School of PE Blog

Getting an engineering license is an important milestone for many engineers. Successfully completing the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) and Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exams are the first steps in becoming a licensed Professional Engineer (PE). But before you can take the PE exam, you need to have the right kind of engineering experience. So, what kind of qualifying engineering experience do you need for the PE exam? In this blog post, we’ll break it down and explain the basic required experience needed for the PE exam.

The PE exam is a computer-based test administered year-round by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). It covers subjects like mathematics, statistics, chemistry, physics, and engineering economics, but the exact topics on the exam will depend on the specific discipline you decide to take.

The PE exam is the second exam you need to pass before earning a Professional Engineer (PE) license. It shows that you have mastered the fundamentals of your engineering discipline as well as the more minute details.

Although you don’t NEED to pass the PE exam to work as an engineer, earning your PE has several career advantages:

But you can’t just sign up and take the test – you need to have the right engineering experience first.

To take the PE exam, you must have:

The engineering degree requirement is straightforward. But what counts as “qualifying engineering experience”? And how do you know if you have enough?

According to the NCEES, qualifying engineering experience has to meet the following criteria:

Let’s break these requirements down:

For experience to qualify for the PE exam, it must be completed under the direction of a licensed PE supervisor. They don’t have to directly oversee every single task, but they need to be responsible for your work. Having a PE sign off on your experience documentation is important.

The experience also must be gained after receiving at least a bachelor’s degree in engineering from an ABET-accredited engineering program. Any experience before you earn your degree does not count.

This is where the rubber meets the road – your experience needs to involve putting your engineering knowledge into practice. For example, design work, analysis, fieldwork, lab work, or manufacturing and construction tasks. Just regular office work would not count.

As you gain more experience, you should take on higher-level engineering work and responsibilities. This demonstrates that you are acquiring more skills and competencies. Progression could involve things like managing projects, supervising team members, and making high-level technical decisions.

To better understand what constitutes qualifying experience, let’s look at a few examples:

These examples show engineering work where principles were applied meaningfully under the direction of licensed PEs. On the other hand, just basic IT support, drafting, or technician roles likely do not qualify, even if done at an engineering firm. The work must actually leverage engineering knowledge.

In most cases, you need a minimum of 4 years of post-degree engineering experience to be approved for the PE exam. However, in some cases, just 1 or 2 years may be sufficient if it is focused experience demonstrating progression of competencies. On the other hand, more than 4 years may be necessary if the experience is basic or disjointed. Be sure to check your experiences with NCEES if you have concerns or doubts.

States and licensing boards have some leeway in interpreting experience requirements for PE exam applicants. However, in general, the 4-year rule is a good guideline to ensure you will have enough qualifying experience. Having 4 or more years under your belt also allows you to show a steady progression in responsibilities over time.

To apply for approval to take the PE exam, you will need to carefully document your engineering experience. This usually involves listing your work history along with references who can verify your qualifications. Specific application forms and requirements vary by state.

Here are some tips for effectively documenting your experience:

Thoroughly documenting your work history and engineering competencies is key to getting approved to take the PE exam. Be detailed, be accurate, and spotlight your progression over time.

Once you have accumulated at least three years of acceptable engineering experience, here are the typical next steps:

With diligent preparation and persistence, proper qualifying engineering experience can set you up for success on the PE exam. Use this as an opportunity to take your career to the next level and pursue professional engineering licensure.

Earning the title and license of a Professional Engineer is a momentous accomplishment for any engineering career. In order to do so, you must first pass the FE and have 4 years of industry experience.

This experience must meet certain requirements - it must be under a licensed PE, gained post-degree, show progression, and involve meaningful application of engineering principles. In most cases, 4 years of experience is recommended, but 1-2 years may sometimes suffice. Document your experience diligently and get verifications from licensed PEs.

Once you’ve accumulated sufficient qualifying engineering experience, you can submit your application to take your PE exam. The effort put into gaining qualifying experience will pay dividends for your career.

Ready to take the first step in earning your PE license? Consider taking a course from School of PE, the leader in engineering exam prep. You can see our full course library here!