What is the PE exam? What does the exam entail? What to expect?

Most important step in an engineer's career

The professional engineering license is one of the most important steps in an engineers career. It allows the individual to legally practice engineering in the state of license. This credential can also help the engineer to obtain higher compensation and provide the first step in developing a credible reputation.

Must meet requirements to become licensed.

But in order to obtain this license, the engineer must first meet the qualifications as required by the state of wanted license, including working a minimum amount of years under a registered professional engineer. These engineers must serve as references on the application. The state licensing board for the exact amount of years and references required should be contacted. The engineer must also have passed the Fundamentals of Engineering exam. Finally, the engineer must pass the Professional Engineering or PE Exam in his or her discipline.

• Obtain certification as an Engineer in Training (EIT)
  
• Meet minimum work experience [2 to 4 years depending on state of license]
  
• Register for exam with NCEES at https://www.ncees.org/
• Complete State application
• Last step, PASS P.E. EXAM
  

Exams offered in April and October: NCEES Exam Schedule

8 Hour Exam, Morning and Afternoon Sessions

The exam consists of two 4-hour sessions, a morning and an afternoon session. All problems are related to Electrical Power Engineering, with difficulty level evenly spread between each section:

• Measurement and Instrumentation
  
• Codes and Standards
  
• Circuit Analysis
  
• Three-Phase Power
  
• Batteries and Power Supplies
  
• Relays, Switches, VFDs
  
• Rotating Machines
• Electromagentic Devices
• Transmission and Distribution
• Power System/Flow
• Protection
• Lightning
  
• Economics
  
• Demand and Energy Management
  

The link provides the full syllabus for the Power PE Exam: NCEES Power PE Exam Topics

State Qualifications for PE Exam

Must Meet Education and Experience Requirements

The baseline for most states is to obtain an ABET Accredited 4-Year Bachelors of Science Engineering Degree and 4 years of verifiable working experience under a Professional Engineer. The one exception is California, which only requires 2 years of work experience.

Other Education and Experience Options

Not everyone has an ABET Accredited Engineering Degree, thus other options are typically provided by States, which include:

• Unaccredited 4-Year BS Engineering Degree with 4 to 8 years of experience
• Accredited 4-Year Technical Engineering Degree with 4 to 8 years of experience
• Unaccredited 4-Year BS Science Degree with 4 to 8 years of experience.
• Up to 25 years of work experience in lieu of Education.

Other Requirements

Each state also requires that the engineer pass the FE exam and meet other state specific requirements like, a number of years of experience, an application fee, licensure fee and passing the State's exam on engineering rules and laws. The requirements for each state are listed below:

• Alabama PE Exam Registration Requirements: Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience or
  4-Yr Unaccredited BS Engineering Degree with 6-Yrs Experience or
  4-Yr BS Science Degree with Accredited MS Engineering Degree with 6-Yrs Experience or
  4-Yr Engineering Technology Degree with Accredited MS Engineering Degree with 6-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $50
  Alabama PE Exam Website
  
• Alaska PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience or
  4-Yr Unaccredited BS Engineering Degree with 6-Yrs Experience or
  Must also complete Board approved Arctic Engineering Class
  State Application Fee: $175
  Alaska PE Exam Website
  
• Arizona PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 2-Yrs Experience or
  4-Yr BS Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 1 Yr Graduate Level Education with 1-Yrs Experience or
  4-Yr Engineering Technology Degree with 3-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $100
  Arizona PE Exam Website
  
• Arkansas PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience or
  Accredited Masters or PHD Engineering Degree with 3-Yr Experience
  State Application Fee: $255
  Arkansas PE Exam Website
  
• California PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 2-Yrs Experience or
  Accredited Masters or PHD Engineering Degree with 1-Yr Experience or
  6-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $125
  California PE Exam Website
  
• Colorado PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience or
  4-Yr Accredited Technology Engineering Degree with 6-Yrs Experience or
  4-Yr Unaccredited BS Engineering or Science Degree with 6-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $100
  Colorado PE Exam Website
  
• Connecticut PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree
  6-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $80
  Connecticut PE Exam Website
  
• Delaware PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience or
  Accredited Masters Degree with 3-Yr Experience or
  Accredited PHD Degree with 2-Yr Experience or
  4-Yr Unaccredited BS Engineering, Science or Technology Degree with 8-Yrs Experience or
  6-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $100
  Delaware PE Exam Website
  
