IEM PI A200

THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, MALAYSIA

Guidance Notes on Professional Interview Application
April 2015

1. Introduction
1.1.

The Applicant (Intending Candidate) must have at least three (3) years of practical
working experience after obtaining an accredited engineering degree before he is
eligible to apply to sit for professional interview. Presentation of your submission
will contribute to the IEM Assessment of your application.
1.1.1.

This form should be word-processed and submitted electronically. A

minimum font size of 9 should be used.

1.2.

1.1.2.

Alternatively, the form should be type-written using black ink.

1.1.3.

Do not bind or glue sheets together as your application will be scanned.

Your application will be assessed against the IEM PI Competency Model. Please
ensure that you are aware of the requirements.

2. A Your Details
2.1.Please provide your personal details including your contact address.
2.2.You may choose to sit for the Professional Interview in either English or Bahasa
Malaysia. Upon making the choice, the entire Professional Interview shall be
conducted in the selected language, including the various forms, technical report,
oral interview and the written essays.
2.3.The IEM has the following regional IEM Branches. Although you may indicate your
preferred Branch for the interview, IEM cannot guarantee meeting your request:
2.3.1. Kedah/Perlis
2.3.2.

Perak

2.3.3.

Southern

2.3.4.

Kelantan

2.3.5.

Sabah

2.3.6.

Kuala Lumpur / Petaling Jaya

2.3.7.

Terengganu

2.3.8.

Pahang

2.3.9.

Sarawak

2.3.10. Melaka
2.3.11. Miri
2.3.12. Penang
2.3.13. Negeri Sembilan
Page 1 of 8

IEM PI A200

THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, MALAYSIA

Guidance Notes on Professional Interview Application
April 2015

2.4. If you have special requirements, please let us know so that appropriate arrangements
can be made.
2.5. You may be asked to attend the interview in Kuala Lumpur / Petaling Jaya for
specific reasons such as no qualified Interviewer in the preferred Branch, need to
speed up the interview process, etc.
3. B Current Employment
3.1.

Please complete details of your current employment

4. C Your Expertise
4.1.

You must select the main sector and sub sectors most relevant to you and your
area of expertise. For others, please specify them in the application form.

4.2.

Specify your engineering discipline as registered with the Board of Engineers,

Malaysia (BEM) and support this by attaching a copy of the BEM registration
certificate.

5. D Tertiary Education
5.1.

You must give details of:

5.1.1.

All higher academic qualifications, including any which you have

already registered with the IEM under the following degree awarded -MEng, BEng, MSc, BSc, PhD, etc.

5.1.2.
5.2.

Any formally assessed work-based learning.

Please provide a copy of your further or higher education certificate(s) with your
application. These must be signed by one of your Supporters as a true copy of the
original.

6. E -- Professional Development or Training Schemes (if applicable)

6.1.

You must give details of:

6.1.1.

Formal or structured training or the Professional Development Scheme

you have completed e.g. Mandatory BEM Courses, Employer
Professional Development Scheme, Apprenticeship Scheme, IEM LogBook Scheme, Professional Certification, etc.
Page 2 of 8

IEM PI A200

THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, MALAYSIA

Guidance Notes on Professional Interview Application
April 2015

6.1.2.

The scheme number, if accredited by the IEM or another professional

institution. Please give name of accrediting institution and scheme
number if applicable.

7. F Professional Services, Papers Presented etc.

7.1.

You must give details of:

7.1.1.

Any reports, papers and patents published in your name. (If you work in
a research or academic environment, summarise your published papers
on no more than one A4 sheet.)

7.1.2.

Any significant technical reports you have written (or co-authored)

during your career which demonstrate your technical ability.

7.1.3.

Any professional service such as the IEM committee membership,

schools liaison, or other activities, which raise the profile of engineering
and technology.

7.1.4.

Any service to the community such as school governor, school alumni,

university / college alumni, Old Boys President, Parent Teacher
Association, etc.

