Devrelle Dumas, EIT
Corey A. Frazier, Ph.D., PE
NSBE Portland Metro Professionals
General Body Meeting
July 15, 2014
What is an EIT Certification?
E.I.T./E.I. = Engineer in Training or Engineer Intern
•
•
First step towards a P.E. license
Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam
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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 a PE Certification?
• The PE license tells the public that an engineer has
mastered the critical elements of the profession.
• Professional Engineers:
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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
PE Stats
U.S. Engineers, Percentage with License or Certification
Total Engineers
Computer software
Computer hardware
Industrial
Electrical
Mechanical
Environmental
Civil and architectural
0
10
20
30
40
PERCENT
Source: Abt Associates Inc., Engineers in the U.S.: An Overview of the Profession, 2004
50
60
70
Pre-EIT to PE Flow
Pre-Engineer-In-Training
Engineer-In-Training
Professional Engineer
Engineering Student or Engineering
Professional
Engineering Professional
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
Job Responsibilities
Job Responsibilities
• Performs engineering analysis and
tasks. Elevates those results to
senior engineers for approval.
• 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
• Complete required years of
experience
• Successfully apply for PE certification
• Pass PE exam
• Successfully petition to waive PE
exam and receive certification
Key Transition Points:
• Maintain certification and expertise
• Mentor other engineers
What Opportunities Are Available with a PE License?
• Increase employment potential
• Entrepreneurship
• Industry  Academia
– Allows engineers in academia to transfer
innovation and theoretical principles to real world
problem solving
Question
True or False:
As a PE you are only allowed to sign on for work
you directly performed analysis on.
Answer
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.
PE Certification Benefits and Tradeoffs
Pros & Perks
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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
Cons & Taxes
• Major commitment
– Requires re-licensure
– Continuing Ed accountability
• Awareness/responsibility of team
and designs (technical knowledge)
PE Application Process
Experience
PE
References
$$$
PE Application Components
Paperwork
PE Application Process
Experience
PE
References
$$$
• 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
Paperwork
PE Application Process
Experience
PE
References
$$$
Paperwork
• PE References:
– Licensed PEs who can verify your claims of engineering acumen
– May or may not be familiar with your work or work with you
– At least 3 will be needed to sign off on Supplementary Experience Record
• Tips to gain PE References
– Network during “apprenticeship” to gain PEs who provide guidance and will sign off
– Look up on state directory and write a polite letter
PE Application Process
Experience
PE
References
$$$
• Fees
– $250 Application Fee
– Investigate Company Sponsorship/Reimbursement
Paperwork
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
Exam Preparation
FE
Training/Prep
Free prep classes offered through schools or through private companies
for a fee
(3+ month head start)
•
Recommended Coursework
•
References Allowed in the
Exam
PE
Refresher courses in 101-level
subject areas (chemistry,
physics, etc.) if you've been a
practicing engineer for a while
•
General knowledge review.
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PE Prep courses specific to
field.
Practice exams – questions
from past exams offered
online.
•
Sponsorship may be available
through your company!
FE Reference Handbook
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Textbooks
Standards
NCEES Workbook
PE Reference book(s)
What to Expect on Exam Day
• Registration
• Getting acclimated to the test environment
• Best Practices
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Get there EARLY
Do not leave for lunch
Bring snacks
Pace yourself
• FE Exam: ~3 minutes per question
• PE Exam: ~6 minutes per question
Exam Specifics
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
Chemical
Civil
Electrical & Computer
Environmental
Industrial
Mechanical
Other Disciplines
Agricultural & Biological
Architectural
Chemical
Civil*
Control Systems
Electrical & computer
Environmental
Fire Protection
Industrial
Mechanical*
Metallurgical
Mining & Mineral Processing
Naval Architecture & Marine
Nuclear
Petroleum
Software
Structural
Disciplines
Offered
Multiple choice
Exam
Format
*PE Breadth Session: general knowledge specific in a particular engineering field
Example
of FE Exam Specifications
*PE Depth Session: a concentration is chosen
Post-FE Exam
• 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-PE Exam: Passing
• 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: Re-take
4
$200+
Maximum
attempts
Cost per test
attempt
• 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
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
Professional Certification Presentations on the Horizon
• Lean, Six Sigma, and Lean Six Sigma certifications
• Project Management Professional (PMP) & Project Management-related
certifications
• Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP) and Systems Engineeringrelated certifications
• Business Process Management (BPM) certification
• Configuration Management certifications
• Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification
BACKUP
FE Exam Pass/Fail Rates
* First-time test takers, within 9 months of graduation reported only. http://ncees.org/exams/fe-exam/
PE Exam Pass / Fail rates (as of April 2014)
* http://ncees.org/exams/pe-exam/
Notable Links
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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