An unsuccessful Engineers Australia skills assessment is not always the end of the road. This guide explains the most common reasons CDRs are rejected, how to avoid them, and what you can do after a negative outcome: an informal review, a formal appeal, or a new application.
1. Why CDRs are rejected
- Plagiarism or copied content. Text taken from online samples, templates or another applicant’s report. Engineers Australia uses automated plagiarism detection and treats copying as a serious ethics breach, which can lead to a ban on reapplying.
- No clear personal contribution. Episodes written as “we designed…” instead of “I calculated…”. The assessor must be able to see what you did yourself.
- Too little depth. Career Episodes below the minimum length in the MSA booklet, or episodes that describe the project but not your calculations, analysis and decisions.
- Summary Statement doesn’t match. Paragraph numbers in the Summary Statement that point to the wrong paragraphs, or competency elements with no real evidence behind them.
- Wrong occupation. Projects that fit a different ANZSCO occupation or a lower occupational category than the one you nominated.
- Missing or unclear documents. Qualification, identity or English test documents that are incomplete or hard to verify.
2. How to avoid a rejection
- Write every episode from your own experience, in the first person, with your own numbers.
- Give the Personal Engineering Activity section the most words, and describe problems you solved and why you chose each solution.
- Number every paragraph (CE 1.1, CE 1.2…) and check each reference in the Summary Statement before you submit.
- Read the ANZSCO description and the Engineers Australia occupational category descriptions to confirm you nominated the right occupation.
- Check the current Migration Skills Assessment booklet on the Engineers Australia website.
3. Informal review
An informal review asks a different, senior assessor to look at your original application again, without a full new application.
- Deadline: within 3 months of the date on your outcome letter.
- Fee (2026–2027): A$335.00 excluding GST, or A$368.50 including GST.
- Timing: depends on assessor allocation and any verification needed.
4. Formal appeal
If the review does not change the outcome, you can lodge a formal appeal, which is decided by an independent panel.
- When: only after an informal review has been completed, and within 6 months of the review outcome.
- Fee (2026–2027): A$640.00 excluding GST, or A$704.00 including GST.
- Decision: the Appeal Board’s decision is final.
5. Refunds
Engineers Australia refunds the review or appeal fee if your original outcome is overturned or upgraded, as long as you did not submit additional documents during the process.
6. Review, appeal or reapply?
| Situation | Usual best step |
|---|---|
| You believe the assessor misread evidence that is already in your CDR | Informal review |
| The review upheld a decision you still believe is wrong | Formal appeal |
| Your episodes lacked depth, or you nominated the wrong occupation | New application with rewritten episodes |
| You were found to have plagiarised | Read the outcome letter carefully for any ban period before doing anything else |
Frequently asked questions
Can I add new documents to a review?
You can, but adding documents means the fee is not refunded even if the outcome changes.
How much does a new application cost?
See our Engineers Australia fees guide for current CDR and fast track fees.
Can you check my CDR before I resubmit?
Yes. We review CDRs for structure, evidence and Summary Statement mapping, based strictly on your own experience. Get a free quote, or read our main CDR guide first.