CBA Character Limits: APEGA (400/1,800/400) and Every Other Regulator (2026)

How to write within the limits

Every CBA regulator uses the same Situation–Action–Outcome structure. Write in the first person (“I”, not “we”), give one example per competency, and make each example specific to the competency it supports. Here is how to spend APEGA’s characters.

Situation (up to 400 characters)

Give just enough context for an examiner who knows nothing about your work: the project or task, your role, and the problem you had to solve. APEGA asks you to focus on your own contributions rather than general project details such as location or budget. If you use one project for several competencies, you may repeat parts of the Situation, but each example must be distinct.

Action (up to 1,800 characters)

This is where the competency is shown. Describe what you did, how you did it and why: the decisions you made, the analysis or calculations you ran, the codes and standards you applied and the judgement you used. Point form is acceptable. Let the competency’s indicators guide what you include, but do not copy them; APEGA says copying a job description or repeating the indicators is not enough.

Outcome (up to 400 characters)

State what resulted from your actions: the solution, product, process or other outcome, with a measurable result if you have one. Tie it to what you did rather than to the project’s overall success. APEGA notes that you may also reflect on how you would approach the situation differently.

APEGA’s rules for each example

• One example per competency. Choose your strongest example and explain it well rather than listing several brief ones.
• First person throughout. Even for team work, describe your individual role, your thought process and the knowledge you applied.
• Independent, professional-level work. Show that you can practise without supervision. Where possible, pick situations where you led the work or made key decisions. Recent experience is acceptable.
• Reuse projects, not examples. The same major project can support several competencies if the Action is specific to each one, but entire examples must not be reused.
• All 22 competencies. Since July 18, 2026, eight of them (1.1, 1.6, 1.9, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 5.1 and 6.2) are Canadian-environment competencies with their own minimum scores. See APEGA’s 2026 CBA changes and how to write the Canadian-environment competencies.
• Confidential work. Describe the nature and complexity of the work without proprietary details; APEGA’s examiners are bound by confidentiality. Our guide to confidential information in the CBA has more.

Practical ways to stay under the limit

1. Write offline first. Keep a master copy of each example in a document whose character count includes spaces, then paste it into myAPEGA field by field.
2. Cut background before evidence. When the Action runs long, remove project description and general team activity first. Keep your decisions, calculations and judgement.
3. Use specific verbs. “Was involved in” and “participated in” use characters without showing what you did. Say what you did: “I calculated”, “I specified”, “I reviewed”.
4. Use formatting sparingly. Bullets and blank lines cost space in APEGA’s fields. Use them where they make the Action easier to follow, not between every sentence.
5. Define abbreviations once. Examiners do not know your employer’s shorthand, and they can assess only what you write.
6. Check every field for a scroll bar before you submit. Hidden text will not be read.
7. Talk to your validators before you submit. APEGA recommends discussing your application with them beforehand. If you revise a competency later, it has to be validated and scored again.

Our list of common mistakes in CBA writing covers the other pitfalls that cost applicants time.

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. APEGA also warns that AI content is often generic and expects applicants to complete the forms themselves. See what each regulator allows. If you use CBA Pro, it interviews you about your own work, turns your answers into a draft sized to the limits of the regulator you select, and counts every character as you edit. Every fact comes from you.

Frequently asked questions

Do spaces count toward APEGA’s character limits?

Yes. The 400, 1,800 and 400 character limits include spaces. Bullets and blank lines also use up room in the field, so leave a small margin.

What happens if my entry is longer than the limit?

APEGA says its staff cannot view content that exceeds a field’s available space or character limit. Examiners assess only what they can see, so shorten the entry until the whole text fits without a scroll bar.

Is there a minimum length?

APEGA does not publish one. What matters is whether an examiner who knows nothing about your work can confirm the competency from what you wrote. APEGA’s advice is to give enough detail to show your contribution and to leave room in the Action to explain what you did.

Do the same limits apply in Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut?

Yes. First-time applicants to Engineers Yukon and NAPEG complete APEGA’s CBA in myAPEGA with a verification code from their own regulator, so the 400 / 1,800 / 400 limits apply. See how northern applicants complete APEGA’s CBA.

Can I reuse my APEGA examples for another regulator?

You can describe the same work, but the text will need editing. Other regulators that publish their limits allow 300 characters for Situation and Outcome and 1,200 for Action (1,650 on PEO’s PDF form), and most use 34 competencies in seven categories, so each example has to be shortened and matched to that framework’s competencies.

Official sources

• APEGA — Competency-Based Assessment Guide for Professional Engineering Applicants (V7.4, July 18, 2026)
• APEGA — Work experience requirements for professional engineers
• APEGS — FAQ: work experience reporting
• Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba — CBA FAQ (2023)
• Engineers Nova Scotia — Competency-Based Assessment Guide (July 2026)
• PEGNL — Competency Assessment Information Manual (January 2023)
• PEO — CBA P.Eng. application form (February 2026)
• EGBC — Competency Assessment Guide for Engineering Applicants and Trainees (April 2024)