ECSA Registration Interviews Guide

Document No.
: Effective Date:
Revision No.: 0
R-INT-GUI-001 09/06/2020
Subject: ECSA Registration Interviews Guide
Compiler: Approving Officer: Next Review Date:

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MB Mtshali EL Nxumalo 09/06/2024
ENSURING THE
EXPERTISE TO GROW
SOUTH AFRICA
ECSA REGISTRATION INTERVIEWS GUIDE
R-INT-GUI-001
REVISION No. 0: 09 June 2020
CONTROLLED DISCLOSURE
When downloaded for the ECSA Document Management System, this document is uncontrolled and the responsibility rests with the user to
ENGINEERING COUNCIL
ensure OFwith
that it is in line SOUTH AFRICA
the authorised version on the database. If the ‘original’ stamp in red does not appear on each page, this
Tel: 011 6079500 | Fax: 011 6229295 document is uncontrolled.
QM-TEM-001 Rev 0 – ECSA Policy/Procedure
Email: [email protected] | Website: www.ecsa.co.za
Document No.: Effective Date:
Revision No.: 0
R-INT-GUI-001 09/06/2020

Page 2 of 7
TABLE OF CONTENTS
BACKGROUND..................................................................................................................... 3
1. DOCUMENT CUSTODIAN ................................................................................................ 3
2. PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT .................................................................................... 3
3. SPECIFIC DOCUMENT PROVISIONS ............................................................................. 3
3.1 Notification of interview .................................................................................................... 3
3.2 Preparation for experience appraisal interview ................................................................ 4
3.3 Preparation for professional review ................................................................................. 4
3.4 At the experience appraisal and professional review interviews ...................................... 5
3.5 The result of the experience appraisal interview or professional review ........................... 6
3.6 Advisory interviews .......................................................................................................... 6
REVISION HISTORY ............................................................................................................ 7
ensure that it is in line with the authorised version on the database. If the ‘original’ stamp in red does not appear on each page, this
document is uncontrolled.
Revision No.: 0
R-INT-GUI-001 09/06/2020

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BACKGROUND
The ECSA R-01-POL-PC: Policy on Registration in Professional Categories defines the
policy on conducting the Experience Appraisal interview and the Professional Review and
Advisory interviews. Further information is included in document R-03-PRO: Processing of
Applications for Registration of Candidates and Professionals. Applicant must ensure that
they are familiar with the information contained in these documents.
1. DOCUMENT CUSTODIAN
The Research Policy and Standards is the custodian of this document.
2. PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT

This document provides guidance to an applicant who has applied for professional
registration with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA). It provides insight on how
to prepare for both the Experience Appraisal (EA) and the Professional Review (PR)
interviews.
3. SPECIFIC DOCUMENT PROVISIONS

3.1 Notification of interview
ECSA sends an email advising the applicant to attend either of the interviews. Applicants
should note the kind of the interview they have been invited to and prepare accordingly (EA
interview, PR or Advisory interview). If it is an EA interview, it implies inadequate evidence
regarding one or more of the 11 outcomes in the application documentation to allow the
assessors to make a clear decision on whether experience requirements as stipulated in the
relevant R-02 document have been met. The Experience Appraisal section in R-01-POL-PC,
states that the interview will focus on specific outcome/s where evidence of competence was
not found. The EA interview focuses on gathering additional information for outcomes where
evidence was not clear.
The panel comprises three peer reviewers who are professionally registered persons.
Applicants should use related technical terminology and make reference to principles, codes,
specifications, etc., specific to that discipline. More importantly, applicants are expected to
demonstrate the level of engineering judgement they have personally applied and the work
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they have personally undertaken at the required responsibility levels. The competency
standards are defined in R-02-PE/PT/PCE/PN for Professional Engineers, Professional
Engineering Technologists, Professional Engineering Technicians and Professional
Certificated Engineers.
3.2 Preparation for experience appraisal interview

