Certification of builders

On January 14, 2016, the media published the Order of the Minister of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated November 26, 2015, No. 734 «On Approval of the Rules and Permit Requirements for Certification of Engineering and Technical Workers Involved in the Design and Construction Process,» which came into effect on February 5, 2016.

This document approves the «Rules and Permit Requirements for Certification of Engineering and Technical Workers Involved in the Design and Construction Process» (hereinafter referred to as the Certification Rules for ETWs).

This document is implemented to ensure the certification process for engineering and technical workers (ETWs), which was introduced (certification process) at the end of the previous year.

What is the certification process for ETWs?

Essentially, it is analogous to the process of obtaining a certificate for conducting author supervision or technical supervision of construction projects, except that the certification for ETWs is not conducted by GASK authorities, but by accredited non-governmental centers.

The certification of ETWs is conducted for applicants in the composition of design and construction-installation organizations across several specializations.

For the design process, the specializations are as follows:

• chief project engineer;
• chief architect of the project;
• chief designer;
• lead design engineer.

For the construction process, the specializations are as follows:

• chief engineer;
• head of the production and technical department;
• site manager;
• work supervisor;
• master.

To undergo certification, applicants must submit the following documents to the certification center:

• application in the prescribed form;
• copy of the applicant’s identity document;
• notarized copy of the diploma of higher professional education (if applicable, copies of relevant documents for academic degrees and titles);
• notarized copy of the employment record book or other documents confirming work experience;
• notarized copies of foreign certificates, diplomas, and other documents confirming qualifications in the relevant specializations, if available.

These documents will be reviewed by the certification center within fifteen working days by a special commission consisting of:

• three representatives from accredited associations of legal entities;
• one representative from the certification center;
• one representative from the authorized body.

After reviewing the submitted documents, the certification center will issue an order approving the testing schedule and will issue a decision regarding each applicant:

• approved for testing;
• not approved for testing.

The certification center will notify the applicants within three working days from the date of the order regarding the location, date, and time of the test, as well as the reasons for not allowing them to take the test.

Testing will take place no later than five working days from the notification date and will be conducted using an automated computer system in the state or Russian language, depending on the applicant’s choice. The results of the test will be presented immediately after completion.

The allotted time for testing is 120 minutes. The test consists of 100 questions based on the chosen specialization. The test questions are developed and approved by the authorized body.

There is no limit to the number of retakes for certification.

Based on the results of the testing, one of the following decisions will be made for each applicant:

• certified;
• not certified.

The certification center will issue the qualification certificate to the applicant within two working days from the date of testing if they pass the test, or will notify them in writing if they do not pass the certification.