Free Rejected CBA Sample · Assessor Comments

See exactly why a P.Eng CBA was returned with comments.

A real, anonymised rejected Competency-Based Assessment — competency by competency. Read the actual assessor's comment, then open CertNova's review notes and the suggested rewrite that fixes it. The first competency is open below; unlock the rest in two minutes.

Real assessor comments, anonymisedBuilt by Canadian P.Eng professionalsMaps each comment to a fixEducational use · No approval guaranteedReal assessor comments, anonymisedBuilt by Canadian P.Eng professionalsMaps each comment to a fixEducational use · No approval guaranteed

Assessor's comment — why 1.1 was returned

Assessor 1: Unclear what was the role of the XYZ in the project. It appears the XYZ only witnessed the Shaftline correction process and verified the resultant values. XYZ needs to explain how they applied engineering principles and skills to meet the specific code requirements referenced. Be specific and detailed about the code requirements and the engineering actions they personally took to comply with them. CEATI looks to be an industry network that publishes some guidelines but wouldn't necessarily fit the "regulations, codes and standards" such as API, ASME, CSA, etc. Further detail to specific clauses and to what work the XYZ did is required to meet the competency requirements.

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Rejected CBAMechanical / Power

Regulations, Codes & Standards: This competency is intended to demonstrate your knowledge and awareness of Canadian regulations, codes and standards. This includes local engineering procedures and practices as applicable.

Situation

XYZ was mandated to perform a mechanical maintenance of units G4, G5 and G9 at XYZ, run by XYZ. My task was to visit the site & support site managers and crew for shaftline assessment and at site issue resolution.

Action

I visited the XYZ site in XYZ during the maintenance and took following actions Before visiting made sure I will be able toperform shaftline analysis at site as time is of importance. I winesssed the Shaftline corrections were conducted for Units 4, 5, and 9 done by the crew. The focus was on aligning the units according to CEATI standards, specifically addressing axis verticality, guide bearing straightness, and runout at critical points such as the turbine bearing and shaft seal. Measurements from dial indicators at 3 different locations were provided to me I calculated the resultant values for various outcomes like concentricity of runner with discharge ring., straightness at lower guide bearing, verticality of rotating axis, runout at lower guide bearing , run-out at turbine guide bearing and to make sure all the values were under the tolerance limits as per CEATI standard Part V.

Outcome

Recommndation for all units were provided for adjustments. Following adjustments, corrections were performed and unit was within tolerance as per CEATI standard. Resultant Verticality: CEATI tolerance of 0.00072 in/ft. Concentricity of Runner: The tolerance limit of 0.019 inches. Runout at Turbine Bearing: Within the 0.034 inches tolerance.

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What the assessor comments reveal

The three reasons assessors most often return a CBA

Wrong example for the competency

A contractual obligation used for the Code of Ethics, or a product standard used for the Role of Regulatory Bodies. The example must match what the competency asks.

Missing the specific clause

Naming a guideline instead of a recognised standard, with no section, clause, or what it required — and what you personally did about it.

No personal contribution

Writing that you witnessed or supported the work instead of the engineering decisions, calculations, and judgment that were yours.

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Rejected CBA & Assessor Comments FAQ

It is a real, anonymised P.Eng Competency-Based Assessment (CBA) that was returned with assessor comments. For each competency you can read the actual assessor's rejection comment, then open the CertNova review notes and suggested rewrites that address it — the same way CertNova reviews a CBA before resubmission.

Most CBAs are returned because the examples describe what the team did rather than the applicant's personal engineering actions, cite the wrong kind of standard, miss the specific code clause, or pick an example that doesn't match the competency (for instance, a contractual obligation used for the Code of Ethics, or a product standard used for the Role of Regulatory Bodies). Each assessor comment in this sample shows one of these patterns.

The amber panel is the regulator assessor's comment — the reason that competency was flagged. The numbered markers in the text open CertNova's review notes, and the Current / Suggested toggle shows how CertNova would rewrite the Action to satisfy the assessor.

Yes. CertNova offers focused rejection support and One-on-One CBA Consulting that map your assessor comments to specific fixes, rebuild the weak competencies, and prepare a stronger resubmission. You can also write and self-review with CBA Pro, the AI-powered tool from CertNova Software Solutions Inc.

Yes. The competency-based assessment and the assessor-comment process are used across Canadian engineering regulators, including Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO), APEGA, EGBC, APEGS, and Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba (EGM). The fixes shown here — cite the exact clause, show your personal contribution, choose the right example — apply to all of them. Always follow your regulator's official guidelines.

No. A returned CBA does not mean you are unqualified — it usually means specific competencies need clearer evidence and the right example. With a focused recovery plan, most applicants resubmit successfully on the path to the Professional Engineer (P.Eng) designation.

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