When preparing for the EA interview, the applicant should:
 acknowledge the email and confirm attendance on the given day, time and venue
 review the application documentation carefully noting any specific points the applicant
may wish to amplify during the interview
 read all key documents referred to in the application thoroughly and be adequately
prepared because it will be critical to elaborate on the outcomes highlighted in the
invitation letter
 refresh on the requirements of the missing outcomes and be prepared to answer
questions reflecting knowledge, competency, experience and level of responsibility
against each outcome.
Applicants who provide sufficient evidence at this stage and pass the EA stage will be invited
to the PR.
3.3 Preparation for professional review

Applicants are invited to the PR interview to convince the reviewers that all 11 ECSA
competency outcomes have been met. The onus is on the applicants to demonstrate how
their engineering experience to date satisfies the 11 ECSA competency outcomes.
When preparing for the PR, the applicant should:
 acknowledge the email and confirm attendance on the given day, time and venue
 review the application documentation carefully noting any specific points to amplify
during the interview
 read all key documents referred to in the application and be prepared to give finer details
about any parts of the documents mentioned in the application
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 refresh on the requirements of the 11 ECSA outcomes and prepare to answer questions
on the knowledge, competency, experience and engineering judgement applied against
each of the 11 outcomes
 prepare a 15-minute PowerPoint presentation on topics covered in the application by
providing in-depth description of activities undertaken during training experience.
Emphasis should be on proving how the applicant has met the 11 ECSA competency
outcomes. There is no specific format for this presentation, but it will form part of the
assessment of the applicant’s competence in respect of outcome 5 (communicate
clearly). The process of scanning the applications for ease of distribution to the
assessors and reviewers may have meant that detailed drawings or photographs
included in the portfolio of evidence were not easily readable. The applicant may wish,
therefore, to include some of these in the presentation
 have the option to provide hard copies of the presentation for the reviewers’ use during
the interview.
 rehearse the presentation to ensure it can be presented within the allocated 15 minutes.
3.4 At the experience appraisal and professional review interviews

Applicants are required to produce an identification document, which can be a RSA ID book,
RSA ID card, driver’s licence or passport that reflects the ID or passport number included in
the application form as proof of identity.
For both the EA and PR interview stages, applicants should be interviewed by three
reviewers; in unforeseen circumstances there may be only two reviewers. Two reviewers are
acceptable according to R-01-POL-PC provided the applicant has no objection. If an
applicant has an objection to any of the interviewers or perceives a possible conflict of
interest, it should be stated at the beginning of the EA interview or PR.
Communications is one of the ECSA 11 Competency Outcomes and applicants’ ability to

present and justify their case is part of the assessment process. Applicants should therefore
be confident and assertive in their presentation and when responding to questions. Where
appropriate, applicants are allowed to use paper to make a sketch to support their
responses. Additional material deemed necessary may be brought to assist in
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communicating effectively, which can include drawings, sketches, calculations, etc., that
further support the information already included in the application. No new information can be
included over and above what was provided in the original submission. While applicants are
allowed to refer to their current work – for information only – the reviewers are required to
assess on the basis of the work described in their original applications.
The reviewers assess an applicant’s understanding of the basic underlying principles in

answering technical questions that are relevant to the chosen discipline. Applicants may refer
to the principles of design additional to the software packages used.
3.5 The result of the experience appraisal interview or professional review

The assessors’ or reviewers’ reports go through a moderation process to determine the final
outcome. The ECSA Registration Office advises applicants of the outcome. In the event of a
refusal to register, applicants are provided with the reasons for the refusal as well as an
indication of what they would have to do to rectify or improve the experience and
competence for future re-application.
3.6 Advisory interviews
When applicants have been refused registration, they may be granted an advisory interview
upon their request but cannot overturn the final outcome. Alternatively, applicants may
choose to appeal the refusal registration.
Applicants should prepare clarity seeking questions based on the feedback received in the
refusal letter. ECSA provides no formal feedback; it is the applicant’s responsibility to record
the discussion/advice obtained at the session.

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Document No.

Subject: ECSA Registration Interviews Guide

Compiler: Approving Officer: Next Review Date: