Associations

Engineers Nova Scotia CBA Guide: The Mentor Program Ends December 31, 2026

Published September 27, 2026

Engineers Nova Scotia has assessed new applicants' experience through the competency-based assessment (CBA) since July 1, 2025. The older Mentor Program route, built on detailed experience records, ends on December 31, 2026. EITs still in the Mentor Program after that date move to the CBA and report on 34, 26, 19 or 8 competencies, depending on how much of their experience has been approved by then.

Below are the rules as of September 2026, from Engineers Nova Scotia's CBA guide (revised July 2026), FAQ and registration pages.

At a glance (as of September 2026)

Who: all new P.Eng., Eng.L. and EIT applicants since July 1, 2025. Mentor Program EITs move to the CBA by December 31, 2026.
Experience: 48 months, including 12 months in a Canadian environment "or equivalent". The eight Canadian Environment Competencies count as the equivalent.
Validators: at least four, two of them P.Eng. Validators replace references.
Writing: 300 / 1,200 / 300 characters for Situation, Action and Outcome. Using AI or third parties to create or embellish examples is prohibited.
Timing and cost: CBA feedback typically within 30 days of assignment to an assessor. A $50 CBA fee applies to EIT and Eng.L. assessment applications after October 1, 2026.

Who uses the CBA in Nova Scotia, and since when

The Competency Based Assessment Program replaced the Mentor Program's detailed experience records. After a pilot in 2024 and an opt-in phase from January 1 to June 30, 2025, it became mandatory for all new applicants on July 1, 2025. That covers P.Eng. applicants, Engineering Licensee (Eng.L.) applicants and EITs.

You complete it on the shared online system first developed by Engineers and Geoscientists BC (competencyassessment.ca), choosing the Engineers Nova Scotia logo when you log in (see who uses CBA in Canada).

The Mentor Program transition: which tier are you in?

Mentor Program EITs can switch to the CBA at any time before December 31, 2026, and anyone still in the program after that date is moved across. Once you switch, detailed experience records are no longer accepted. You then report on a standard set of competencies based on your approved experience at the time of transition, which for those still in the program means their approved experience on December 31, 2026.

Approved experience at transition	Competencies you report in the CBA
12 months or less	All 34
More than 12, up to 24 months	26
More than 24, up to 36 months	19
More than 36, up to 48 months	8 (1.1, 2.3 and 5.1 to 5.6)

Everyone completes an employment history covering at least 48 months. Only approved experience counts toward your tier, so if you have records not yet submitted, ask Engineers Nova Scotia now how they will be handled.

Experience: 48 months and what counts

Total: 48 months of approved engineering experience, including 12 months in a Canadian environment (or equivalent).
Before graduation: up to 12 months, earned after completing 50% of your degree and supervised by a P.Eng. or an international equivalent.
Graduate studies: up to 12 months for a master's and 12 for a PhD, 24 months at most. Only completed, thesis-based degrees qualify.
Currency: experience that is out of date can be denied credit.

The Canadian-environment requirement

Under the CBA you can meet the "12 months in a Canadian environment (or equivalent)" rule without that time, by reaching the minimum rating on the eight Canadian Environment Competencies: 1.1, 1.6, 1.9, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 5.1 and 6.2. Each needs at least 3, except 6.2, which needs 2.

If one falls short, it is reassigned for revision whatever the category average, and assessors can assign units of the Working in Canada Seminar or an approved alternative course. For applicants who already have 48 approved months, the registration page also accepts that seminar, a CBA completed with another Canadian engineering regulator, or an approved equivalent. See how to write the eight Canadian Environment Competencies.

Validators: at least four, two of them P.Eng.

The guide says: "Of the four required validators, two must be professional engineers who have direct knowledge of an applicant's work." Without two P.Eng. validators, your file is assessed "on an exceptional basis". The requirement stands, but alternatives may be accepted, and you can upload an explanation.

One validator per example. One person may validate every example. The guide describes a supervisor doing that while the other three give overall feedback only.
Who to choose. At least one of them should have directly supervised or witnessed your work, and at least two should be in the same or a closely related discipline.
Licensed at the time. For Canadian experience, a P.Eng. validator must have been registered with a Canadian regulator during the period validated. For work abroad, expect a senior engineering practitioner licensed in that jurisdiction. For the Canadian Environment Competencies, a P.Eng. (or equivalent) is ideal, otherwise a direct supervisor competent in the same area.
Relatives. Family members are not banned outright, but the validator must declare the relationship, and the assessor may take it into account.
Eng.L. applicants need at least four P.Eng. validators with supervisory or first-hand knowledge of at least four years in the proposed scope of practice.

