Candidate Process

  • Candidate Membership

    The first step to becoming a Candidate Member of your Provincial or Territorial Institute or Association (PTIA) is applying to the Professional Standards Board for the Planning Profession in Canada (PSB).

    • Am I eligible to apply?
    • How do I apply?
    • When will I hear back?

  • Mentorship

    Your mentorship period will last a minimum of one year is designed to help you with your professional growth and your development of specific competencies.

    • What does my mentor do?
    • What can I log?

  • Logging Work Experience

    Candidates will record their responsible professional planning experience, your Sponsor will monitor you during this stage which can occur concurrent with Mentorship.

    • What can I log?
    • Can I log past experience?
    • How many years do I need to log?

  • Ethics & Professionalism Course

    All candidates are required to complete the Ethics and Professionalism Course and Test.

    • About the course & test
    • How do I take the test?

  • The Professional Examination

    The Professional Examination is the final step in achieving your RPP designation.

    • When am I eligible to write?

2, 3 & 4 can be completed concurrently

Candidate Process – Getting Started

To achieve certification as a professional planner, you will need to complete the following steps:

  1. Once you are employed in planning, submit an application  for assessment to the Professional Standards Board (PSB) through the appropriate entry route, and receive approval of that application. We will review your application, and if it meets the standards, will refer it to your PTIA who will register you as a Candidate member (separate membership fee required).
  2. Be granted membership in a Provincial/Territorial Institute or Association (PTIA) of the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP). Completion of the PSB assessment process does not automatically grant full membership.  Formal admission to full membership is the prerogative of the PTIA following our assessment process. *Please note you cannot begin PSB’s process until this Candidate membership has been confirmed. As a Candidate, you may then begin working towards your certification.
  3. Submit your mentor and sponsor names and contact information through the candidate portal.
  4. Successfully complete the Ethics & Professionalism Course and Test 
  5. Sponsorship – Log the appropriate qualifying responsible professional planning experience (the equivalent of two years’ experience is necessary if you are applying with an Accredited Degree; or the equivalent of one year’s experience if you are applying through the Prior Learning Assessment Recognition (PLAR) route or with a certified professional membership from an international planning institute with which the profession has a reciprocal agreement), and have your Sponsor sign off on your logs. Submit logs to the PSB for approval.
  6. Mentorship – Complete a minimum of one year of mentorship, and have your Mentor sign off on your record of mentorship. Submit logs to the PSB for approval.
  7. Successfully complete the Professional Examination (this is the final step, and can only be taken once all the above steps have been achieved)

Please note that the mentorship, sponsorship logging processes and the Ethics & Professionalism Course and Test can be completed concurrently, which may shorten the time to certification in some cases. Certification on Laptop - Professional Planner Once you have completed all the steps and requirements for professional certification, based on PSB’s assessment of all material you have submitted, we will report on that assessment and make a recommendation to your PTIA.  The PTIA will then move forward with the process to admit you formally to full (certified) membership and Registered Professional Planner (RPP) or equivalent status. Completion of the professional certification process and admission to full membership is a significant milestone and substantial personal and professional achievement, and PSB congratulates you.  Both CIP and your PTIA have programs and activities to honour newly admitted full members, such as the issuance for formal membership certificates and public recognition.

Q. When am I eligible to write the Professional Examination?

You must have completed the Membership Course (if applicable) plus any other requirements identified by OPPI, submitted your work experience logs, signed by your Sponsor, to OPPI, have them approved by their reviewer, and certified by OPPI’s Registrar in order to be eligible.  Just as was the case with Exam A, the Professional Examination is your last step toward full (certified) membership.  OPPI will confirm your eligibility to you.

Q. Do I have to complete a year of Mentorship and the Ethics and Professionalism Course and Test to be eligible to write?

No, you do not.  The Mentorship and Ethics & Professionalism requirements only apply to those who have registered in PSB’s process as Candidates.  Eligibility for Candidate (Provisional) members is based solely on OPPI’s requirements.

Q. I see that going through the PSB process I may try the Professional Examination three times. As a candidate (Provisional) member, how many attempts will I have?

OPPI’s rules apply in this area. On September 30, 2014, OPPI changed these rules to permit three (3) attempts at the Examination, so Candidate (Provisional) members have the same opportunities as have Candidate members enrolled in PSB’s process.

Q. What happens if, after three attempts, I am still not successful?

You have the option of entering PSB’s process at that point (please see above details).  OPPI is unable to readmit you as a Candidate (Provisional) member.

Q. Who will notify me of my examination results?

Under our agreement with OPPI, they will notify you of the results.  This may take a day or two longer than the time quoted in the main Professional Examination FAQ.