How do I become an Alberta Land Surveyor?
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I am a land surveyor licensed in a jurisdiction outside of Canada. How do I become an Alberta Land Surveyor?

Canadian Board of Examiners for Professional Surveyors.
Land surveyors licensed outside of Canada must first obtain a Canadian Board of Examiners for Professional Surveyors (CBEPS) certificate of completion. The certificate of completion tells the Alberta Land Surveyors’ Association that the candidate meets the basic educational requirements to become an Alberta Land Surveyor.

The Canadian Board of Examiners assesses your application, and advises you of which of 13 examinations you must write. As an internationally-trained land surveyor, you might be eligible for exemptions from some of the examinations.

Upon receiving a certificate of completion, a person is eligible to article to an Alberta Land Surveyor.

Application
Candidates who wish to article must find an Alberta Land Surveyor to whom to article. When an Alberta Land Surveyor has agreed to article you, complete the application to article form and pay the prescribed fees and send them, along with your Canadian Board of Examiners for Professional Surveyors Certificate of Completion, to the Alberta Land Surveyors’ Association office. The fees are currently a $100 articling application fee plus a $200 annual articled pupil fee. All fees are subject to GST.

Before your articles can be approved, you must fill out an articling resume and a report outlining your program of training and experience to be undertaken during the proposed period of articles (see “Eligibility for Articles” in the Pupil Handbook).

Articles
Candidates are required to article for a minimum of two years which must consist of at least 18 months of field experience and six months of office experience. The pupil must complete the articling requirements within five years unless otherwise approved by the Registration Committee.

During the articling process, the pupil must complete three written professional exams, three project reports and a final qualifying examination.

Articled pupils who have experience in Alberta at the party chief level may apply for prior field service credit towards their articles.

Articled pupils must submit an affidavit of service by January 15 of each year or the articles will be terminated.

During the articling process, pupils are required to meet with the Registration Committee annually to discuss with you and your principal your progress.

If you wish to transfer your articles to another principal, you must submit a transfer of articles form.

Professional Exams
Articled pupils must pass three written professional exams. They are the Practical Surveying Exam, The Statute Law Exams, and the Surveying Profession Exam.

A passing mark is 75%. Exams are scheduled twice each year; once in the spring and again in the fall. Affiliate members do not have to pass all of the exams at one sitting.

Project Reports
Articled pupils shall submit three 2-4 page project reports. Please do not submit all three at once.

Projects shall be in one of each of the following project categories:
  1. A Parcel Survey/Subdivision (must be a plan of survey);
  2. A stand-alone Right-of-Way or Road Survey;
  3. Pupil selected, (the pupil may not repeat a project from group 1 or 2.) This option will require pre-approval from the Committee. Suggested projects include a Real Property Report, a condominium survey, a wellsite survey, or a relevant engineering survey.
It is expected that the extent of the pupil's involvement with the project will increase substantially with each project. For instance the 'hands on' involvement with the first project will likely be confined to the field work and the pre-drafting computations, while playing a lesser role in the client liaison, job setup and final submission phases. Pupil involvement with the last project should be at the same level that a land surveyor would normally be involved, that is, in every aspect of the project, be it hands on or in a supervisory capacity.

The project report is to cover the initial contact, the approval process, project setup and research, field survey, plan preparation, final checking and final plan processing.

The schedule for submission of two copies of the required three project reports is:
  • a minimum of one per calendar year, starting in the first full calendar year (January to December) of articles.
  •  a maximum of two per calendar year during any given year of articles.

Qualifying Exam
Once an affiliate member has completed the three written professional exams and the three project reports, the candidate may apply to take the final qualifying exam.

The qualifying exam will consist of general questioning on the surveying profession and practice. For the most part, the questions will address technical and professional matters as they pertain to the practice of cadastral surveying in Alberta.

Registration
Upon the successful completion of the qualifying examination, the candidate must pay the prescribed fees, provide proof of professional liability insurance and take and subscribe an oath before a judge of the Court of Appeal or Court of Queen’s Bench.

This is general information only. For more detailed information, please see:



Our Mission

The Alberta Land Surveyors' Association (ALSA) is a self-governing professional
association legislated under the Land Surveyors Act.

The Association regulates the practice of land surveying for the protection of the public and administration of the
profession.