Associations

APEGNB CBA Guide: New Brunswick P.Eng. Validators, Timelines and Requirements

Published September 27, 2026

APEGNB (Engineers and Geoscientists New Brunswick) assesses new engineering and geoscience applicants through the competency-based assessment (CBA), and has done so for every new Member-in-Training (MIT) since January 1, 2022. You need at least four validators, one of them your supervisor, and APEGNB will not assess your CBA until you have at least 45 of the 48 months of required experience.

Plan for a long process: APEGNB says completing the CBA "may take between 2-4 years" for most people. This guide covers the rules as of September 2026, from APEGNB's CBA guidelines, web pages and fee schedule.

At a glance (as of September 2026)

Who: every new MIT applicant since January 1, 2022, on the shared online system, in English or French. Limited licence applicants use detailed experience records instead.
Experience: 48 months, with your CBA accepted for assessment from 45 months. There is no time-based Canadian experience rule.
Validators: at least four, one of them your supervisor. APEGNB sets no minimum number of licensed validators (ideally all are), and relatives are not accepted.
Assessment: two assessors per file, and appeals within 30 days of the decision letter.
Exams and fees: the NPPE ($264.50) and the CBA can be completed in either order. A $50 CBA fee has applied since July 15, 2026.

Who uses the CBA in New Brunswick, and since when

The CBA applies to any new MIT applicant after January 1, 2022, and to MITs who had not yet submitted work logs; MITs who had could keep their logbook or switch. By 2022 it was open to all new engineering and geoscience applicants in English and French, through the shared system at competencyassessment.ca. P.Eng. and P.Geo. applicants and MITs (EITs and GITs) use it, and you can open your account as soon as APEGNB approves you as an MIT.

Two groups do not: limited licence applicants, who submit detailed experience records, and engineers licensed in another province, who file a mobility application. A first-time P.Eng. applicant must live in New Brunswick, or be an APEGNB MIT who has moved elsewhere in Canada.

Experience: 48 months, assessed from month 45

Minimum: 48 months. Your self-assessment "will not be accepted for assessment until a minimum of 45 months" of that experience has been obtained.
Before graduation: up to one year, co-op included, earned after half your degree and supervised by a P.Eng. or P.Geo. registered anywhere in Canada.
Graduate studies: up to one year for a master's with thesis and up to two for a PhD, with two years at most combined.
Time limit: MITs must complete their experience within five years unless the Board allows otherwise.

APEGNB's February 2026 by-laws describe practical experience without a number of months, but its CBA guidelines and web pages still say 48, so plan on that. See how experience credit works in each province.

Canadian experience: no time-based rule

APEGNB's current guidance has no time-based Canadian experience requirement. You show knowledge of Canadian practice through the Canadian Environment Competencies (for geoscience, seven Canadian work-environment competencies), and international experience is accepted where your examples show you understand Canadian laws, codes and standards. Each engineering competency in this group needs at least 3, except 6.2 at 2.

APEGNB's guide calls them a subset of eight, but its table lists seven and leaves out 1.6 Safety awareness, which the shared system includes, so write 1.6 to the same standard. An older APEGNB application form still online mentions 12 months in Canadian conditions; it predates the CBA. If you fall short, assessors can assign Working in Canada Seminar units, more experience or both. See how to write the Canadian Environment Competencies.

Validators: at least four, including your supervisor

"An applicant is required to name at least 4 validators." Each example goes to one validator, and validators with nothing assigned give overall feedback only. The rules that matter most:

Supervisor: one validator must be your supervisor, in the same or a related discipline.
Licensing: APEGNB publishes no minimum number of licensed validators; ideally all are, and if you cannot find licensed validators for each competency, APEGNB asks you to consult it. For Canadian examples, validators are expected to be a P.Eng., P.Geo. or limited licence holder registered with a Canadian regulator during that period. For work abroad, a senior practitioner licensed in that jurisdiction is preferred.
Non-licensed validators must explain how they are a practitioner in their field, and their CV is required.
Relatives: "Family members and relatives are not acceptable as validators." Whether any validator is acceptable is at APEGNB's discretion.
Checks: give a business email for each validator. Without one, APEGNB may ask for more information, including a video call with the validator. It may also audit validators, and impersonating one can lead to an investigation.

A P.Eng. may validate geoscience work, and a P.Geo. engineering work, where it falls within their field. A validator who declines must give a reason, which, like all validator feedback, is confidential and not visible to you. If no licensed professional can supervise you, APEGNB suggests your employer engage a New Brunswick P.Eng. or P.Geo. in your discipline, or that you use professionals affiliated with your employer, clients or colleagues. See what to do with no P.Eng. at work and how many validators each regulator requires.

