INNOVATION November-December 2015

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Registration Interviews Go Global APEGBC requires many candidates applying to register as professional or licensed engineers or geoscientists in BC to demonstrate their experience and knowledge to a panel of experienced professional members. For engineering or geoscience candidates living abroad, this has long meant applicants had to travel to BC to be interviewed onsite. That model changed recently. In July, the APEGBC interview panel, located in Burnaby, BC, remotely interviewed four applicants located in London, U.K. “Several applicants from one company in London contacted us,” says APEGBC Associate Director of Engineering Admissions Mark Rigolo, P.Eng. “It seemed a good opportunity to explore alternative, modern communication technologies for conducting remote interviews.” APEGBC staff located and rented use of a facility in London that provided secure audiovisual and telecommunications capabilities, and contacted two London-based APEGBC professional engineers who agreed to volunteer as the

In past years, when the exam was paper-based, it usually took place only four times each year, restricted in large part by the logistics of administering the labour-intensive format. The next exam takes place between January 11–13, 2016. If you have questions regarding the new exam format, contact the APEGBC Manager of Examinations. More information about the Professional Practice Examination is available at: apeg. bc.ca/Become-a-Member/Professional-Practice-Examination. interviews’ invigilators in London. Their role was to check the applicants’ documents and verify their identities. “We found we didn’t lose any quality by doing the interview remotely,” says Rigolo. “We were able to assess the quality of the applicants’ answers to our questions, and the quality of the applicants’ reactions to the questions just as effectively as when we interview onsite.” Three of the applicants proceeded to become registered with APEGBC, while one application is ongoing. The trial sets the stage for APEGBC to conduct more interviews remotely, when demand, secure facilities and technology, on-the-ground APEGBC invigilators, and scheduling permit. Next up is a remote interview with applicants in Doha, Qatar, with another BC-to-London interview scheduled thereafter. About 50% of APEGBC candidates for registration are interviewed, often because their applications contain unclear documentation.

Five Computer-based Professional Practice Examination Sessions Scheduled for 2016 APEGBC will be holding its online Professional Practice Examination five times in 2016.

The association moved from its paper-based exam to a computer-based system starting with the October 2015 session. The new system helps streamline the testing process and takes advantage of the greater flexibility computer exams offer. It also allows APEGBC to schedule the exam more frequently.

14.6020 Engineers Canada 2015 Advertising_02_All-In-One_APEGBC_Nov05_rev_Layout 1 2014-11-18 12:02 PM Page 1

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