Tiered Accreditation

The Tiered Accreditation programme allows practitioners to gain professional recognition of their skills and competence at an early stage and be able to progress through the various levels to full certification.

Tiered Accreditation Tri-Fold Routes to Professional Status

Practitioners with suitable experience and qualifications can apply to enter at any level.

There are four levels:

Enrolled Cost Engineer (ECostE)
Registered Cost Engineer (RCostE)
Incorporated Cost Engineer (ICostE)
Certified Professional Cost Engineer (CPCostE)

The latter three levels are broadly equivalent to the Engineering Council's Engineering Technician, Incorporated Engineer and Chartered Engineer awards.

Applicants will be accepted from anyone with the appropriate qualifications and/or experience in Estimating, Cost Engineering, Scheduling or Project Controls. Applicants must be Members of the Association in order to receive an Accreditation award.

Applicants will be invited to complete an in-depth Benchmarking Pack for the appropriate level. For Incorporated and Certified Professionals levels, applicants will be invited to attend a Professional Interview. All applicants will need to identify two senior sponsors who can confirm that the qualifications, experience and evidence submitted by the applicant are appropriate and attribute to that applicant.

For Senior Management or those with extensive relevant experience the Board may choose to Fast Track the candidate. This involves the normal application and attending a Professional Interview but removes the necessity to produce the in-depth Benchmarking Pack. The candidate at interview will be expected to demonstrate how they meet the criteria and guidance will be given.

Where the Board is of the view that there is an outstanding development need at which the applicant is being assessed, the Board many ask for the application to be supplemented by the completion of Units of Assessment drawn from the National Occupational Standards. The Board will use these Units of Assessment to recommend a development programme to allow individuals to progress to the next level of Accreditation.

To achieve CPCostE you may also be asked to produce a Practice Paper. The aim of the Practice Paper is to provide evidence of the applicant’s intellectual abilities in relation to a cost engineering topic in Manufacture or Projects (Estimating, Cost Engineering, Planning, Commercial Support or Project Control). The Practice Paper requires an in-depth study of an aspect of cost engineering, estimating, Planning, Risk or the related commercial support skills.

It is a condition of use of the Accreditation that awardees maintain their Membership and demonstrate their Continuing Professional Development.

Current Fees:

Applicant Administration (one off fee, any level)£50
Benchmarking Pack (each Level) £150
Professional Interview (ICostE and CPCostE only) £300
CPCostE Fast track Acceptance £50
Unit of Assessment (Max of 5 per level) £40 per unit
Practice Paper £150