OUR PROGRAMMES
Certified Consulting Engineer
Programme information

The FIDIC Certified Consulting Engineer certification programme is suitable for a senior executive who has experience in the operational aspects of providing consulting engineering services within the infrastructure industry.
This individual has professional engineering credentials and can demonstrate a minimum of five years of work experience in a consulting engineering firm.
A Certified Consulting Engineer is someone who wishes to:
- validate their comprehensive understanding of business operations within a firm that provides consulting engineering services to the infrastructure industry, and
- demonstrate a good basic understanding of corporate organisation and managing responsibilities at the senior executive level.
Details of the application and assessment requirements, fees and the available dates can be consulted in the relevant fields beneath the flowchart. They summarize the general application process, the assessment requirements and the steps needed to qualify for the FCL certification exams.
The online exam will be available two to three times per annum, as indicated in the “Dates” section.
If the application period is not currently open, inform us of your interest in this certification programme by filling out the Expression of Interest (EOI) form below.
You will be notified when the next application period opens.
The flowchart below is a guide to the application process and the steps needed to qualify for the FCL certification exams.
Click on the diagram to expand.
Application requirements
Prerequisites:
To be eligible for participation in the exam, candidates should meet all the requirements listed below:
- Minimum of five years of workplace consulting engineering experience in the infrastructure consulting industry
- Degree or diploma in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) or any STEM related subjects
- Professional engineering qualification or licence such as chartered or professional engineer.
Note: For candidates from countries that do not issue professional qualifications, membership of nationally recognised register of engineers, or listing on government-approved lists of engineering suppliers will be accepted.
Competences:
- Good English language proficiency and understanding.
Application documents
- A CV/resumé detailing the minimum required workplace consulting engineering experience in the infrastructure consulting industry, OR a declaration attesting to the candidate’s relevant minimum required experience, signed by the person(s) to whom the candidate reports.
- A copy of a Diploma (STEM related) or a degree that describes the educational institution, title of the qualification, the candidate’s name and date of issuance.
- A copy of professional engineering qualification that describes the awarding body, the title of the professional qualification, the candidate’s name and the date of issuance, OR proof of membership of nationally recognised register of engineers, OR proof of listing on government-approved lists of engineering suppliers.
Note: Any documentation issued in languages other than English, should be accompanied with an official English translation.
Fees
- A non-refundable application fee of CHF 100.
- Certification fee: CHF 1,500. This fee also covers the examination fees.
- Yearly renewal fee (payable at the end of Year 1 and Year 2 of the certification validity period): CHF 250.
- Recertification fee (payable at the end of Year 3, for the re-certification procedure): CHF 1,000.
FCL applies a tiered discount policy, based on the financial data of each candidate’s country of residence.
- Tier 1: 0% discount
- Tier 2: 15% discount
- Tier 3: 35% discount
- Tier 4: 50% discount
The above reductions will only be applied to the certification and recertification fees.
Click here for information on the tiers: FCL discount tiers
Assessment details
The assessment is based on the candidate’s existing skills and knowledge. The candidate must apply ready to be assessed.
The FCCE certification programme is a single-phase assessment. Candidates who fulfil the programme’s prerequisites will be invited to participate in an online multiple-choice questions exam.
The exam includes 100 multiple-choice questions that must be answered in three and a half hours (3hrs 30 mins) and completed in one sitting. The questions will be a mix of True or False questions, with questions that may have one correct answer and questions that may have several correct answers.
The pass mark for the FCCE exam is set at 65%.
This may however be adjusted in the future by FCL.
Award of certification
If you satisfy the required examination pass mark, you will be awarded your FIDIC Certified Consulting Engineer certification.
The FIDIC Certified Consulting Engineer certification is valid for three (3) years from the date of issue.
Monitoring and recertification procedure
The certification is valid for three (3) years from the date of issue. To maintain the validity of the credentials for this 3-year term, certificate holders will need to follow a specific yearly monitoring procedure. Failure to meet the yearly monitoring requirements will result in the credentials being suspended and/or withdrawn before their expiration date.
When the credentials expire (at the end of the 3-year term), the certificate holders will be required to follow a specific recertification procedure.
Details of the Monitoring and recertification procedures can be found here.
Dates
Schedule for Q1 of 2023 exam dates:
Applications open: 17 April – 19 May 2023
Exam date: 31 May 2023
(Further information on new certification assessment dates for 2023 will also be provided in the future).
Examination syllabus
Candidates will be tested on the topics listed below:
- The international infrastructure consulting industry
a. Range of roles undertaken by firms providing consulting services in the infrastructure industry
b. Typical firm structures and organization, reporting, and responsibilities including:
i. Single office, multi-office, international organization, long and short-term partnerships
ii. Multilingual and multinational organizations
iii. Incorporation of technical expertise in service provision
c. Quality management practices in the industry including ISO 9000 series certification.