8. G Organisation Chart / Accountability Diagram

8.1.

Please provide an up-to-date organisation chart / accountability diagram providing

the following details:
8.1.1.

Two or three levels of authority above and below your post.

8.1.2.

Your post (indicated with an arrow).

8.1.3.

Any professionally registered corporate members of the IEM or similar

professional bodies, noting their category of membership and
registration.

8.2.

If you have changed your job within the last three (3) years, include the diagram
for your previous post on a separate A4 sheet, together with the relevant date(s).

8.3.

If your organisation operates a flat-based structure, please illustrate.

8.4.

Do not use any pictures, colour or shading as these make the diagram illegible
when photocopied.

Page 3 of 8

IEM PI A200

THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, MALAYSIA

Guidance Notes on Professional Interview Application
April 2015

9. H Relevant Career History

9.1.

Please provide details of your work experience, following the advice below.

9.2.

This part of your application is particularly important and you need to present
your evidence carefully and concisely. Your objective is to sell yourself to the
interviewers in your application form, so that before you walk into the interview
they have already thought that you are eligible / registrable and all they have to do
is confirm your competence.

9.3.

Summarise your employment history by giving the following for each post you
have held: dates; name & place of employer; your job title; your main
responsibilities and achievements rather than a bland job description. You should
complete at least one page as it is unlikely that less than one page will adequately
demonstrate your relevant experience.

9.4.

Arrange your experience in chronological order, preferably starting with your

earliest post.

9.5.

Remember when presenting evidence:

9.5.1.

Keep it personal, i.e. talk about your own achievements, not what the
team did.

9.5.2.

Use terms such as "I led, designed, built, tested, negotiated, presented,
implemented, solved, achieved, operated, maintained, researched .

9.5.3.

Avoid use of jargon and unnecessary or unexplained abbreviations.

9.5.4.

Use language that can be understood by someone who is not a specialist

in your field.

9.5.5.

Use words like I designed the XYZ system rather than the XYZ
system was designed so that you are clearly stating who did what and
emphasising your own individual role.

9.5.6.

Give evidence on how you have broadened and deepened your

engineering knowledge and skills.

9.6.

Give an extended description of your current role, or the role that is most relevant
to the demonstration of your current competence, giving details of your
responsibilities. You should aim to be very specific in your examples and if you

Page 4 of 8

IEM PI A200

THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, MALAYSIA

Guidance Notes on Professional Interview Application
April 2015

have held lots of different roles, you should select examples that best illustrate
your competence.
9.7.

Give an extended description of the role that is most relevant to the demonstration
of the required competencies with specific examples. Highlight personal
experience and contribution, not just an inventory of works.

9.8.

Give concise examples of how you apply fundamental engineering principles to

analyse and solve engineering problems encountered during the ordinary course of
your working experience. Enlarge on the decisions you have made and the
implications.

9.9.

Indicate the size and complexity of the projects or tasks for which you have had
direct responsibility, and quantify any budget(s) for which you have had overall
responsibility. Use numbers to show the size and scale of your responsibility; for
example, numbers of people supervised, or the value in financial terms of the
activity for which you were responsible.

9.10.

Structure your presentation to give evidence that you have attained the necessary
breadth and depth of practical training and professional experience for the
professional interview. This is typically illustrated by a gradual progression in
your career towards increasing competency and responsibility.

9.11.

Remember that your application form will be used as an agenda for the interview,
therefore it is in your own interest to give a full and clear summary of your
responsibilities and competence, otherwise time will be wasted while the
interviewers try and understand facts which should have been given on the form.

9.12.

When you have submitted your application form, it will be checked by IEM staff
and then reviewed by a Committee to determine if there is sufficient evidence that
you have the competence required to progress to a Professional Interview, or if
further evidence of your competence is needed.

10. I Declaration
10.1.

Initial each and every page of your application form. Sign and date the
application, confirming the statements given are true to the best of your
knowledge.
Page 5 of 8

IEM PI A200

THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, MALAYSIA

Guidance Notes on Professional Interview Application
April 2015

10.2.

