CBA Pro vs Practice PPE Exams: a writing workspace or a course with AI scoring
Practice PPE Exams' CBA Blueprint teaches the competency framework with lessons and accepted examples, and its AI scores drafts you paste in. CBA Pro starts from your work history and writes each competency with you, question by question. Here is how they compare, from each company's published information as of 26 September 2026.
- Writes with you instead of scoring what you wrote
- Personalized to your association
- One-time price with no access window
Zero rejected CBAs after a CertNova review(Our P.Eng review record to date)
Facts and prices on this page checked 26 September 2026.
“The CBA doesn't want a general project summary. It wants your personal responsibility and judgment in a regulator language.”
The short answer
Practice PPE Exams' CBA Blueprint is an online course with lessons, accepted examples and an AI that scores drafts you paste in, from $199 plus tax for four weeks. CBA Pro is a writing workspace that drafts each competency from your own experience, free for one competency or $97 to $297 one-time.
CBA Pro vs Practice PPE Exams, side by side
Facts about Practice PPE Exams come from its own website, checked on 26 September 2026. If something has changed, tell us and we will correct it.
| What matters | Practice PPE Exams CBA Blueprint | CBA Pro |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Practice PPE Exams CBA BlueprintAn online course: 34 lessons, 11 accepted CBA submissions, templates and a checklist. | CBA ProA writing workspace that builds each competency with you from your work history. |
| How the AI is used | Practice PPE Exams CBA BlueprintCBA Feedback AI scores a draft you paste in from 1 to 5 with suggestions, in about 90 seconds, up to 20 times a day (Pro and Full Licensing Pathway). | CBA ProStrongAsks about your project, drafts from your answers with placeholders for missing facts, then adds pinned comments, a readiness grade and a 0 to 5 self-assessment. |
| Regulator frameworks | Practice PPE Exams CBA BlueprintBuilt on the 1.1 to 7.3 framework. APEGA applicants use an adapter guide. Not designed for Quebec. | CBA ProStrongPersonalized to your association, including APEGA's own 22-competency framework. |
| Price (CAD) | Practice PPE Exams CBA BlueprintMinimum $199, Pro $379, Full Licensing Pathway $599, plus tax. | CBA ProFree for one competency. Foundation $97, Progression $197, Professional $297, one-time, plus tax. |
| Access | Practice PPE Exams CBA Blueprint4, 12 or 14 weeks of CBA access, depending on the plan. 100 more days cost $99. | CBA ProStrongOne-time purchase with no access window. |
| Human P.Eng review | Practice PPE Exams CBA BlueprintOptional 15-competency review by a P.Eng consultant for $399, on the Pro and Full Licensing Pathway plans. | CBA ProSeparate CBA Review service, from $297 for up to 10 competencies. Paid CBA Pro plans include 10 to 20% off. |
| Outcome promises | Practice PPE Exams CBA BlueprintA pass-related guarantee on Pro and Full Licensing Pathway, with conditions. Its FAQ also says it cannot guarantee that your CBA will be accepted. | CBA ProNobody can promise approval, because your regulator decides. Our P.Eng review record: zero rejected CBAs after a CertNova review. |
| Google reviews | Practice PPE Exams CBA Blueprint4.9 stars from 1,000+ reviews, as shown on its site. | CBA Pro5.0 stars from 22 reviews of CertNova. |
| Also covers | Practice PPE Exams CBA BlueprintNPPE and CPD, in the Full Licensing Pathway. | CBA ProNPPE through our separate NPPE Pro. |
Practice PPE Exams may suit you better if
- You want a video course with lessons before you write.
- You want NPPE, CBA and CPD support in one bundle.
- A large base of reviews matters most to you.
CBA Pro is the better choice when
- You want help writing each competency, not only a score afterwards.
- You want guidance personalized to your association, including APEGA's own framework.
- You prefer a one-time price with no countdown.
Already have competencies written? CBA Pro writes new ones from your experience. For feedback on drafts you already have, CBA Review is the right service. About CBA Review
How CBA Pro works
- 1
Add your work history
Import your CV or add projects by hand, then check and edit each record. Drafts are built only from your records and your answers.
- 2
Answer questions about each competency
CBA Pro asks for the evidence each indicator needs, with an example answer under every question.
- 3
Get a draft built only from your answers
Anything you have not confirmed appears as a [placeholder] for you to fill, never as an invented detail.
