If we could fix only one thing in every CBA draft we see, it would be this: applicants describe team outcomes when assessors score personal actions.
Why “we” scores zero on the CBA
The Competency-Based Assessment exists to determine whether you can practise engineering independently. “We redesigned the cooling system” tells the assessor nothing about your competence — for all they know, you booked the meeting room.
Before: how most CBA drafts read
“Our team was responsible for the HVAC redesign of a 12-storey office tower. We analyzed the existing system and implemented a new VAV design. The project was completed on schedule and the client was satisfied with the energy savings.”
Impressive project. Unscorable paragraph. No personal action, no method, no quantified outcome.
After: the same experience, SAO-structured
Situation: “In March 2024, as the mechanical designer on a 12-storey office tower retrofit, I found the existing constant-volume system exceeded the client energy target by an estimated 22%.”
Action: “I modelled three alternatives in eQUEST, selected a VAV system with demand-controlled ventilation, sized the terminal units for each zone using ASHRAE 62.1 airflow requirements, and presented the lifecycle cost comparison that got the $180K upgrade approved.”
Outcome: “The design was issued for construction with zero RFIs on the mechanical scope, and post-occupancy metering showed a 19% energy reduction in year one.”
The SAO pattern to copy in your own examples
First person. Named tools, codes, and standards. Numbers wherever they exist. Your decision, your analysis, your result. This is the exact transformation our Expert Draft Review applies line-by-line across your whole submission — book a free consultation to have one of your own examples assessed.
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