This phase is for candidates whose initial academic assessment identified a gap between their
existing qualifications and the Master’s-level educational base required for CEng. The ICE provides
structured, rigorous routes for professionals to demonstrate this advanced learning through either
further formal education or structured, work-based experience.

The three primary options identified in official ICE correspondence are:
• Academic Further Learning: Pursuing and completing a formal, accredited Master of
Science (MSc) programme to meet the educational requirement directly.

• Experiential Learning (EL): Preparing and submitting a detailed portfolio of evidence to
demonstrate that Master’s-level knowledge and understanding have been acquired through
professional engineering experience.

• Technical Report Route (TRR): The third formal option provided by the ICE for demonstrating
the required level of knowledge and competence.

The Experiential Learning (EL) Submission
The Experiential Learning route is a strategic mechanism for candidates who hold a suitable
Bachelor’s degree and have gained significant professional experience—typically at least five
years—to formally demonstrate their acquired Master’s-level knowledge without returning to fulltime university study. This pathway allows you to map your advanced, on-the-job learning against
specific academic outcomes required for CEng registration.
Core Components of a Successful EL Submission
A successful submission is a comprehensive portfolio designed to provide assessors with a clear
and verifiable account of your advanced learning. You must treat each component as a vital piece
of your argument.

• Experiential Learning Assessment Form: This is the core of your argument. In this
document, you must present compelling, first-person evidence against the four key
Learning Outcomes (A, B, C, and D). Your task is not to list activities but to prove, through
specific examples and reflection, how your work has delivered Master’s-level learning.

• Extended CV: This is more than a simple career history; it is your narrative of professional
progression. Use the four-page limit to demonstrate a clear trajectory of increasing
responsibility and technical challenge, proving you have operated in environments that
foster Master’s-level learning.

• Appendices: This is your evidentiary support. Use the maximum of eight A4 pages wisely to
provide targeted, high-impact proof (e.g., calculations, technical drawings, or reports) that
directly substantiates the most critical claims made in your assessment form. Avoid using it
as a document dump.

• Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Records: Assessors see this as non-negotiable
proof of your commitment to lifelong learning. Your Development Action Plan (DAP) and
three years of Personal Development Records (PDR) must demonstrate a proactive, not
reactive, approach to your professional growth, directly supporting your claim of advanced
learning.

• Mentor’s Letter of Support: This is crucial third-party validation from a respected
professional, ideally a Chartered ICE Member.

This letter confirms the authenticity of your
work and lends significant credibility to your entire submission.
A Real-World Example: Experiential Learning Assessment
In a result letter regarding his Experiential Learning submission, Mr. B. Stanford was informed that
while he had passed Learning Outcomes C & D, his submission required “Additional Information for
Learning Outcomes A & B.” The assessors noted that his “learning was not clearly aligned with the
Learning Outcomes” and requested a resubmission where he provides “specific examples of how,
through experience and training, you have gained and applied knowledge and understanding.” This
case underscores the high standard of evidence required and shows that the assessment is an
iterative process, offering candidates the opportunity to refine their submission based on specific
feedback within a six-month timeframe.

Once the academic base for CEng is confirmed, either through the initial assessment or by
successfully completing a route like Experiential Learning, you must then proceed to demonstrate
your professional competence in practice.