Competencies, ratings and character limits

Engineering applicants report on 34 competencies in seven categories, and geoscience applicants on 29 in four. The scale is 0–5. Every competency needs at least 1, and engineering category averages must reach 2 or 3 depending on the category; the shared framework sets 2 for Project and Financial Management and for Social, Economic, Environmental and Sustainability, and 3 for the other five. Each geoscience category needs an average of 3. See how the CBA scoring scale works.

Write one Situation–Action–Outcome example per competency, in the first person. Assessors look for unique problems without obvious pre-determined solutions, where you had full or partial responsibility for the outcome. APEGNB does not publish character limits. Engineers Nova Scotia and PEGNL, which use the same system, state 300 characters for the Situation, 1,200 for the Action and 300 for the Outcome (character limits compared).

AI and your examples

APEGNB's CBA guidelines (September 2024) do not mention AI, but the standard set by other regulators applies just as well here. AI can help you organize your notes and check your own draft for gaps, but your examples must be your own work and you remain responsible for them. EGBC, EGM, Engineers Nova Scotia and Engineers PEI prohibit using AI (or third parties) to create or embellish examples; APEGS and PEO hold you fully responsible for the accuracy and authenticity of anything AI helped with.

Assessment, timelines and appeals

Two assessors review each file, ideally in your field of practice, and APEGNB's Internship Committee reviews CBA files. APEGNB publishes no service standard, and your application is closed if supporting documents are not received within a year of submitting it.

The result is approval, a request for more information, or a decline. If competencies fall short, you receive specific comments and can resubmit them; they then go back to your validators and the assessors. If you have new information, reassessment of an open file is free. You can appeal by email, with your reasons, within 30 days of the decision letter: Internship Committee decisions go to the Board of Admissions, and Board of Admissions decisions go to Council. If you are revising competencies after an assessment, CBA rejection support can help you find the gaps.

NPPE, language and fees

The NPPE costs $264.50 including HST and runs five times a year, and "the NPPE and the CBA may be completed in either order". You also need English or French proficiency (a degree taught in either language exempts you) and good character. See the order of requirements in each province.

Fee (schedule effective July 15, 2026)	Amount
MIT / Assessment of Qualifications: application $176.50 plus the $50 CBA fee, plus HST	$260.48
Professional Member application	$857.90
Canadian labour mobility application	$857.90
NPPE, including HST	$264.50

Already licensed in another province?

You file a mobility application, not a CBA. Under NB Regulation 2026-27, in force since May 31, 2026, APEGNB must acknowledge your registration document within seven days, you then have 30 days to submit your application, and APEGNB must confirm or refuse registration within 30 days of receiving it. You are deemed registered in New Brunswick from the notice of receipt until the decision, provided you have no findings of misconduct or pending proceedings and hold insurance where required. See 2026 mobility timelines.

How New Brunswick compares with the rest of Atlantic Canada

The four Atlantic regulators share the 34 competencies and the online system, but not every rule.

Regulator	Validators	Experience	Character limits (Situation / Action / Outcome)
Engineers Nova Scotia	At least 4, two of them P.Eng.	48 months, including 12 in a Canadian environment "or equivalent"	300 / 1,200 / 300
APEGNB (New Brunswick)	At least 4, one your supervisor; no published licensed minimum	48 months, CBA accepted from 45	Not published
Engineers PEI	At least 4, two of them P.Eng., one a direct supervisor	4 years	Not published
PEGNL (Newfoundland and Labrador)	At least 4, one a direct supervisor, two P.Eng./P.Geo. or equivalent	48 months, CBA accepted from 45	300 / 1,200 / 300

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Frequently asked questions

When can I submit my CBA to APEGNB?

APEGNB will not assess your self-assessment until you have at least 45 of the 48 months of required experience. You can open your CBA account once you are approved as an MIT, so record examples while the work is fresh.

How many of my validators must be licensed?

APEGNB does not set a number. You need at least four validators, one of them your supervisor, and ideally all are licensed. Any validator who is not a P.Eng. or P.Geo. must explain their practice and provide a CV.

Can a relative validate my CBA in New Brunswick?

No. APEGNB's guidelines state that family members and relatives are not acceptable as validators, and APEGNB decides whether any validator is acceptable.

Do I have to pass the NPPE before the CBA?

No. APEGNB states that the NPPE and the CBA may be completed in either order. The exam costs $264.50 including HST and runs five times a year.

How long does the APEGNB CBA take?

APEGNB does not publish a service standard and says completing the CBA "may take between 2-4 years" for most people. Two assessors review each file, and a decision can be appealed within 30 days of the letter.