Competency-Based Assessment Process Launching for Professional Geoscientist Applicants
APEGA is introducing a competency-based assessment (CBA) process for professional geoscientist (P.Geo.) applicants, similar to the one currently used for professional engineer (P.Eng.) applicants.
The new CBA process launches April 11, 2026. Applications submitted before April 11 will be assessed under the current process.
Using a CBA for both P.Eng. and P.Geo. applicants ensures they are evaluated and approved under a similar framework. This is especially important as APEGA continues to prepare for the implementation of the Professional Governance Act in 2027. Introducing the CBA process now gives applicants time to adapt ahead of this legislative transition.
Transparent, objective, and fair
Another important piece of legislation, the Fair Registration Practices Act (FRPA), proclaimed March 1, 2020, requires regulators to assess the qualifications of all applicants in a way that is transparent, objective, impartial, and procedurally fair.
The CBA process supports a nationally consistent approach to evaluating professional experience and is widely used by regulators across Canada. It provides applicants with a more structured way to demonstrate how their work experience aligns with the professional competencies required for licensure.
Consistently meeting the timeframe
The FRPA also requires regulators to make an interim decision within six months of receiving a complete application. APEGA has been working towards full compliance for the past few years, moving from 91.6 per cent in 2022 to 99.5 per cent in 2025. We reached 100 per cent compliance in June 2025 and have been fully compliant every month since.
“With our registration processes now consistently meeting the timeframe required under the Fair Registration Practices Act, APEGA is better positioned to introduce the CBA system for geoscience applicants,” says APEGA’s director, registration. “We look forward to welcoming all new applicants and are focused on making this changeover as smooth and efficient as possible.”