The MSA Booklet: What Engineers Australia's Migration Skills Assessment Booklet Requires

Almost every CDR rejection we review breaks a rule that is stated plainly in the MSA booklet. Applicants read three sample reports and none of the actual requirements, then discover that their episodes are 4,000 words, their paragraphs are unnumbered, and their summary statement cites page numbers.

Download the current edition from the Engineers Australia website before you write anything. It is free, it is short, and it is the only document the assessor is contractually working from.

• Three episodes, each covering a distinct period, project or role.
• 1,000–2,500 words each. Shorter reads as thin; longer buries the competencies.
• First person, singular. "I calculated", not "the team calculated".
• Numbered paragraphs, continuous within each episode: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 for episode one; 2.1, 2.2 for episode two.
• Structure: Introduction (dates, location, organisation, project title, your title) → Background (context, objectives, work area, organisational chart, your duties) → Personal Engineering Activity (the bulk — what you did) → Summary (outcome, your contribution).
• English only, written by you, in your own words.

At least one episode should demonstrate design. Ideally each episode covers a different aspect of your practice so that competency coverage spreads naturally.

The summary statement is a table, not an essay. Columns: the competency element, a brief description, and the paragraph references where you evidenced it. So an entry reads PE2.1 — 1.7, 2.11, 3.4.

Two rules trip people up. First, references must point to paragraph numbers, not pages. Second, the paragraph you point at must actually demonstrate that element — assessors check, and a mismatch reads as either carelessness or padding.

The CPD list covers what you have done to stay current since graduating. Present it as a table: date, activity, provider, duration, and a short line on relevance. Acceptable categories include formal postgraduate study, short courses and workshops, conferences and technical meetings, private study, structured workplace learning, service to the profession, and preparing or presenting technical material.

Keep it professional and verifiable. See our CPD writing service if your records are scattered across employers and years.

Alongside the CDR you will upload: passport bio page; a recognised English test result; your degree certificate and full academic transcripts; employment references or statements on letterhead covering dates, position and duties; and certified English translations of any non-English document. Full checklist: documents required for skills assessment.