Overview of the 7 Categories in writing CBA

The Competency-Based Assessment (CBA) groups 34 engineering competencies into seven categories: Technical Competence; Communication; Project and Financial Management; Team Effectiveness; Professional Accountability; Social, Economic, Environmental and Sustainability; and Personal Continuing Professional Development. You write one example from your own work for every competency, and each category must reach a minimum average rating on a 0–5 scale: 3 for five of the categories, and 2 for Project and Financial Management and for Social, Economic, Environmental and Sustainability.

This framework is used by PEO in Ontario and by EGBC, APEGS, Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba (EGM), Engineers Nova Scotia, APEGNB, Engineers PEI and PEGNL. APEGA in Alberta, whose CBA is also completed by NAPEG and Engineers Yukon applicants, uses a shorter version with 22 competencies in six categories, and Quebec’s OIQ runs its own program. Below you will find what each of the seven categories assesses, its size and minimum, and one practical writing tip for each, with links to our deep-dive guides.

The seven categories at a glance

As of September 2026, the categories, their sizes and their minimum averages are the same at every regulator that uses the 34-competency framework:

Category	Competencies	Minimum average	Canadian-environment competencies (own minimum)
1. Technical Competence	10 (1.1–1.10)	3	1.1, 1.6 and 1.9 (3 each)
2. Communication	3 (2.1–2.3)	3	2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 (3 each)
3. Project and Financial Management	5 (3.1–3.5)	2	None
4. Team Effectiveness	2 (4.1–4.2)	3	None
5. Professional Accountability	6 (5.1–5.6)	3	5.1 (3)
6. Social, Economic, Environmental and Sustainability	5 (6.1–6.5)	2	6.2 (2)
7. Personal Continuing Professional Development	3 (7.1–7.3)	3	None

A few rules sit on top of the category averages:

• Each of the eight Canadian-environment competencies (1.1, 1.6, 1.9, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 5.1 and 6.2) must reach its own minimum. A strong category average does not make up for one that falls short. At most regulators, these competencies replaced the old time-based Canadian-experience requirement; see how to write the 8 Canadian environment competencies.
• PEO applies the same minimums to six of them, which it calls professional standards competencies: 1.1, 1.6, 1.9, 2.3 and 5.1 (at least 3) and 6.2 (at least 2). Every other competency needs at least 1.
• No competency should be rated 0. At APEGS, a 0 on any competency fails that category.
• You are not expected to reach 4 or 5. A rating of 3 means you are ready to take on professional engineering responsibility.
• The regulator’s assessors decide. Your self-assessment and your validators’ ratings are inputs, and validators’ ratings and comments are confidential.

What each category assesses, and how to write it

1. Technical Competence (10 competencies, minimum average 3)

What it assesses: whether you can do engineering work at a professional level. The ten competencies cover Canadian regulations, codes and standards (1.1), project and design constraints (1.2), technical risk and its mitigation (1.3), applying engineering knowledge to design solutions (1.4), understanding solution techniques and verifying results (1.5), safety (1.6), systems and their components (1.7), the project lifecycle (1.8), peer review and quality management (1.9) and engineering documentation (1.10). It is the largest category, and three of its competencies (1.1, 1.6 and 1.9) are Canadian-environment competencies.

Writing tip: name the specific code, standard or clause you applied, and the calculation, model or check you did yourself. For work done outside Canada, name the Canadian code that would apply and explain how you would have applied it.

Deep dive: technical competencies in the CBA.

2. Communication (3 competencies, minimum average 3)

What it assesses: oral communication (2.1), written communication (2.2) and reading and comprehension of key documents (2.3), in English or French, with team members, clients, contractors and the public. All three are Canadian-environment competencies, so each needs at least 3. Several regulators also use them to judge your English: EGBC and APEGA, for example, assess English through these competencies and ask for a language test only if their reviewers request one.

Writing tip: describe one real exchange, including who the audience was, what you had to get across, how you adapted it and what happened as a result. For 2.3, name the document you interpreted, such as a contract, specification or code clause, and what you did with it.

Deep dive: communication competencies for the CBA.

3. Project and Financial Management (5 competencies, minimum average 2)

What it assesses: awareness of project management principles (3.1), increasing responsibility for project planning and implementation (3.2), managing expectations against the resources available (3.3), understanding the financial side of your work (3.4), and asking for and responding to feedback (3.5). Its minimum average of 2 is lower than most categories.

Writing tip: use numbers, such as the budget you tracked, the change you costed, the schedule you updated and the deadline you met. For 3.5, describe specific feedback you received and what you changed because of it.

Deep dive: project and financial management competencies.

4. Team Effectiveness (2 competencies, minimum average 3)

What it assesses: working respectfully with other disciplines and people (4.1) and working to resolve differences (4.2). With only two competencies in the category, one weak example pulls the average below 3 quickly.

Writing tip: write “I”, not “we”. For 4.2, describe a real disagreement, the steps you took to resolve it and what changed. PEO’s August 2026 guide says not to describe work done by colleagues or your team, so keep the focus on your own actions.

Deep dive: team effectiveness competencies.

5. Professional Accountability (6 competencies, minimum average 3)

What it assesses: applying your regulator’s Code of Ethics in the Canadian engineering environment (5.1), knowing the limits of your competence (5.2), handling conflicts of interest (5.3), professional liability (5.4), proper use of the stamp and seal (5.5) and understanding your own strengths and weaknesses (5.6). 5.1 is a Canadian-environment competency and must be rated at least 3 on its own. For 5.5, awareness and understanding are enough.

Writing tip: anchor each example in a decision you made, such as asking for help beyond your scope, declaring a conflict or refusing to release work that had not been properly reviewed. For 5.1, name the Code of Ethics that applies where you work and the duty involved.

Deep dive: professional accountability competencies (5.1–5.6).

6. Social, Economic, Environmental and Sustainability (5 competencies, minimum average 2)

What it assesses: the safeguards that protect the public and reduce adverse impacts (6.1), the relationship between engineering work and the public (6.2), the role of regulatory bodies in engineering practice (6.3), sustainability clauses in the practice guidelines for your area (6.4) and how you apply and promote sustainability in your own work (6.5). 6.2 is a Canadian-environment competency that needs at least 2 (aim for 3).

Writing tip: tie each example to a real project. Say who in the public was affected and how you protected them, which permit or authority you dealt with, and which sustainability option you considered or recommended.

Deep dive: social, economic, environmental and sustainability competencies (6.1–6.5).

7. Personal Continuing Professional Development (3 competencies, minimum average 3)

What it assesses: professional development you have completed (7.1), your awareness of gaps in your knowledge and skills (7.2) and your plan to close them and stay current (7.3). Knowledge of laws, codes and standards is not a separate category: it is assessed under 1.1 (regulations, codes and standards) and 6.3 (role of regulatory bodies).

Writing tip: be concrete. List the courses, seminars or committee work you completed with dates, name a gap you actually identified, and give a plan with specific activities and target dates.

Deep dive: personal continuing professional development competencies (7.1–7.3).