• Florida PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience or
  State Application Fee: $125
  Florida PE Exam Website
  
• Georgia PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience or
  4-Yr Unaccredited BS Engineering, Science or Technology Degree with 7-Yrs Experience or
  15-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $30
  Georgia PE Exam Website
  
• Hawaii PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience or
  4-Yr Unaccredited BS Engineering, Science or Technology Degree with 8-Yrs Experience or
  12-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $75
  Hawaii PE Exam Website
  
• Idaho PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience or
  4-Yr Unaccredited BS Engineering Degree with Board Approval and 4-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $50
  Idaho PE Exam Website
  
• Illinois PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $100
  Illinois PE Exam Website
  
• Indiana PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $300
  Indiana PE Exam Website
  
• Iowa PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr (Un)Accredited BS Engineering or Science or Technology Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $100
  Iowa PE Exam Website
  
• Kansas PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $0
  Kansas PE Exam Website
  
• Kentucy PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $150
  Kentucky PE Exam Website
  
• Louisiana PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $50
  Louisiana PE Exam Website
  
• Maine PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $25
  Maine PE Exam Website
  
• Maryland PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  1-Yr Credit for Masters or PhD
  4-Yr Unaccredited BS Engineering Degree with 8 Years Experience
  12 Years Experience
  State Application Fee: $50
  Maryland PE Exam Website
  
• Massachusetts PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $96
  Massachusetts PE Exam Website
  
• Michigan PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  44-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $40
  Michigan PE Exam Website
  
• Minnesota PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $75
  Minnesota PE Exam Website
  
• Mississippi PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $75
  Mississippi PE Exam Website
  
• Missouri PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $100
  Missouri PE Exam Website
  
• Montana PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $50
  Montana PE Exam Website
  
• Nebraska PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $30
  Nebraska PE Exam Website
  
• Nevada PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $200
  Nevada PE Exam Website
  
• New Hampshire PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  4-Yr Unaccredited BS Engineering Degree with 8-Years Experience
  25 years of experience
  State Application Fee: $225
  New Hampshire PE Exam Website
  
• New Jersey PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  4-Yr Accredited Technical Engineering Degree with 6-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $75
  New Jersey PE Exam Website
  
• New Mexico PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $150
  New Mexico PE Exam Website
  
• New York PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  4-Yr Accredited Technical Engineering Degree with 6-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $377
  New York PE Exam Website
  
• North Carolina PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $100
  North Carolina PE Exam Website
  
• North Dakota PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $0
  North Dakota PE Exam Website
  
• Ohio PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  4-Yr Accredited Techincal Engineering Degree with 8-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $75
  Ohio PE Exam Website
  
• Oklahoma PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $150
  Oklahoma PE Exam Website
  
• Oregon PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $225
  Oregon PE Exam Website
  
• Pennsylvania PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $50
  Pennsylcania PE Exam Website
  
• Rhode Island PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $150
  Rhode Island PE Exam Website
  
• South Carolina PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $65
  South Carolina PE Exam Website
  
• South Dakota PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  4-Yr Accredited BS Technical Degree with 5 Yrs Experience
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with MS or PHD with 3 Years Experience
  State Application Fee: $100
  South Dakota PE Exam Website
  
• Tennessee PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  1 Yr credit for masters or higher in engineering
  State Application Fee: $30
  Tennessee PE Exam Website
  
• Texas PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  4-yr Unaccredited degree with 8 years experience State Application Fee: $250
  Texas PE Exam Website
  
• Utah PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $110
  Utah PE Exam Website
  
• Vermont PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  4-yr accredited engineering technology degree with 8 years experience 12 years experience
  State Application Fee: $80
  Vermont PE Exam Website
  
• Virginia PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  1 Year credit for Masters or PHD Accredited Engineering Degree
  State Application Fee: $60
  Virginia PE Exam Website
  
• Washington PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  8 years of experience
  State Application Fee: $65
  Washington PE Exam Website
  
• West Virginia PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  Approved Techncal College Degree with 6-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $180
  West Virginia PE Exam Website
  
• Wisconsin PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  Approved Techncal College Degree with 6-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $125
  Wisconsin PE Exam Website
  
• Wyoming PE Exam Registration Requirements:
  Experience:
  4-Yr Accredited BS Engineering Degree with 4-Yrs Experience
  State Application Fee: $100
  Wyoming PE Exam Website