Express Entry's 'date you became qualified to practice this occupation' — what to enter if you worked before graduating

A software developer (NOC 2175) who started working during their final year of study asked what to put for the Express Entry profile question 'Date you became qualified to practice this occupation' — and whether pre-graduation experience counts.

1. The field doesn't drive your points for this category. The substantive answer in the thread: for this applicant's program category the question is not what calculates the score, so it shouldn't be agonized over.


2. Either sensible date is acceptable. The member advised entering either the education completion date or the first day at the job — both were described as fine.

Caveat: this reflects one experienced member's answer (echoed without dispute in the thread). Whether pre-graduation work counts toward skilled work experience points is a separate question the thread did not resolve — verify against current IRCC guidance for your program (e.g., FSW requires post-qualification experience considerations that CEC does not).