COREN Exam- Preparation and registration requirements

The engineering profession has its attractions. For young people that have a flair for working with tools, equipment and technology, an engineering career is the gateway to many exciting experiences

Nigeria is an oil producing country. Oil is the country’s most significant export and oil company employees are admired for being well compensated. The desire to work for oil producing firms in Nigeria has fueled the passion of many who have joined the profession

Advancements in technology have created immense job opportunities for engineers in construction, information technology and many other fields. Although some might argue that Nigerian engineers are not sufficiently employed.

If you are interested in this field, you might have heard about COREN. In this article, I will go over what COREN is, their role and other facts about the Engineering profession.

About COREN

COREN stands for the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria. As the name implies, this professional body exists to govern the engineering profession in the country.

It was first established as the Council of Registered Engineers of Nigeria in 1970 by decree No 55 of 1970 as a regulatory arm of the federal government.

The current registrar of COREN is Prof. Engr. Bello Adisa.

What is the role of COREN?

COREN has several roles which include;

• Regulation and monitoring- COREN controls all aspects of the practice of engineering, regulates foreign engineering practitioners, investigates engineering failures and prosecutes anyone that breaks the law with regards to competent practice.

• Registration of  Engineering practitioners- COREN determines the standards of knowledge and skills to be attained by Engineers, regulates industrial training schemes for engineers and students and ensuring capacity building in Engineering

• Registration of Engineering Practitioners and Firms- COREN determines who is an engineering practitioner, registers Engineers, Engineering Technicians, Engineering Technologists, registers such practitioners and firms and issues licenses.

COREN also carries out other roles as stipulated by their establishing act.

How to register with COREN

In order to be registered as an engineer in Nigeria, you must have graduated from a higher institution where he must have obtained an accredited engineering qualification anywhere in the world.  

Before applying for registration, you need to have had  four years of professional working experience whether working for a public organisation or privately. You also need to pass the professional engineering exams as prescribed.

You must then apply to register after meeting the following requirements respectively.

For Engineering graduates, you must meet the following requirements.

• You must have passed the Professional Examination conducted by COREN.
• You must have completed your NYSC and present your certificate.
• You must submit certified copies of your engineering certificates.
• You must submit a professional competency profile as contained in the certificate of experience sheet as obtained from the COREN website.
• You must submit an application through COREN online registration portal.

For prospective members with P.Eng (Professional Engineer), C. Eng (Chartered Engineer), MNSE (Member, Nigerian Society of Engineers)

• You must submit either your MNSE, P.Eng and C.Eng certificates with academic transcripts for the latter two.
• You must submit an application through COREN online registration portal.

What Qualifications does COREN accept?

COREN accepts the following qualifications for registration as an engineer;

• COREN accredited B.Eng./B.Sc./B.Tech in Engineering.

• HND in an Engineering field  with a COREN accredited PGD in the same Engineering field e.g. HND in Civil Engineering  with a PGD in Civil Engineering with 2 years post PGD experience. 

• HND in an Engineering field with a COREN accredited B. Eng/B.Sc or B. Tech in the same field of Engineering e.g. HND Civil Engineering + B. Eng Civil Engineering with 2 years post B.Eng Experience.

•  Diploma – Ingenieur from Continental Europe (This is registrable after 4 years).

•  Degree in Engineering from the Eastern Block translated as M.Sc. and New B. Sc. (This is registrable after 4 years).

• HND (Engineering)  with an M.Eng. (Engineering) in the same field and 2 years post M.Eng experience.

• Full technological certificate (obtained not later than 1999) with PGD, M. Eng. (This is registrable after 2 years).

•  B.Sc. (Science) with M.Eng. (in relevant field) and 10 years post graduate Engineering experience and not less than 50 years of age. Those with these qualifications should be an employer of at least 3 engineers, must have made outstanding contributions to the field of engineering, either have evidence of outstanding talents or have obtained a Ph.D.

How do I become a chartered engineer in Nigeria

The chartered engineer is an internationally recognized qualification that would enable you to increase your earning and career potential.

To be a chartered engineer, you must be registered with the Engineering Council which regulates the engineering profession in the UK.

Chartered engineers solve problems in engineering using existing technology, creativity and innovation. For Nigerians, this qualification can give you the opportunity to practise in foreign countries across the world.

