PEO CBA Validators: Who Qualifies and How Many You Need

At least one. PEO sets no maximum, but each competency can have only one validator, and one validator may cover all 34 if they know that work first-hand. Add validators when different people observed different examples.

For work done in Canada, yes: the validator must have been licensed as a P.Eng. in Canada, and eligible to practise, when the work was carried out. For work outside Canada the validator should be a senior engineer licensed in that jurisdiction (a US PE can validate US work but not Canadian work), and PEO decides who is acceptable.

Each validator confirms whether the competency has been met, verifies your technical ability and the location, breadth and depth of the experience, rates each assigned example from 0 to 5 and gives feedback. Their ratings and comments are confidential and not visible to you, and PEO's assessors' ratings alone decide.

Approach them early, explain what validation involves, share the examples you plan to assign to them and give them enough time to respond. Don't fill in, translate or suggest their ratings; validators rate independently and in confidence.

Choose someone else with first-hand knowledge of that work, such as another supervisor, manager or client; for Canadian work they must also have been a licensed P.Eng. at the time. You can replace a validator who hasn't completed validation by declining them and assigning someone new in the portal, but once PEO notifies your validators you can't change your experience information.

Unresponsive validators are a common cause of delay, because every example must be rated before your CBA is complete. Once you submit, PEO confirms completeness within 10 business days and says it decides within 90 days of a complete application.

No. Once PEO notifies your validators you can't change your experience information, so finalize your examples first. You can still replace a validator who hasn't completed validation.

No. PEO doesn't ask for separate references for a P.Eng. application: your validators are the only third-party confirmation of your experience, and good character is assessed through the application portal.

Ideally, yes, but a validator from another discipline is acceptable if they know your work well. The P.Eng. rule for work done in Canada still applies.