CBA

Who Uses CBA in Canada?

Published March 12, 2025 · Updated September 27, 2026

Competency-Based Assessment (CBA) has become a cornerstone of engineering licensure in Canada. Whether you are a recent engineering graduate, an internationally trained engineer (ITE), or simply someone interested in understanding the pathway to obtaining the prestigious Professional Engineer (PEng) designation, knowing who uses CBA and how they use it is crucial.

The short answer (as of September 2026): all 12 provincial and territorial engineering regulators now assess first-time licence applicants on a competency basis, but they do not all use the same framework. Eight use the common framework of 34 competencies in seven categories: seven of them on the shared Competency Assessment System built by Engineers and Geoscientists BC, and Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) in its own portal. APEGA in Alberta uses its own 22-competency version, which applicants to NAPEG (Northwest Territories and Nunavut) and Engineers Yukon also complete. Quebec’s OIQ runs a separate supervised-practice program. The table below shows which system each regulator uses and since when.

Overview of Competency-Based Assessment (CBA)

Competency Based Assessment (CBA) is a structured method of evaluating an engineer’s skills, experience, and professional judgment against predefined criteria. In Canada, every provincial and territorial engineering regulator, from Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) to the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA), now uses a competency-based assessment to confirm that applicants meet the professional standards required to practise engineering.

Core Components of a CBA Submission

Self-Assessment: Applicants typically perform a self-review to map their experience to the required competencies. Learn more about the process in Self-Assessment in CBA
Competency Examples: Each competency is supported by one example from your own engineering work, written in the first person in a Situation–Action–Outcome format and detailing your responsibilities and results.
Validation: Validators who know your work first-hand, often supervisors who hold a P.Eng. licence, confirm and rate each example. The minimum is one validator at PEO, three at APEGA and four at most other regulators, and APEGA and APEGS also ask for separate references. See how many validators you need for each association.

By following these components meticulously, applicants demonstrate their engineering judgment, technical know-how, and adherence to ethical standards—all crucial for professional licensure in Canada.

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Who Needs to Complete CBA?

Engineering Graduates in Canada

Fresh engineering graduates from Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) accredited programs often hear about CBA as soon as they embark on their path to becoming a Professional Engineer. While the precise requirements can vary by province, the underlying principle remains the same: demonstrate competence in technical and non-technical areas.

Many provinces use titles like “Engineer in Training” (EIT) or “Member in Training.” During this stage, the regulatory body typically expects engineers to compile their work experience in alignment with each competency. This is crucial for bridging the gap between academic knowledge and practical, hands-on engineering work. CBA compels new graduates to reflect not just on the tasks they’ve completed, but also on how those tasks align with the competencies expected of a future PEng. This reflection process is beneficial for personal development and helps ensure clarity regarding professional and ethical obligations.

Practice varies. On the shared Competency Assessment System (EGBC, APEGS, EGM and the Atlantic regulators), trainees can report and get competencies validated as they go. APEGA’s Members-in-Training complete the CBA when they apply for P.Eng. Ontario’s PEO closed its EIT program to new applicants on May 15, 2023; a new “EIT 2.0” program was endorsed in June 2025 but had not launched as of September 2026.

Internationally Trained Engineers (ITEs)

Bridging the Gap for International Experience: For ITEs, CBA is often the gateway that allows them to translate their international experience into Canadian engineering competencies. Regulators in Canada want to ensure that international engineers meet the same standards as domestic graduates, and CBA provides a uniform platform for demonstrating equivalence.

Demonstrating Transferable Skills: Many ITEs have extensive experience in their home countries. With CBA, they can showcase how their technical knowledge and professional skills align with Canadian standards. By detailing specific work projects and responsibilities, ITEs can make a compelling case for their readiness to practise in Canada.

Overcoming Challenges: While the CBA process is straightforward in concept, gathering sufficient detail for each competency can be challenging, especially if project documentation or references are in another language. However, regulatory bodies do provide guidance—and tools like CBA Pro help you map those experiences to the competencies and indicators Canadian regulators use.

