All applicants must meet PEO’s academic and experience requirements and pass the National Professional Practice Exam to be considered for licensure. The information on this page explains the requirements that must be met by those who applied before PEO changed its application process on May 15, 2023. In addition to the information outlined below, you can learn more about PEO’s legacy licensing process by reading the FAQ using the link above.
Academic Requirements
To satisfy PEO’s academic requirements to obtain a professional engineer licence, an applicant must hold a bachelor’s degree from an engineering program accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) or demonstrate that they have equivalent academic qualifications. If the applicant’s engineering program(s) is not CEAB-accredited (non-CEAB), PEO will assess their academic background to determine if it is equivalent.
You can check the list of CEAB engineering programs to see if your program is included by clicking the button below. Please note that the CEAB does not currently recognize post-graduate engineering degree programs.
The information below outlines academic requirements based on whether the applicant graduated from a CEAB-accredited engineering program.
Applicants who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in an engineering program accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) have satisfied the first step of the licensing process, which is the academic requirement. CEAB applicants must have their postsecondary institution mail their degree transcript with the conferral date directly to PEO.
After confirming that a CEAB applicant has met the academic requirement, they will advance to Step 2 of the licensing process, which is writing the National Professional Practice Exam (NPPE).
Applicants who don't have a bachelor's degree in an engineering program accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) will have their academics assessed to determine whether additional requirements must be satisfied to be equivalent to a CEAB-accredited degree. This may involve a referral to PEO’s Academic Requirements Committee (ARC) for a detailed assessment. The applicant must submit academic documents for the assessment, including transcripts for academic degrees and course descriptions if required.
The minimum educational level required to apply for licensure is:
- A three-year diploma in technology from a college of applied arts and technology,
- A bachelor's degree in a relevant science area, or
- Academic qualifications deemed by PEO’s Council to be equivalent to a diploma or degree.
There are three possible outcomes (A, B or C) to PEO's academic assessment:
A. Based on an ARC assessment, applicants who have met the academic requirement advance to writing the National Professional Practice Exam (NPPE).
B. Based on the academic assessment, applicants who have not met PEO’s academic requirements are assigned exam(s) to demonstrate if they have equivalent academic knowledge.
PEO has two streams of technical exam programs:
Confirmatory exam program: The applicant is assigned four exams to confirm that the content of their engineering studies is equivalent to a CEAB-accredited program. If the applicant assigned a confirmatory exam program has more than five years of engineering experience, they may be referred to an experience assessment interview for PEO's academic requirements for licensure to determine whether they demonstrate a practical application of engineering principles through their work experience that is sufficient to warrant waiving the exam program.
Specific exam program: The applicant may be assigned up to 15 exams to address identified gaps in their academic knowledge. This exam program may include basic studies exams, technical exams and complementary studies exams, and it may also include an engineering report to satisfy PEO's academic requirement.
If the applicant has more than five years of engineering experience and is assigned fewer than three exams or has more than 10 years of engineering experience, they may be referred to an experience assessment interview to determine whether they demonstrate a practical application of engineering principles through their work experience sufficient to warrant waiving some or all the assigned exams.
Applicants must complete any assigned basic studies exams first. After completing the basic studies exam(s), the applicant will be assessed and, if eligible, referred to an experience assessment interview for PEO's academic requirements for licensure.
Applicants who have completed a doctoral degree in engineering and were assigned zero basic studies exams may be eligible to be referred to an experience assessment interview for PEO's academic requirements for licensure.
Once confirmed that a non-CEAB applicant has met the academic requirement, they will advance to writing the National Professional Practice Exam (NPPE).
C. Based on the academic assessment, applicants who have not met the minimum academic requirement for licensure will be issued a notice of determination to be refused a licence and have their application withdrawn. Please note that PEO fees are non-refundable.
National Professional Practice Exam
The National Professional Practice Exam (NPPE) is a 2.5-hour, closed-book, online exam covering ethics, professional practice, engineering law, and professional liability. All applicants must pass the NPPE within two years after it has been determined they have met the academic requirement for licensing.
Upon completing the NPPE, the applicant must provide information regarding the experience requirement.
Experience Requirement
PEO assesses experience through a competency-based assessment (CBA). CBA is a tool to assess readiness for licensure that examines engineering competencies across several categories, including technical, communication, project management, professional accountability, etc., in which all professional engineers must be competent to support effective practice and public safety. To learn more about the CBA, please download the CBA Applicant Guide that supports your application process.
Applicants who applied before May 15, 2023, must complete a CBA assessment form unless their experience has already been assessed.
Our licensing process is changing.
On July 1, 2026, we will change the minimum required engineering experience from four to two years as part of our broader competency-based assessment (CBA) model. Our CBA, which focuses on demonstrated competence, remains unchanged. Applicants must demonstrate 34 competencies to show readiness for entry to professional practice. Demonstrated competence is the standard for licensure.
Two years of engineering experience do not automatically qualify an applicant for a licence. While some will require more than two years of experience to demonstrate all 34 competencies, changing the minimum requirement from four to two years removes an unnecessary barrier for those who can demonstrate competence after two years. You can learn more about the changes by reading our time-based experience FAQ page.
What does this mean for you?
Start documenting your work experience!
You don’t have to wait until you’ve accumulated two years; you can start building your CBA now. Review our experience requirements and prepare your work examples early. You can learn more about our requirements by downloading the CBA Applicant Guide.
Experience gained during undergraduate or graduate study
The key factor in determining the eligibility of engineering experience is whether it meets CBA criteria.
Please note that undergraduate experience obtained before the conferral of a bachelor’s degree—such as a co-op or internship—does not count toward the two-year minimum. However, it may be applied toward the CBA if it meets the criteria.
Experience obtained during graduate study, such as a master’s or doctorate program, may count toward both the two-year minimum and the CBA if it meets the criteria. However, PEO does not grant experience credit for completing a graduate degree on its own.
Please note that PEO does not require Canadian experience.
CBA Applicant's Guide
CBA P.Eng. Application Form
Validator Guide
CBA Experience Records Form
Please email your completed CBA Experience documents to [email protected].
Licence Review and Approval
Once the applicant has satisfied all licensing requirements, the Registrar will review and approve granting a P.Eng. licence. After licensing and annual fees are paid, the applicant is licensed as a professional engineer.
Resources
If you are currently enrolled in the Engineering Intern (EIT) program and looking for program details, visit the Engineering Intern program page.
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