Professional registrations

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Registered Professional Engineer Queensland (RPEQ)

IChemE is an approved assessment entity for Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland (RPEQ) registration. In 2002 the state of Queensland, Australia introduced the ‘Professional Engineers Act’ making it a requirement that professional engineering services in Queensland and the design of buildings, plants, machinery or products for use in Queensland, are carried out by engineers who hold the status of Registered Professional Engineer QLD (RPEQ).

The Act applies extraterritorially, meaning RPEQ registration is still required for any professional engineering services carried out interstate or overseas but destined for Queensland, Australia.

RPEQs can:

  • demonstrate the required level of qualification and competence to practise as a chemical engineer in Queensland, Australia
  • provide critical engineering services to Queensland
  • be subject to an audit of their professional development activities. Audited registrants are required to demonstrate an average of 150 hours of CPD over a three-year continuous period to maintain their registration.

Academic requirement

To meet the academic requirement that BPEQ has set for RPEQ, applicants must hold an IChemE-accredited degree at M-Standard or a four-year degree recognised under the Washington Accord. Should applicants not initially meet the requirement then they will need to have their qualification(s) assessed as equivalent via IChemE’s ICP process. However, although IChemE asks you to provide evidence of work-based learning as part of the ICP process, this cannot be taken into account for RPEQ applications – assessment is purely on the equivalence of academic qualifications against IChemE M-Standard or Washington Accord. 

If you are interested in RPEQ, please contact the membership team and we will provide further information.

How to be assessed

After meeting BPEQ’s academic requirements, IChemE’s three-stage Chartered Member assessment can be undertaken to join IChemE as a Chartered Member and be assessed for RPEQ - RPEQ registration should be requested in the Stage 3 online submission. Existing Chartered Members and Fellows can be assessed for RPEQ by undergoing an additional professional review by RPEQ registered reviewers, providing BPEQ’s academic requirements have been met.

Assessment for RPEQ registration without joining IChemE is also possible, though the standard three-stage Chartered Member assessment process will apply.

Existing Chartered Members and Fellows, and those interested in RPEQ registration assessment without joining IChemE, should contact the membership team for further information.

Additional information