professional engineering license

Professional Engineering License vs. Project Management Certification

May 23, 2023 by Anthony Fasano, P.E. Leave a Comment

In this article (and video above), I explain the key differences between a PE license and a PMP certification to help you decide which one is right for you.

PMP Certification

PMP certification refers to the process of obtaining a certification that verifies an individual’s competency and expertise in project management. Project management certification programs are designed to provide professionals with the skills and knowledge required to successfully plan, execute, and manage projects in a variety of industries. These certifications are offered by various organizations such as the Project Management Institute (PMI), the International Project Management Association (IPMA), and the Association for Project Management (APM). It usually involves meeting specific education and experience requirements, passing an exam, and adhering to a code of ethics.

If you’re interested in leading projects and managing teams, a PMP Certification can be a great way to demonstrate your skills in this area. Project managers are responsible for planning, executing, and closing projects. They need to be able to coordinate resources, manage budgets, and communicate effectively with stakeholders and a PMP Certification can be particularly useful and help to enhance a project manager’s credibility, increase job opportunities, and improve their earning potential. One of the more noteworthy or popular PMP certifications is the Project Management Professional, also known as the PMP, from the Project Management Institute.

PE License

However, if you’re more interested in the technical aspects of engineering, the PE License might be a better fit for you. The PE license, or Professional Engineering license, is a certification granted to engineers who have met the educational, experience, and examination requirements set by their state’s licensing board. This license is a legal requirement for engineers who offer their services directly to the public or who work on projects that require the approval of a licensed engineer.

To become a licensed Professional Engineer, an individual must typically hold a bachelor’s degree in engineering from an accredited program, pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, work for a certain number of years under the supervision of a licensed Professional Engineer, and pass the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam, also known as the PE Exam. The PE exam is a comprehensive test that covers a wide range of engineering topics and is administered by each state’s licensing board.

Obtaining a PE license demonstrates that an engineer has the education, experience, and knowledge required to practice engineering in a safe, ethical, and competent manner. It is a mark of professional achievement that can open up new career opportunities and enhance an engineer’s earning potential.

In summary, the PE License and PMP Certification are both important credentials for professionals in the engineering and construction industry. If you’re interested in technical engineering work, the PE License might be the right fit for you. If you’re interested in leading projects and managing teams, the PMP Certification can be a great way to demonstrate your skills. There are also many engineers to pursue and achieve both.

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

PE Civil Exam Depth: Geotechnical

March 29, 2022 by Anthony Fasano, P.E. Leave a Comment

Are you struggling to decide what depth exam you should take for your Civil PE Exam? Where do you start when trying to figure this out? Passing the PE exam is the last milestone in the journey towards your professional engineering license, so you must make the right decision.

In the next 5 articles, we will cover each of these Civil PE depth exams in detail, outline which topics show up on each exam, what the pass rates are for each topic, and provide some valuable information that will help you in your decision.

Let’s Look at the PE Civil: Geotechnical Depth Section of the PE Exam:

There are five different areas that you can choose from when taking the PE Civil exam which are:

PE Civil: Geotechnical
PE Civil: Construction
PE Civil: Structural
PE Civil: Transportation
PE Civil: Water Resources & Environmental

Remember that the PE Civil exam is a breadth and depth examination. The breadth items (typically known as the morning section) cover topics from all areas of civil engineering. However, the depth items (also known as the afternoon section) focus more closely on a single area of practice, like Geotechnical Engineering.

What Is Geotechnical Engineering?

Civil PE Exam Practice Problem (Vertical Curves)

December 31, 2020 by Anthony Fasano, P.E. Leave a Comment

Vertical Curves – In this week’s edition of Pass the PE Exam, I’m going to solve a problem that you may encounter during your Civil PE Exam, in the transportation section on vertical curves, as demanded by many of our YouTube subscribers.

A vertical curve provides a transition between two sloped roadways, allowing a vehicle to negotiate the elevation rate change at a gradual rate rather than a sharp cut. These curves are parabolic and are assigned stationing based on a horizontal axis. And during your exam, you will most likely need to answer one or more questions on this topic, which I provide an example of in the video above.

Before moving ahead, let me remind you that most successful engineers will tell you that getting their PE license was the biggest career growth driver they’ve experienced, whether it was due to a promotion, salary increase or just more exciting projects to work on – you want to get your PE license.

However, preparing for the PE exam can be a real challenge which includes solving many problems like the one I am about to show you, but through this and other videos on our YouTube Channel you will learn everything you need to know about the licensing process including PE exam preparation.

Here is the vertical curves problem below: [Read more…] about Civil PE Exam Practice Problem (Vertical Curves)

Five Reasons to Take and Pass the FE Exam

November 23, 2020 by Anthony Fasano, P.E. Leave a Comment

PASS THE FE EXAM — In this post, I’d like to discuss five specific benefits of why ALL engineers should take and pass the FE Exam. However, before I do that, let me start by telling you what exactly the FE Exam is. The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam is designed for recent engineering graduates and students who are close to finishing an undergraduate engineering degree. The degree must be from an EAC/ABET (Engineering Accreditation Commission or Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) accredited program. The FE exam is a computer-based exam administered year-round at NCEES-approved Pearson VUE test centers.

The FE exam includes 110-questions, and the exam appointment time is six hours long with about five hours and twenty minutes of that time being actual exam time. You can register for the exam through the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) website at NCEES.org.

So, why is it important to take this exam?

Firstly, the FE exam is the first step to getting your professional engineering license, and there are so many benefits to that including accelerating your career path, promotions, salary increases, more exciting job opportunities and projects to work on and more. However, let me stay focused here on the benefits of actually taking and passing the FE exam. Here are five reasons to take and pass the FE exam.