Under the CBA, "Validators will replace the requirement for References". Ratings are submitted independently, and validator feedback is not visible to you. If a validator declines, add a new one, and use interim validation if you might lose touch with a supervisor. Compare the rules in how many validators each regulator requires.

Competencies, minimum ratings and character limits

Nova Scotia uses the 34 competencies in seven categories, rated from 0 to 5. Every competency needs at least 1, and each category average must reach 3, except Project and Financial Management and Social, Economic, Environmental and Sustainability, which need 2. You are not expected to work at an advanced level of 4 or 5 (see how the CBA scoring scale works).

Write one Situation–Action–Outcome example per competency, in the first person ("I", not "we"), and avoid phrases such as "participated in". The limits are 300 characters for the Situation, 1,200 for the Action and 300 for the Outcome; there is no minimum, and point form is recommended for the Action. You can reuse a major project if the Action and Outcome are specific to each competency, and use surrogate names such as "Project X" for confidential work.

AI and third-party help

The July 2026 guide states that using AI or third parties to create or embellish examples is "strictly prohibited". 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.

After you submit: timelines, outcomes and reviews

Once your examples are validated, the file goes to an assessor, and feedback typically arrives within 30 days of that assignment. The result can be a recommendation to the Board of Examiners to approve, competencies reassigned for lack of detail, additional experience, or Working in Canada Seminar units when Canadian Environment Competencies score low. Some applicants are invited to a Board Assessment Interview ($350).

Once you meet every requirement, an EIT must apply for the P.Eng. within 30 days, and Engineers Nova Scotia says it decides within three weeks of a complete application. Its page for internationally educated engineers describes an internal review of assessment decisions if you ask within 30 days of the decision letter, with results within 60 days. No separate appeal route for CBA results is published. If competencies come back for revision, CBA rejection support can help you see what was missing.

The NPPE and 2026 fees

The CBA did not change the exam requirement. You must pass the National Professional Practice Examination (NPPE), a remotely proctored exam on law, ethics and professional practice, and you need EIT status to write it. English proficiency (for example IELTS Academic 6.5, or education completed in English) and good character are also required.

Fee (2026 schedule)	Amount
CBA fee, EIT and Eng.L. assessment applications after October 1, 2026	$50
Application fee (invoices after August 1, 2026)	$220
P.Eng. application total, including 14% HST	$687.98
Board Assessment Interview (by invitation)	$350
NPPE	$235

Already licensed in another province?

You do not need a CBA. Engineers licensed elsewhere in Canada transfer as "Full – AIT Transfer" or "Full – AIT Non-Resident" applicants with proof of good standing. Under Nova Scotia's Free Trade and Mobility within Canada Act (Royal Assent March 26, 2025), a licensee from a "reciprocating jurisdiction" who shows good standing, no outstanding complaints and professional liability insurance is entitled to a Nova Scotia licence within 10 business days. The licence is not automatic, and you should ask Engineers Nova Scotia whether your province counts as reciprocating. See 2026 mobility timelines.

How Nova Scotia 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

🛠️ Struggling with your CBA? Try CBA Pro

CBA Pro interviews you about your own work, competency by competency, and turns your answers into a formatted draft for you to review and improve. It shows you where information is still missing, and every fact comes from you.

Try CBA Pro

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to leave the Mentor Program before December 31, 2026?

No. You can switch at any time before then, and if you are still in the program after December 31, 2026, you are moved to the CBA and report on 34, 26, 19 or 8 competencies, based on your approved experience.

Do I need a year of work in a Canadian environment?

Not if you go through the CBA. Engineers Nova Scotia's rule is 12 months in a Canadian environment "or equivalent", and reaching the minimum ratings on the eight Canadian Environment Competencies counts as the equivalent.

Can one validator validate all my competencies?

Yes. The guide describes one supervisor validating every example while the other three validators give overall feedback only. You still need four validators in total, two of them P.Eng.

How long does the assessment take?

CBA feedback typically comes within 30 days of your file being assigned to an assessor, and a P.Eng. decision within three weeks of a complete application. The time your validators take comes before those targets, so invite them early.