Examinations
When it comes to setting professional standards, APEGA doesn’t just lead by example—we administer the test others must pass.
To become licensed, APEGA engineers and geoscientists must show proficiency in their work, whether it be analyzing seismic waves or doing mass balance calculations—but just having technical skills is not enough. To practise in Alberta, registrants must also show their knowledge of professionalism, law, and ethics by passing the National Professional Practice Examination (NPPE). But the NPPE wasn’t always a national exam. Different provincial and territorial regulators assigned different exams until 2021, when APEGA began administering the NPPE on behalf of 13 other engineering and geoscience regulators.
Since then, applicants from all Canadian jurisdictions, except Quebec, take the same exam, which follows the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing to ensure it is valid, reliable, and fair. Engineering and geoscience applicants complete the same 110 question exam, administered five times per year. APEGA’s director of registration says, “The co-ordination of the NPPE exam in Canada ushered in an era of collaboration and harmonization between regulators. And, as the provider of the exam, APEGA’s expertise supports jurisdictions across the country.”
NUMBER OF APPLICANTS REGISTERED TO TAKE THE NPPE Partner regulators APEGA
12,993
11,326
12,745
10,915
10,926
9,523
2,078
1,819
1,803
2023
2024
2025
12 56
2025 ANNUAL REPORT
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