Examination Dates 2017: January 25 - 27, April 3 - 5, June 5 - 7, September 20 - 22, and November 28 - 30
Charlottetown, PE
The National Professional Practice Examination (NPPE) is administered by the Engineering Examinations Office of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) on behalf of Engineers Canada.
All applicants for professional registration as a Member of Engineers PEI (i.e. P.Eng.) are required to pass the National Professional Practice Examination, unless that examination or an acceptable equivalent has been written successfully in another Canadian provincial or territorial jurisdiction.
The NPPE is designed to examine applicants on the ethical considerations and obligations that accompany the privileges of professional status and the legal concepts relevant to professional engineers. Part of the examination tests the applicant's understanding of professionalism, while the remaining part tests the applicant's knowledge of engineering law and familiarity with jurisdiction-specific statutes, rules and regulations and the Engineering Profession Act and By-Laws.
Eligibility/Exceptions
It is considered beneficial for applicants to have at least one year of work experience after completion of their formal education before the examination is attempted. To be eligible to write the NPPE, you must also have an active application for Professional Membership or be enrolled as an Engineer-in-Training. An exemption will be granted to applicants who have passed the NPPE in another province or who are registered with another Canadian Association. Such applicants are still required to confirm in writing that they have read, understood, and agree to follow the Act and By-Laws and Code of Ethics of Engineers PEI.
Please read the NPPE FAQ to learn more.
SCOPE AND SYLLABUS OF THE EXAMINATION
The following major subject areas are included in the National Professional Practice Examination:
A. Professionalism (10%)
- Definition and Interpretation of Professionalism and Professional Status
- The Roles and Responsibilities of Professionals in Society
- Engineering Professions in Canada; Definitions and Scopes of Practice
- The Value of Engineering Professions to Society
- The Roles and Responsibilities of Professionals to Management
B. Ethics (20%)
- The Role of Ethics in Society; Cultures and Customs
- Classical and Modern Ethical Theories and Principles
- Codes of Ethics of Professional Engineers in Canada
- Ethical Standards and Codes and Their Relationship to the Conduct of a Professional
- Common Ethical Issues and Dilemmas; Making Ethical Decisions
C. Professional Practice (27%)
- Professional Accountability for Work, Workplace Issues, Job Responsibilities and Standards of Practice
- Relations with Other Professionals and Non-professionals; Business Practice
- Statutory and Non-Statutory Standards and Codes of Practice
- Insurance, Risk Management and Quality Management; Due Diligence
- Environmental Responsibilities and Sustainable Development
- Use of Software, Computers and Internet-based Tools; Liability for Software Errors
- Documentation Authentication and Control
- Duty to Inform; Whistleblowing
D. Communication (1%)
- Legal, Ethical and Practical Aspects of Communication
- The Professional Relationship
- Communicaton Skills
E. Law for Professional Practice (23%)
- The Canadian Legal System
- Contract Law - Elements, Principles, and Applications
- Tort Law - Elements, Principles, and Applications
- Civil Code in Quebec and Common Law in Rest of Canada
- Business, Employment, and Labour Law
- Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
- Intellectual Property - Patents, Trademarks, Trade Secrets, Software Issues, Copyright
- Expert Witness
- Construction Liens
- International Law
- Environmental Law
- Workers Compensation and Occupational Health & Safety
- Human Rights and Privacy Legislation
F. Professional Law (8%)
- The Acts, Regulations and Bylaws Provincial and Territorial Acts
- Codes of Ethics; Conflicts of Interest
- Admission to the Professions
- Illegal Practice; Enforcement Against Unlicensed Practice and Misuse of Title
- Professional and Technical Societies
G. Regulation & Discipline Processes (11%)
- Discipline and Enforcement Procedures
- Professional Inspection; Practice Reviews of Individuals
- Response to Complaints
- Licensing Corporations and Practice Review of Firms
- Response to Unethical or Incompetent Practice; Consequences of Unethical Practice
- Canadian and International Mobility
- Continuing Professional Development
- Use of Seals and Stamps
The National Professional Practice Examination consists of 110 multiple-choice questions. It is closed-book and is two and a half hours in duration. The questions are distributed in accordance with the percentages shown above. All candidates, regardless of whether they intend to practice engineering or geoscience, are required to write and pass the National Professional Practice Examination. Some Associations have extended the National Professional Practice Examination in their jurisdictions by adding multiple-choice and/or essay questions to the NPP Exam, and in those cases, candidates are allowed additional time to complete the examination. Contact the Association with whom you wish to register for specific details.
The pass mark is 65%. The examination results are reported as “pass” or “fail” with a Mastery Report provided only to candidates who have failed, indicating the candidate’s specific performance in each category. You are not penalized for wrong answers. The grade is final.
Practice tests are available for purchase through APEGA: https://nppepractice.ysasecure.com/
Applying to Write the Examination
An application form must be used when applying. It provides additional information on fees, examination dates, and deadline dates. The application must be accompanied by the appropriate fee and must be received by the deadline date noted on the application form. Cheque or cash are accepted at the Engineers PEI office. If you wish to pay by credit card, click on the PayPal link below. Debit and Credit are NOT accepted at the Engineers PEI office.
After the deadline, you will receive confirmation of the date, time and location of the exam and any workshop that may be offered. One piece of photo-ID must be shown upon arrival at the exam location. Dictionaries are not permitted.
Four to six weeks after the examination you will be advised of the results by mail. For many, a pass may be the last step in the registration process. For others, there may be additional requirements before registration is granted. Failure will require that the examination be repeated, with another application and fee submitted
Eligibility/Exceptions
Most Associations feel that it is beneficial for applicants to have at least two years of work experience after completion of their formal education, before attempting to write the NPPE. To be eligible to write the National Professional Practice Exam, you must have an active membership number with your home Association. An exemption may be granted to applicants who have passed a similar examination in another jurisdiction or who have been registered by another Canadian Association prior to the implementation of the NPPE, but such applicants are still required to read, and confirm in writing, that they have read the Act and Code of Ethics, and agree to practice their profession accordingly.
