Tier 1 Certification

Getting Tier 1 certification is as easy as pie when there are multiple routes to achieving it. Follow the comprehensive guide below to find out more:

What happened to BEM mandatory courses?
The Circular No. 2/2005 pertaining to Regulation 22 with regards to Professional Development Program (PDP) Units and attendance for compulsory courses for Graduate Engineers applying to become Professional Engineers, is no longer applicable effective 15th February 2016 where the Board has agreed to abolish the PDP units required to apply for the registration as a professional engineer. Therefore, the requirement to attend four courses namely:


 * 1) Code of Ethics
 * 2) Health and Safety at Work
 * 3) Engineering Management Practice
 * 4) Related Courses on other branches of engineering

are no longer compulsory. Likewise, the requirement to complete not less than 30 PDP units by attending  talks,  seminars,  society/  association  meetings  and  community services for professional is no longer mandatory from the above mentioned date.

This is in lieu to the 2015 amendment to the REA. Regulation 22(1)(b) which reads as follows has been deleted;

 "the Graduate Engineer must have satisfactory attendance in courses and professional development programmes determined by the Board or institutions approved or accredited by the Board" 

As such professional development programmes as one of the criteria is no longer mandatory for a Graduate Engineer to be entitled to apply for Professional Engineer status.

However, resource notes and slides have been archived for reference here.

IEM Engineering Competency Development (ECD)
The Engineering Competency Development (ECD) program or previously known as the Log Book Training Scheme (LBTS) implemented by The Institution of Engineers, Malaysia (IEM) aims to provide guided and proper training to IEM Graduate Engineers entering the profession of engineering, to facilitate conformance of such training program to the IEM's Rules concerning admission of Corporate Members. A Graduate Engineer shall go through on the job competency development program accordingly while being monitored and/or mentored by an IEM ECD Mentor to facilitate his/her preparation for Professional Interview (PI).

The ECD program requires a training and experience exposure duration for a minimum period of three (3) continuous years; this requirement complies to the Professional Interview Regulations which states that a Candidate shall have at least THREE (3) years (after graduation with an accredited engineering degree) of approved experience in planning, design, execution or management of works as stipulated and relevant for the profession of an engineer. Progress will be mutually and continually monitored and/or mentored at least once every quarterly by both the Mentee Graduate Engineer and the Mentor. Please refer to the list below for the necessary forms and format of logbook.

Participation in the ECD program is not obligatory. However, participation is encouraged and recommended particularly for Graduate Engineers who are starting or are already pursuing their on-the-job and/or other modes of training experience but under a supervision of an IEM Corporate Member(s) or a Professional Engineer(s) who are not from the same engineering discipline or not a PE at all.

PROS:

 * Structured content with periodic submission of the logbook back to BEM will help engineers lacking in self-discipline to record their work experiences.
 * Can work for both scenarios where Mentor-Mentee is same office/company or in separate companies altogether.
 * Logbook can be used during filing up the form IEM PI A401 (Training and Experience - Portfolio of Evidence)

CONS:

 * Difficult to cultivate relationship between Mentor-Mentee if Mentee doesn't invest time and effort
 * Choosing a busy Mentor will result in poor guidance
 * Mentor-Mentee meeting every quarter (3 months) might be too long for Mentee involved in challenging career setting
 * Might not be suitable for Mentee involved in academia, R&D or non-practicing career path.

For more info and downloadable content, visit the IEM website (direct link to page).

Requirements

 * A candidate for election into this grade shall produce evidence to the satisfaction of the Council that he is worthy of election and
 * That he has a graduate qualification as approved by the Council and
 * has obtained 3 years practical experience as specified in Regulation 22(1) which shall include the following:
 * at least two years of general training that will provide a sound basis for professional development; and
 * at least one year of professional career development and training providing wide exposure to the various managerial and technical expertise in engineering practice where;
 * at least one year of the above training must be obtained in Malaysia under the supervision of a Professional Engineer in the same branch of engineering as that practised by the Graduate Engineer.
 * Preferably the candidate must be working under the guidance of a Professional Engineer for a minimum of three years

Professional Interview (Outcome Based Competence Assessment)
In 2014, IEM embarked on enhancing the existing Professional Interview (PI) Process and Practice as part of periodic review to improve quality. The objectives include:


 * Establishing a competency-based Professional Interview by benchmarking a well-established outcome-based competence standard.
 * Developing rubrics with common yardsticks for rating PI Candidate in order to minimize subjectivity of assessment in both the oral interview and the written papers.
 * Revising current PI process with related documentation to support the above-mentioned.In benchmarking an outcome-based competence standard, IEM has opted to adopt and adapt:


 * The United Kingdom Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC) for Chartered Engineers mainly for the oral interview.
 * The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Model which is more generic and readily applicable to almost all engineering disciplines since IEM is the Institution that caters for all engineering disciplines.

