Professional Competence Test
Following the Annual General Meeting of the Irish Planning Institute in May 2007, a change in the membership rules now requires the Institute to hold a ‘test of professional competence’ for certain types of membership applications. Where a candidate has obtained one years planning work experience following a primary degree or masters degree in Town or Spatial Planning which is not accredited by the Irish Planning Institute, or if they are not already a full / or corporate member of another national planning institute or national association that is a full member of the European Council of Spatial Planners (ECTP) they may be invited to take the test. Entry to the test: Entry to the test is similar to the normal procedure of applying for membership of the institute whereby applications are considered at the membership committee. A person who holds a planning qualification at degree or equivalent level, which is not accredited or recognized by the Institute, who has gained at least one year’s satisfactory experience in planning after obtaining their planning qualification, who has then passed the Institute’s Test of Professional Competence, and has gained two years satisfactory experience in planning after passing the Test (one of which must have been obtained in Ireland) is eligible for Corporate membership of the Institute. Format: The format of the test is in two parts: 1. Written Project: The project would be in essay format (about 2,000 words) and would include the following characteristics:
- Large Scale – at National or Regional Level
- Have Spatial / Physical Implications
- Have planning issues at its core
- Hypothetical or real case study
2. Interview (Viva) The interview will consist of two parts: a) The candidate will provide an overview of their course. (Transcripts for the panel will be required in advance) b) The candidate will be asked questions on all aspects of their project and also about planning in general. It is expected that the test will be run twice yearly in the Spring and the Autumn with the first test taking place in Spring 2008. Fee: Prospective applicants should note that the fee for the test is currently €400 now reduced to €250. Please note that this fee is only payable by receipt of invitation from the Institute to undertake the test.