RPEQ Assessment

CPD Required per 150 hours

Technical 75%

Non Technical 25%

Risk Management 1 hour

Ethics 1 hour

Application Fees excl GST

IPWEAQ Member $400

Non-Member $700

We uphold professional Standards as an RPEQ Assessment Entity for Civil Engineering!

Engineers occupy positions of trust and responsibility within the community, industry and across government. To carry out professional engineering services in Queensland, you must be an RPEQ or under the direct supervision of an RPEQ who takes full responsibility for those services.

We strongly encourage you to email your application documents prior to applying to registration@ipweaq.com

Apply Here

Criteria to apply for RPEQ:

4-year Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) degree from an Australian university or equivalent
Completion of a minimum 50 hours of CPD during the year leading to the application, with a highly desirable recommendation of 150 hours across the three years prior to application.
Minimum 4 years’ experience as a civil engineer post-graduation with direct supervision under a RPEQ

Submit the following with your online application:

Original or certified copies of all qualifications
Current detailed CV including contact details of person/s who can corroborate experience
Record of all CPD hours undertaken
Statements from three professional referees who have known you a minimum of 12-months and who can vouch for your experience and application ofknowledge
Statement of competency in nominated area(s)
Work sample
100-Points Identification

RPEQ Assessment Board

Mike Brady (Chair)

Craig Young

Sandra Burke

Andrew Ryan

Glenda Kirk

Hari Boppudi

Lorna Oliver

Martin Crow

What is corrupt conduct under the Act?

Download Factsheet or visit the Knowledge Centre to view the PW-TV session with the CCC on corrupt conduct and professional engineering services.

Key Documents

RPEQ Assessment Process

IPWEAQ is an assessment entity for Civil Engineering including specific areas of expertise for this discipline.

Apply for registration in the areas where you have the most experience and knowledge and ensure your CPD reflects your chosen areas of competence.

We recommend a maximum three areas of competence as otherwise, it becomes difficult for you to provide sufficient evidence in your application and in the assessment interview.

Once approved as an RPEQ, you can identify further areas of competence without the need for additional assessment, although you will need to substantiate this via your work experience and CPD if requested.

Areas of Competence

Mandatory Requirements

To prepare for your RPEQ application, please ensure you have met the mandatory assessment requirements. If you have any queries not answered in these instructional videos, please contact us at registration@ipweaq.com.

Assessment Application Process

Collate all the necessary documents

Original or certified copies of all qualifications
Current detailed curriculum vitae including name, job title, and contact details of person/s who can corroborate your engineering knowledge, skills and experience for each role and/or project
Record of all CPD undertaken
Statements from three professional referees who have known you a minimum of 12 months who can vouch for your experience and application of engineering knowledge, preferably some or all are RPEQs who directly supervised you over a five year period, at least. The period for each referee should not overlap.
Statement of competency in your nominated areas of competence - a maximum of three
Work sample from a project which shows your application of engineering knowledge and skill
100 points identification

Email the documents to RPEQ Coordinator registration@ipweaq.com.

If the minimum requirements are met, you can submit the formal application and payment via www.ipwea-qnt.com.
The RPEQ Coordinator will advise if additional documents are required.
Once submitted, three assessors will be appointed who are expert in the areas of competence on your application.
An assessment interview will be arranged via video conferencing and you will receive a copy of the 11 standard interview questions 24 hours prior to your interview date and time.
If the assessors approve your application, your referees will be contacted to confirm the information provided in your application.
Your application documents and the recording of your interview will be reviewed by IPWEA-QNT’s RPEQ Assessment Board.
Each Board member then approves or declines your application. The majority vote determines the outcome.
If approved, a Letter of Assessment is sent to you by the RPEQ Coordinator.
You then submit the Letter of Assessment to the Board of Professional Engineers of Queensland to apply for RPEQ.

As a Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland (RPEQ), you occupy a position of trust and responsibility within the community, within industry, and across government. To ensure your skills are up to date, an RPEQ must engage in regular structured Continuing Professional Development (CPD). As a minimum, an RPEQ must complete 150 hours of professional development over any given three-year period and is subject to random audits. These guidelines outline the types of professional development activities considered acceptable to meet the minimum requirements to attain and retain RPEQ status.