Declare that you do not plagiarise in your application. Understand that

plagiarising will render the application null and void and you may be barred from
professional interview.

10.3.

Make sure that you only sign the declaration after all your supporters have signed.

11. J Supporters Details

11.1.

The IEM requires your application to be supported. Supporters will all be required
to confirm your suitability for Corporate Membership.

11.2.

You need to choose Supporters who know you well and be convinced, through
direct or personal experience, that you are suitable to be elected to the grade of
MIEM. The Supporters typically have detailed and up-to-date knowledge of your
work so that all the information in the application can be verified.

11.3.

Please see below who may act in the roles of Supporter.

11.3.1. Professional engineer registered with the Board of Engineers, Malaysia
(BEM), who is a Member or Fellow of IEM; or Engineering Council
(UK) registered engineer, who is a Member or Fellow of the respective
institution; or a registered engineer of another professional engineering
organisation of equivalent standing registrable with BEM as Professional
Engineer, working at a senior level to the Applicant, preferably for at
least two years, and with direct knowledge of the Applicants work, role
and responsibilities.
11.3.2. Where a MIEM/PE or its equivalent that has direct knowledge of the
Applicant is not available, the current line manager, or employer in a
higher organisational hierarchy, may act as Supporter, provided they are
MIEM/PE or equivalent.
11.3.3. At least one of the Supporters must be of the same engineering discipline
and from the same organisation as the Applicant.

11.4.

For Applicant who does not have a MIEM/PE of same discipline within the
organization, the Applicant can opt to have a Mentor under the IEM Log Book
Training Scheme.

Page 6 of 8

IEM PI A200

THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, MALAYSIA

Guidance Notes on Professional Interview Application
April 2015

11.4.1. Nominate a willing Mentor, who is typically a MIEM/PE of same

discipline from another organization (preferably same industry BUT not
mandatory); request the Mentor to register with IEM under the IEM Log
Book Training Scheme.; or
11.4.2. Register with IEM for the IEM Look Book Training Scheme so that a
Mentor can be arranged from a pool of MIEM/PE who is willing to help.
11.5.

The third supporter signature is optional and may be necessary, for example, if
you work on contracts, as an additional signature to enable adequate verification
of periods for your employment.

11.6.

It is important to choose a lead Supporter who can help you in the process of PI
application, including the advice on filling up the PI Application Form, presenting
the Portfolio of Evidence Form, drafting the Technical Report, preparing for the
actual Interview, etc.

12. Portfolio of Evidence Form

12.1.

In support of your application, you are required to submit two (2) copies of the
Portfolio of Evidence Form based on the competency elements / categories
defined in the relevant guides.

12.2.

Please note that your registration cannot be completed until the Portfolio of
Evidence Form has been received and reviewed as part of your overall
application.

13. Technical Report

13.1.

To show full preparedness for the Professional Interview, you are required to
submit two (2) copies of Technical Report or Project Report together with the PI
Application Form. You should refer to the Guidance Notes on Technical Report
for his preparation.

13.2.

Please note that your registration cannot be completed if the Technical Reports
have not been received and reviewed as part of your overall application.

Page 7 of 8

IEM PI A200

THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, MALAYSIA

Guidance Notes on Professional Interview Application
April 2015

14. Additional Information

14.1.

The IEM is appointed by the Board of Engineers, Malaysia (BEM) to conduct the
Professional Interview of which a Pass would lead to an award of the professional
engineering qualification.

14.2.

The information you provide initially will be used to carry out a review of your
application. As a result, you may be asked to provide further information about
your work experience to successfully demonstrate the competences set out in IEM
PI Competency Model.

14.3.

If you have any enquiries, please contact the IEM Secretariat for PI Application.
The contact details are below.

IEM Secretariat (PI Application)

Tel: +603 79684013/4007/4008

Page 8 of 8