, EGM, and other regulators
CBA Journey Preview
- 1Understand requirements
- 2Choose examples
- 3Write SAO
- 4Have it read
- 5Submit
Where are you in your CBA journey?
Answer one quick question and we'll point you to the best free resource or support for your situation.
CertNovaWhat is a CBA for P.Eng?
A Competency-Based Assessment, or CBA, is a structured way for P.Eng applicants to demonstrate that their engineering experience meets competency expectations. Applicants usually write examples from their own work experience, explain their personal actions, show engineering judgment, and connect outcomes to competency indicators.
In Canada, engineering regulators use competency-based systems to assess whether applicants have demonstrated the required professional engineering experience. The exact process can vary by regulator, but the core challenge is the same: your examples must be clear, specific, and based on your own work.
The CBA P.Eng process, simplified
Most applicants get stuck because they do not know what to write, how much detail to include, or how to show engineering judgment.
Step 1Understand the CBA framework
Know the competencies, indicators, and evidence assessors expect.
Step 2Collect your work experience
Choose projects that show responsibility, judgment, technical work, communication, ethics, and impact.
Step 3Write each competency example
Use Situation, Action, and Outcome to make your examples clear and assessable.
Step 4Work with validators
Prepare examples that validators can understand and support.
Step 5Review before submission
Have a licensed P.Eng read your competencies before your association does.
Step 6Respond to comments if needed
If your CBA is returned, review the feedback and improve your response.
Why P.Eng applicants get stuck on CBA
Most applicants are not short on experience. They are short on clarity, structure, and confidence about what assessors expect.
“I don't know which work experience example to choose.”
Use work experience matching and guided prompts to choose stronger examples.
Common CBA roadblock“My examples sound like job descriptions.”
Focus on your personal actions, engineering judgment, and outcomes.
Common CBA roadblock“I'm not sure if my draft is good enough.”
Send one competency and a licensed P.Eng will tell you where it falls short. Free, and no card.
Common CBA roadblock“My CBA was returned with comments.”
Use rejection support to understand the feedback and improve your resubmission.
Common CBA roadblockHow CertNova helps with your CBA P.Eng submission
Software that interviews you for it, a licensed P.Eng to read it, or an hour of 1-on-1 help. Each one is priced on its card.
CBA Pro
For applicants who haven't written their competencies yet. It interviews you about your own projects and turns your answers into a draft of each one. One competency free, then from $97.
- Matches your projects to each competency
- Your answers formatted as a Situation, Action, Outcome draft
- Missing facts come back as brackets to fill
Free CBA Assessment
For applicants who want preliminary notes on one example before deciding what support they need.
- Clarity check
- Engineering judgment check
- Outcome and alignment check
CBA Draft Review
For applicants with written competencies. A licensed P.Eng reads each one line by line before you submit. From $297 by competency band.
- Read by a licensed P.Eng
- Comments on your own sentences
- A second read after you revise
CBA Rejection Support
For applicants whose association returned the CBA with comments. From $297 by competency band.
- The assessor's comments mapped to each competency
- What to reword, and what to replace
- A resubmission plan
CBA Writing Consulting
For applicants who want a P.Eng license holder beside them while they write. $147 for a 1-hour session.
- A 1-hour video session
- Which example fits each competency
- A follow-up email summary
NPPE Pro
For applicants also writing the National Professional Practice Examination. A 14-day free trial, no card.
- 580 practice questions, every answer explained
- Full timed mock exams
- Readiness by blueprint section
CBA Pro interviews you about your own work, competency by competency
It asks about the projects you actually worked on, based on what your association looks for, turns your answers into a Situation, Action and Outcome draft for each competency, and leaves a bracket wherever a fact is missing. Start one competency free, then pay once from $97.
Guided interview
Asks what your association looks for in each competency example.
SAO structure
Helps organize your response into Situation, Action, and Outcome.
Work experience matching
Helps connect your project experience to relevant competencies.
Memory-triggering questions
Helps you recall details, constraints, decisions, and outcomes.
Self-assessment support
A free readiness grade on every draft, and the 0 to 5 score you will put on the application.
No invented facts
Anything you haven't told it comes back as a bracket for you to fill.
CBA Pro formats only the facts you give it. You choose the examples, and you stay responsible for what you submit.
Want a licensed P.Eng to read it before your association does?
For a finished draft or a returned CBA, at a flat price by competency band. You stay the author: we show you what to change, and you make the changes.
40+ CBAs reviewed since June 2025. No rejection reported back to us. How it's counted
CBA Draft Review
Your competencies are written. A licensed P.Eng reads each one line by line before you submit. From $297.
See review pricesCBA Rejection Support
Your association returned it. Send the assessor's comments and we show you what each flagged competency needs. From $297.
See rejection pricesCBA Writing Consulting
An hour on video with a P.Eng license holder, working through your own examples. $147.
Book 1-hour sessionWhat P.Eng applicants say
5.0 on Google · 25+ reviews“Using CBA Pro by CertNova Software Solutions helped me get my P.Eng. approved on the first attempt without any CBA rejections. What surprised me most was that the challenge wasn't my experience, it was how to present it properly. Having the right structure and guidance made the entire process much more manageable. Definitely saved me time and avoided the usual back-and-forth revisions.”
“This was a wonderful experience. Hossein and Jenny were very helpful and prompt to reply to my emails and questions. Hossein got on a call with me before enrolling just to answer my questions. The review for my CBA questions was detailed, thorough with clear direction on what needs to be done to improve, which made it very easy for me to fix my answers. They gave me a time for looking into my CBA questions. They ended up delivering earlier than promised. Finally, they are very fairly priced. Definitely recommend their service for anyone looking to get someone to assess their CBA answers.”
