The FAQ on Licensing

Contents

1. Definitions
2. Does an engineer have to have a PE to practice?
3. How is private practice different than working in industry?
4. What else does professional certification qualify me for?
5. Why don't all engineers get certified?
6. If the industrial exemption means I may not need certification, what advantage is there to my getting it anyway?
7. What might I expect on a PE exam or an EIT?
8. What are the biggest problems with the certification system?
9. Any other related suggestions?
10. New developments
11. The way the law reads today

---

Definitions
Return to Contents

For exact requirements in your state write your state's Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors and request an application packet. Also, contact the NCEES for information on the exams and their new file service. NCEES has tables available which list requirements for licensing by state.

NCEES
1820 Seneca Creek Road
PO Box 1686
Clemson SC 29633-1686
(803) 654-6824

---

Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam

This is the first step toward obtaining the PE license. Successful completion leads to the designation of Engineer in Training (EIT). Some states require an application to take this exam -- check in yours.

• It is standardized nationally.
• It is given in each state on the same day.
• It covers material common to most engineering disciplines:
  • circuits
  • fluid mechanics
  • thermodynamics
  • solid mechanics
  • mechanics/statics
  • materials science
  • mathematics
  • chemistry
• It is eight hours long, in two four-hour segments. You get a lunch break in-between.
• It is multiple choice. For now.
• It is closed-book, although a reference book is included.

Those who complete the FE Exam are required to have four years of experience by the time the state receives the scores. Since the college years count, many applicants take the exam late in their senior years.

---

Principles and Practices (PP) Exam

This is it -- the exam that gets the PE license.

• It is standardized nationally,
  • but states decide on passing score.
  • and some states have specific disciplinary sections:
    • CA -- seismic design (Civils)
    • FL -- high winds
    • NJ -- environmental
    • WI -- "barrier-free" design
  • and NCEES no longer offers a combined test.
• It covers mini-design problems of the type encountered in upper-level undergraduate design classes.
• It consists of two segments, with applicants choosing to solve a subset of the problems available in each.
• Unlike an exam in which there are "right" and "wrong" answers, in this one you must justify your answers by stating all assumptions and defending your various steps.

The PP Exam requires a long application with details of work experience and (usually five) letters of reference (in most states, at least three of the references must themselves be licensed PEs). The NCEES packet says references should

• reflect the character and diversity of the applicant's experience
• be personally acquainted with the applicant's professional reputation and technical ability.

Every time you apply for a PE, you need new letters of reference, although you can use the same people over again.

Those who complete the PP Exam are required to have eight years of experience by the time the state receives the scores. The undergraduate years count for four, and advanced degrees for two -- so even with a PhD you would have to add two years of work experience to qualify.

Here are some of the differences between states:

• Some states do not recognize licenses granted in other states. They may require re-examination, even from licensees in other states. Reciprocity, in which re-examination is waived, generally requires what NCEES considers as a passing score.
• Some states may not recognize individual specializations.
• Some states grant licenses routinely to (say) holders of PhDs.
• Exam fees may vary greatly.

The NCEES now maintains (for a fee) a file of references, exam scores and experience for licensees. You might check with them for details.

---

Does an engineer have to have a PE to practice?
Return to Contents

The following people must have a PE license to practice:

• Anyone who offers engineering services to the public.
• Any who formally advertise themselves as "engineers."
• Half of the principals (i.e. owners) of a company that offers engineering services to the public.
• Half of the principals of a company that wants to use the term "engineer" in its name.

This does not include publicly-held companies that provide engineering services as their primary business. Many employees of companies whose primary business is contract engineering also get licenses as a matter of course.

The following documents (for example) require the review of a PE:

• Electrical power system designs
• Public utility designs
• Construction documents and related designs
• Environmental containment designs

There is a strong likelihood of PE review needed if the thing being designed has impact on the public, e.g. public safety or utility availability. Such review would be required prior to construction, although the design can be accomplished by unlicensed engineers. Some utilities are required by law to hire PEs in some positions.

