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How Quebec (OIQ) Assesses Engineering Experience: The CPI Program vs. the CBA

Published September 27, 2026

Quebec does not use the validator-based competency-based assessment (CBA) that the other engineering regulators use. OIQ assesses experience through its own competency-based system inside a supervised program. You register as a CPI (candidat(e) à la profession d'ingénieur), work at least 24 months under a supervising engineer who rates you on 28 competency elements as you go, complete online training and OIQ's own professional exam, and meet a French-language requirement.

If you are already licensed by another Canadian regulator, none of this applies: OIQ has a separate mobility route. This guide explains the CPI program as it stands in September 2026, including the theory changes due on November 23, 2026, and how it compares with the 34-competency CBA.

At a glance (as of September 2026)

The Programme d'accès à la profession has three components: theoretical, practical and linguistic. It replaced "ingénieur junior" status on April 1, 2019, and junior permits lapsed by April 1, 2022.
Practical component: at least 24 months of full-time supervised practice within 5 years, with one supervising engineer per period, declared within 30 days. After-the-fact supervision is refused.
6 competencies, 28 elements, each rated 0–5 by your supervisor. Every element needs 3, except project management and professional development elements, which need 2.
8 of the 28 elements must be shown in a Canadian context.
OIQ's own exam, not the NPPE: in person, 3 hours, about 110 multiple-choice questions, 60% to pass. Last registration on the current content: October 20, 2026.

What the CPI program is

Since April 1, 2019, applicants for a regular engineering permit in Quebec go through the program as a CPI unless an exemption applies, such as already holding a licence elsewhere in Canada. That includes Quebec graduates, graduates of other Canadian programs who are not licensed elsewhere, and internationally trained engineers once OIQ has recognized their degree as equivalent. It replaced the old "ingénieur junior" and "ingénieur stagiaire" permits, which stayed valid until the holder registered as a CPI or April 1, 2022, whichever came first.

You may have read that OIQ uses a “Structured Supervision” plan instead of a competency assessment. That is not an OIQ term. OIQ's practical-component guide says the program uses a competency-based evaluation system to confirm your progress: your supervisor rates the evidence, and OIQ's admission committee decides on it.

The practical component: 24 months under a supervising engineer

You need one or more periods of practice totalling 24 months full-time, consecutive or not, and you must finish the program within 5 years of first registering (an extension is possible for a serious reason such as parental leave or illness). Details to watch:

Experience counts from the date your engineering degree is conferred, or from your equivalence date if you trained abroad.
Periods shorter than 6 months are rarely accepted, and OIQ strongly recommends at least 12 months of work before you submit the technical competencies.
Part-time work (under 35 hours a week) is prorated, and breaks of more than 30 consecutive days must be declared.
Internships after 60 university credits count for up to 8 months of duration only. They cannot be used to demonstrate competencies.
Research master's and PhD periods count toward both the months and the competencies. Courses or certifications of at least 35 hours with a practical component can support competencies but add no months.
Work done before you registered can be submitted. Evaluating 12 months or more of earlier Quebec experience costs $665; experience outside Quebec, or under 12 months, is evaluated free.

Each period has one supervising engineer, declared to OIQ within 30 days of its start, and supervision must begin with the period. OIQ refuses an evaluation done after the fact without direct follow-up. Your supervisor must hold an OIQ permit with full right to practise, have practised for 3 of the last 5 years in a related function, and have had no fine, suspension, limitation or imposed training in the last 5 years. An engineer licensed outside Quebec may supervise non-reserved activities only.

The supervisor is normally your immediate superior or head of engineering, or an experienced colleague at your employer. Exceptionally, when no other engineer works for your employer, a client, supplier or outside engineer with direct knowledge of your work can supervise, and you must justify the choice. OIQ keeps a private directory of volunteer supervisors.

At the end of each period, your supervisor rates every element you submitted from 0 to 5. A rating below your self-rating needs a written justification, and the supervisor is expected to discuss differences with you before submitting. You declare a period within its first month and submit within a month after it ends. OIQ's admission committee decides on each period within 60 days.

6 competencies, 28 elements

Competency	Elements	Minimum level for each element
1. Have the required technical competencies	10 (1.1 to 1.10)	3
2. Communicate effectively	3 (2.1 to 2.3)	3
3. Manage a project	6 (3.1 to 3.6)	2
4. Work in a team	2 (4.1 and 4.2)	3
5. Act professionally	4 (5.1 to 5.4)	3
6. Manage your professional development	3 (6.1 to 6.3)	2

Every one of the 28 elements must reach its level; OIQ's guide describes no averaging. Ratings build up across periods, elements must be maintained throughout the program, and your latest experience takes precedence. Each element lists indicators, and one concrete example that matches one indicator is enough.