Objectives of Continuing Professional Development

CPD activities are designed to:

• maintain or increase technical competence

• develop new areas of expertise

• increase effectiveness in the workplace

• grow your leadership capabilities and improve career opportunities

Continuing Registration Requirements

IPWEAQ must comply with the Board of Professional Engineers’ (BPEQ) Continuing Registration Requirements (CRR) Policy (2.02) with respect to CPD undertaken to attain and retain RPEQ status.

Therefore, an RPEQ under IPWEAQ’s assessment scheme must undertake:

• 150-hours of CPD over a three-year period

Where:

• a minimum of 75% (112.5 hours) must be technical CPD relating

to the area of engineering

• a maximum of 25% (37.5 hours) can be non-technical CPD

relating to engineering practice

• a minimum of 1 hour of non-technical CPD covering ethics, and

• a minimum of 1 hour of non-technical CPD covering risk

management must be undertaken

Recording CPD

For compliance purposes, RPEQs must record their Continuing Professional Development activities (CPD) and make it available within 30-days of being advised of an audit. Registering for IPWEAQ’s free to use CPD portal at www.trackmycpd.com.au will enable monitoring of the quantity and relevance of CPD undertaken, improving the likelihood of compliance with CPD requirements at audit.

CPD activities

An RPEQ is expected to engage in a range of CPD activities to meet the objectives outlined above. The following types of CPD will allow you to satisfy the minimum 150 hours of CPD every three years:

1. Formal Post-Graduate Study

Formal post-graduate study or individual tertiary course units not undertaken for award purposes. Non-award units are those that do not lead to a degree, certificate, or diploma.

Study may be either on campus or by distance. Time claimed is the actual hours of lectures/ tutorials or laboratory work, noting that there will almost always be further time spent both in preparation and follow-up. All such activities will involve some form of assessment.

There is no limit to the maximum number of hours you can claim.

2. Short courses, workshops, seminars and discussion groups, conferences, technical inspections and technical meetings.

IPWEAQ professional development

IPWEAQ delivers hundreds of courses, symposia, forums, webinars, and workshops every year, delivered by respected practitioners expert in their field. Courses and workshops are offered publicly or in-house. Certificates recording CPD hours attained are issued after each event for offerings over 1 hour in duration.

Attendance at or participation in short courses, seminars, workshops, webinars, and podcasts held by organisations other than IPWEAQ is also eligible.

Study Tours

Study tours come under the category of technical inspections or technical meetings. This can include visits to other councils or organisations to discover world best practices and/or new and innovative solutions for the sector. Hours may also be claimed for the preparation and presentation of study tours.

Conferences including Technical Tours

Attendance at sector relevant conferences held by IPWEAQ such as our Annual and Branch Conferences

including Technical Tours, as well as those held by organisations other than IPWEAQ.

There is no limit to the maximum number of hours you can claim.

3. On the Job Learning

Structured learning activities in the workplace that extend competence in the area/s of engineering.

Activities that are normal work activities applying current knowledge cannot be claimed as learning activities in the workplace. For any learning activity undertaken in the workplace you must be able to demonstrate how it has extended your competence in your area/s of engineering.

A maximum of 75 hours can be claimed in any three-year period.

4. Private Study

Private study which extends your knowledge and skills.

Study may be in your area of practice and/or in the core areas of ethics, risk management, business, and management skills. Private study includes the reading of books, journals, manuals. Sufficient records must be kept of personal reading, eg date, title, author, and time invested, to pass audit scrutiny. Private study can include the IPWEAQ newsletter, Connect, and our quarterly e-journal Engineering for Public Works.

A maximum of 18 hours can be claimed in any three-year period.

Note: The total claimable hours for learning activities in the workplace and private study combined is 110 hours over three years.

5. Service to the Engineering Profession

Service to the engineering profession may include:

• Serving in a volunteer capacity on boards, working groups and

committees of IPWEAQ or other recognised industry bodies

• Being a panel member on tertiary course accreditation visits

• Being an assessor and/or auditor for IPWEAQ’s RPEQ

Assessment scheme

• Assisting with CPD audits

• Reviewing technical publications prior to publication

• Mentoring a colleague for work experience

• Preparation of written submissions / contributions to, and

participation in technical meetings of organisations e.g.

IPWEAQ’s Design Standards, Standard Drawings, ADAC, Road

Safety Committees.

A maximum of 50 hours can be claimed in any three-year period.

