What Is the NCEES PE Exam?

The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) offers Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exams to verify engineering knowledge in 27 different disciplines. This certification can be used to supplement your professional experience or enhance your resume by verifying your skills to potential employers. Use the following article to learn more about exam requirements, subjects, and frequently asked questions.

Read more: How to List Certifications on Your Resume

What is NCEES PE exam?

The NCEES PE exam is the final step before professional engineers apply for certification and licensure from their state board. The public uses the structures and technologies engineers work with daily, so their safety is of the utmost importance. Becoming a licensed professional engineer (PE) ensures that you have the minimum level of competency to design and build these structures with public safety at the top of your mind. You can brush up on critical engineering design skills by enrolling in the free online course offered by the University of Leeds: Fundamental Skills in Engineering Design.

PE exam requirements

The PE exam tests minimum qualifications in your specific engineering discipline. The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam is a prerequisite for the PE. You also need four years of work in the field after college graduation in your engineering discipline. Afterward, you must register to take the PE exam by creating an account on the NCEES website, navigating to the PE exam tab, and filtering by your state and discipline to learn what other requirements your state requires before taking the PE exam.

Refer to the NCEES website and select your specific discipline to learn more about exam requirements, format, and specifications.

Why should I take the NCEES PE exam?

Licensed engineers have more opportunities for advancement from employers, giving you the ability to become a leader in the field or a private consultant and giving you the ability to teach engineering courses and work for government institutions. Additionally, licensed engineers are the only engineers who can prepare, sign, and seal engineering plans and documents for public boards or clients.

NCEES PE exam specifications by area

Below, you'll find a list of exam subjects and resources you can use to brief yourself on key specifications such as exam format, length, and topics. Each engineering discipline has its own exam specifications.

NCEES PE exam changes

Remember that exam specifications change once every five to seven years, and design standards change even more frequently than that.

NCEES Civil PE exam

The NCEES Civil is a computer-based PE exam that features 80 questions, both multiple-choice and alternative item types (AITs). AITs may include drag-and-drop questions asking the test taker to sort, label, or rank items, fill-in-the-blank questions, point-and-click style questioning, and multiple-choice questions with more than one correct response. Each of the resources below includes exam changes that went into effect in April 2024:

• NCEES Civil Construction Exam Specifications

• NCEES Civil Geotechnical Exam Specifications

• NCEES Civil Structural Exam Specifications

• NCEES Civil Transportation Exam Specifications

• NCEES Civil Water Resources and Environmental Exam Specifications

NCEES Civil PE exam dates

The NCEES Civil exam is administered year-round. You can browse exam dates by searching for Pearson VUE test centers near you.

NCEES Environmental PE exam

The PE Environmental is a computer-based PE exam that features 80 questions, both multiple-choice and alternative item types (AITs). AITs may include drag-and-drop questions asking the test taker to sort, label, or rank items, fill-in-the-blank questions, point-and-click style questioning, and multiple-choice questions with more than one correct response. As of October 2024, the exam topics have not changed since their original publish date in April 2018:

• NCEES PE Environmental Exam Specifications

NCEES Environmental PE exam dates

The NCEES Environmental PE exam is administered year-round. You can browse exam dates by searching for Pearson VUE test centers near you.

NCEES Mechanical PE exam

The Mechanical PE is a computer-based PE exam that features 80 questions, both multiple-choice and alternative item types (AITs). AITs may include drag-and-drop questions asking the test taker to sort, label, or rank items, fill-in-the-blank questions, point-and-click style questioning, and multiple-choice questions with more than one correct response. As of October 2024, the exam topics have not changed since their original publish date in April 2017:

• NCEES Mechanical HVAC and Refrigeration Exam Specifications

• NCEES Mechanical Machine Design and Materials

• NCEES Mechanical Thermal and Fluid Systems

Other NCEES exam specifications

If the exam subject you're searching for is not listed above, check out the following list of NCEES PE exam areas for additional resources.

• Agricultural and Biological

• Electrical and Computer

• Fire Protection

• Industrial and Systems

• Chemical

• Control Systems

• Architectural

• Metallurgical and Materials

• Structural

• Petroleum

• Nuclear

• Mining and Mineral Processing

• Naval Architecture and Marine

NCEES PE practice exams

The NCEES currently offers PE practice exams in the form of downloadable e-books. They contain question types that you'll encounter when you take the real exam and the answers. Each e-book comes in the form of a PDF file you'll have access to for life.

Why should I take the NCEES PE exam?

The NCEES PE exam is the final step before aspiring engineers apply for certification and licensure from their state board. The public uses the structures and technologies engineers work with daily, so their safety is of the utmost importance. Becoming a licensed professional engineer (PE) ensures that you have the minimum level of competency to design and build these structures with public safety at the top of your mind. 

Licensed engineers have more opportunities for advancement from employers, giving you the ability to become a leader in the field or a private consultant and giving you the ability to teach engineering courses and work for government institutions. Additionally, licensed engineers are the only engineers who can prepare, sign, and seal engineering plans and documents for public boards or clients. 