On the other hand, the following designs will probably not require such review:

• Control systems design (except where safety is involved)
• Design and manufacture of computer chips

The "industrial exemption" works as follows: if you provide engineering services to your employer that are related to the design and manufacture of the company's product, you need not be licensed. The theory is that the employer assumes the liability in the case of harm to the public, not the individual engineer. (In the USA, Mississippi is the only state that does not have the industrial exemption.) The company most likely is covered by product liability insurance as well. In short, you can "engineer" a product for your employer, although without certification you cannot publicly call yourself an "engineer."

The "flip side" of licensing is as follows:

• The discipline involved in the licensing process can serve as a reminder to young engineers of the "ethic" involved in working in engineering -- some who are unlicensed (and are thus unaware of the PE's "Canons of Ethics") may at times ignore this.
• Someone with a PE can be sued. This knowledge will at times help the young engineer to scrupulously avoid failures.
• There is little effort to enforce the law here, unless someone without a license tries to advertise the services of an engineer.

Professional registration allows a uniform standard of exchange between unrelated expertises, thus allowing consumers to buy "pre-qualified" products.

---

How is private practice different than working in industry?
Return to Contents

Since you cannot advertise your services as an "engineer" without certification, you must make certain of the following:

• Your understanding of the legal aspect of private practice.
• How liability can affect your client(s).
• What ways you can advertise your services legally.
• Whether your client is liable for payroll taxes, providing an industrial exemption, etc.

The NSPE and the Consulting Engineers council have done quite a bit to provide insight in these areas.

---

What else does professional certification qualify me for?
Return to Contents

• Expert witnesses: a PE can offer expert opinion as to what caused (for instance) a structural failure. This is the same as for a police officer, firefighter, physician, or anyone else (again) who deals with the public safety.
• Expert investigator: in many states, a PE can be called upon to determine the cause of (for instance) arson. This is, once again, in relation to the public safety.

---

Why don't all engineers get certified?
Return to Contents

"Because of the industrial exemption" is the technical answer, but there are other underlying trains of thought.

• Some industries are already regulated on a federal level, such as aerospace.
• Some individuals who do not work with PEs have no way of getting the five references required to sit for the PP Exam. In some such cases, an application may be considered individually anyway.
• The application procedure can take longer than the exam itself.

There is a move afoot nationally to eliminate the industrial exemption. You are not required to have registration if you are preparing plans/specs for small commercial work, residences, domestic outbuildings, or unoccupied farm buildings.

---

If the industrial exemption means I may not need certification, what advantage is there to my getting it anyway?
Return to Contents

Here are some things that certification may do to help you:

• Demonstrate your proficiency to certain potential employers.
• Refresh your memory on problems not recently solved.
• Give you the "aura" of a professional consultant.

---

What might I expect on a PE Exam or an EIT?
Return to Contents

Here is an example of an exam in EE, contributed by Pikus on 06/22/94. The submission did not indicate whether the exam was FE or PE. Solve eight of the following:

The Editor of this FAQ has no analogous contributions for other disciplines available.

---

What are the biggest problems with the certification system?
Return to Contents

Loaded question. This is the one that brings up the thread in the first place. The system itself has these observed problems:

• Certification as a process would be more popular if the process were streamlined somewhat -- even for the test-makers, there is a lot of work.
• An honorarium of no more than $20/hour for writing questions; travel expenses only for (long) meetings to review scoring standards and new questions, etc. Few working engineers are willing to give up weekends for policy conferences. Of course, your mileage on this point will vary.
• What would be useful (and what isn't there) would be a voluntary certification process conducted by an unpaid volunteer group (with no ax to grind) of working engineers.
• The NSPE must recognize that there are many engineering disciplines out there and that certifications should either address common areas or be specialized.

The use of the title "engineer" has these problems:

• Many people call themselves "engineers" -- this can be a misuse of the term. A blatant example is the "software engineer" that has taken computer science courses and uses the title "engineer."
• No test can measure whether someone will be a competent engineer. This is why the experience and reference requirements are crucial parts of professional certification.

