Our Standards

The Engineering Council’s Standards are internationally recognised and industry-relevant, providing assurance that registered engineers and technicians have the competence and commitment required to practise responsibly for the public benefit.

They are developed collaboratively with input from across the breadth of the profession.

The standards individuals must meet to become professionally registered are set out in the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence and Commitment (UK-SPEC) and the Information and Communications Technology Technician (ICTTech) Standard.

We also publish the educational criteria required for professional registration, known as learning outcomes. The Accreditation of Higher Education Programmes (AHEP) Standard sets out the required learning outcomes for recognised degree programmes, while the Approval and Accreditation of Qualifications and Apprenticeships (AAQA) Standard establishes learning outcomes for non-degree programmes, including apprenticeships.

UK-SPEC HRB (Higher Risk Buildings) is a contextualised version of UK-SPEC for engineers and technicians involved in building work, including design, construction, maintenance and operation.

Hierarchy of regulations and standards

The Royal Charter is an instrument of incorporation granted by the UK monarch. It confers independent legal personality on the Engineering Council and defines its objectives, constitution and powers to govern its own affairs.

View our Royal Charter

The Bye-laws are the established rules by which the Engineering Council regulates itself.

View our Bye-laws

The Regulations (including Regulations for Registration and Regulations for Licensing) set out the rules licensed professional engineering institutions must adhere to when carrying out processes regulated by the Engineering Council.

View our Regulations

UK-SPEC and the ICTTech Standard are reference Standards that, with reference to Regulations for Registration, set out the competence and commitment required for registration as CEng, IEng, EngTech and ICTTech.
AAQA and AHEP are reference Standards that, with reference to RfR, set out the policy, context, rules and procedures for recognising learning and development programmes that help develop the competence and
commitment set out in UK-SPEC and ICTTech Standard.
Recognised Standards are derived from UK-SPEC by the Engineering Council, licensed professional engineering institutions, or a third party.

UK-SPEC

The UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence and Commitment (UK-SPEC) describes the standards for professional registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng), Incorporated Engineer (IEng) or Engineering Technician (EngTech).

UK-SPEC HRB

The UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence and Commitment Contextualised for Higher-risk Buildings (UK-SPEC HRB) sets out the competences and commitments expected of engineers and technicians who work in the built environment sector, in particular on higher-risk buildings.

ICTTech Standard

The Information and Communications Technology Technician (ICTTech) Standard describes the requirements for the ICTTech registration.

Educational criteria requirements

The Engineering Council also publishes the educational criteria required for the different levels of professional registration, known as learning outcomes. The learning outcomes can be found in the Accreditation of Higher Education Programmes (AHEP), and those to be met by non-degree programmes, including apprenticeships, can be found in the Approval and Accreditation of Qualifications and Apprenticeship (AAQA).

The Engineering Council works with its partners across the profession to set and periodically review the Standards.

Regulations for Registration (RfR)

UK-SPEC and ICTTech Standard are reference Standards that, with reference to RfR, set out the competence and commitment required for registration as CEng, IEng, EngTech and ICTTech.

Find out more about RfR