Can You Get Approved to Sit for the PE Exam WITHOUT Passing the FE Exam?

In this article (and video above), I answer a question that I have received from many of our listeners, which is:

“Can I get approved to sit for the PE Exam without passing the FE Exam if I have a number of years of experience working in the engineering field?”

Now, before I answer the question, it is really important to know that there are several steps involved in order to become a licensed professional engineer.  There is a lengthy application to complete that details your work experience right down to the number of months you worked on each project. The application must be signed by a licensed professional engineer for each project or job you document. And of course, you must study for and pass the exam. 

Each state’s application process is similar but may vary slightly. You must obtain the minimum amount of engineering experience required in your state to become licensed.  This is typically four years for someone possessing an ABET-accredited Bachelor’s degree or eight years for a degree not accredited by ABET.  With advanced degrees, the experience requirement can be reduced.  

If your state has decoupled the exam, you may take the PE exam earlier than the experience requirement dictates.  For example, you may be required to obtain four years of engineering experience, however you could take the PE exam before the four year mark, however, if you pass, you still have to wait until you obtain the four years of experience to receive your license.

Qualifying Experience Can Usually Be Described as Fitting into One of the Following Categories:

• Engineering design,
• Engineering calculations,
• Planning for engineering works,
• Prep and review of engineering plans,
• Prep and review of engineering specifications, and
• Engineering analysis.

In some cases, full-time engineering work experience obtained while completing your engineering degree, like an internship, can be counted toward your experience requirement, sometimes at 50% of actual time, often with a maximum amount that can be claimed prior to graduation. Advanced degrees and foreign experience are often counted and verified in the same manner.

So, no matter what, the minimum years of experience that you will have to wait before you officially have your PE license is no less than 4 years, whether you decide to take it early, and then complete your 4 years of experience, or whether you first obtain your qualifying experience. Four years is the minimum requirement, in most states. 

Now, to get back to the original question here which was: “Can you get approved to sit for the PE Exam without passing the FE Exam?” The answer is YES. There are states in which you may apply directly for the PE exam without taking the FE exam if you have at least 12 years of engineering work experience that is acceptable to the PE Board, where in five of those years, you are in “responsible charge” of engineering work. The National Society of Professional Engineers (or NSPE) defines responsible charge as the “direct control and personal supervision of engineering work.”

That being said, remember that you will need to detail your engineering experience in a very specific way to get accepted to take the PE Exam, and if you document it the right way, it will significantly improve your chances of being accepted to sit for the Engineering Principles and Practice or PE Exam. We published a complete video titled: How to Document Your 4 Years of Engineering Experience explaining the entire process. 

This Episode Is Brought to You by PPI

PPI has helped engineers achieve their licensing goals since 1975. Passing the FE and PE exams can open doors to career advancement and new opportunities. Check out PPI’s wide range of prep options, including Live Online courses, OnDemand courses, and digital study tools to help prepare you to pass your licensing exam here.

I hope you found this article helpful. In upcoming articles, I will solve some more PE exam practice problems and answer other questions from our subscribers. Pass the PE Exam videos will publish weekly, so be sure to click the subscribe button so you don’t miss something that could make a substantial difference in your exam result.

Lastly, I encourage you to ask questions in the comments of this video, or on this page and I’ll read and respond to them in future videos. So, if there’s a specific topic you want me to cover or answer, we have you covered.

I’ll see you next week… on Pass the PE Exam

Anthony Fasano, P.E.
Engineering Management Institute
Author of Engineer Your Own Success