How to take the NCEES PE exam

The PE exam is a vital step toward your career as a licensed professional engineer. The following walkthrough describes each step of the exam process. For specific, up-to-date details regarding exam administrations, always refer to the official NCEES guide and the NCEES website.

1. Register for the exam.

Before taking the NCEES PE exam, you need to review any state-specific guidelines, register on the NCEES website, pay the exam fee, request any ADA or military accommodations, and schedule your exam. While each discipline exam differs, $375 is the typical PE exam fee [1]. However, each state has varying requirements that could accrue additional costs on taking the exam. Use the state-specific drop downs on the PE exam tab of the NCEES website to see how much it will cost for your discipline and location. 

2. Schedule your exam appointment.

After you receive the approval from your stand board, you'll receive an email to schedule your exam appointment. To do so, log in to your NCEES account, go to the website’s “schedule” section, make your selection, and await confirmation. Each discipline’s exam has specific dates every year, so review your discipline and when the exam is available. If needed, you may be able to cancel or reschedule your appointment if you meet specific criteria and provide at least 48 hours' notice. 

3. Exam day preparation.

Before exam day, study for the exam. The NCEES website lists practice exams for each discipline for purchase. Here are some basic steps to prepare for the PE exam:

• Study the PE exam format and subjects for your discipline. 

• Obtain a PE reference manual and purchase any other necessary study materials. 

• Find how you want to study by reviewing theory or solving problems and identify your strengths and weaknesses in each subject.

• Take practice exams available on the NCEES website or third-party recourses. 

• To ease stress, make a thorough review plan, find study groups, schedule, and practice self-care. 

When exam day comes, give yourself ample time and plan to arrive 30 minutes before your appointment. Be sure to have a government ID, passport, or military ID. You also need an approved calculator and any approved comfort items.

Approved calculators for the NCEES PE exam

As of October 2024, the only calculator models acceptable for use during exams are Casio fx-115 and fx-991 models, Hewlett Packard HP 33s and 35s, and Texas Instruments TI-30X and TI-36X.

4. Learn the exam format.

All PE exams have two sections, which are not timed separately. Instead, you receive the entire test at the beginning but complete each section simultaneously, making time management necessary. NCEES lists each discipline’s exam topics on the NCEES exams page. 

The majority of exam questions are multiple-choice with one correct answer. However, exams may have a variety of questions, which include:

• Multiple choice with multiple right options

• Point-and-click questions that require you to click on part of a graph as an answer

• Drag and drop questions that you need to match, sort, or label 

• Fill-in-the-blank questions that require you to put a numerical answer in

Are there breaks during the exam?

You have one scheduled break after you submit the first section of exam questions. You can leave the building during this scheduled break but must return before it’s over for readmission into the exam room. If needed, you may take an unscheduled break at any time during the exam to access personal items, food, or water, but this will take up exam time, and you cannot leave the building. 

5. Learn the exam policies.

NCEES does not permit any irregular exam behavior such as cheating, having someone else impersonate you to take the exam, having items prohibited by the comfort list, using a cell phone or the internet in any way, or disclosing exam content publicly after completing the exam. If irregular behavior occurs, NCEES can invalidate your results without a refund and possibly restrict future test-taking. 

6. Understand your exam results.

After you finish your exam, NCEES typically emails you with your results about seven to 10 days after completion. If you don't pass, you'll receive a more detailed assessment of your mistakes. The email includes information on how you should move forward to your state licensing board based on your performance. 

NCEES PE exam pass rate

The following figures represent NCEES PE exam pass rates for first time passes as of October 2024 [2]:

• Agricultural and Biological Engineering - 89 percent

• Architectural Engineering - 72 percent

• Chemical - 58 percent

• Civil: Construction - 55 percent

• Civil: Geotechnical - 57 percent

• Civil: Structural - 57 percent

• Civil: Transportation - 64 percent

• Civil: Water Resources and Environmental - 69 percent

• Control Systems - 58 percent

• Electrical and Computer: Computer Engineering - 46 percent

• Electronics, Controls, and Communications - 72 percent

• Electrical and Computer: Power - 60 percent

• Environmental - 71 percent

• Fire Protection - 78 percent

• Industrial and Systems - 70 percent

• Mechanical: HVAC and Refrigeration - 76 percent

• Mechanical: Machine Design and Materials - 67 percent

• Mechanical: Thermal and Fluid Systems - 74 percent

• Metallurgical and Materials - 68 percent

• Mining and Mineral Processing - 76 percent

• Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering - 71 percent

• Nuclear - 58 percent

• Petroleum - 74 percent

After you pass the PE exam

After passing the PE exam, you won’t automatically receive your professional licensure. You must apply for your licensure from your state board and submit your NCEES records to them. Be sure to review your state board’s qualifications for PE licensure. You are an official professional engineer once you receive approval and pay the state board fee. You can display your license and purchase a PE stamp or seal for engineering documents.

Advance your professional engineering career with Coursera

If you’re an engineer looking to sharpen your leadership skills and advance your career as a professional engineer, try the Engineering Management Graduate Certificate from the University of Colorado Boulder on Coursera. This program helps you build essential leadership, project management, and budgeting skills focused on leading engineering and technical projects.