Articling (Step 2)

Step 2 - Articling

Once you have received your academic evaluation and have five or less courses remaining to complete, with the exception of Fundamentals of Surveying 1 and Survey Law 1, you can article under an Ontario Land Surveyor or for those who have the prescribed days of experience as stated in Regulation 1026 , you can apply through the Competency Based Assessment (CBA) process. 

The Surveyors Act requires that all candidates for membership must have obtained a minimum of 1-1/2 years of training and experience in professional land surveying to the satisfaction of the Academic and Experience Requirements Committee. This is done by means of an Articling Contract with an Ontario Land Surveyor/Ontario Land Information Professional. Surveyors will normally only enter into Articling Contracts with their employees. 

The standard term of articles may be reduced by a maximum of six months if the candidate can demonstrate that they have obtained suitable equivalent experience prior to applying for articles. Applications for such a reduction are made with the submission of your application to article. 

“Articles” is an agreement respecting training and service between a member of the Association of Ontario Land Surveyors (Articling Surveyor) and a student.  The Articling Contract requires that the student become competent in fourteen (14) Core Competencies. The Articling Surveyor must certify that the student has achieved an acceptable level of competency in each Core Competency. Additionally, students will be required to take a professional lecture course administered by the AOLS, which will help the students prepare for the professional exam.  This session lasts three days and is held every fall.  

The Regulations state that a term of articles shall be under the direction of: 

a member of the Association who became a licensed member at least three years before the beginning of the term of articles (This provision pertains to a students who is articling in order to apply for a licence as a cadastral surveyor.); or, 

a member who has held a Certificate of Registration for at least three years before the beginning of the term of articles or a person who, in the opinion of the AERC is competent to provide and direct the approved professional experience. (This provision pertains to students who are articling in order to apply for a Certificate of Registration.) 

To start your articles, please submit the following: 

Articling Contract 

Names and Contact information of two character references for the student (not a family member)  

Payment form and payment. For articling fee, please refer to this chart. 

If you are applying for a reduction in the term of articles, please also submit the following along with your articling application. Please note that reduction application will only be reviewed at quarterly AERC meeting (January, April, July and October): 

Application for Reduction of Articles 

Candidate Assessment Form 

Any supporting information evidencing your prior work experience 

For a sample reduction application, please click here. 

During the articles, students are required to successfully complete an exam based on statutory provisions pertaining to surveying in Ontario.  

Candidates wishing to article must submit the completed forms to the Association of Ontario Land Surveyors. If you have any questions or concerns about the articling process, please send an email to applications@aols.org and someone will respond. 

Candidates wishing to article must submit the completed forms to the Association of Ontario Land Surveyors. If you have any questions or concerns about the articling process, please send an email to applications@aols.org and someone will respond. 

Application Documents

The following documents are related to the evaluation and articling processes and include an explanatory PowerPoint presentation, Academic Evaluation Application, Articling Contract and other explanatory documents and forms.

Introduction to Articling

Articling Contract

Articling Individual Requirements Form (Schedule A)

AOLS Cadastral Core Competencies
A detailed explanation of the competencies required for each of the 14 Cadastral Core Competencies.

Candidate Assessment Form
A detailed breakdown of the competencies contained within each of the Core Competencies. Used by the student and surveyor to facilitate the design of the Learning Plan, and required to be submitted if applying for a reduction in the term of articles.

Articling Student Learning Plan (Cadastral)
Articling Student Cadastral Core Competencies Learning Plan

Reduction of Articles Form

Must be completed and submitted with the Application to Article if the student is requesting a reduction in the term of articles based on prior experience.

Articling Student Handbook (Cadastral)
Required reference document for all cadastral articling students. Provides a detailed explanation of the articling process and includes relevant forms.

Articling Surveyor Handbook

Certificate Of Completion Of Articles

Certificate of Completion with Core Competencies

Assignment of Articles Form
This form must be completed, signed by all parties, and submitted to the Registrar, along with the payment of $141.25 (HST included), when a student wishes to transfer articles to another surveyor.

Cancellation of Articles Form
Must be completed and submitted to the Registrar if the parties are requesting the cancellation of articles prior to completion.