An Engine for Change - A Chronicle of the Engineering Council

1981-1985: THE CORFIELD YEARS 29So when the CEI was formed in 1964 it was decided to meet this academic need by means ofa joint examination system that would satisfy the basic needs of all the Chartered EngineeringInstitutions. Thus the CEI Examination was born and became a considerable success – almosta shining example of collaboration between the Institutions. It catered worldwide for studentswhose circumstances prevented them from pursuing a recognised degree programme, andalso for those who had a qualification that did not fulfil the requirements (e.g. an HNC) andwho wished to take further papers to meet the standard. It was also used extensively bystudents who merely wished to achieve a British engineering qualification that was respectedand recognised internationally. This was useful to thousands of overseas candidates whoseown national university system had not been sufficiently developed to provide an indigenousqualification. Technically the CEI, and subsequently the EngC, examination was thebenchmark for the educational component for the CEng qualification. Accredited engineeringdegrees simply gave exemption from the examination.The CEI examination was in two parts, a format continued by the EngC when taking over in1983. Part 1 was set at a level about one-third of the way to an engineering degree while Part2 was at engineering degree level (later raised to honours degree level). The requirements forthe examinations were continuously developed by the EngC in line with the progressiveraising of its standards for education and training and hence Institution membershiprequirements for CEng, as we shall see in subsequent chapters. Many courses andexamination centres were established in the UK and in countries abroad, often in polytechnicsor large technical colleges. The CEI papers were set and marked in London by UK boards ofexaminers and moderators comprising experienced university engineering teachers. Eachboard of examiners was responsible for a subject or group of subjects and reported to a boardof moderators. This board of moderators made final decisions on standards and oncandidates’ performances. An independent person chaired the board of moderators on whichthe chairmen of each of the boards of examiners sat. By special arrangement the examinationcould be taken anywhere in the world if a suitable invigilator was found. In one notable casea lone naval candidate took his papers in a submarine under the polar ice-cap!This international examination system serving thousands of candidates was run annuallyevery May with a remarkably small number of staff – three or four people under theextremely able direction of Brian Millicent until his untimely death in 2000 and by ChrisHarrison and Janet Welch after that. In May 1984 the Part 1 and Part 2 examinations attracteda record 4,863 candidates at 47 centres in the UK and 65 centres overseas. A detailed note ofthe arrangements in 1998 may be found in Chapter 6.Continuing Education and TrainingTo initiate interest in this field a discussion document “Continuing Education and Training”was published by the EngC in March 1985, prompting over 300 replies from a wide range ofcompanies, Government Departments, individuals and other organisations. In subsequentchapters we shall describe the EngC’s reaction and increasingly active encouragement of thepromotion of Continuing Education and Training (CET), later becoming known asContinuing Professional Development (CPD).© Engineering Council UK 2004