2. Infrastructure consulting industry as a business
a. Management and leadership in the industry including roles and responsibilities:
i. Executive engineer/senior management
ii. Boards of directors
iii. Executive support functions (Human resources, finance, legal and insurance, corporate communications)
b. Basic financial reporting including:
i. Statements, balance sheets, cash flow, owner equity
ii. Cost of operations
iii. Retained earnings, dividends, taxation basics
iv. Bank loans and other financial commitments
v. Accounts receivable aging
c. Project account management:
i. Invoicing and cash flow
ii. Change management – adjustment of deliverables, timing and project costs
iii. Project completion process
iv. Project profitability
3. Leadership and management
a. Definitions
b. Leadership:
i. The issues
ii. Planning communications
iii. Making suggestions, encouraging participation, harvesting ideas, putting concepts in context
iv. Techniques for resolving differences
v. Taking responsibility/recognising contributions
c. Management:
i. Identifying operating activities, systems, and processes
ii. Communicating the pattern of management
iii. Distributing the work/balancing the workload/defining expectations
iv. Liaising with the parties/(the doers, the client, senior management)
v. Correcting deviations in a timely manner
vi. Checking the product
vii. Recognizing performance
viii. Concluding the process
4. Communication and liaison
a. Communications:
i. Understanding interpersonal communications
ii. Scoping and refining the message, keeping it focussed
iii. Content (Background information essentials, The message, Summary and reprise, Supporting documentation)
iv. The medium (verbal and written issues, individual and group communications, electronic media) such as clarity, simplicity, brevity, and timeliness
v. Record keeping/documentation
vi. Effective use of social media
b. Liaison:
i. Planning/scheduling
ii. Delivering – truthfulness, clarity, simplicity, brevity, timeliness
iii. Recording.
5. Marketing, business development, proposals, and client contract:
a. Marketing and business development methodology in the infrastructure consulting industry
i. Methodology for geographic (domestic vs international) and technical expansion
ii. Advertising
iii. Presentations in industry seminars and meetings
iv. Publications – technical and client industry specific
v. Ongoing liaison with existing clients
vi. Expectations (time and effort, costs)
vii. Reputation measurement and management
b. Proposal development:
i. Methods of charging for services in the industry
ii. RFP response (go / no go assessment, risk estimation and minimization (commercial, technical, and legal), work breakdown and staffing requirements, time estimating and budgeting including allowance for risk)
c. Client contract negotiations
i. Legal issues – e.g. standard of care, indemnification, professional liability insurance
ii. FIDIC White Book
6. Project and Quality Management, basic FIDIC construction contracts
a. Project management in the consulting industry
i. Organisation, scheduling, and staffing
ii. Budget and time management
iii. Risk management
iv. Monitoring and invoicing
v. Change orders
vi. Project completion
b. Quality assessment and management
c. Basic FIDIC construction contracts :
i. Structure and responsibilities
ii. General conditions and amendments
iii. Handling of variations and disputes
iv. FIDIC alternative dispute resolution procedures
d. Selection of contractors, bidding process and evaluation, award of contract
e. Site operations, inspections, meetings, records, approval for payment.
7. Staff HR practices in the consulting industry
a. New staff acquisition
b. Leadership and management practices
c. Recognizing, assessing, and rewarding performance; correcting deficiencies
d. Health and safety issues and responsibilities
e. Equity and fairness
f. Social value/corporate social responsibility.
8. Professional engineering and business ethics
a. Codes of professional engineering and business ethics
b. Conflict of interest
c. Corruption in the infrastructure construction industry
d. Integrity management practices including FIDIC Integrity Management System
e. Recognition of ethical problems and their correction
f. International standards
9. Social responsibilities of infrastructure projects
a. Environmental management practices
b. Sustainability management practice
c. Climate change
d. Safety and resilience
e. Public interaction on societal issues.
Body of knowledge
- FIDIC Guide to Practice – The Business of a Professional Services Firm (2015)
- FIDIC policy statements:
a. Conflict of Interest
b. Consulting Engineers and the environment
c. Projects in which consultants have a financial interest other than a normal fee
d. HIV and AIDS
e. Limitations of liability
f. Partnering
g. Guidelines to reviewing the work of other professional Consulting Engineers
h. Site safety
i. Transfer of technology
j. Understanding and minimizing corruption
k. Introduction to standard of care
l. Professional indemnity insurance
m. FIDIC pandemic seminars and bulletins
- FIDIC Selection of Consultants – 3rd edt. (2019)
- FIDIC Golden Principles
- FIDIC Sub-Consultancy Agreement – 2nd edt. (2017)
- FIDIC Model Joint Venture (Consortium) Agreement – 2nd edt. (2017)
- FIDIC Client/Consultant Model Services Agreement – 5th edt. (2017)
- FIDIC Definition of Services Guideline (Civil Work) (2016)
- FIDIC Model Representatives’ Agreement – 1st edt. (2013)
- ISO 21502 Project, programme and portfolio management — Guidance on project management
- FIDIC Risk Management – A Short Guide Dealing with Risk – Managing Expectations (1997)
- FIDIC Procurement Procedures Guide – 1st edt. (2011)
- FIDIC Project Sustainability Management – Applications Manual – 2nd edition (2013)
- FIDIC Guidelines for Integrity Management System in the Consulting Industry, 1st edt, Part 1(2011), Part 2(2015), Part 3(2019)
- FIDIC Quality Based Selection (QBS) Guidelines (2011)
- FIDIC State of the World Report – 2015 (Water Challenges)
- First Among Equals: How to Manage a Group of Professionals, Patrick J. McKenna, David H. Maister (2005)
- FIDIC Alternative Dispute Resolution Procedures (2019)
- FIDIC State of the World Series (2021)
- FIDIC Covid-19 Webinar Series (2021)
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