Canadian experience: Most regulators no longer require a year of Canadian work experience. Instead, eight Canadian-environment competencies in the CBA test your knowledge of Canadian practice, such as codes and regulations, safety, communication and ethics. APEGA adopted this approach on July 18, 2026, and OIQ asks for 8 of its 28 elements to be shown in a Canadian context. See the 2026 status by province.

Why CBA Is a Critical Tool for Licensing Engineers in Canada?

Shared standards across provinces: Although each provincial regulator (such as PEO in Ontario, APEGA in Alberta, or Engineers and Geoscientists British Columbia, EGBC) operates under its own legislation, most use the same national framework of 34 competencies in seven categories. APEGA uses its own 22-competency, six-category version, and Quebec’s OIQ uses a separate system.

By rigorously evaluating an engineer’s skill set, the licensing bodies ensure that anyone granted a PEng licence is capable of upholding the highest standards of engineering practice. This includes:

Professional ethics and accountability
Technical competence for the chosen discipline
Adherence to safety protocols

Public safety and welfare stand at the forefront of every engineering regulator’s mandate, and CBA helps them maintain that standard. CBA is not just a compliance exercise; it’s also an opportunity for engineers to reflect on their career journey.

Which Canadian Engineering Regulators Use CBA? (2026)

Every provincial and territorial engineering regulator in Canada now assesses experience on a competency basis, but the frameworks are not identical. Most use the national 34-competency framework. APEGA uses 22 competencies, and NAPEG and Engineers Yukon applicants go through APEGA’s process. OIQ in Quebec uses its own six-competency system.

Regulator	System used	Framework	Competency-based assessment since
Engineers and Geoscientists BC (EGBC)	Shared Competency Assessment System (built and run by EGBC)	34 competencies, 7 categories	Online system launched in 2012 (the date it became mandatory is not published)
APEGS (Saskatchewan)	Shared system	34 competencies, 7 categories	January 1, 2019 (engineering)
Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba (EGM)	Shared system	34 competencies, 7 categories	Mandatory for new interns since September 15, 2022
APEGNB (New Brunswick)	Shared system	34 competencies, 7 categories	New MIT applicants since January 1, 2022
Engineers PEI	Shared system	34 competencies, 7 categories	2018 (logbooks not accepted after December 31, 2024)
PEGNL (Newfoundland and Labrador)	Shared system	34 competencies, 7 categories	In effect September 1, 2021; mandatory for all applicants since September 1, 2022
Engineers Nova Scotia	Shared system	34 competencies, 7 categories	Mandatory for new applicants since July 1, 2025 (older experience records accepted from transitioning EITs until December 31, 2026)
Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO)	PEO’s own online portal	34 competencies, 7 categories	Mandatory for every P.Eng. applicant since May 15, 2023
APEGA (Alberta)	APEGA’s own CBA in myAPEGA	22 competencies, 6 categories	April 2018
NAPEG (Northwest Territories and Nunavut)	APEGA’s CBA in myAPEGA, with a NAPEG verification code	22 competencies, 6 categories	Through APEGA since May 2018
Engineers Yukon	APEGA’s CBA in myAPEGA, with a Yukon verification code	22 competencies, 6 categories	Through APEGA since May 2018
Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (OIQ)	Its own Programme d’accès à la profession, with a supervising engineer instead of validators	6 competencies, 28 elements	April 1, 2019

Engineers already licensed in another Canadian province or territory do not complete a CBA when they move. They use the labour mobility route instead.

Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO)

PEO has developed a detailed CBA Applicant Guide (updated August 2026) to help aspiring engineers in Ontario meet the province’s licensure requirements. Within this guide, you’ll find:

Step-by-step instructions on writing your competency examples
Guidance on choosing validators (at least one; exactly one per competency)
Criteria for each competency (technical, communication, project management, etc.)

PEO requires applicants to submit their competencies through its online portal (legacy pre-May-15-2023 and limited-licence applicants use PDF forms). This submission is then reviewed by PEO’s assessors, whose ratings alone determine whether the applicant meets the standard.

Providing detailed project examples, clearly linking them to each required competency, and assigning each one to a validator who knows the work first-hand can speed approval. PEO confirms completeness within 10 business days (with one 60-day chance to fix gaps) and decides within 90 days. Vague or incomplete examples can lead to low ratings, which delay or prevent licensure. Since July 1, 2026, PEO’s minimum is 24 months of experience after your degree, although PEO says most applicants need three to four years to meet all 34 competencies.

Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA)

APEGA, responsible for regulating the practice of engineering and geoscience in Alberta, also uses CBA to assess engineering experience. The goal remains to ensure that each candidate demonstrates:

Technical competence and practical experience
Commitment to public welfare
Ethical and professional accountability

Like PEO, APEGA uses an online system (myAPEGA): candidates complete its Competency-Based Assessment Tool (22 competencies), list at least three validators, and name at least one reference for each employer. APEGA’s rating scale treats level 3 as readiness for independent practice, so examples should show your own engineering judgment at that level.

Since July 18, 2026, eight of the 22 competencies are mandatory Canadian-environment competencies, which replaced APEGA’s Canadian-experience requirement (see APEGA’s 2026 CBA changes). APEGA’s current CBA guide (V7.4, July 18, 2026) allows 400 characters for the Situation, 1,800 for the Action and 400 for the Outcome.

The Shared Competency Assessment System (EGBC, APEGS, EGM and the Atlantic Regulators)

Engineers and Geoscientists BC built and runs the online Competency Assessment System (competencyassessment.ca), which Engineers Canada helped extend into a pan-Canadian system. Seven regulators use it for engineering applicants:

Engineers and Geoscientists BC (EGBC): four years of experience; four validators covering at least four years, one of them your supervisor.
Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan (APEGS): 48 months of validated experience; four validators, at least two of them licensed; two professional references.
Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba (EGM): four validators covering at least four years, including your supervisor and two licensed professionals.
Engineers and Geoscientists New Brunswick (APEGNB): four validators including your supervisor; the CBA is accepted from 45 of the 48 months of experience.
Engineers PEI: four validators, two of them P.Eng. and one a direct supervisor; every applicant is interviewed.
Professional Engineers and Geoscientists Newfoundland and Labrador (PEGNL): four validators, including a direct supervisor and two licensed professionals; the CBA is accepted from 45 of the 48 months.
Engineers Nova Scotia: four validators, two of them P.Eng.; validators replace references.

While these regulators share one system and one framework, each has its own procedural steps, such as fees, validator rules and discipline-specific sets of indicators in CBA, but the essence of CBA remains consistent. Applicants must clearly articulate how their professional experiences align with the core engineering competencies recognized across Canada.

NAPEG and Engineers Yukon

Neither has a CBA of its own. First-time applicants to NAPEG (Northwest Territories and Nunavut) and Engineers Yukon complete APEGA’s CBA in myAPEGA, using a verification code from their own association, so APEGA’s rules apply: 22 competencies, at least three validators and at least one reference for each employer. NAPEG also asks for a short essay on practising in the North. See how northern applicants complete APEGA’s CBA.

Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (OIQ)

Quebec does not use the validator-based CBA. Since April 1, 2019, OIQ’s Programme d’accès à la profession has assessed candidates (CPI) through at least 24 months of supervised practice, in which a supervising engineer rates 28 elements, grouped into six competencies, on a 0–5 scale; 8 of the elements must be shown in a Canadian context. The program also includes online training, OIQ’s own professional exam (not the NPPE) and a French-language requirement. See the CPI program compared with the CBA.

Conclusion

Competency-based assessment is now used by every Canadian engineering regulator for first-time licence applicants, both new graduates and internationally trained engineers, although the frameworks differ (34 or 22 competencies, or OIQ’s six). It brings transparency, consistency, and fairness to evaluating an engineer’s practical experience and professional skills. Regulatory bodies like PEO, APEGA, APEGS, and others use it to safeguard the public interest and maintain high standards of practice. Engineers already licensed in another Canadian province or territory do not repeat a CBA; they use the mobility route.

No matter where you are in the journey—just starting out, a seasoned international engineer, or already an EIT—CBA is your roadmap to demonstrating your readiness for licensure. By carefully documenting your technical expertise, problem-solving abilities, leadership skills, and ethical judgment, you stand poised to join Canada’s community of Professional Engineers.

Looking for practical tools to help you navigate the CBA process? Explore our CBA Pro tool to streamline your Self Assessment in CBA, align experiences with required competencies, and put your best foot forward.

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