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PRA Scheme: Information for applicants

The Professional Registration Adviser (PRA) Scheme provides support for individuals applying for one of the IOP's seven professional registrations.


Unlike traditional mentoring schemes, the PRA Scheme provides point-in-time advice. Below are examples of some of the questions you may like to discuss with a PRA: 

  • Have I used the right level of examples for my professional development and then built upon those appropriately for my responsible experience? 
  • Have I demonstrated enough breadth and depth of knowledge and skills in relation to the competences? 
  • What examples should I provide for my continuing professional development (CPD) statement? 
  • Have I chosen the correct examples for my equivalence report, if applicable? 
  • Is my application ready for initial review? 
  • Can I have advice on how to ensure my application is confidential whilst providing sufficient details? 

In addition to the support offered by the PRAs, the IOP’s registration officers can:  

  • Help you decide which professional registration is right for you 
  • Explain the difference between professional development and responsible experience 
  • Explain the different options to demonstrate equivalency, which can include the core of physics and equivalency report 
  • Assist with identifying supporters and preparing them for your application. 

Disclaimer 
Please note, the awarding of professional registration is decided by a panel of independent reviewers, therefore advice from a PRA does not guarantee that you will automatically pass the review process. 

Please note, submitted applications will be thoroughly reviewed by one of our registration officers before it is submitted to a panel for assessment. If the registration officer finds that the information provided does not meet the standard required for submission, they will provide feedback and offer additional support.   

How to request a meeting with a PRA

View our flow diagram to see the steps you need to follow to be matched with a PRA.

Complete this form to request a Professional Registration Adviser

Please note, this service is exclusively for members of the IOP. If you are not a member and would like to join, apply to become a member now.

Please note: Employer information will be used to ensure there is no conflict of interest when we pair you with a PRA.

Below are some of the reasons why you might want to talk to a PRA. Please select the reason(s) that apply to you. I would like to discuss:
Do you work for an organisation whose information is classified?
Professional Registration Advisers will be based in the UK or EEA. Do you consent to the IOP sharing the information you’ve submitted on the form to a PRA based in the EEA?

IOP is dedicated to providing inclusive services so if you have any accessibility requirements please let us know and we will make reasonable adjustments where possible. You can disclose your accessibility requirements in the box below, or contact [email protected]

Your privacy: We take your privacy seriously and are committed to protecting the personal information you share with us. For more details about how we handle your personal information, please see our Privacy Notice.

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Your form will be reviewed by a member of the professional registration team, and they will pair you with a PRA, if appropriate. Please note, it could take up to three weeks to identify an available PRA. Once you have been paired with a PRA, we will then make the introductions via email.  
 
If the IOP’s registration officers can answer your questions you may not need to be paired with a PRA. However, this does not prevent you from making another request if you need further advice and support.  

Meeting your PRA

To avoid any unnecessary delays in meeting your PRA, we recommend you organise the meeting, because it will be more time efficient if you and the PRA decide on a suitable date. To give the PRA enough time to read your documents, we advise that you give the PRA a week to read your documents before the meeting.  
 
We advise PRA meetings last between 60 to 90 minutes, as this should be sufficient for you to discuss your questions. We recommend that meetings take place virtually, unless you and your PRA agree otherwise. 

Documents for the PRA 

Depending on the nature of your question(s) you might need to send the PRA your CV, application form (or elements of it) and organisational chart. If you are working with sensitive information, please be mindful of this when preparing your paperwork for the PRA and anonymise or make confidential, where appropriate. If you are unsure how to do this, please contact the professional registration team at [email protected] and they will be able to advise you.

Please note: Advisers will handle your data in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

After your PRA meeting

We hope that you have had time to reflect on your meeting with the PRA, and that you are able to progress with your application.  

You will receive a short feedback form that you are required to complete. Your feedback is designed to help us evaluate what works well, and review how we can further improve our processes and behaviour to ensure you and other members have a positive experience.

FAQs

How long can I spend with a professional registration adviser (PRA)?

The PRAs are volunteers and therefore to respect their time, but to give you the most from your interaction with them, we advise that meetings should not exceed 60 to 90 minutes.

What happens if I want another PRA?

To request another PRA meeting, you will need to follow the same process as you did for the meeting with your first PRA. 

Complete the request form

 

Can I request to meet the same PRA more than once?

While you can make the request, we cannot guarantee that you will be paired with the same PRA.

I am apprehensive about sending confidential information to a PRA. What should I do?

We advise that you anonymise information that is classified or sensitive before sending it to a PRA for review and inform them that you work in an area that is classified. If you wish to have further guidance on this process, please contact the IOP’s registration officers at [email protected].

Can the PRA help me prepare for my interview?

As part of the application process for CEng and IEng, applicants are required to attend an interview. For all other registrations, invitations for interviews will be undertaken on a case-by-case basis. Unfortunately, at this time, PRAs will not be able to assist members in preparing for interviews. To help you prepare for your interview you can use the ‘interview simulator’ in the  IOP’s Career Development Hub. Click on ‘My tools’ and select ‘interview simulator’ from the list.

Will my submitted application be reviewed by the PRA who has supported me?

The work of the PRA is to support you in preparing your application for review, so they won’t attend any review panel meetings that discuss your application.  

Can my PRA act as a support?

No, as ideally, supporters will be those that have supervised you in a work-based environment.

What happens if there is a conflict of interest?

Measures have been put in place to avoid any conflict of interest, but if this occurs, please let us know and we will find you another PRA. 

What will happen to my data once I have met with the PRA?

PRAs will have attended data protection training and will be asked to delete all documents once the meeting has taken place. They will also have signed a volunteering agreement where it states that they must maintain confidentiality and delete data that is no longer needed.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the professional registration team at [email protected].