ARE CENG AND IENG EQUAL IN STATUS

Two points that I can't see mentioned in the above (apologies if I have missed them in the many long responses!)

1. The educational requirements are guidelines, they are the easiest paths to the two statuses (statii?), but not essential. I obtained my Master's after my CEng, and anyway my Master's is in management! I can imagine not supporting an MEng graduate to CEng, and I have certainly supported BEng and BSc graduates to CEng. It depends on what expertise they have shown after graduation. Same applies to years of experience. Because:

• The difference, as I have always understood it, is about "Innovation" and "Application". The way I describe it is that an IEng knows all the rules, and knows how to follow them, and how to apply them even in situations they haven't come across before. A CEng wrote the rules. 

(A good question for potential registrants to ask themselves is how often they have asked the question "where is the book that tells me how to do this?". If you ask that all the time CEng may not be right for you.)


As far as "seniority" goes, in a corporate sense it is irrelevant. As was mentioned above it is perfectly possible for the CEO of a company to be IEng, employing CEngs many levels lower. But in engineering authority in an area where both have expertise yes, the CEng should have more authority.


And sadly I don't remember ever seen a job advert looking for IEng, but I do sometimes see jobs looking for "CEng or moving towards CEng status". So irrespective of anything the IET or EC say that gives a real world employer's view of the status of these.



The really important thing is that CEng and IEng are a badge of status, awarded by your peers, NOT based on your education or how long you've managed to stay in a job, but on what you have actually achieved. This is what makes them (potentially) of value. But if an employer does not need you to innovate they may not want to pay you more just because you have CEng.



Over very many years I have always recommended to potential registrants to concentrate on achieving in the workplace first rather than worrying about their EC status, if they do this then their EngTech, IEng or CEng application becomes easy!

Two points that I can't see mentioned in the above (apologies if I have missed them in the many long responses!)

1. The educational requirements are guidelines, they are the easiest paths to the two statuses (statii?), but not essential. I obtained my Master's after my CEng, and anyway my Master's is in management! I can imagine not supporting an MEng graduate to CEng, and I have certainly supported BEng and BSc graduates to CEng. It depends on what expertise they have shown after graduation. Same applies to years of experience. Because:

• The difference, as I have always understood it, is about "Innovation" and "Application". The way I describe it is that an IEng knows all the rules, and knows how to follow them, and how to apply them even in situations they haven't come across before. A CEng wrote the rules. 

(A good question for potential registrants to ask themselves is how often they have asked the question "where is the book that tells me how to do this?". If you ask that all the time CEng may not be right for you.)


As far as "seniority" goes, in a corporate sense it is irrelevant. As was mentioned above it is perfectly possible for the CEO of a company to be IEng, employing CEngs many levels lower. But in engineering authority in an area where both have expertise yes, the CEng should have more authority.


And sadly I don't remember ever seen a job advert looking for IEng, but I do sometimes see jobs looking for "CEng or moving towards CEng status". So irrespective of anything the IET or EC say that gives a real world employer's view of the status of these.



The really important thing is that CEng and IEng are a badge of status, awarded by your peers, NOT based on your education or how long you've managed to stay in a job, but on what you have actually achieved. This is what makes them (potentially) of value. But if an employer does not need you to innovate they may not want to pay you more just because you have CEng.



Over very many years I have always recommended to potential registrants to concentrate on achieving in the workplace first rather than worrying about their EC status, if they do this then their EngTech, IEng or CEng application becomes easy!