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Pathway to registration

A person is eligible to be registered as a surveyor if the person fulfils all of the following requirements:

  • holds a recognised qualification
  • has recognised practical experience
  • has passed the Board's examinations
  • is of good character.

Registration as a land surveyor

The pathway to registration as a land surveyor in NSW has two processes, the first step in the process is to become a candidate surveyor, leading to obtaining a Certificate of Competency. The process is outlined below.

Flowchart - Pathway to Registration

Candidate surveyor

A candidate surveyor means a person who is enrolled as a candidate surveyor under the Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2017

A person is entitled to be enrolled as a candidate surveyor if the person is:

  1. enrolled in a course of studies leading towards a recognised qualification, or
  2. the holder of a recognised qualification.

To gain a Certificate of Competency a candidate surveyor will need to:

  • complete a minimum of 104 weeks practical experience, including 52 weeks of cadastral experience. A candidate surveyor must submit a Practical experience obtained form (PDF 72.6 KB) every 12 months or when changing employers.
  • sit the five prescribed exams.

Application for enrolment as a candidate surveyor

A person wishing to enrol as a candidate surveyor will need to complete the following process:

  • complete the Candidate Surveyor Application along with the requested supporting documentation to the Board for assessment
  • upon receipt of application and prescribed fee, the application will be processed and included in the agenda for the following Board meeting for approval
  • a letter of acknowledgment and receipt of payment will be forwarded to the applicant
  • notification of the Boards' decision will be forwarded by email to the candidate surveyor. 
  • enrolment is payable at the beginning of each financial year.

Examinations

Examinations in Rural, Urban, Strata, Town Planning and Engineering are held in both March and October of each year. An invitation to attend the examinations providing the dates and venue are emailed to all candidate surveyors at their email address on record prior to the examinations.

A candidate surveyor is entitled to sit for the prescribed examination if they:

  • are a financial candidate surveyor
  • are the holder of a recognised qualification and
  • have obtained the required practical experience and has up to date approved practical experience

To sit for an examination a candidate surveyor will need to:

  • complete an application form online, specifying the topics to be attempted and payment of the assessment fee (per topic to be attempted).
  • annexure forms (project certification) must be completed and accompany projects.
  • a letter will be sent to candidate surveyors informing them of the time and venue for the exam/s.
  • attend the exams at the specified time and place. If unable to attend the exam inform the Board prior to examination. Assessment fees are non-refundable.
  • on completion of an exam the candidate surveyor will be informed of their result.
  • if the candidate surveyors has met the criteria for a Certificate of Competency, they will be invited to attend the presentation ceremony along with their invited guests held on the Friday of the exam week.
  • all other examination candidate surveyors will receive a written confirmation of their result.

Certificate of Competency

A candidate surveyor is awarded a Certificate of Competency if the candidate surveyor:

  • is a holder of a recognised qualification
  • is a financial candidate surveyor
  • obtains the required practical experience and

Upon receipt of a Certificate of Competency a surveyor may apply to the Board to become a registered surveyor.

The holder of a Certificate of Competency will not be required to meet Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements for their application to become a registered surveyor, the examinations is considered sufficient to satisfy CPD requirements during the first year of registration. For each year after initial registration the registered surveyor will be required to meet CPD requirements.

Process for registration

  • Acquire an Application for registration as a Surveyor in NSW (PDF 66.1 KB).
  • Complete payment online and forward Application for Registration and required supporting documentation..
  • On receipt of application and prescribed fees, relevant paper work including 2 x passport sized photographs and a certified copy of Certificate of Competency, the application will be included in the agenda for the Board meeting.
  • The surveyor will be notified of the receipt of the application, prescribed fees and the Board meeting date.
  • If approved the surveyor will be notified by mail and will be sent an information package and a Certificate of Registration. Also supplied will be an identification card with the surveyor's identification number.
  • The registration will appear in the Government Gazette following the Board meeting.
  • To remain a registered surveyor, the payment of an annual registration fee and compliance with Continuing Professional Development (CPD) will be required
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