The Assessment Standard Built for
the Australian AEC Market

Every other credential either tests global tool proficiency or tests nothing at all. AEC Labs assessment validates that a professional has been tested against the same standards, conventions, and compliance requirements that govern Australian projects.

AEC Labs certificates are professional development records — not AQF qualifications and not issued under any government-accredited scheme.

More than a course completion.

Verified against AU standards

Candidates are assessed on Australian drawing conventions (AS/NZS), NCC interpretation, and the documentation workflows used in real Australian projects. Passing requires demonstrated competency, not just attendance.

Publicly verifiable

Every certificate carries a unique, permanent code (format: AECL-FND-2026-XXXXXX). Firms enter the code at aeclabs.com.au/validate and receive an instant verified result: graduate name, specialisation, level, issue date, and expiry. No login required.

Employer-trusted

Designed in collaboration with Australian AEC firms. The curriculum reflects what senior staff at those firms actually need from offshore team members. When a firm sees an AEC Labs certificate, they know exactly what it represents and what to expect.

Three levels. Each building on the last.

Foundation

Foundation Certificate

Foundation Certificate in Australian AEC Practice

14 weeks · 70% pass mark · Open entry

Entry-level validation for offshore professionals working with Australian firms. Covers drawing standards, NCC overview, Revit to Australian templates, BIM basics, and documentation fundamentals.

  • AS/NZS drawing convention compliance
  • NCC overview and basic interpretation
  • Revit fundamentals to Australian standards
  • BIM coordination basics
  • Standard documentation workflow
Certificate format AECL-FND-2026-XXXXXX

Professional development record — not an AQF qualification

Professional

Professional Certificate

Professional Certificate in Australian AEC Practice

20 weeks · 75% pass mark · Requires Foundation

Mid-level validation for experienced offshore professionals. Adds advanced coordination, estimating with Australian pricing databases, AI-assisted workflows, and live project simulation.

  • Advanced Revit + BIM 360/ACC coordination
  • Estimating with Rawlinsons and Cordell
  • AI-assisted workflow integration (Claude MCP)
  • Full project documentation lifecycle
  • Live project simulation
Certificate format AECL-PRO-2026-XXXXXX

Professional development record — not an AQF qualification

Advanced

Advanced Certificate

Advanced Certificate in Australian AEC Practice

32 weeks · 80% pass mark · Requires Professional

Senior-level validation for BIM managers and lead coordinators. Includes ISO 19650 BIM management, Revit 2027 + native MCP, ACP preparation, and capstone project assessment.

  • BIM management to ISO 19650
  • Complex multi-discipline documentation
  • Revit 2027 + native MCP/AI integration
  • Leadership and client communication
  • Capstone: commercial BIM coordination package
Certificate format AECL-ADV-2026-XXXXXX

Professional development record — not an AQF qualification

How candidates are assessed

AEC Labs certification is not awarded on course completion alone. Candidates must demonstrate competency across three assessment components. All three must be passed to receive the certificate.

01

Portfolio Submission

Candidates submit a portfolio of work demonstrating competency in the core domains. For Foundation, this includes annotated Revit documentation produced to Australian standards. For higher levels, portfolio requirements extend to full project documentation sets, BIM coordination reports, or capstone project deliverables.

Portfolios are assessed by qualified assessors with direct AEC industry experience.

02

Written Examination

A supervised online examination covering the theoretical and applied knowledge from each module. Questions are scenario-based and draw on real Australian project contexts: NCC compliance decisions, AS/NZS drawing interpretation, BIM coordination problem-solving. Pass mark varies by level: Foundation 70%, Professional 75%, Advanced 80%.

Examinations are timed and conducted through our secure assessment portal. Resits are available if required.

03

Practical Assessment

A live practical exercise in which candidates complete a set task, for example producing a compliant drawing set from a brief, or performing a model coordination review and preparing a clash report. Tasks replicate the conditions of real Australian project work. Results are assessed against objective criteria.

Practical assessments are conducted within a defined time window and submitted digitally.

Keeping your certification current

AEC Labs certificates are valid for three years from the date of issue. To maintain an active certificate, graduates must complete the recertification process before expiry.

