Bylaw 11(e)(2) states, in part that an applicant must have obtained the necessary level of competency in English to practise engineering or geoscience in British Columbia” to achieve registration as a professional engineer or geoscientist.

All applicants for registration or licence, regardless of country of origin or of citizenship status, will be required to demonstrate competence in the English language prior to granting of registration or licence. Competence is expected in all four of the following skills: listening, reading, speaking, and writing. 

Update

To allow affected candidates a greater choice of options, APEGBC’s Council has recommended continuing the essay option for the Professional Practice Examination for the next three Professional Practice Examination sessions (October 19, 2009, January 18, 2010 and April 19, 2010). 

This will mean that, until April 19, 2010, candidates may have a larger choice of options to prove English language competency.  Candidates who wish to write the essay with the examination until April 19, 2010 may be being considered under the former policy that consists of proving English language competency through referee comments, the Professional Practice Examination essay and other evidence gained during the application process. 

In accordance with Bylaw 11(e) (7), the council may accept, without further examination the English language competency of an applicant:

•  if the applicant is a member (Professional Engineer or Professional Geoscientist) in good standing with a constituent member of Engineers Canada or the Canadian Council of Professional Geoscientists, or Engineers Australia, Engineers Ireland or the Hong Kong Insitution of Engineers.
• if the applicant is a member in good standing with an institution in another country that is, in the opinion of the council, equivalent to the association.

Applicants for registration or licence must provide formal proof of one of  the following:

• Graduation from a recognized degree program at an accredited university at which English is the primary language of instruction and in a country where English is the principal language
• Graduation from a recognized degree program at a recognized international university at which  English is the primary language of instruction
• Completion of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a score of 625 or better on the hand-written exam , 263 or better on the computer-based exam; or 113 or better on the internet-based exam
• Completion of the Canadian Test of English for Scholars and Trainees (CanTEST)  with a score of at least Band 4.5 on the listening and reading sections and Band 4.0 on the writing section
• Successful completion of Vancouver Community College course: Communication for Engineering and Technology (ELSK 0730)
• Completion of the Engineers Canada English Language Assessment Test for Engineers with an acceptable score as determined by council (this test is currently under development)

Applicants may be exempted from the above requirements if they:

Submit formal evidence* of the completion of an equivalent requirement, or provide a signed and dated statement of equivalent competency from a certified Canadian educator** skilled in English language assessment; and  attend an interview at APEGBC  whose purpose is to establish the applicant’s ability to communicate on a variety of engineering and geoscience topics and that the applicant’s English language abilities are at a level equivalent to the minimum requirement.

Applicants who have applied to write the Professional Practice Examination at the July 20, 2009 session and/or who have an uncleared failure on the Professional Practice Examination Essay as of the July 20, 2009 session of the Professional Practice Examination, will be given the option of :

1. writing and passing the Essay at a  special session to be held prior to June 30, 2010; or
2. providing formal proof of English competency listed above

* formal proof or evidence:transcripts or proof of completion directly from the institution of graduation or language testing institute.
** including, but not limited to: ESL teachers/.instructors or professors with a university Diploma, Certificate, or Post Graduate degree in TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language), TELF (Teaching English as a Foreign Language), TESOL (Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages) or AELT (Advanced English Language Teaching)