While you're still in college, you'll need to take advanced physics, mathematics, and engineering specialty classes to get your degree. The more you learn in these classes and the more resources (such as tutors or other extra help) you avail yourself of during college, the easier it will be for you to earn that license as a PE.
If you want to go into business for yourself as an engineer, in most states you have to have a PE license to hang out your own shingle. The PE credential gives you the authority to approve drawings, designs, or other paperwork that involve public safety. Most governments, whether on the local or state level, require that drawings or plans be certified by a professional engineer if any tax monies are involved in paying for the project. Your status as a professional engineer says that you are qualified to sign off on these projects as being safe if that is indeed what you determine.
The first step to becoming a professional engineer is to earn a bachelor's degree in engineering from an ABET accredited school. ABET stands for Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. This accreditation certifies the quality of nearly 3,000 engineering programs at 600 colleges and universities in the U.S. ABET requires that engineering graduates take at least one year of study in physical or natural sciences and mathematics and complete a design class or capstone project as part of their college career. These requirements mean that engineering programs are somewhat standardized for undergraduates so that they will have a basic skill set when they enter the workforce.
The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam is given twice a year in most states. It is a closed book test and you will be given a reference handbook that is specific to the test you're taking. You can download this by going to the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying website at ncees.org. Most prospective engineers take the FE exam before graduating. In fact, taking this exam while still a student is the best way to do it. The problems on the test are not very difficult, but you have a limited amount of time in which to answer them. Taking the test while much of your course work is fresh in your mind is definitely to your advantage. The first half of the FE exam covers all disciplines, and the second half of the exam is specific to your chosen engineering specialty. The passing rate for the FE test is usually over 90%, and many schools work with students outside of normal class times to prepare them for this exam.
Once you've passed the FE exam and are in the workforce in your chosen engineering discipline, you will spend four years gaining on the job training. After you have four years of work experience in your chosen field of specialty, you can take the Professional Engineering, or PE exam. You will be well prepared to pass the PE test if you spend those four years of work experience in design related to your specialty, because performing and checking design calculations will sharpen the skills you need to pass the exam.
The PE exam is also given twice a year. The NCEES administers licenses throughout the U.S. This exam is an open book test that takes 8 hours. You will be required to bring specific reference books to the test. You can find a list of these at the ncees.org website. The test generally has 40 questions in the morning portion of the exam and 40 in the afternoon part of the exam. Like with the FE exam, you will have to work efficiently to finish.
About three months after taking the PE test, you'll learn whether you passed or failed. No number grade is given. If you do not pass, a diagnostic report will be given to you so that you can determine which concepts you need to work on for your next attempt at the exam.
Acquiring a PE license isn't automatic, but with steady preparation throughout your college career and your first years in the engineering workforce, you'll be well prepared to pass the tests required to earn your professional engineer license.
