The Engineering Councils Examinations - opening up markets for UK HEIs Andrew Ramsay

1. The Engineering Council's Examinations - opening up markets for UK HEIs Andrew Ramsay aramsay@engc.org.uk

2. History Started as the Council of Engineering Institutions Exam An example of the ways the UK engineering profession seeks ways to enable aspiring professional engineers to achieve their ambitions Based on the examinations of the major engineering professional bodies Became a mainstream route to professional membership in the 1960s. The only alternative for most engineers was to take an HNC with endorsements at their local technical college

3. By the early 1970�s Local Authority Maintenance Grants made degree level education accessible to many more CEI Part 3 became the means to top-up HNC to gain Chartered Status New qualifications � Technician Engineer (later IEng) and Engineering Technician

4. CEI Examination took on a new life Increasing reach and reputation of UK engineering qualifications Aspirations of developing economies in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Zimbabwe, Cyprus Drawn to paucity of higher education opportunities

5. Creation of Engineering Council In 1983 First attempt to codify standards and routes for the profession : SARTOR 1984 CEI Examination (now Engineering Council Examination) used for �matching sections� Regular entry by 1990 over 4,000 candidates 11,000 individual papers

6. Challenges of the late 1990s Changing markets Need for MEng equivalence IEng � UK and overseas Engineering and IT Strains between Engineering Council and the Institutions

7. Millennial Solutions Examination administration : City and Guilds International Marketing Development of new packages Closer links with Computing Additional Learning

8.  Current Organisation World-wide Examination 2,000 candidates each year Academic standard for Chartered Engineer

9. Current Organisation Jointly owned by ECUK and C&G Steering Committee, Board of Examiners Administration by ex ECUK staff at C&G Little responsibility for teaching quality Seeking external validation Seeking listing in the National Qualifications Framework

10. Typical users Overseas students who wish to obtain a respected British engineering qualification Holders of non-accredited qualifications needing a further qualification to meet the required standard Holders of accredited BEng level degrees who need evidence of further learning to meet the academic standard for CEng (Postgraduate Diploma only) Those whose circumstances prevent them from pursuing an accredited degree programme

11. The Examination Three progressive parts: The Engineering Council Certificate The Engineering Council Graduate Diploma The Engineering Council Postgraduate Diploma

12. The Engineering Council Certificate Equates to 18 months of an Honours BEng Required entry standard: 2 'A' levels in science subjects, or equivalent Four compulsory papers and two others

13. The Engineering Council Certificate

14. The Engineering Council Graduate Diploma BEng Hons standard Engineering Council Certificate, or equivalent, for entry Five papers from available papers and the project report

15. The Engineering Council Graduate Diploma

16. The Engineering Council Postgraduate Diploma Assesses further learning to MEng standard Entry requires the Engineering Council Graduate Diploma or may be by Licensed Member exemption (usually through ICP)  Papers: Advanced Engineering Analysis (compulsory) Another paper (five or six available) 2 papers from Graduate Diploma Project report demonstrating group work and management principles.

17. The Engineering Council Postgraduate Diploma

18. Current deployment

19. Planned deployment

20. Domestic use Opportunities for diversification Top up qualification (additional learning) Rebadged Examination Acceptance by QCA onto the National Qualifications Framework

21. Thank you for your attentionMore information on City and Guilds Websitewww.engc.org.uk/Registration/ECUK_Exam.aspx