APPLYING FOR REGISTRATION ON THE NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL
ENGINEERS REGISTER
1. Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria for registration on the National Professional Engineers Register
(NPER) are:


a four-year professional engineering qualification accredited by Engineers
Australia, or equivalent; and
demonstration of the competencies as set down in the Australian Engineering
Competency Standards for Professional Engineers Stage 2 relevant to the area
or areas of practice in which you are seeking registration.
(NOTE: There are additional competency standards for registration on some of the
specific areas of practice. These are detailed in the information relating each specific
area of practice).
2. Areas of Practice covered by the National Professional Engineers Register
Currently you may apply for registration in the areas of practice listed below. Click
on the relevant link for details about the eligibility criteria and application procedures
for each area of practice you wish to be registered in.
General Areas of Practice
 Biomedical (insert link)
 Building Services (insert link)
 Chemical (insert link)
 Civil (insert link)
 Electrical (insert link)
 Environmental (insert link)
 Management (insert link)
 Mechanical (insert link)
 Naval Architecture (insert link)
 Structural (insert link)
Specific Areas of Practice
 Amusement Rides In-service Inspector (insert link)
 Electrical Equipment in Hazardous Areas (insert link)
 Fire Safety Engineering (insert link)
 Pressure Equipment Design Verifier (insert link)
 Project Management (insert link)
 Subdivisional Geotechnics (insert link)
Principal Certifier – Building (insert link)
Complying Development
Construction
Occupation
Strata
Principal Certifier – Subdivision (insert link)
- Complying Development
- Construction
- Strata
- Subdivision
Accredited Certifier (insert link)
- Acoustic Engineering
- Building Services Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Electrical Management (Buildings)
- Energy Management
- Environmental Engineering
- Fire Safety Engineering
- Geotechnical Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering (Buildings)
- Structural Engineering
Principal Certifier – Building Class 1 & 10 (insert link)
- Complying Development
- Construction
- Occupation
- Strata
Principal Building – Surveyor Qualified for ACT (insert link)
International Registers (insert link)
- APEC Engineer (Chemical)
- APEC Engineer (Civil)
- APEC Engineer (Electrical)
- APEC Engineer (Environmental)
- APEC Engineer (Mechanical)
- APEC Engineer (Structural)
3. The Application Process
3.1
Complete the Application Form
You are required to complete the NPER application form and lodge it with your
Engineering Practice report and other prescribed documentation and the applicable
fee(s) to the address shown on the form.
( NOTE: If you are applying for both chartered status in Engineers Australia and
registration the NPER you may use the application form in the back of the Chartered
Status Applicants’ Handbook insert link).
3.2
Prepare your Engineering Practice Report
The registration application process is a competency-based assessment with two steps:
(i)
the preparation of an Engineering Practice Report linking your work
experience to the Stage 2 engineering competencies (refer to Section 3); and
(ii)
a professional interview conducted by senior practitioners from the area of
practice in which you are applying for registration (refer to Section 6)
4. The Australian Engineering Competency Standards for Stage 2
Professional Engineers
4.1
The Australian Engineering Competency Standards provide the basis for
assessing and certifying the competency of engineering practitioners for use
by engineering employers, government, regulatory bodies and any other
interested parties.
4.2
The competency standards for Stage 2 for professional engineers, engineering
technologists and engineering associates also provide the criteria for the award
of chartered status to members of Engineers Australia and for registration on
the National Engineering Registers – the National Professional Engineers
Register (NPER) and the National Engineering Technologists Register
(NETR) (refer to Section ) .
4.3
The standards also provide the foundation for membership of international
agreements of equivalence and mobility.
5. Registration and membership of Engineers Australia
5.1
The competency- based assessment for registration and for chartered status
within Engineers Australia is identical and you may apply for both registration
and chartered status simultaneously.
5.2
You do not have to join Engineers Australia or be a current chartered
member of Engineers Australia to apply for registration on either the
NPER and NETR.
5.3
If you are a current chartered member of Engineers Australia applying for
registration on either the NPER or the NETR, the assessment process is
truncated in most cases ( refer to Section 6).
6. Preparation of your Engineering Practice Report
6.1
You are required to prepare your Engineering Practice Report in accordance
with the Chartered Status Applicants’ Handbook produced by Engineers
Australia (insert link)
6.2
The handbook explains how to compile your work experience evidence in the
context of the competency standards, where to send your application and who
will be involved in the assessment. The handbook also gives the contact
details of the National Assessors in each State and Territory whom you may
contact to discuss your application.
7. Application process for current chartered members of Engineers Australia
7.1
The arrangements for chartered members of Engineers Australia to apply for
registration are set out in the application information for each general and
specific area of practice but mostly includes:
 The preparation of a verified Curriculum Vitae or Statement of Work
Experience (refer to Section 6) demonstrating that the particular area of
practice in which you are seeking registration is a significant part of your
professional employment or practice and that you hold or have held a
position of professional responsibility in the particular area of practice;
and
 evidence of the continuing professional development undertaken in the
three years prior to the lodgment of the application for registration.
7.2
Curriculum Vitae or Statement of Work Experience should include the
following information:
 details of any postgraduate qualifications you have been awarded (provide
a certified copy of your award testamur)
 details of your employment history (including start/finish dates for each
period of employment)
 organisational charts showing your position and line responsibility
 details of the functions you performed and your responsibilities,
achievements and competencies
 your professional involvement in the selected area of practice
 evidence that you demonstrate the Stage 2 competencies
 details of practical innovations or original applications of theory with
which you have been involved
 details of any learned papers you have prepared and presented or
published.
7.3
Your Curriculum Vitae or Statement of Work Experience must be verified by
your employer, supervisor or someone familiar with your work. It is
recognised that some applicants, particularly sole practitioners, may have
difficulty in having their statement of work experience verified. In such
circumstances a statutory declaration may be provided.
8. Continuing Professional Development
All applicants applying for registration are required to provide evidence of the
continuing professional development undertaken in the three years prior to
lodgement of the application for registration.
(NOTE: If you are applying for registration on more than one area of practice
on the NPER you are required to meet the continuing professional
development requirements for each area of practice. It is recognised that some
overlap will occur thereby reducing the total number of hours required below
the sum of 150 hours for each area of practice in any three year period).
You should identify the overlaps and provide some justification as to how you
have maintained your competence in each area of practice.
Details about the continuing professional development requirements for
registrants are available here (insert link).
9. What are you agreeing to when you apply for registration
9.1
Registration Applicant’s Declaration
In addition to completing the details on the application form, all applicants
applying for registration are required to sign a declaration attesting to the
following:
 that you have been practising competently in the area of practice you are
seeking registration in for the equivalent of one full-time year in the past
three years ( refer to NERB Career Breaks and Retirement Policy click
here);

