Devrelle Dumas, EITCorey A. Frazier, Ph.D., PE

NSBE Portland Metro Professionals General Body Meeting

July 15, 2014

E.I.T./E.I. = Engineer in Training or Engineer Intern • First step towards a P.E. license• Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam

Designed for recent grads and students close to finishing an undergraduate engineering degree

Eligibility – An individual must be at least in the last two semesters of an ABET-accredited engineering program

Computer-based $225 Registration fee

Look into the possibility getting reimbursed for cost – demonstrate its value to career

What is an EIT Certification?

• The PE license tells the public that an engineer has mastered the critical elements of the profession.

• Professional Engineers:– Demonstrate years of experience and expertise in their field– Can stamp and seal engineering documents– Can bid for government contracts– Can offer their services to the public– Perform consulting services in accordance to state laws

What is a PE Certification?

PE Stats

U.S. Engineers, Percentage with License or Certification

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Civ il and architectural

Env ironmental

Mechanical

Electrical

Industrial

Computer hardware

Computer software

Total Engineers

PERCENT

Source: Abt Associates Inc., Engineers in the U.S.: An Overview of the Profession, 2004

Pre-EIT to PE Flow

Engineer-In-TrainingEngineering Professional

Job Responsibilities• Performs engineering analysis and

tasks. Elevates those results to senior engineers for approval.

Key Transition Points• Complete required years of

experience• Successfully apply for PE certification• Pass PE exam• Successfully petition to waive PE

exam and receive certification

Professional EngineerEngineering Professional

Job Responsibilities• Approves engineering documentation

in accordance with state and local regulations. May perform engineering analysis and tasks. May elevate results to other senior engineers, senior management, or officials.

Key Transition Points:• Maintain certification and expertise• Mentor other engineers

Pre-Engineer-In-TrainingEngineering Student or Engineering

Professional

Job Responsibilities• Studies engineering principles and

practices.• Performs engineering analysis and

tasks. Elevates those results to senior engineers for approval.

Key Transition Points• Pass FE exam• Successfully petition to waive FE

exam and receive EIT certification

• Increase employment potential• Entrepreneurship• Industry Academia– Allows engineers in academia to transfer

innovation and theoretical principles to real world problem solving

What Opportunities Are Available with a PE License?

True or False:

As a PE you are only allowed to sign on for work you directly performed analysis on.

Question

False

PEs certification extends to signature authority on documents, analysis, and designs under your supervision

or ownership, but not necessarily performed by you. It may be your responsibility to approve or deny

engineering work as part of a team engineering project.

Answer

Pros & Perks

• Stays with you "forever"• Title/credibility• Job opportunities• Leadership opportunities:

– Responsibility over other engineering activities requiring state/local approval

– Input to senior management decisions and officials

PE Certification Benefits and Tradeoffs

Cons & Taxes

• Major commitment– Requires re-licensure– Continuing Ed accountability

• Awareness/responsibility of team and designs (technical knowledge)

PE Application Process

Experience PE References

Paperwork$$$

PE Application Components

PE Application Process

Experience PE References

Paperwork$$$

• Requirements (may vary by state)– Degree-level dependent + years of experience

• Example for Texas: accredited B.S. degree + 4 years

• Begin building a record of your duties– Include how you go/went about performing engineering tasks– Not just a resume regurgitation

PE Application Process

Experience PE References

Paperwork$$$

• PE References: – Licensed PEs who can verify your claims of engineering acumen– May or may not be familiar with your work or work with you– At least 3 will be needed to sign off on Supplementary Experience Record

• Tips to gain PE References– Network during “apprenticeship” to gain PEs who provide guidance and will sign off– Look up on state directory and write a polite letter

PE Application Process

Experience PE References

Paperwork$$$

• Fees– $250 Application Fee– Investigate Company Sponsorship/Reimbursement

PE Application Process

Experience PE References

Paperwork$$$

• Notable Paperwork– Ethics Exam: Online exam, submitted with PE application– Supplementary Experience Record (SER) Form: Detailed record of all engineering exp.

• Anti-résumé: First person with complete sentences and active engineering type verbs• SER Pitfalls – easy ways to mess up the PE application

– Original SER provided to state board, copies go to PE references for verification– SERs must be provided with an envelope for your PE references to seal upon review or mail

independently to board• Other documents include transcripts, criminal history, foreign degree verification

FE PE

Training/Prep(3+ month head start)

Free prep classes offered through schools or through private companies for a fee

Recommended Coursework

• Refresher courses in 101-level subject areas (chemistry, physics, etc.) if you've been a practicing engineer for a while

• Practice exams – questions from past exams offered online.