Eight elements must be shown in a Canadian context: 1.1 regulations, codes and standards; 1.6 safety awareness; 1.8 peer review and quality control; 1.10 sustainability; 2.1 verbal communication; 2.2 written communication; 2.3 reading and comprehension; and 5.1 code of ethics. A project outside Canada can qualify if Canadian standards were applied, for example for a Canadian client.

Each situation you write has four labelled parts: context, actions, results and Canadian context. Write in the first person ("je"); OIQ recommends bullet lists. One situation can support several elements if you keep the context and adapt the actions and results. Mark elements you did not cover in a period "N/A" and show them in another period.

Theory, the professional exam and the November 2026 changes

The theoretical component is about 30 hours of mandatory online training in 4 blocks ($345 in total), followed by OIQ's professional exam ($285 per sitting). The exam is in person and in French unless an exception applies. It lasts 3 hours, has about 110 multiple-choice questions, allows no documentation and needs 60% to pass. Results come within 30 days, and after two failures you must retake the training. The October and November 2026 sittings are in Montréal, Sherbrooke and Rimouski.

A modernized theory component starts on November 23, 2026. About 55% of the content is revised, roughly 22 trainings become 19 and 29 hours become 25, the study document shrinks from 480 to 130 pages, and an optional free fifth block with an exam simulation is added. October 20, 2026 is the last day to register for an exam on the current content. A new exam version, with about 10 of the 110 questions updated, applies from 2027.

The French requirement

Under section 35 of the Charter of the French Language, you must show appropriate knowledge of French. Three or more years of full-time study in French at secondary level or above, the Quebec secondary French first-language exam, or a Quebec secondary diploma from 1985–86 onward all count; otherwise you pass the OQLF exam. TEF and TCF results are not accepted. OIQ offers a temporary permit while you meet the requirement, valid for one year and renewable up to three times (48 months at most), but its language page says McGill and Concordia graduates are not eligible for it.

OIQ's CPI program vs. the 34-competency CBA

Everywhere else, you write examples of past work that validators rate and assessors then score. (APEGA, NAPEG and Engineers Yukon use APEGA's 22-competency version.) The main differences:

Feature	OIQ CPI program	34-competency CBA
Framework	6 competencies, 28 elements	34 competencies in 7 categories
Who confirms your experience	One supervising engineer per period, following your work as it happens	Validators with first-hand knowledge (minimum 1 at PEO, 4 at most other regulators) rate examples after the fact
Minimum experience	24 months full-time, within 5 years	24 months after the degree at PEO; 48 months at most others
Pass rule	Every element at its minimum (3, or 2 for project management and professional development)	Category averages of 3/3/2/3/3/2/3, plus minimums for the Canadian-environment competencies
Canadian content	8 of 28 elements in a Canadian context	8 Canadian-environment competencies (PEO: 6 professional standards competencies)
Write-up	Context, actions, results, Canadian context; "je"; bullets recommended	Situation–Action–Outcome in the first person, within character limits
Feedback	The supervisor discusses differences with you before submitting	Validator ratings and comments are confidential
Exam	OIQ professional exam, in person, 60% to pass	NPPE, remotely proctored, pass at a scaled score of 65
Language	French (Charter of the French Language)	Mainly assessed through the communication competencies

Both use a 0–5 scale, but at OIQ a strong element cannot make up for a weak one. For how CBA ratings work, see the CBA scoring scale.

Already licensed elsewhere in Canada, and the main fees

Members of another Canadian engineering regulator skip the CPI program. OIQ's mobility route takes about 20 business days and requires four online trainings in French (4 h 45 in total, no exam), with a $560 admission fee. An EIT from another province is not treated as a member of a Canadian association and applies according to their profile. Our 2026 mobility guide compares all 12 regulators.

Other fees on OIQ's grid effective April 1, 2026:

Quebec graduates: admission $180, plus registration of $260 within 6 months of graduating or $520 after that.
Admission for other profiles: $660 (other Canadian programs and Washington Accord degrees), $1,010 (other foreign degrees), $1,415 (applied science).
Annual CPI renewal $520; extension beyond 5 years $255.

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Frequently asked questions

Does OIQ use the CBA?

Not the validator-based CBA used by the other regulators. Since April 1, 2019, OIQ has used its own competency-based evaluation: 6 competencies and 28 elements, rated by one supervising engineer per period over at least 24 months of supervised practice.

Can my supervisor be an engineer licensed outside Quebec?

Yes, for non-reserved activities. OIQ accepts a person legally authorized to practise engineering outside Quebec, but reserved acts in Quebec must be directed by an OIQ member. Unlicensed supervisors are not accepted.

Do co-op internships count toward the 24 months?

Partly. Internships completed after 60 university credits count for up to 8 months of duration, but they cannot be used to demonstrate competency elements.

What if my supervisor leaves or will not complete the evaluation?

You can apply to OIQ's committee, which then takes appropriate measures, and a change of supervisor can be authorized on written request. OIQ's guide suggests closing the period and continuing with a new supervisor.