The enhanced version retains the main structure of existing PI Process in that it consists of two essential parts:


 * the documentary review and
 * professional interview which is made up of oral interview and essay writing.

The Enhanced Professional Interview Process will undergo periodic review and changes in the continuous effort to enhance its quality and keep up with the most up-to-date development in professional engineering competence assessment.

Procedure

 * Submit the following forms in duplicate:
 * IEM PI A100 (Professional Interview Application Form)
 * IEM PI A300 (MIEM Application Form)
 * IEM PI A401 (ANNEXE -Design & Site Experience)
 * IEM PI A401 (Training and Experience -Portfolio of Evidence)
 * IEM PI C300 (Development Action Plan)
 * Technical Report


 * Submit supporting documents:

- BEM Registration Letter/Certificate as a Graduate Engineer (for new applicant)

- Degree certificates and academic transcripts (Certificates from overseas universities issued in foreign languages must be accompanied by translation from University Registrar/Embassy Officials)


 * Name will be circulated in IEM Bulletin for a month upon approval of application
 * PI Application Fee

For more info and downloadable content, visit the IEM website (direct link to page).

Competency Standard
The Competency Standard for Professional Interview is aligned with the IEA Professional Competency Profile, and benchmarked to the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence for Chartered Engineers. Corporate Members of IEM and Professional Engineers should demonstrate:


 * 1) The theoretical knowledge, understanding and skills in own specialisation, coupled with related technology, products, and services as well as engineering codes, practises, standards, specifications and techniques.
 * 2) Application of the knowledge and practical methods to the analysis and solution of engineering problems; and take technical responsibility for complex engineering systems.
 * 3) Accountability for project, finance and personnel management, and managing trade-offs between technical and socio-economic factors.
 * 4) Effective interpersonal skills in communicating technical matters.
 * 5) Personal commitment to professional standards.

This Competency Standard consists of eighteen Competency Elements grouped under five Competency Categories. The Standard demonstrates the underpinning knowledge and understanding of engineering fundamentals, application abilities, leadership and management skills, communication and interpersonal skills, and personal commitment to the profession that must be demonstrated in order to practice professionally. The Competency Elements are used as the basis for assessing those who apply to sit for the Professional Interview conducted by the IEM. Applicants will be required to provide evidence of competence against each of the eighteen Competency Elements. The evidence is to be drawn from their work experience, specifically as they have encountered engineering problems or engaged in engineering activities.

For more info and downloadable content, visit the IEM website (direct link to page).

Guides & Samples
IEM has compiled a comprehensive guide (refer to "PI Guidelines for Applicant & Candidate" PDF) for the overall PI process which can be downloaded from their website. A good comparison for the Technical Report content would be from BEM PAE route, which is also worth looking at for more ideas.

Also available is the great collection of slides from IEM PI workshops available here.

Tips :


 * Be careful of what you include in your PE report. Candidates are grilled based on what they submit. On the other hand, don't undersubmit.
 * Examiners seldom ask out of your area of expertise (based on your report and written experience).
 * Technical essays typically consist of big picture questions, for example "The overall design process until CCC" or specific like "In any work site accidents failures, could the project manager also be held jointly responsible for these incidents? What is the role of the project manager to avoid such failures?". Two questions are given by examiners, whereby the candidate will answer either one.
 * Ethical essays are chosen from the list of 13 standard questions given months beforehand during registration. Two questions are selected by examiners, whereby the candidate will answer either one.
 * Marks by both primary and secondary examiners carry equal weightage, of which mutual agreement is needed for the candidate to pass or fail.

Below are links to actual redacted technical reports and PI forms for reference:

Technical report sample

 * Civil 1
 * Civil 2, Presentation
 * Mechanical, Presentation
 * Electrical

PI Forms sample

 * Civil Sample
 * Mechanical Sample
 * Electrical Sample

BEM Route
A registered Graduate Engineer is only eligible to sit for the Professional Assessment Examination (PAE) after he has fulfilled the requirements of Regulation 22 of the Registration of Engineers Regulations 1990 (Revised 2015) ie has obtained at three (3) years practical experience as prescribed under Regulation 22, Registration of Engineers Regulation 1990 (Revised 2015).

