Professional registration frequently asked questions (FAQs)

What is competence?

Competence is the combination of knowledge, skills, attitude and behaviour which leads to an individual being able to perform a certain task to a given level. In terms of developing competence to become a professionally registered engineer, competence (and commitment) will be developed through a combination of:

• underpinning knowledge and understanding, generally acquired through educational programmes;
• professional development and experience.

These elements, or parts of them, may be integrated or undertaken simultaneously. Professional development is the route to building and maintaining competence; through recognising and applying the learning you have gained to help you do your job better and plan to fill any skills gaps you may have.

What is underpinning knowledge and understanding?

It is the technical/engineering knowledge, understanding and skills that underpin professional competence, or in general terms, the technical "know how" to do the job. Many candidates develop this "know how" through formal study, such as by taking an IET accredited course. Under the current UK-SPEC Regulations, however it is possible to acquire and demonstrate underpinning knowledge and understanding to the appropriate level without formal qualification, but through (experiential) on the job learning.

Who can help me with my application?

You can contact a professional registration advisor if you have any questions about your application. PRAs are members with detailed knowledge of the requirements and routes to professional registration. They are able to review individual cases and advise on whether a candidate is ready to apply to the IET for professional registration. They will also be able to advise on the presentation aspect of making a formal application.

Who can support my application for CEng or IEng?

You will need to choose two supporters who have detailed and up to date knowledge of your work so that all the information in the application can be verified.

Please see below who may act in the role of supporter:

• Engineering Council or international equivalent registered engineer, who is a member or Fellow of the IET or another professional technical or scientific organisation of equivalent standing, working at a senior level to you, preferably for at least two years, and with direct knowledge of your role and responsibilities;
• Where a registered engineer with direct knowledge of your work is not available, the current line manager, or employer, may act as supporter;
• A third supporter signature is optional and may be necessary, for example, if you work on contracts, as an additional signature to enable adequate verification of periods for your employment.

• Engineering Council or international equivalent registered engineer, who is a technician member, member or Fellow of the IET or another professional technical or scientific organisation of equivalent standing, working at a senior level to you, preferably for at least two years, and with direct knowledge of the your role and responsibilities;
• Where a registered engineer with direct knowledge of your work is not available, the current line manager, or employer, may act as supporter;
• A second supporter signature is optional and may be necessary, for example, if you work on contracts, as an additional signature to enable adequate verification of periods for your employment.

If I don't have exemplifying qualifications, how will this affect my application?

Formal education is not the only way of demonstrating the underpinning knowledge and understanding. The IET will make a balanced overall assessment of any formal, informal and work-based learning to establish your underpinning knowledge and understanding to the appropriate level as outlined in the Engineering Council Regulations for Registration [new window].

I have already had my academic qualifications assessed as satisfactory by the IET, do I need to complete any further study?

Provided you remain a member of the IET, you should not normally be required to complete any further academic study.

I want to become registered but I've only just started work – what should I do?

You can use Career Manager, the IET's professional development recording system, to plan and record your professional development and competence against professional registration frameworks.

Tell us that you are working towards professional registration by registering your intention on Career Manager or download form RPD. Once your form has been received, you and any supporters will receive information about professional development and how we can help you to achieve professional registration. You will also receive a quarterly email bulletin from us including information relevant to your development until you are ready to apply. 

I'm not currently working – can I still become registered?

If you have either become recently unemployed or retired, or have moved into a marketing, finance or senior management role, your case will be considered on its merits, exactly as per any other case. For a candidate to succeed it is necessary for them to demonstrate that they are maintaining their competence in all areas. Those involved in the assessment process should apply the test ‘would this person be able to work competently, and at the required level, if they took on another engineering role’. Discuss your situation with a professional registration advisor.

I've been working as an engineer for several years and have only recently realised that I ought to apply for professional registration. When do I create my portfolio of evidence?

You can put together a portfolio of evidence at any time in your career; however, if you need to put it together retrospectively for registration purposes, you only need to record the best examples of your experience and, since the key to registration is demonstration of competence, these will probably come from your most recent employment within the past couple of years. If you have moved into a primarily management or non-technical role, you may need to refer back to earlier experience to provide evidence of how you demonstrated the technical competences.

What will I need to do in preparation for the interview, and what will I need to bring with me?

If I accept the recommended registration category, do I have to pay the application fee again?

The application fee is payable for each registration application you make. If the IET has advised that you may be eligible for an alternative registration category and you accept this recommendation, you may transfer the application fee to this application.