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Want to become an engineer and carry the title after you graduate? Great, because it turns out the world needs your expertise.
A better future starts with becoming CEP. Here’s what you need to know.
To carry the “eng.” title, you must first become a Candidate to the Engineering Profession (CEP). It’s the final step on your journey toward the engineering profession. During this program, you’ll deepen your knowledge and interpersonal skills, receive advice and an assessment of your progress. You’ll also benefit from resources offered by the OIQ to all its members: access to job opportunities on the website, affordable training, and invitations to exclusive OIQ events.
Becoming a CEP means acquiring professional guidance, an industry-recognized title, as well as a position and salary that match your diploma.
To get answers to your questions about the professional admission program, and find out more about the benefits of becoming a CEP, sign up for our newsletter (in French).
“CEP” is the title given to a candidate before he or she is granted an engineering permit. During the professional admission program, you’ll be assessed on 3 levels: practical, theoretical and language.
You’ll acquire key skills through hands-on experience supervised by an engineer. You’ll also have to complete an online theory course, and pass a professional exam. And finally, you’ll have to demonstrate your knowledge of the French language.
If you are eligible, all you have to do is gather the necessary documents, complete your application and the adventure begins.
The short answer? Between 2 and 5 years. You’ll need to acquire key skills during at least 24 months of practice under the supervision of an experienced engineer. And you’ll have up to 5 years to complete the program, after which you can replace “CEP” with “ENG”!
If you’re studying in Quebec, you can apply as soon as you’ve completed 60 credits of your accredited bachelor’s degree in engineering, even if you don’t yet have a formal job in the engineering field. Once you’ve submitted your application, it should take 8 to 12 weeks for evaluation. You will be informed of the decision of the Admissions Committee by email.
Already curious about what’s next? That’s a good sign. When it comes to costs, engineers have two financial obligations towards the OIQ: paying the annual dues and registration on the roll. These two obligations are often fulfilled at the same time, in the weeks before March 31st of each year. Fees may fluctuate from year to year and vary according to the engineer’s status and practice. For more details, consult our fee schedule.
Like many things in engineering, it depends. But here’s the most common scenario: For graduates of an accredited engineering program in Quebec, the application costs is $170 and registration to the CEP program is $470. If you register during your studies or within 6 months of graduation, you’ll receive a 50% discount on the registration fee. For more details, consult our fee schedule.
Your annual fees will be used to support our mission: to protect the public. The budget generated by membership fees is devoted to activities related to this mission, and to promoting and developing the profession. For more details, see the OIQ Annual Report.
If you’re ready to submit your first application to the OIQ and become a candidate to the engineering profession, it’s over here!