Improved Regulatory Effectiveness and Efficiency

It is in the public interest that unnecessary category designations be removed from the governing legislation.

Background

• APEGA’s legislation currently provides for an examination candidate category. A person is entitled to be admitted as an examination candidate if he or she is of good character and reputation and is a graduate of a university program in engineering or geoscience or a related academic program that is acceptable to the Board of Examiners, and the Board of Examiners has required the applicant to complete one or more confirmatory examinations or examinations to correct a perceived academic deficiency.
• Individuals do not apply for examination candidate status. Rather, they apply for Professional Member or Member-in-Training (M.I.T) status and are enrolled as examination candidates if they do not meet the academic qualifications and are assigned examinations by the Board of Examiners as noted above.
• Examination candidates have no independent right to practise and no right to title, but they can work under the supervision and control of a licensed professional.
• Records of examination candidates must be kept in the register maintained by the Registrar.
• Council may direct the Registrar to strike the name of an examination candidate from the record for behaviour that constitutes unprofessional conduct or for failure to make satisfactory progress towards registration as a Professional Member or M.I.T.
• Examination candidates who complete the required exams are eligible to be enrolled as Professional Members or M.I.T.s if they have sufficient experience and meet the other requirements—the same as any other applicant.

Why is this important?

• Individuals waiting to write exams are applicants. It is not necessary to have a separate category in regulation for examination candidates.
• To the extent that candidates for examinations need to be managed differently from other applicants, this can be addressed in policy. This could include striking the name of an applicant from the record for behaviour that constitutes unprofessional conduct or for failure to make satisfactory progress towards registration as a Professional Member or M.I.T.
• Having fewer categories makes it less confusing for the public to understand who is a licensed professional with APEGA.

Proposed legislative change

It is recommended that the legislation be amended to remove the examination candidate category.

Effects of the proposed change

• The legislation will be simplified by removing a category that is not necessary. It will not affect the individual’s ability to work under the supervision and control of a licensed professional.
• Individuals who have been assigned examinations by APEGA will be classified as applicants and managed through the Board of Examiners’ policy.
• These individuals will be able to register as Professional Members or M.I.T.s once they complete their examinations and meet other requirements.
• It will bring APEGA’s legislation in line with the vast majority of constituent associations that do not have a separate examination candidate category.