Routes to qualification

The Institution of Surveyors Malaysia

Routes to qualification

For all divisions except land surveying, the shortest route to becoming a registered surveyor after your SPM is to do a qualification recognised by the respective professional boards and Institution of Surveyors Malaysia (ISM) in the related surveying field (eg BSc in quantity surveying, diploma in valuation).

Then you must register with the respective professional board and ISM as a graduate member (does not carry any designated titles) and undergo a minimum of two years of postgraduate training supervised by a qualified surveyor related to the your field.

During this time, you must keep a logbook of your tasks and responsibilities. Upon completion of the training, you are eligible to sit for the Test of Professional Competence (TPC).

The TPC comprises various components according to which surveying field you do including your logbook and varies slightly from field to field. Only after you pass your

TPC will your membership be upgraded from graduate member to member which carries the title MISM (Member of ISM) and carry the title of a registered surveyor (according to surveying field).

If you do not have a surveying related qualification, you can still be a registered surveyor by registering as a student member with ISM and taking the professional examinations conducted by ISM in one of the divisions, except land surveying.

There are five parts to the examination: Foundation examination, first examination, intermediate examination, final examination and direct final examination. (see chart below)

To be a registered land surveyor (to do cadastral surveying), you need a land surveying degree from a recognised college or university after which you would have to gain two years of relevant working experience acceptable by the Land Surveyors’ Board, Peninsular Malaysia.

Then you would need to an pass and oral and practical examination conducted by the board.