The Alberta Land Surveyors’ Association is changing its registration process by moving away from the current articling and experience approach to a course-based competency approach.
 
We had intended for the competency courses to begin this winter but, for a variety of reasons (including waiting for the ALSA to come under the Professional Governance Act), but now the first two courses will start this September.
 
Council had previously approved a transition plan for applicants who are currently under articles. With the delay in the competency courses starting, the transition plan has been updated with the intention of giving all current articling pupils a fair opportunity.
 
The new transition process is…

• Pupils who have not passed one written exam (including project report) as of June 1, 2026 (instead of January 1, 2026) will automatically be switched over to the course process. June 1 was selected because this is the time when the Professional Governance Act is expected to come into effect.
• Written exams in the current process will be offered until October 2028 (instead of October 2027) and will follow the three-strike rule.
• Pupils are required to complete all project reports no later than December 31, 2028 (instead of December 31, 2027).
• Pupils can switch to the course-based process at any time. 

 
Changing the dates to complete everything by 2028 will allow all pupils, who wish to remain in the old system, to have three attempts at the written exam. 
 
Next week, we will provide more details and information about the course-based competency registration process.