Examinations

Examinations - All applicants for licensure must take and pass three examinations

1. The FE Exam - The National Council of Examiners for Engineering & Surveying (NCEES), Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Examination.
2. The PE Exam - The NCEES Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) examination.
3. The Texas Ethics of Engineering Exam is an open book examination concerning the Texas Engineering Practice Act and the Board Rules. You may either take the exam online or download the Ethics Exam from this website and complete it at your convenience. Click here to go to Ethics Exam Links.

Exam Waivers - The board has provisions for waivers of the FE and the PE exam. See the Exam Waivers page for more information.

NCEES

NCEES is a national nonprofit organization composed of engineering and surveying licensing boards representing all U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. An accredited standards developer with the American National Standards Institute, NCEES develops, scores, and administers the examinations used for engineering and surveying licensure throughout the United States. NCEES also provides services facilitating professional mobility for licensed engineers and surveyors. Its headquarters is located in Clemson, S.C.

NCEES is responsible for all PE and FE exam coordination from payment collection to registration, scheduling, scoring and communication regarding pass and fail rates.

Refer to the NCEES Exam Registration Website for the most accurate information.

Address: P.O. Box 1686 (280 Seneca Creek Road)
Clemson, SC 29633-1686 U.S.A.
Phone: (800) 250-3196 or (864) 654-6824

Exam Dates and Deadlines

Exam registration deadlines are determined by NCEES and cannot be influenced by the Board. Refer to the NCEES Exam Registration Website for additional information.

Requests for special testing accommodations are made through the NCEES online registration system. NCEES will determine the deadline for accommodation requests. For information refer to: http://www.ncees.org/Exams/Special_accommodations.php.

FE
The FE exam is administered by NCEES throughout the year, during the months of January, February, April, May, July, August, October, and November. NCEES policy allows an examinee to take the FE exam once during a two-month window, and no more than three times during a twelve-month period.

PE
Please submit your PE license application early to allow sufficient time to provide additional information if needed to complete your application. This will help to ensure that you will be approved to register for the exam if you are eligible. Refer to the Application Deadline Page for specific dates.

If you are a Texas Engineer in Training (EIT), you may register to take the PE exam. Refer to the Certification of Engineer in Training webpage.

PE exams are offered once or twice a year at specific locations around the state. For specific dates, refer to the Exam Dates Page. The NCEES Scheduling Page is available for deadlines, registration information and exam locations.

Exam Study Materials

The board does not endorse any particular study courses or study materials for the FE or PE exams. Many Universities or Professional Societies or Associations have study information for the exams. (See our Links Page for more information.) Information concerning the examinations is also available from NCEES. (www.ncees.org)

FE (Fundamentals of Engineering Exam)

The Fundamentals of Engineering examination is a computer-based exam with supplied reference information consisting of a morning session and a afternoon session. The examination is discipline specific. The FE exam is held at Pearson VUE testing centers. The NCEES policy allows examinees to take the FE exam once during any two-month testing window, and no more than three times in a twelve-month period. Refer to NCEES for any questions.

Non-Student
A qualified non-student individual is defined as someone who has a Bachelor of Science or post-graduate degree in engineering or a related science field that has been approved by the Board. Such degree programs must include, as a minimum, the courses listed in a) and b) of this subparagraph, or these courses must be taken in addition to the Bachelor or Graduate degree program:

a) 8 semester hours of mathematics beyond trigonometry, including differential and integral calculus; and
b) 20 semester hours of engineering science which include subjects such as mechanics, thermodynamics, electrical and electronic circuits, and others selected from material science, transport phenomena, computer science and comparable subjects depend on the discipline or branch of engineering. Course work should incorporate hands-on laboratory work and contain sufficient design curricula to provide minimal competency in the use of engineering algorithms and procedures.

Candidates must have a four-year Baccalaureate Degree as follows:
a) An engineering degree approved by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering Technology, Inc. (EAC/ABET).
b) An engineering technology degree of four years or more that is accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering Technology, Inc. (ETAC/ABET).
c) Other degree programs of four years or more in an engineering or related science curriculum which fulfill the minimum educational requirements defined in Board Rule 133.31.

Students
An undergraduate student who is within two full-time semesters (not including summer sessions) of graduating and who is enrolled in an EAC/ABET-accredited engineering program, an ETAC/ABET-accredited four year baccalaureate enginering technology program, or an engineering-related science program of four years or more that has been approved by the Board.

A graduate student enrolled in a Master's or Ph.D. engineering program may take the FE exam.

Exam for Record Purposes - Individuals who are licensed to practice professional engineering in Texas may take the examination for record purposes.

PE (Principles and Practice of Engineering Examination)

The PE exam tests your ability to practice competently in a particular engineering discipline. It is designed for engineers who have gained at least four years’ post-college work experience in their chosen engineering discipline.

If you are a Texas Engineer in Training (EIT), you may register to take the PE exam. Refer to the Certification of Engineer in Training webpage.

Each PE exam lasts 8 hours and is split into a morning and an afternoon session.

The PE exam is an open-book exam. You are allowed to bring reference materials to the exam. Refer to NCEES for specific rules regarding books, calculators, cell phones, computers and security procedures.

Scoring and reporting

Exam results are released by NCEES 8 to 10 weeks after the exam. You will be notified of your exam result online through your My NCEES account or via email from TBPE. You will be notified of your exam results on a pass or fail basis. Please do not write or telephone the Board office to inquire about your test score. NO SCORES WILL BE GIVEN OVER THE TELEPHONE. Refer to the NCEES Scoring Page for additional information.

Cheating and/or Compromising

Board Rule 133.75 covers examination irregularities and declares that cheating on examinations will not be tolerated. Furthermore, examination proctors who conclusively observe that a candidate is giving or receiving assistance, compromising the integrity of the examination, or participating in any other form of cheating during an examination will require the candidate to surrender all examination materials. The candidate will be required to leave the room and will not be permitted to return.

Evidence of cheating, as described above, found after the examination shall also be a cause for action. The Executive Director will be informed of such instances of suspected cheating at the earliest possible opportunity and will determine appropriate action.

When the Executive Director has determined that cheating has occurred, the examination results of the candidate will be disallowed, the candidate will be barred from taking any examination in Texas for a period of two years, and any application for licensure pending an approval for examination will be automatically proposed for rejection and will be evaluated or re-evaluated on that basis.

Special Accommodations

If you have a disability and require special accommodations in taking the examination, please contact NCEES.

Veterans Assistance

The Texas Board of Professional Engineers has been approved by the VA under the GI Bill for reimbursement of examination fees for the FE and PE exams. This approval allows veterans and other eligible persons to receive reimbursement for the cost of license examinations/tests from the VA. The effective date of approval is March 1, 2003.

This reimbursement is not from the state of Texas or the Texas Board of Professional Engineers. Please do not contact the board for information or reimbursement. The reimbursement information is available at: http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/licensing_certification.asp.

Name/Address Changes

If you have a change of address after you take the examination, you MUST notify the Board office in writing using the "Applicant Address Change Form" posted on our website.

If you change your name, you MUST notify the Board office in writing (email, fax or letter) and include applicable documents relative to a legal name change.