Registration/Licensure Information
The College of Engineering encourages all engineers to work toward professional registration/licensure.  Licensure as a Professional Engineer, PE, indicates that the individual has met the testing and experience standards of their state registration board.  There are many reasons to become a registered PE, including: personal satisfaction and recognition, being permitted to offer engineering services to the public, and raising the overall level of engineering professionalism.

Achieving registration is a multi-step process that involves:

A similar path exists for land surveyors to attain licensure as a Professional Land Surveyor (PLS).

Click here to view a PowerPoint presentation, The Path to Licensure. This presentation, developed by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying, NCEES, presents the reasons for licensure and the various steps to licensure. It also contains information about the format and content of the FE and PE exams.

The PE and FE examinations are national examinations constructed by the NCEES.  The exams are administered twice each year, in the Spring and Fall -- usually April and October.

Examination dates are:

  2008..........April 11, (PE, PLS), 12 (FE, FLS)..........October 24, (PE, PLS), 25 (FE, FLS)
  2009..........April 24, (PE, PLS), 25 (FE, FLS)..........October 23, (PE, PLS), 24 (FE, FLS)
  2010..........April 16, (PE, PLS), 17 (FE, FLS)..........October 29, (PE, PLS), 30 (FE, FLS)
  2011..........April 8, (PE, PLS),9 (FE, FLS)..............October 28, (PE, PLS), 29 (FE, FLS)

For years beyond these, click here.

Persons wishing to take an examination must submit their application to their state licensing board by the deadlines established by the board.  In Pennsylvania, the application deadlines are: December 1, for the April exam. and July 1, for the October exam.  It may be possible to apply after the deadlines; however, there will be a substantial late fee and, in Pennsylvania, only graduates of, or students in, an ABET-accredited BS degree program without disciplinary issues stand a chance of being accepted.  For details and to see if it is worth your while to apply late, contact Engineering Examination Services at the address below.

The Pennsylvania State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists has engaged Professional Credential Services, PCS, for application processing, examination administration, and score reporting of the engineering and land surveying examinations. Engineering Examination Services, a division of PCS, coordinates the examinations. If you want to apply to take the engineer and land surveyor examinations in Pennsylvania, contact:

Engineering Examination Services
PA Engineering Coordinator
PO Box 198689
Nashville, TN 37219-8689
Phone: 877-ENG-EXAM (877-364-3926) or 615-880-4226
Fax: 615-846-0153
Email: paengcord@pcshq.com
 

To link to the EES's  web site for the Pennsylvania Fundamentals of Engineering, FE, exam, click here.  The web site has  information particular to Pennsylvania's requirements plus downloadable application forms.

To link to the EES's web site for the Pennsylvania Principles and Practices, PE, exam, click here.  The web site has information particular to Pennsylvania's requirements plus downloadable application forms.

Please remember that, even though the examinations are national, each state still administers its own licensing process.  Therefore, rules and procedures (for example, who can take the examinations, experience requirements, etc.) can, and do, vary across states.  Please be sure that you understand the requirements for the state in which you want to be licensed.  If you have any questions about a state's rules, contact that state's licensing board for clarifications - click here for links to all state boards.  For a direct link to the web page for the Pennsylvania State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists, click here.

Calculators

Beware! NCEES only allows certain calculators to be used for the examinations. See the list of approved calculators at http://www.ncees.org/exams/calculators/.  If you bring a calculator that is not on the approved list to the exam, you will not be allowed to bring it into the room and you will have to take the exam without a calculator. Only a few makes and models are approved, so do not assume that yours is on the list -- check.

Other Restricted Items

In addition to the calculator restrictions, NCEES also prohibits other items in the exam room. Also prohibited, per NCEES, are: "Any device having a QWERTY keypad arrangement similar to a typewriter or keyboard is prohibited. Devices with communication capabilities are prohibited. These include but are not limited to cameras; cell phones; desktop, hand-help, laptop, and palmtop computers; databanks; data collectors; organizers; pagers or beepers; PDAs; radios; headsets; tape players; portable fax machines; calculator watches; reproduction equipment; electronic dictionaries; electronic translators; and recorders." You cannot bring pencils, lead, or erasers to the exam. Pencils and erasers will be supplied.  Click here for details.

Services for Penn State Students
The College of Engineering's Continuing Education office provides support to Penn State students taking the FE examination. Click here to view information specific to Penn State students planning to apply for and take the FE examination.

Penn State Review Courses
To help engineers prepare for the licensing examinations, Penn State offers FE and PE review courses at sites throughout Pennsylvania. The reviews are usually presented from September to April. Click here to see a list of Penn State courses, sites, and times.

Information Sources
Following are several excellent sources of information for anyone planning to take either the FE or PE Exam.