The testing process has these problems:

• A large percentage of test-takers fail. Numbers were not verified in this portion of the discussion, and some thought it was unreasonable that anyone should fail such a "simple" exam. The passing rate on the FE for first time takers from ABET-accredited programs is about 70%. The passing rate for all takers is about 50%. The rate varies slightly with each exam since the selection of questions is different each time.
• The EIT is not required for undergraduates, nor is there a waiver on the PE exam for, say, a PhD with some work experience.
• The EIT is structured more toward Mechanical and Civil than for, say, Geological and Chemical engineering. There is a counter-argument that ME programs place a greater emphasis on the EIT.

---

Any other related suggestions?
Return to Contents

• Make sure you have an apprenticeship or cooperative education program you can jump into while an undergrad.
• Alternatively, make sure you have a two-year in ______ Technology, where ______ is some discipline which offers credits that will transfer into a four-year program in engineering.
• Contrary to the opinions of many students, the FE is NOT a test of what you know so much as a test of what you can understand. Mature engineers on the review panel found that if the read the questions carefully, they could find information in the references which let them solve problems for which they were otherwise "clueless." Faculty colleagues have said essentially the same thing after taking the FE. Those who cannot (or will not) read carefully will not do well.

---

Developments
Return to Contents

The proposed rewrite of the PE Act would have the following effects:

• All registrants would be "professional engineers." Registration as a "civil engineer" or "chemical engineer" (for example) would involve appropriate registration prior to the rewrite, or separate testing.
• EIT waivers would no longer be available.
• Experience required for professional registration would increase from six to eight years.
• Stronger sanctions against PEs who violate provisions of the Act would be implemented.
• Only NCEES exams would be offered. Since NCEES does not offer exams in traffic, corrosion and safety, these would no longer be available, and no new registrations would be given in those areas. New registrations would be available, however, in aeronautical, ceramic, environmental, and mining/materials.

---

The way the law reads today
Return to Contents

The current law makes distinctions between registered and nonregistered engineers as follows:

Registered engineers

1. May use the titles "registered engineer", "professional engineer", "consulting engineer" or combinations of those titles.
2. May use one of the titles in Section 6732 as appropriate for the branch in which they are registered.
3. May practice civil engineering if registered as a civil engineer and similarly for mechanical or electrical engineering.

Unregistered engineers

1. May NOT use the titles "registered engineer", "professional engineer", "consulting engineer" or combinations of those titles.
2. May NOT use one of the titles in Section 6732.
3. MAY practice engineering in any branch other than civil, mechanical or electrical engineering (so long as they do not use one of the titles in Section 6732).

Note that exemptions to registration may be found in:

6701. "Professional engineer," within the meaning and intent of this act, refers to a person engaged in the professional practice of rendering service or creative work requiring education, training and experience in engineering sciences and the application of special knowledge of the mathematical, physical and engineering sciences in such professional or creative work as consultation, investigation, evaluation, planning or design of public or private utilities, structures, machines, processes, circuits, buildings, equipment or projects, and supervision of construction for the purpose of securing compliance with specifications and design for any such work.

6702.1. "Electrical engineer" as used in this chapter means a professional engineer in the branch of electrical engineering and refers to one who practices or offers to practice electrical engineering in any of its phases.

404 (l) "Electrical engineering" is that branch of professional engineering described in Section 6734.1 of the code, which embraces studies or activities relating to the generation, transmission, and utilization of electrical energy, including the design of electrical, electronic and magnetic circuits and the technical control of their operation and of the design of electrical gear. It is concerned with research, organizational, and the economic aspects of the above.

6703. The phrase "responsible charge of work" means the independent control and direction, by the use of initiative, skill, and independent judgment, of the investigation or design of professional engineering work or the direct engineering control of such projects. The phrase does not refer to the concept of financial liability.

