Registration/Licensure Information
States license engineers just as they
license other professions. The licensing process is designed to protect the
health, safety and welfare of the public from fraudulent and unethical
practitioners.
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 and maintaining registration is a multi-step
process that involves:
A similar path exists for land surveyors to
attain licensure as a Professional Land Surveyor (PLS).
The PE and FE examinations are national
examinations constructed by the National
Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying, NCEES.
Click here to view a PowerPoint presentation, The Path to Licensure.
This presentation, developed by the 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.
Examination Dates
The exams are
administered twice each year, in the Spring and Fall -- usually April and
October. Future examination dates are:
For the FE Exam - always on a
Saturday
For years beyond these,
click here.
Applying to Take the Examination
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. These deadlines are
firm for first-time applicants. The deadlines for re-exam applicants are
later.
Pennsylvania, only
allows graduates of, or students in, ABET-accredited
degree programs to sit for the exam.
Persons with disciplinary issues may not be allowed to sit for the exam.
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 or if you have specific questions, contact:
Professional Credential Services (PCS)
Engineering Examination Services
PA Engineering Coordinator
PO Box 198728
Nashville, TN 37219
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 standardized nationally, 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.
Restrictions on What May be Taken Into the Examination Room
The examining
board restricts certain items from the examination room. Here are a few of
the restrictions.
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/Exam-day_policies/Calculator_policy.php. 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. To view information specific to Penn State students planning to apply for
and take the FE examination, go to the following website
http://www.engr.psu.edu/cde/FE_PE/support.htm.
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. To see a list of available Penn
State review courses, sites, and times, go to
http://www.engr.psu.edu/cde/FE_PE/local_review.htm.
Information Sources
Following are several excellent sources of
information for anyone planning to take either the FE or PE Exam.