- 4
Check it the way an assessor would
Comments are pinned to exact sentences, and you get a readiness grade and a 0 to 5 self-assessment against your regulator's minimum.
- 5
Enter it in your regulator's system
Copy each finished competency into your application, or export to Word or PDF on the Progression and Professional plans.
What applicants say
Our review base is smaller than Practice PPE Exams', so here are the people behind it, in their own words.
Zero rejected CBAs after a CertNova review(Our P.Eng review record to date)
“The CBA doesn't want a general project summary. It wants your personal responsibility and judgment.”
“It made it a lot easier compared to how my wife did it, because I know how hard it could be.”
From CertNova's Google 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.
I used CertNova's services to help with my Competency-Based Assessment (CBA) for my P.Eng. application, and I'm really happy with how it went. Their support saved me a lot of time and effort. The team was really knowledgeable, and easy to understand and work with. They made the whole process a lot less stressful. I'd definitely recommend CertNova to anyone working through the CBA or on the path to getting their P.Eng. license.
I had a great experience working with the CertNova team. They helped and guided me through the process of preparing my PEO CBA application in a very professional and detailed way. Their team is kind, patient, knowledgeable, and detail-oriented. They clearly know what needs to be done and how to guide applicants properly. I really appreciated their support, clear feedback, and professional approach throughout the process. I highly recommend CertNova to anyone looking for reliable and professional help with their PEO CBA application.
Reviews are quoted as written on CertNova's Google profile. Nobody can promise approval; your regulator decides.
Sources, checked 26 September 2026
Competitor details are as each company published them on that date. Spotted something out of date? Email info@competencybasedassessment.ca and we will correct it.
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Read the comparisonCBA Pro vs free CBA samples
Samples show the shape of a strong competency. CBA Pro helps you write yours from your own projects.
Read the comparisonCBA Pro vs a colleague's advice
Advice helps. CBA Pro is there every time you sit down to write, and it keeps your validator independent.
Read the comparisonCBA Pro vs Practice PPE Exams: questions applicants ask
Practice PPE Exams' CBA Blueprint teaches you the framework and scores drafts you write on your own. CBA Pro guides the writing itself: it asks about your projects, drafts each competency from your answers and marks what still needs your input.
On 26 September 2026, CBA Blueprint listed Minimum at $199, Pro at $379 and the Full Licensing Pathway at $599, plus tax, with CBA access for 4, 12 or 14 weeks. CBA Pro is free for one competency, then $97, $197 or $297 one-time, plus tax. Prices change, so check each site before you buy.
Nobody can promise approval, because your regulator decides. Practice PPE Exams offers a pass-related guarantee on its Pro and Full Licensing Pathway plans, with conditions, and its FAQ says it cannot guarantee that your CBA will be accepted. CBA Pro makes no outcome promise. It helps you submit the strongest, most accurate version of your own experience, and our P.Eng review record so far is zero rejected CBAs after a CertNova review.
Yes. Some applicants take a course to learn the framework and use a writing tool to draft. With CBA Pro you do not need to paste drafts anywhere else to get feedback: the comments, readiness grade and self-assessment are built in.
CBA Pro has APEGA's own 22-competency framework built in. CBA Blueprint is built on the 1.1 to 7.3 framework and offers APEGA applicants an adapter guide.
Neither includes one by default. Practice PPE Exams sells an optional 15-competency P.Eng review for $399 on its Pro and Full Licensing Pathway plans. CertNova's CBA Review is a separate service, and paid CBA Pro plans include 10 to 20% off it.
In short
CBA Pro vs Practice PPE Exams (CBA Blueprint), checked 26 September 2026: CBA Blueprint is an online course (34 lessons, 11 accepted CBA submissions) whose CBA Feedback AI scores pasted drafts 1 to 5; plans are $199, $379 and $599 CAD plus tax with 4 to 14 weeks of CBA access, an optional $399 P.Eng review, and APEGA covered by an adapter guide. CBA Pro is a writing workspace that drafts each competency from the applicant's own experience with placeholders for missing facts, guidance personalized to the applicant's association, and one-time plans from free to $297 CAD with no access window. Neither can promise a regulator's decision.
Write your CBA from your own experience
Start with one full competency, free and with no card, or see what each plan includes. Everything you write carries over when you upgrade.