6. Preparation of Articles and Reports

Articles and sector reports submitted to IPWEAQ and published in its quarterly e-journal.

This represents work outside your normal employment and can be claimed if the material is prepared by you and the activities contribute to the advancement of the profession.

Up to 45 hours per paper may be claimed for papers published in journals and conference proceedings and for the preparation of materials for courses not part of your normal employment e.g. presenting a paper at an IPWEAQ Branch or Annual Conference or professional development program, or as a visiting lecturer from industry.

Up to 75 hours may be claimed for papers subjected to critical peer review prior to publication.

7. Tertiary Teaching

Professional engineers employed in tertiary teaching and/or research positions in universities and VET/TAFE must undertake CPD that demonstrates engagement with contemporary engineering industry practice. This engagement must take the form of provision of consultancy services to industry, participation in joint industry-university research collaboration, supervision and development of student’ industry-based design projects and field trips, or other direct industry involvement e.g. secondment.

Professional engineers employed in tertiary teaching and/or academic research must be able to demonstrate a minimum 40 hours of industry involvement in any three-year period.

FAQs

What are the CPD requirements to become a RPEQ?

To be eligible to apply for RPEQ, you are required to have completed a minimum of 150 CPD hours in the three years prior to your application

How long does it take to become a RPEQ?

The application process can take between 6-8 weeks in total once all the correct paperwork has been received

Once I become a RPEQ, am I required to keep up my CPD?

Continued Professional Development (CPD) is an integral part of being a RPEQ. To retain RPEQ registration, you are required to complete 150 hours of CPD every three years

I have an International qualification; am I still eligible to become a RPEQ?

A qualification gained outside of Australia that is recognised under the Washington Accord for recognition as a professional engineer is acceptable. For qualifications from countries that are not a signatory of the Washington Accord, a qualification assessment is required to be carried out.

How many years do I have to have worked under a RPEQ before I can apply?

A minimum of five years post-graduation experience working as an engineer and carrying out professional engineering services under the direct supervision of an RPEQ is required before you are eligible to apply

What is direct supervision?

To establish direct supervision, the following must be shown to exist and supported by evidence that meets each requirement.

a. The supervision must be direct and the supervising RPEQ must have knowledge of the project.

b. The supervising RPEQ must direct the person in carrying out the service.

c. The supervising RPEQ must oversee the carrying out of the service.

d. The supervising RPEQ must evaluate the carrying out of the service.

e. The supervising RPEQ must take full professional responsibility for the service

How do I log my CPD hours?

You can log your CPD through the CPD portal trackmycpd.com.au

How many hours of CPD do I need to complete in each area?

Each area has different requirements for completed hours of CPD. You can access the CPD guidelines here

Are my references required to be a RPEQ?

A minimum of four years engineering experience directly supervised by a RPEQ is required for your application. Evidence of this work experience is shown by way of referees who are asked to complete a statement verifying your ability and experience

How much does it cost to lodge my application?

For IPWEAQ members, the fee to apply for RPEQ is $400 + GST

Is there an ongoing fee I need to pay?

There is no ongoing fee payable to IPWEAQ. Once registered with BPEQ, there is an annual fee required to maintain registration

Am I required to be a member of IPWEAQ to be assessed for RPEQ?

You are not required to be a member of IPWEAQ for us to assess your application for RPEQ. The fee to apply for RPEQ for non-members is $700 + GST

Does the application process involve an interview?

Yes. Each application must undergo an interview process by way of a three-person panel. Each of our assessors are RPEQ qualified

What qualification do I need to be eligible for RPEQ?

The minimum requirement for eligibility for RPEQ is a four-year undergraduate degree in engineering (or equivalent) from a recognised tertiary institute

Can I be assessed by IPWEAQ if I am not a Civil Engineer?

IPWEAQ is an assessment entity for Civil Engineering only

Where can I find information on courses to boost my CPD?

You can find out more information on available courses through the IPWEAQ website. www.ipweaq.com/courses

I am a RPEQ for Mechanical Engineering. Can I be registered in more than one area of engineering? E.g., Civil Engineering

You can be registered in as many areas of engineering as you like. For each area, you will need to undertake assessment of your qualifications and competencies. Your total CPD obligations remain at 150 hours per three-year period regardless of the number of areas you are registered in. Your CPD must be balanced to maintain your competency in all areas in which you are registered.