Study Material/Literature
The following is a list of the material required. All applicants will be tested on the primary literature but the secondary literature will be of interest. Texts are not available at the Engineers PEI office. The obtaining of all reference materials is solely the responsibility of the individual candidate for admission.
Primary Literature
Textbooks:
1. Canadian Professional Engineering and Geoscience: Practice & Ethics, Fifth Edition (2014) - Gordon C. Andrews - This is available at the following link: www.nelsonbrain.com/shop/micro/EPEI
2. Practical Law of Architecture, Engineering and Geoscience, Second Canadian Edition (2011) - Samuels & Sanders
3. The Prince Edward Island Engineering Profession Act, By-Laws and Code of Ethics - Available from Engineers PEI
Canada Booklets:
a) A Guide to Copyrights
b) A Guide to Industrial Designs
c) A Guide to Patents
d) A Guide to Trade-Marks
Secondary Literature
In addition to a general knowledge of statutes which are relevant to the listed topics, the following should be studied thoroughly:
- Prince Edward Island's Mechanics' Lien Act.
- Occupational Health and Safety Act of Prince Edward Island - Available at the Workers Compensation Board, 14 Weymouth Street, Charlottetown (902-368-5680 or 1-800-237-5049).
The following texts are noted as an additional background reference:
"Contemporary Canadian Business Law", Willes, John A., (3rd Ed., McGraw-Hill Ryerson)
Part I - Introduction, Chapters 1, 2 and 3
Part II - Torts
Part III - Contracts, Chapters 6 - 14
Part VIII - Special Legal Rights, Chapter 33 Patents, Trade Marks and Copyright.
Generally available at the TUNS Bookstore.
OR
"Law and Business Administration in Canada", Smyth and Soberman, (6th Ed., Prentice Hall)
Part I - Law in its Social Context, Chapters 1, 2 and 3
Part II - Torts
Part III - Contracts, Chapters 6 - 17
Available at St. Mary's or Dalhousie University Bookstores.
Engineering Law Workshop
A free workshop on Engineering Law is held twice per year (spring and fall). Please indicate on the application form whether you wish to attend.
Click on the PayPal link below to pay by credit card. Please note: The amount below includes an administrative fee.
Q. IS THERE A CHANGE TO THE NUMBER OF QUESTIONS ON THE EXAM?
A. Yes. Ten questions have been added. There are now 110 questions.
Q. NOW THAT THERE ARE 110 QUESTIONS, DO I HAVE EXTRA TIME TO COMPLETE THE EXAM?
A. Yes. To allow you more time to answer all 110 questions, an additional 30 minutes have been added in total, giving you 2.5 hours to complete the exam.
Q. HAS THE COST OF THE EXAM CHANGED?
A. Yes. There is a slight increase of $40.00 (from $180.00 to $220.00) in the price of the NPPE. This is to adjust for inflationary increases, as well as additional costs for offering a computer-based exam. The last price increase was in 2011.
Q. IS THE EXAM STILL OFFERED ON ONE DAY?
A. You now have more flexibility in writing the exam. Depending on demand, the exam days range from one to three days, with a morning and afternoon timeslot on each day.
Q. WHERE CAN I TAKE MY EXAM?
A. The computerized NPPE provides access to a large selection of test centres located across North America. The Charlottetown Centre is located at The Institute of Advanced Learning, 55 Grafton Street.
Q. WHO IS THE VENDOR PROVIDING THE NEW TESTING SERVICE?
A. Yardstick has been carefully selected to provide exam delivery software and services for the NPPE. This award winning vendor has been chosen based on its excellent reputation in providing computer-based testing services to clients around the world, including large-sized associations such as IATA and the Insurance Institute of Canada.
Q. IS THE COMPUTER-BASED NPPE MORE DIFFICULT THAN THE PAPER-BASED EXAM?
A. No. The computer-based NPPE is the same as the paper-based NPPE.
Q. CAN I FAMILIARIZE MYSELF WITH THE COMPUTER-BASED EXAM SOFTWARE BEFORE TAKING THE EXAM?
A. Yes. Once you register for the computer-based exam, you will have free access to a tutorial quiz prior to the exam date, which will be very similar to the actual exam software.
Q. IS THE COMPUTER-BASED NPPE STILL A MULTIPLE-CHOICE EXAM?
A. Yes. The computer-based exam still consists of multiple-choice questions with four possible answers for each question.
Q. HOW DO THE QUESTIONS APPEAR ON SCREEN?
A. The questions will appear one at a time on the screen.
Q. IF I CHANGE MY MIND, CAN I GO BACK AND CHANGE MY ANSWER?
A. Yes. You may move between questions and change answers at any time during the exam.
Q. HOW DO I TIME MY EXAM?
A. The exam supervisor at the test centre will time the exam. There will also be a timer on your monitor that lets you know how much time you have left.
Q. IF THERE IS AN INTERRUPTION DURING MY EXAM DUE TO A POWER FAILURE OR COMPUTER MALFUNCTION, WILL I LOSE ALL OF MY ANSWERS?
A. No. Your answers are saved on a central server. If the power or internet is interrupted, you will be able to continue with the exam where you left off, even if you switch computers.
Q. WILL THE NPPE BE AVAILABLE IN BOTH ENGLISH AND FRENCH?
A. Yes. The exam will be available in both English and French, and applicants can switch on the spot between English and French versions if they choose.