“I recently used this service to review and strengthen my competency submissions for my P.Eng. application, and I had a very positive experience. Reza and the team provided detailed and thoughtful feedback on my existing drafts, helping me clearly understand what was missing and what needed improvement to meet the expectations of the P.Eng. assessment process. They didn't just correct wording, they guided me on how to better structure my responses, highlight my individual contributions, and align my examples with the required competencies. What I found especially valuable was their ability to point out gaps in my explanations and suggest exactly what kind of technical details, context, and outcomes should be included. Their feedback made it much easier to refine my responses and present my experience in a clear, concise, and professional way. Overall, this service was extremely helpful for improving both the quality and clarity of my submission. I would recommend it to anyone who is working toward their P.Eng. designation and wants expert guidance to strengthen their application.”
Built by Canadian engineering professionals
Support for PEO, APEGA, APEGS, EGBC, EGM, and other Canadian regulators
CBA Pro, CBA Review, Rejection Support, and NPPE Pro in one licensing support ecosystem
Quick answers
What is CBA P.Eng?
CBA P.Eng refers to the Competency-Based Assessment process used by engineering applicants to demonstrate that their work experience meets professional engineering expectations. Applicants write examples from their own experience and show personal responsibility, engineering judgment, communication, ethics, project work, and outcomes.
How does CBA Pro help with a P.Eng CBA?
CBA Pro interviews applicants about their own work, asking what their association looks for, and turns their CV and their answers into a formatted Situation, Action and Outcome draft, with work experience matching and self-assessment support. It shows where information is still missing, and the applicant stays responsible for their own submission.
What should I do if my CBA draft is already written?
Send one competency for a free read by a licensed P.Eng. If you want every competency read before you submit, CBA Draft Review covers them at a flat price by competency band, from $297.
What should I do if my CBA was rejected?
Start from the assessor's comments. In CertNova's CBA Rejection Support a licensed P.Eng reads each flagged competency and shows you what it needs, whether that is new wording or a different example, and you make the changes.
How does NPPE Pro fit into the P.Eng journey?
NPPE Pro helps applicants prepare for the National Professional Practice Examination, while CBA Pro helps applicants prepare their Competency-Based Assessment. Many Canadian P.Eng applicants need both exam preparation and CBA submission support.
Your CBA must be based on your own engineering experience. CBA Pro formats only the facts you give it, a CertNova reviewer shows you what to change in a draft you already have, and you stay responsible for what you submit.
CertNova is not an engineering regulator, and nobody can promise approval: your regulator decides. CBA Pro, CBA Draft Review, CBA Rejection Support and CBA Consulting are preparation and support services.
CBA P.Eng FAQ
CBA, or Competency-Based Assessment, is a process used by many Canadian engineering regulators to assess whether a P.Eng applicant has demonstrated the required engineering competencies. Applicants write examples from their own work experience and show personal responsibility, engineering judgment, outcomes, and alignment with competency indicators.
CBA Pro interviews you about your own work. It matches your projects to each competency, asks questions drawn from what your association looks for, and turns your CV and your answers into a formatted Situation, Action and Outcome draft for you to review and improve. Anything you haven't told it comes back as a bracket for you to fill, so every fact comes from you. You stay responsible for what you submit.
No. CertNova is not PEO, APEGA, APEGS, EGBC, EGM, or any other engineering regulator. CertNova provides CBA Pro, CBA Review, CBA Rejection Support, CBA Writing Consulting, NPPE Pro, and related preparation services to help applicants prepare stronger submissions.
No. CBA Pro interviews you about your own work, asking what your association looks for, and turns your CV and your answers into a formatted draft for you to review and improve, showing you where information is still missing. Our review and consulting services don't write for you either: a reviewer shows you what to change and you make the changes. Either way, you remain responsible for the content and accuracy of your submission.
Use CBA Pro if you haven't written your competencies yet. Use CBA Draft Review if they are written and you want a licensed P.Eng to read them line by line before you submit. Use CBA Writing Consulting if you want an hour with a P.Eng license holder while you write.
If your CBA was rejected or returned with comments, CertNova's CBA Rejection Support can help you understand the regulator feedback, identify missing evidence, and improve your response before resubmission.
Yes. CertNova offers a Free CBA Assessment to help applicants get a preliminary check on clarity, engineering judgment, outcomes, and competency alignment. It is not an official regulator review, but it can help you decide your next step.
CBA Pro interviews you about your own work and turns your answers into a draft of each competency, from the beginning. Free CBA Assessment is a preliminary check for applicants who already have a draft or one competency example and want to identify possible gaps.
Yes. CBA Pro has guidance for 11 of Canada's 12 engineering regulators: PEO, APEGA, EGBC and APEGS each have their own, and EGM and the other associations on the Competency Assessment system get its 34 competencies at its character limits. OIQ's format is not supported. Always follow your regulator's own instructions.
NPPE Pro is separate from CBA Pro. NPPE Pro helps applicants prepare for the National Professional Practice Examination, while CBA Pro helps applicants prepare their Competency-Based Assessment. Many P.Eng applicants need both NPPE preparation and CBA submission support.
A strong P.Eng CBA example clearly explains the situation, the applicant's personal action, the engineering judgment used, the result or outcome, and how the example demonstrates the competency. It should not read like a generic job description.
Yes. P.Eng applicants whose experience is from outside Canada use CBA Pro, CBA Draft Review, CBA Rejection Support and CBA Consulting. CBA Pro asks about the projects you actually worked on, wherever they were.
Ready to move forward with your CBA?
Answer one question and get the next step for where you are: writing, a finished draft, or a CBA returned with comments.