Recertification requires a minimum of 60 CPD (Continuing Professional Development) hours earned over the three-year period, along with a short online recertification assessment. CPD hours may be earned through training, project experience, industry events, and other recognised professional development activities.

Certificates that are not recertified will move to an expired status on the public registry and will no longer verify as active. Expired certificates can be reinstated by completing the recertification process.

Contact us about recertification
Certificate validity 3 years from issue
CPD requirement 60 hours minimum
Recertification includes CPD log review + online assessment
Expired certificates Can be reinstated via recertification
Registry status Active / Expired (publicly visible)

Recognised by Australian AEC firms

AEC Labs certification is recognised by Australian architecture, engineering, and design firms as evidence that a candidate has been assessed against the standards, conventions, and compliance requirements that govern Australian project work.

Co-designed with the industry

The certification framework was developed with direct input from senior staff at Australian AEC firms. It reflects what those firms actually need from offshore team members, not a generic global standard.

Used in hiring decisions

Australian firms use AEC Labs certificates as part of their screening and onboarding process for offshore talent. A certified candidate starts from a documented baseline, reducing induction time and rework risk.

Quarterly curriculum updates

The curriculum is reviewed and updated every quarter to reflect changes in Australian standards, tools, and firm practice. Firms can trust that certified candidates are trained to current requirements.

Are you a firm? Verify a certificate or contact us to discuss your team's certification needs.

How certificate verification works

1

Graduate earns certificate

On successful completion, the graduate receives their unique certificate code in the format AECL-FND-2026-XXXXXX. This code is permanent and tied to their record in our system.

2

Firm enters code

The hiring firm visits aeclabs.com.au/validate and enters the certificate code. No account required. Works on any device.

3

Instant verified result

The page returns the verified certificate record including graduate name, specialisation, certificate level, issue date, and expiry date, confirming the certificate is genuine.

Certificate verified: Active
Foundation
Maria Santos
Foundation Certificate in Australian AEC Practice
Specialisation BIM Coordination
Issued 15 March 2026
Expires 15 March 2029
Certificate Code AECL-FND-2026-004271

Sample verification result. Firm enters code, receives instant confirmation.

Shareable digital badges, built on open standards.

AEC Labs issues digital badges that meet the Open Badges 2.0 standard the same specification used by AWS, PMI, CompTIA, Engineers Australia, and RICS. Badges are currently hosted on AEC Labs infrastructure, with Credly integration planned for Q3 2026.

Add to LinkedIn

Share your certification directly to your LinkedIn profile in one click. Employers can verify the credential without leaving LinkedIn.

Verify at aeclabs.com.au/validate

Every certificate has a unique, publicly accessible verification URL. Anyone can confirm authenticity instantly. No account required.

Embed in email signatures

Badge images and verification links are designed for use in email signatures, portfolios, and CVs. The badge image is hosted on AEC Labs servers.

Credly integration: Q3 2026

AEC Labs is building toward Credly, the de facto digital badge platform used by PMI, CompTIA, AWS, Google, Cisco, and Engineers Australia. When live, badges will automatically appear in recipients' Credly wallet and be discoverable by employers.

Badges comply with the IMS Global Open Badges 2.0 specification. Credly integration is planned for Q3 2026, after which badges will also be issued to recipients' Credly accounts automatically on certification.

Why firms trust AEC Labs certifications

When you receive a CV from an offshore candidate with an AEC Labs certificate, you already know: they understand Australian drawing standards, they've been tested on NCC basics, they know how Revit is used on an Australian project, not a generic global one.

That means less time onboarding, less rework risk, and a candidate who can contribute to your projects faster. The certificate doesn't replace your own assessment, but it means you're starting from a documented baseline, not a blank page.

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Documented baseline

You know exactly what has been tested, not guessing at a candidate's understanding of your standards.

Faster contribution

Certified staff contribute to real deliverables sooner because the foundational orientation has already been done.

Reduced compliance risk

Candidates have been tested on NCC and AS/NZS standards, reducing drawing non-compliance that creates rework.

Instant verification

Check any certificate in seconds at aeclabs.com.au/validate. No account, no delays.