• General knowledge review.

• PE Prep courses specific to field.

• Sponsorship may be available through your company!

References Allowed in the Exam FE Reference Handbook

• Textbooks• Standards• NCEES Workbook• PE Reference book(s)

Exam Preparation

• Registration• Getting acclimated to the test environment• Best Practices– Get there EARLY– Do not leave for lunch– Bring snacks – Pace yourself

• FE Exam: ~3 minutes per question• PE Exam: ~6 minutes per question

What to Expect on Exam Day

Example of FE Exam Specifications

FE PE

Time Allotment 6 hour appointment time; actual test is 5 hours, 20 minutes long with 25 minute break

8 hours: morning (“Breadth”) and afternoon (“Depth”) sessions

# of Questions 110 80 total, 40 per session

Disciplines Offered

ChemicalCivil

Electrical & ComputerEnvironmental

IndustrialMechanical

Other Disciplines

Agricultural & BiologicalArchitectural

ChemicalCivil*

Control SystemsElectrical & computer

EnvironmentalFire Protection

IndustrialMechanical*

MetallurgicalMining & Mineral ProcessingNaval Architecture & Marine

NuclearPetroleumSoftwareStructural

Exam FormatMultiple choice

*PE Breadth Session: general knowledge specific in a particular engineering field *PE Depth Session: a concentration is chosen

Exam Specifics

• FE Exam – Expect results in 7 to 10 days

• Pass/fail – NCEES does not report grades to test takers– I PASSED! Now what?

• Find P.E. mentors• Gain professional engineering experience

– Re-take• Available year round, so test can be taken whenever you’re ready again• $225 registration fee required each time test is taken• Plan for success: Take note of difficult sections

Post-FE Exam

• Professional branding and title– Use “PE” title (modern format)

• “P.E.” also acceptable– Unacceptable (*unless specified by your company/regulations)

• “P.Eng” and “Ing” (foreign designations)– Not needed (*unless specified by your company/regulations)

• License #, PE discipline LinkedIn, CV, other databases• General: No subordinate degree levels

• Stamp vs Seal– Mandatory to obtain one or the other

Post-PE Exam: Passing

• Continuing Education (measured in Professional Development Hours)– Annual CE requirements vary by state

• High: Texas, North Carolina, and many others states (15 PDH + 1 ethics hr)• Low: Florida & Virginia (8 PDHs), Vermont (10 PDHs)

– Auditing• Electronically verify (honor code style) upon yearly renewal• Recommend Tracking/Log Sheet in case of audit

– Not required in first year…BUT DO IT ANYWAY!

• State PE Board Newsletter – Read for information on new standards and license revocations/suspensions

• Professional Orgs– National Society of Professional Engineers

Post-PE Exam: Passing

• Post-Exam – Immediately note:– Exam subject areas/question types you found difficult

• NCEES will NOT tell you your score– Exam day challenges and obstacles

• Take time to relax and evaluate– Exams are only administered in October and April

Post-PE Exam: Re-take

4Maximum attempts

$200+Cost per test

attempt

Not the end of the world!

...but there’s still URGENCY

Am I banned if I fail 4 consecutive times?

NO. But…

• Must go through the application process again

• Prohibited from applying for 1 year• NCEES/State board will gladly take

your money

• Lean, Six Sigma, and Lean Six Sigma certifications• Project Management Professional (PMP) & Project Management-related

certifications• Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP) and Systems Engineering-

related certifications• Business Process Management (BPM) certification• Configuration Management certifications• Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification

Professional Certification Presentations on the Horizon

BACKUP

* First-time test takers, within 9 months of graduation reported only. http://ncees.org/exams/fe-exam/

FE Exam Pass/Fail Rates

* http://ncees.org/exams/pe-exam/

PE Exam Pass / Fail rates (as of April 2014)

• http://ppi2pass.com/faqs/what-happens-after-you-pass-the-pe-exam • http://ppi2pass.com/faqs/TheRumorMill • http://ncees.org/• http://www.nspe.org/ • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regulation_and_licensure_in_engineering

Notable Links