ASFIT Core Competency Requirements

An Allied Science Forester-in-Training (ASFIT) meets this requirement by satisfying the entry-level competency set in the national 2017 Forestry Certification Standards for the practice of professional forestry in Canada.

The competency standards are the minimum common requirements to ensure ASFITs are competent in all forestry practice areas at entry-level, regardless of what professional forestry job they take on and practice as an RPF.

As an ASFIT, the onus is on you to provide evidence to FPBC that you meet the core competency requirements. To determine how you meet these requirements, you must first complete the credential assessment process (CAP) administered by the FPRC and FPBC registration departments.

Prepare Your Portfolio

  • Watch this video explaining the Credential Assessment Process for ASFIT applicants.

  • Read Credential Assessment Process Manual.

  • Complete the FPRC Pre-Screening Tool

  • Submit a copy of the pre-screening tool to FPBC Registration Department for guidance.

  • Request access to the FPRC CAP Portal through the FPBC Registration Department.

  • Preliminary review – once you have started building your portfolio in the FPRC CAP portal, send an e-mail to the FPBC registration department so we can periodically review your file and confirm if you are building your portfolio correctly. The preliminary review process leading to the final acceptance of an application might take weeks, depending on the number of CAP submissions received. FPBC sets its submission deadline for each assessment round to ensure that applications are complete and are up to standard. This submission date is set several weeks ahead of the FPRC assessment start date (see Important Dates and Deadlines section).
  • Once you have submitted your application, the FPBC registration department will review it for completeness. If your application is complete, you will receive a notice to pay your application fee to FPRC. Once our payment goes through, the FPBC registration department will set up your application for assessment.

CAP Assessment Report

FPRC CAP assessment report details the findings at the standard, demonstrable competency, and competency element levels.

The report may provide additional information to indicate more specifically, where you are weak or deficient in the competencies and/or standard requirements. FPBC will have access to the report once it is ready, and will provide you with a summary and information about the next steps in the process.

Once you receive your FPRC CAP assessment report, you are required to proceed to the next steps in FPBC’s ASFIT CAP process.

If all of the competency requirements have been met, you can continue completing your ASFIT program requirements. If not all of the competency requirements have been met, you will be required to meet with the Credentials Committee‘s Competency Working Group to develop a competency gap-filling plan to address outstanding requirements.

Complete Outstanding Competencies

Outstanding competencies are gaps in your education FPBC’s Credentials Committee-Competency Working Group has identified after you meet and provide them with a response to the CAP assessment report.

FPBC has a list of recommended gap-filling actions, such as courses and other alternative actions (see columns M and N of the spreadsheet) that will address outstanding competencies.

As an ASFIT who has not completed an accredited forestry program, it is normal to have some gaps or outstanding competencies. It is important to note that the farther off you are from meeting the core competency requirements, the greater the chance that additional gap-filling coursework will be required.

Important Dates and Deadlines

FPRC assesses CAP applications four times a year. To ensure that your portfolio is complete and its quality is acceptable to the standard set by FPRC, you must finalize and upload your submission following the FPBC deadline (see chart below). These deadlines are firm.

*If the date falls on the weekend, the deadline is the next business day.