Frequently Asked Questions about PSE Competency Tracker

Who is the Competency Tracker available to?

Access to the PSE Competency Tracker including the tracking and management functionality is only available to NAFEMS members and to individuals who are applying for PSE Certification.

To access the PSE Competency Tracker you must be logged in to nafems.org

Do I need to register to use the PSE Competency Tracker?

NAFEMS members are automatically able to access the tracker and record their competence. If you are not a NAFEMS member but are need access to the tracker as you are applying for PSE Certification then you need to contact the PSE administrator.

Can I gain recognition for my PSE Competencies?

Yes, recognition can be achieved by applying for PSE Certification. Independently assessed by NAFEMS, certification enables individuals to gain recognition for their level of competency and experience as well as enabling industry to identify suitable and qualified personnel.

Find out more about PSE certification.

What is the difference between the competency record produced within the PSE Competency Tracker and PSE Certification?

PSE Certification provides verification of PSE Competencies and is independently assessed by NAFEMS. It recognises achievement of high-level PSE Competencies.

My company is not a member of NAFEMS but I am applying for PSE Certification, can I use the PSE Competency Tracker report to support my application?

Yes. It is highly recommended the those applying for or aiming towards PSE Certification utilise the PSE Competency Tracker to support their application. Once registered as a applicant, individuals will be able to register to use the competency tracking and management functionality of the tracker.

Those wishing to achieve PSE Certification can apply on the PSE application form where details of how to access the Tracker are also available. 

It is not compulsory to use the Tracker to apply for PSE Certification.

How were the PSE Competencies developed?

The PSE Competencies were developed as part of the EASIT2 project. The two-year project set out the competencies that a good simulation engineer should possess which have formed the basis of the PSE Competency Tracker and PSE Certification.

How is the PSE Competency Tracker maintained?

The competencies and educational resources are maintained by NAFEMS Technical working groups and will be updated on a regular basis. Educational resources will be added as they are developed in the future.

Where has the Core FEA technical area gone?

In January 2022 the "Finite Element Analysis" technical area was renamed "Computational Structural Mechanics" to better reflect the competence statements contained within it. The competency tracker and certification are ever-evolving products, as mentioned above maintained by NAFEMS Technical working groups. There are other slight updates to the technical area names and descriptions however the content and principle for each, is still the same, we have just aimed to provide more clarity.

Each competence statement is associated with a level and category, what does this mean?

Individuals seeking to obtain standard level PSE certification area are encouraged to focus on the "Standard" level competencies. Individuals with greater experience who are interested in applying for advanced level PSE certification are encouraged to focus on both the "Standard" and "Advanced" level competencies.

When the PSE competence statements were developed the industry experts were asked to group them in accordance with Bloom's taxonomy. In the original version of Bloom's knowledge-based taxonomy the categories were knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.