To become a chartered engineer, you have to demonstrate the required professional competences and commitment, as set out in the professional standard UK-SPEC. Individuals generally develop these through education and working experience.

Note that the C.Eng designation is a masters level qualification and requires you to have obtained a masters degree in engineering.

If you have the C.Eng qualification, you can apply to COREN for recognition by submitting relevant certificates.

What skills do you need to become an Engineer?

Becoming a successful engineer requires a blend of technical and creative skills. I will go over some of them below;

Mathematics

One essential skill engineers must have is the ability to use mathematical tools to solve technical problems with precision. 

Physics and mathematics can never be divorced from any aspect of engineering whether you deal with computer systems or you are constructing skyscrapers you should comprehend the scientific calculations that underlie the principles ensuring that engineering creations work.

Computer skills

Every field of engineering these days would require you to be comfortable with a computer. Although you might not need to pass competency tests in any of these, you would need skills like AutoCAD (Computer Aided Design), Microsoft Office and Microsoft projects, programming languages like C++, Java, Simulation software, digital twin and these are just a few.

But what would be most relevant to you would largely depend on your engineering field.

Problem- solving

Engineers solve complex problems for the world. They use both creativity and technical skills to do this.

As an engineer, you must possess the ability to reason critically to spot solutions to problems. 

This is a skill that is tied to continuous learning, experimentation and research.

Creativity

An Engineer needs to be creative as well in most cases. Engineers are behind some of the most innovative creations the world has ever seen and many of these are clearly products of creative thinking.

Team work

Most endeavours in engineering are usually team efforts.

What this means is that engineers must be able to work with their teams effectively to achieve success. Skills like collaboration, communication and other social skills would improve your quality of work as an engineer.

Attention to detail

As an engineer, you would find that precision is an important part of what you do. Careless assumptions that cannot be backed by facts can often prove to be very costly for you in terms of resources and time.

Sometimes, mistakes can even lead to loss of lives.

Attention to detail is shown when planning projects and writing reports.

Commitment to learning

Technology is one the fast-changing aspects of our world today.

Remaining relevant as an engineer means staying on top of these changes. 

Engineers have to learn consistently through courses, training programmes and in some cases with the support of their companies

COREN exam format

The professional exam takes place twice in Abuja.

COREN’s written examination consists of two sections namely; 

• Engineer in the society and
• The relevant Engineering field.

After this exam, you would have to sit for an oral interview. You would be scored in 6 sections based on COREN’s approved guidelines.

You would need to score at least 50% in each section to be registered.

How to prepare for the COREN exam

In order to participate in the exams, firstly you have to submit an application, your curriculum vitae and a technical report that shows your experience.

To perform well in the exam here are some tips you need to know;

• Dress properly in preparation for your oral interview. Be prepared to answer questions about your experience.

• When creating your technical report be sure to use diagrams, and clear illustrations using tables and calculations.
• Ensure you are familiar with the contents of your report. Go over it to be sure.

• Familiarise yourself with the COREN act, ethics and code of conduct of the profession, current affairs and health, safety and environment issues.

• Take advantage of available past questions to practise in preparation for the exams.

Examination fees

If you are applying to register through professional exams, your fee is as follows;

Application fee- N85,000

Induction fee-  N63,000

Total- N148,000

For those registering through absorption ( P.Eng, C.Eng etc)

Application fee- N35,000

Induction fee- N63,000

What is a COREN certificate?

COREN issues a membership certificate to successful individual applicants as well as companies.

For individuals, this signals their qualification and registration as engineers. They can now be addressed as ‘Engineer’

For companies this signals that their work adheres to professional standards in engineering.

Conclusion

The COREN exams can help engineers get registered in the country if you are going through the professional route. In order to succeed, you must understand the requirements for registration and the format of the exams

This article has gone over those details. You also need to know the different skills that can help you succeed as an engineer in Nigeria. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Chartered Engineer  recognized in the USA?

Each state in the United States has their own regulatory framework for engineering so not all states would recognize your chartered engineer status.

What is the difference between NSE and COREN

NSE is the Nigerian Society of Engineers while COREN is the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria.  

Can I register COREN with HND?

If you only have a HND you cannot get registered by COREN. You would need to either get a COREN accredited Post graduate diploma in the relevant engineering field or Bachelor’s degree in engineering

How many engineers are registered in Nigeria?

By 2024, more than 67,000 engineers have been registered by COREN in Nigeria.