PAE is divided into two (2) categories:

(A)       Graduate Engineer (GE) as prescribed under Section 10(1)(a) of the Registration of Engineers Act, 1967 (Revised 2015).

(B)       Graduate Engineer who holds a professional qualification which the Board considers to be equivalent to the PAE conducted by the Board or Route 3.

(A) PAE (Graduate Engineer) will consist of:


 * 1) Professional Assessment interview.
 * 2) Write two (2) Essays (answer one out of two questions):
 * 3) * Section A : Related to the candidate's training and experience
 * 4) * Section B : Code of Ethics
 * 5) Candidate will be given 1 ½ hours for each written paper.

(B) PAE (Route 2)* will consist of assessment on Code of Professional Conduct based on the Registration of Engineers Act, 1967 (Revised 2015) (REA)

*previously known as PAE (Route 3)"TLDR: The BEM or PAE route is largely similar to IEM route, only differing in the submitted documents. IEM forms incorporates the modern Competency Standard format while PAE still maintains the traditional form format."For more info and downloadable content, visit the BEM website (direct link to page).

PAE Route 2 (aka Foreign membership route)

 * 1) A  registered  Graduate  Engineer  is  only  eligible  to  be  a  candidate  for  Professional  Qualification Equivalent To PAE - Other Than MIEM (PAE Route 2) after he has fulfilled the requirements of Regulation 22 of the Registration of Engineers Regulations 1990 on practical experience - MINIMUM 3 YEARS on engineering experience (at least 1-year of practical experience MUST be in Malaysia and under supervision of a Professional Engineer in same branch).
 * 2) Applicant HAS TO be a Certified / Professional / Chartered Engineer recognized by regulatory body of other country.
 * 3) For applicant who is a university lecturer or  researcher who does not have practical experience,he/she is required to undergo industrial training for at least 1-year under a supervision of a Professional Engineer in the same branch.
 * 4) An application to be registered as a Professional Engineer via PAE Route 2 should be submitted in Form PAE. The Form is to be submitted together with a prescribed fee of RM100.00(processing fee) and RM 500.00 (examination fee).
 * 5) The   details of  required documents are   to be   submitted and endorsed by   a Professional Engineer(same branch) as follows:
 * 6) Statement of  Practical Experience at least 1-year practical experience in Malaysia obtained after Graduate Engineer registration printed on company’s letterhead OR
 * 7) * If NOT Supervised by a Professional Engineer, please provide:
 * 8) ** Letter of Practical Experience issued by Human  Resource Department AND
 * 9) ** Supporting Letter by a Professional Engineer (same branch) who endorsed the working experience of the applicant
 * 10) A copy of CEng /  PEng certificate from regulatory body of other country.
 * 11) A copy of application form, assessment form and report submitted for CEng /  PEng registration.
 * 12) A copy of latest CEng/ PEng receipt of renewal
 * 13) Only complete application will be processed and submitted to an assessor for assessment.
 * 14) If application is rejected, the candidate will be informed immediately and the examination fee will be refunded in full.
 * 15) The successful applicant will be invited to sit  for Assessment on Code of Professional Conduct. The date and venue of the examination will be informed via  email.
 * 16) Assessment on Code of Professional Conduct is an open book examination which applicant need to choose and answer 5 subjective questions. The duration time of examination is 1 hour 30 minutes.
 * 17) Successful candidate will be informed on the decision and is required to upgrade to Professional Engineer by submitting Form A4 - Application for Registration as a Professional Engineer

Registering as a PE
According to BEM,


 * 1) A Graduate Engineer shall submit an application for registration as a Professional Engineer within one year from –
 * 2) * the date he is informed by the Board that he has passed the Professional Assessment Examination as mentioned in Regulation 38 of the Registration of Engineers Regulations (Revised 2015) OR
 * 3) * the date he becomes a Corporate Member of the Institution of Engineers Malaysia.
 * 4) If an application period has lapsed, a Graduate Engineer may, within a reasonable time, apply for an extension of time to submit an application for registration as a Professional Engineer to the Board and the Board may extent the time as it thinks fit.

Maintaining your PE
BEM under Section 4(1)(ec) of the Act will enforce "continuing professional development programmes" for a Professional Engineer, Professional Engineer with Practising Certificate and Inspector of Works. This will be in form of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) hours which will be submitted upon renewal of the person's certificate.

The IEM constantly conducts seminars and technical visits that carry BEM-approved CPD points. Other industry-related seminars conducted by third-party trainers also carry CPD points, with prior approval by BEM.

Further information about CPD is detailed in this page.