(The definition of "responsible charge" is greatly expanded upon in Section 404.1)

6704. In order to safeguard life, health, property, and public welfare, no person shall practice civil, electrical, or mechanical engineering unless appropriately registered or specifically exempted from registration under this chapter, and only persons registered under this chapter shall be entitled to take and use the titles "consulting engineer," "professional engineer," or "registered engineer," or any combination of those titles, and according to registration with the board the engineering branch titles specified in Section 6732, or the authority titles specified in Section 6763, or "engineer-in-training." The provisions of this act pertaining to registration of professional engineers other than civil engineers, do not apply to employees in the communication industry; nor to the employees of contractors while engaged in work on communication equipment; however, those employees may not use any of the titles listed in Section 6732 unless registered. The provisions of this section shall not prevent the use of the title "consulting engineer" by a person who has qualified for and maintained exemption for using that title under the provisions of Section 6732.1, or by a person licensed as a photogrammetric surveyor.

6732. It is unlawful for anyone other than a professional engineer registered under this chapter, to stamp or seal any plans, specifications, plats, reports, or other documents with the seal or stamp of a professional engineer, or to in any manner use the title "professional engineer," "registered engineer," or "consulting engineer," or any of the following branch titles: "agricultural engineer," "chemical engineer," "civil engineer," "control system engineer," "corrosion engineer," "electrical engineer," "fire protection engineer," "industrial engineer," "manufacturing engineer," "mechanical engineer," "metallurgical engineer," "nuclear engineer," "petroleum engineer," "quality engineer," "safety engineer," "traffic engineer," or any combination of such words and phrases or abbreviations thereof unless registered hereunder.

6732.1. Any person who has been granted permission to use the title "consulting engineer" pursuant to legislation enacted at the 1963, 1965, or 1968 Regular Session is exempt from the provisions of Section 6732 as it restricts the use of the title "consulting engineer", and such exemption shall apply so long as the applicant remains in practice and advises the board of any change of address within 30 days of such change. The board may adopt such rules under provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act as are necessary to implement this section.

The provisions of Articles 5 (commencing with Section 6775), 6 (commencing with Section 6785), and 7 (commencing with Section 6795) of this chapter shall apply to all persons who are granted permission to use the title "consulting engineer" pursuant to legislation enacted in 1963 and 1965 and the amendments to this section enacted at the 1968 Regular Session.

6734.1. Any person practices electrical engineering when he professes to be an electrical engineer or is in responsible charge of electrical engineering work.

6763. Application for authority to use the title "structural engineer," "soil engineer," "soils engineer," or "geotechnical engineer" shall be made to the board on forms prescribed by it and shall be accompanied by the application fee fixed by this chapter. An applicant for authority to use the title "structural engineer," "soil engineer," "soils engineer," or "geotechnical engineer" who has passed the examination prescribed by the board, or an applicant for authority to use the title "soil engineer," "soils engineer," or "geotechnical engineer" whose application is submitted prior to July 1, 1986, and who has otherwise demonstrated that he or she is qualified, shall have a certificate of authority issued to him or her. For purposes of this chapter, an authority to use the title "structural engineer," "soil engineer," "soils engineer," or "geotechnical engineer" is an identification of competence and specialization in a subspecialty of civil engineering and necessitates education or experience in addition to that required for registration as a civil engineer.

References and Resources

• There is one thing that would be very useful here: some study guide titles. Please feel free to throw some of those in at any time! :-)
•  
• NCEES
• NSPE

---

Authors

Ron Bean
John Beaudry
Stan Bischof
Henry Black
Timothy Chu
Dave Forrest
Ron Graham (Editor)
Brian Gross
Lisa Henn
Gary Krauch
Elaine Lindelef
Rita M. Lumos
Robert Macy
Joseph Melrose
Michael Miles
Andrew Moskalik
Tony Mullins
C. Wayne Parker
Chris Pikus
Dave Russell
A. E. Siegman
Richard Suhar
Alex Tessier
A. W. Utay
Wallace Venable

---