An engineer practicing in Nova Scotia is required by law under the Nova Scotia Engineering Profession Act & By-Laws to be registered with Engineers Nova Scotia. An engineer may work in Nova Scotia under the supervision of a Professional Engineer without registering, but may not call themselves an engineer until they are registered with Engineers Nova Scotia.

There are a number of pathways to registration, each dependent on an applicant’s particular circumstances. All applicants must demonstrate they have met all application requirements prior to obtaining registration. Information on what those requirements are and how to meet them are listed below. Information on the various categories of registration can be found on the Registration subpages listed to the left.

Applicants must meet the following criteria to register with Engineers Nova Scotia: 

• be academically qualified
• have obtained sufficient acceptable engineering work experience in area of qualification
• be competent in the English Language
• be of good character
• demonstrate an understanding of professional practice and ethics issues

Demonstrating Academic Qualification: 

Applicants for licensure must meet one of the following academic qualifications:

• An undergraduate degree in engineering accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB).
• An undergraduate degree in engineering accredited by the accreditation body of a country which is part of a Mutual Recognition Agreement with Canada.
• An unaccredited undergraduate degree in engineering or science from a school, college or university recognized by Council and successful completion of assigned examinations.

The CEAB accredited Bachelor of Engineering is the standard for registration in Canada. The Board of Examiners must assess academic qualifications if:

• The bachelor of engineering degree was obtained outside of Canada
• The bachelor of engineering degree is from a country that is not part of a reciprocal mobility agreement with Canada
• The degree is a bachelor of science not in engineering

Demonstrating Sufficient Engineering Experience:

After meeting the academic requirement, applicants are required to have four years of approved engineering experience. Engineering experience must be documented on the Engineers Nova Scotia Detailed Engineering Experience Record form(s).

• Experience obtained in the last 24 months of a Bachelor of Engineering degree may be eligible for credit of up to 12 months as Pre-Grad Experience. 
• Experience obtained since graduation may be eligible for credit for applicants with a Bachelor of Engineering degree from outside Canada that are assigned confirmatory exams.

Twelve months of experience must be obtained in a Canadian environment. Engineers may practice under the supervision of a P. Eng. to obtain the 12 months of experience in a Canadian environment.

• Applicants that have 48 months of engineering experience that has been approved by the Board of Examiners can meet the Canadian content requirement by successfully completing one of the following:
  • The Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS) study program Orientation and Communication Skills for Engineers (OCSE)
  • The “Working in Canada Seminar” provided through Engineers and Geoscientists British Columbia (EGBC)
    • Must be arranged through the Engineer Nova Scotia’s registration team
  • A competency-based assessment through another engineering regulatory body in Canada
  • An equivalent course or program as approved by Engineers Nova Scotia

Demonstrating Competence in the English Language

English is the language of commerce in Nova Scotia. All correspondence and documentation submitted must be in English or officially translated to English.

Applicants can demonstrate proficiency in English through any of following:

• Successful Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores
  • Passing score: 580 on a written test and 237 on a computer-based test
• Successful International English Language Test (IELTS) scores
  • Passing score: Academic 6.5
• Successful Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) test scores
  • Passing score: Level 8
• Successful CanTEST scores
  • Passing score: Band Score 4.5
• Providing confirmation of education in English
• Declaration of English language proficiency from P. Eng. reference(s)

Demonstrating Good Character

Three references are required when applying for P.Eng. registration. Applicants must provide the names of three people they have known for a minimum of one year that have agreed to attest to the applicant’s character. Two of the three references must be registered Professional Engineers in good standing with a Provincial Association or State Board who are also willing to attest to the applicant’s engineering experience.

Demonstrating an understanding of professional practice and ethics

All engineers in Canada are required to successfully complete the National Professional Practice Exam (NPPE) to demonstrate an understanding of professional practice and ethics issues before the Professional Engineer designation may be granted. The NPPE is a combined Law and Ethics and Professionalism online exam consisting of 110 multiple choice questions. Applicants must have obtained Engineer-in-Training status with Engineers Nova Scotia to be eligible to take the NPPE.

Online Application Portal

Applicants can apply online through the online application portal. Information on the different application categories can be found on the pages listed under Registration (How To Apply).

Within ten business days of submitting an online application, applicants will receive an email with confirmation that their application was received and login information to access the applicant portal. The applicant portal can be used to upload any outstanding application requirements and monitor application status and processing timeline. 

Inactive Applications

Applications that have been inactive (no communication or requirements being submitted) for six months or more may require a second application fee for continued processing.

Information on where to direct inquiries

Subject to staff availability and workload, every effort is made to respond to Registration-related inquiries within 10 business days. To prevent delays and assist with efficient processing, staff kindly requests that correspondence with the Registration team follows these guidelines:

• Limit correspondence to one method, avoid calling and emailing about the same inquiry
• Limit correspondence to one member of staff, avoid contacting multiple members of staff
• Limit duplicate correspondence on the same inquiry within the 10 business days response time
• Utilize the email address that most closely aligns with your inquiry
  • For inquiries about applications and required documents, email applications@engineersnovascotia.ca
  • For inquiries about companies, email companies@engineersnovascotia.ca
  • For inquiries about National Technical Exams or the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam, email exams@engineersnovascotia.ca
  • For inquiries about the mentorship program, email mentors@engineersnovascotia.ca
  • For inquiries about the National Professional Practice Exam, email nppe@engineersnovascotia.ca
  • For inquiries about replacement certificates or stamps, email orders@engineersnovascotia.ca
  • For inquiries about general registration, email registration@engineersnovascotia.ca
  • For inquiries unrelated to registration, email info@engineersnovascotia.ca

Every effort will be made to accommodate applicants with special needs. Confirmation from a medical practitioner may be requested. Please contact registration@engineersnovascotia.ca if you have a special needs requirement.

Pathway to Engineering Website

The Pathway to Engineering website is a resource to connect engineering graduates to knowledge about the licensure process and create a community of professionals who can support them on their journey. www.pathwaytoengineering.ca 

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