For engineering work experience gained in Canada, the validator must be a professional engineer (P.Eng.) registered with a Canadian engineering regulator during the work period they are validating. For experience gained outside of Canada, the validator is expected to be a senior engineering practitioner licensed as an engineer in their jurisdiction. During the assessment process, PEO may request information to support a validator’s engineering qualifications, including proof of academic and engineering credentials and professional designation.
Yes. All applicants must demonstrate the necessary academic and experience requirements before applying. All applicants must have a minimum of 48 months of professional engineering experience, which must be shown when applying through PEO’s competency-based assessment (CBA).
The minimum number of validators required is one. There is no maximum number of validators.
A validator assesses and rates the applicant’s work experience. Ideally, a validator should have direct, first-hand knowledge of the applicant’s work, have provided suitable professional supervision throughout the validated work period, and taken technical responsibility for the applicant’s work. The validator may have a title other than supervisor and can be a manager, mentor, client or colleague.
Validation assists PEO in assessing whether the licensing requirements set out in the Professional Engineers Act and the regulations have been satisfied. Validation does not constitute an assessment of the applicant’s work experience in Canada or internationally—it simply confirms that it was acquired.
Yes, validators sufficiently familiar with the candidate’s work and can confidently rate the competencies are eligible.
Although it is ideal, validators can be from different places of employment. It should suffice if validators are sufficiently familiar with the candidate’s engineering work experience and can confidently rate the assigned competencies.
No, PEO no longer requires Canadian experience. However, any Canadian experience submitted to satisfy the experience requirements must have a P.Eng. validator. This applies to all applicants, regardless of when they applied.
Candidates must assign a new validator for the competencies assigned to the validator who declined.
The competency-based assessment (CBA) framework does not credit post-graduate studies toward work experience. However, applicants can include post-graduate or industry-sponsored research work experience under the CBA if they think it addresses one or more competencies and have a qualified validator to validate that work.
Candidates can use up to 12 months of pre-graduation experience towards the minimum 48-month requirement. This experience may be acquired after the candidate has completed the first half of the classroom component of the degree or equivalent educational qualifications and does not pre-date the halfway mark. Candidates can include this pre-graduation experience in the experience summary but must select the pre-graduation option. NOTE: The experience summary information helps determine if you have the minimum quantitative requirement of 48 months of engineering experience for licensure.
If you applied before PEO adopted its six-month licensing process on May 15, 2023, we will consider your request to expedite your application if you provide us with a letter signed by your employer or potential employer indicating the following:
1. The P.Eng. designation is necessary for you to perform your work duties; or
2. The P.Eng. designation is a condition of a job offer and a limiting factor for hiring.
Visit https://peo.on.ca/apply/become-professional-engineer to see the CBA application process steps and get started.
Canadian environment competencies can be demonstrated by experience obtained abroad. For example, a candidate working for Shell Oil in Nigeria might use the same American Petroleum Institute (API) engineering standards used in Norway, the United States or Windsor, Ontario.
Technically, yes. However, you won’t be able to submit your application until you have completed a CBA with at least 48 months of engineering experience.
No. Candidate self-assessments and validator ratings are submitted to PEO independently. Validators should rate competencies and submit the ratings in confidence to PEO.
Acceptability of the validator is at the discretion of PEO. Family members and relatives are normally not acceptable as validators and will be assessed on a case by case basis.
Only work examples assigned to any of the 34 competencies require validation and it is up to candidates to determine from which place of employment they wish to use work examples from to address the competencies.
Ideally, yes. However, they may be eligible if they can attest to your competencies and are familiar with your work. PEO reserves the right to determine the eligibility of validators.