that you have met the requirements of continuing professional
development of 150 hours in a three -year period and that you agree to be
subjected to random audit of your continuing professional development
once you are registered on the NPER or NETR;

that you agree to abide by the Code of Ethics ( insert link) and Disciplinary
Regulations (insert link) that apply to registrants;

that you consent to your registration details (name, business contact
details, current area/s of practice) being published on RPSearch, the
National Engineering registration Board’s online public search facility, or
confirmed in any other form by Engineers Australia (which administers
the registers) on request.
10.
The Assessment Process
10.1
Assessment of applications for registration is the responsibility of an
Assessment Panel established by the Competency Panel which sets the
standards for engineering practice and oversights the continuing professional
development audit process.
10.2
The Assessment Panel comprises experienced practitioners in either the
general or specific area of practice drawn from the Colleges of Engineers
Australia and related organisations. Details about the competency standards
development for each general and specific area of practice is available here.
11.
The Professional Interview
11.1
If you demonstrate in your Engineering Practice Report that you have the
required range of either generic or specific competencies you may be invited
to attend a professional interview.
11.2
The professional interview is a quality assurance check of the professional
experience detailed in your application and may include some technical
questions on the examples you submitted.
11.3
The professional interview will be conducted by experienced practitioners in
either the general or specific area of practice in which you are applying for
registration.
12.
Registration Application Fees
12.1
Assessment fees
Please refer to the application form (insert link) for details of the assessment
fees for each general and specific area of practice. These fees will vary
depending on whether you are a chartered member within Engineers Australia
or not.
12.2
Annual Registration Fee
Once you are registered on either the NPER an annual registration fee of
$77.00 is payable each year on 1 July. The one registration fees covers all
areas of practice in which you are registered.
You will be sent an annual registration renewal reminder letter.
If you do not pay the annual registration fee by the due date your registration
automatically lapses.
13.
Appeal Process
13.1
On 5 May 2004, the National Engineering Registration Board adopted an
Appeals Procedure for appeals against decisions to either refuse registration or
to terminate the registration of a registrant.
For details of the Appeals Procedure click here.