Frequently Asked Questions
- Who operates this website and will my information be kept safe and confidential?
- What is the difference between certification and registration?
- How many competencies do I need to satisfy to achieve certification?
- How and When Do I Pay My Application Fee
- How long does it take to become certified?
- What happens if the NTBs are updated before I submit my application?
- What happens if the NTBs are updated after I submit my application?
Who operates this website and will my information be kept safe and confidential?
This website is operated by Canada's provincial associations for certifying and registering Technology Professionals. It is their on-line tool for allowing individuals from Canada and around the world to apply for certification. Each association is required and committed to keep all information provided by applicants for certification and registered Technology Professionals private and secure. All interactions with the Technology Registrations Canada web site are protected by a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate, the standard for secure Internet communication.
What is the difference between certification and registration?
The certification process is the determination by a provincial association for Technology Professionals of the technical competency level of an applicant based on the required training and experience to national standards. Once the appropriate certification has been determined, the applicant can be registered by the association as a Technology Professional. The applicant will also be required to successfully complete a professional practice and ethics examination.
How many competencies do I need to satisfy to achieve certification?
There is no pre-defined number of competencies required to achieve certification. An award of certification is based on an evaluation of an individual's claimed competencies and their combined academics and work experience. The intent of this outcomes-based approach is to allow as much flexibility as possible for the applicant and the association to which they are applying while maintaining certification standards and ultimately protecting the public interest. As an example, an applicant may be working at a very high level in one or two competencies and be evaluated as working at the technologist level. Another applicant might be competent across a larger number of competencies at a more 'even' level and also qualify as a technologist.
How and When Do I Pay My Application Fee
Each provincial association has its own application fee structure and preferred methods of payment. Details can be found by clicking on the province name link on the Select Provincial Association page during the application process. The information is repeated when you are ready to submit your application. TRC allows online payment through PayPal, credit cards and debit cards at the time you submit your application (Note: This only applies to ASTTBC in British Columbia at the moment). You may also pay using offline methods, according to the specific requirements of each association.
How long does it take to become certified?
This depends on a number of factors including the provincial association to which you apply; how much information you provide with your initial application; and how well your education and experience match certification requirements. Certification typically takes between 4 and 12 months, assuming your qualifications meet the requirements defined by the National Technology Benchmarks (NTBs) and the provincial association to which you have applied. Specific information for each provincial association can be found within the application process. Do I need to complete my application form in one session? You can return to your account to work on your application at any time until you feel it is ready to submit to a provincial association. You will likely find that you need to do additional research as you fill out the form and we encourage you to take your time - the more complete your application form when submitted, the more straightforward your application will be to process.
What happens if the NTBs are updated before I submit my application?
You can take as long as you like to complete your application but you will be notified when 12 months has passed from when you created your account if you have not submitted your application. You will then be expected to review your self-assessment and application against the latest NTBs before submitting your application to a provincial association.
What happens if the NTBs are updated after I submit my application?
Your application will still be evaluated against the NTBs under which you applied, although you may be asked to provide more information if the NTBs related to your application have changed significantly.