What exams are involved in the licensing process?
Becoming licensed usually means taking at least two eight-hour engineering examinations administered by your state. The first is known as the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam. It was formerly (and often still is) called the Engineer-in-Training or EIT exam. This exam is given in one day and is divided into two four-hour sections. The morning section covers general engineering topics. In the afternoon, you have the choice of taking one of six different exams: chemical, civil, electrical, industrial, mechanical, or general. The second eight-hour licensing exam is known as the Principles and Practice of Engineering, or PE, exam. This exam is administered by discipline. Some states require PE candidates in certain disciplines to pass other exams, in addition to the standard national tests written by the NCEES. (For example, California requires civil PE candidates to pass a four-hour test on seismic principles and a four-hour test on engineering surveying, as well as the civil PE exam.
