As the fall 2018 PE exam date crawls near, you may be doing some last minute cramming and starting to think about what you should have with you on exam day. We’ve mentioned this before – the PE exam rules for what you can and cannot have are very strict, so it’s important to spend some time familiarizing yourself with them before exam day. To make things a little easier, here is a checklist you can print out the night before exam day so you have everything you need:
Remember, rules for the PE exam are very strict and are taken very seriously. Preparing what you can and cannot bring the night before will ensure you are in compliance with regulations, making check-in and the exam itself easier. Looking for some more information related to the PE exam? You can check out all our most recent PE exam resources and blogs here.
If you’re hoping to get your professional engineering license, you should be well on your way to studying and making reference materials for exam day. Being prepared is the best way to ensure you can concentrate on the PE exam and get the results you’re looking for. But what happens if something stops you from taking your exam, such as an injury or death in the family? Unfortunately, these things do happen, and it’s good to know how to proceed if it does.
For those seeking a professional engineering license in chemical or nuclear engineering, don’t think you can just reschedule last minute since the exam is computer-based. Instead, familiarize yourself with the protocol of what’s allowed and what’s not and how to proceed if you can’t make your scheduled exam day.
When you cancel your exam, you may not receive a refund if you cancel too close to the exam date. If you cancel more than 48 hours before the exam, you will receive a refund of the NCEES registration fee minus a $50 administrative fee. Cancellations less than 48 hours before the exam will not be accepted.
The rules are different for testers wishing to reschedule their exams. If you reschedule, you must pay a rescheduling fee. However, those who reschedule 24 to 48 hours prior to the exam time must pay a higher rescheduling fee than the others. No rescheduling will be accepted 24 hours or less before the exam.
There are a few exceptions to the cancellation and refund rules. You may reschedule without a fee or cancel and receive a full refund for the following reasons: illness to yourself or immediate family member, death in the immediate family, disabling traffic accident, court appearance or jury duty, or military duty. To be eligible for these exceptions, you must provide written documentation within 14 days following the exam. Please note: if there’s inclement weather but the test site is still open, everyone is still required to attend – no exceptions.
If you wish to cancel or reschedule your computer-based exam, log in to your MyNCEES account and follow the instructions. The funds will be issued to your credit card within seven to 10 business days if you qualify to receive them.
We hope you don’t have to reschedule or cancel your computer-based PE exam. But if you do, hopefully this information can point in you in the direction of what to do and what to expect. Are you a professional engineering license hopeful looking for more great information about the exam? Check out this page.
If you’re like most people, making sure you have everything you need to check-in and sit for the exam can be as stressful as worrying about acing the exam itself. While the check-in instructions can slightly vary based on your test location, here are the main things you need to have prepared on the day of your professional engineering exam:
The information on your exam authorization and your provided ID must match. That means if you got married and recently changed your last name, both documents must have either your new last name or old last name. No exceptions.
Once your authorization and ID are checked, the proctor will show you your assigned seat and ask you to turn over any prohibited items, and then you’re all set to take the exam. Have any questions? Drop us a line at info@njspe.org.
The PE exam is designed to test how professional, ethical, and knowledgeable an engineer is before they receive the distinction of professional engineer. Because of how important this distinction is, it should come as no surprise that the exam is taken very seriously. If you are unfamiliar with the important things to steer clear of when it comes to the PE exam, the following actions will result in either rejection from entering the test area, ejection from the test area, and/or invalidation of exam results with no refund:
Failure to comply with these guidelines will result in dismissal from the exam or rejection from entering the exam area with no refunds given. If you are found with any restricted items during the exam, the item will be sent to the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying for investigation. Depending on how serious the infraction is, further action may be taken.
At the New Jersey Society of Professional Engineers, we want to ensure you succeed! Please pay close attention to these exam no-nos, and remember: if you are unsure about whether an item is allowed into the test area, always ask for permission beforehand. If you’re looking for some more helpful information about the PE exam, check out this blog.
If you’re hoping to become a New Jersey professional engineer, the biggest obstacle in your way is the PE exam. When you register to sit for the exam, you will see a section regarding special exam accommodations. This is for people who have a special circumstance that requires a different test date, different test location, specific item typically not allowed in the test environment, and other unique accommodations. There are three situations where you may request special accommodations for the PE exam when you provide the proper documentation:
These special accommodations must be requested ahead of the scheduled exam date. Once you request the accommodations, you will receive an email with instructions on how to proceed. If you are unsure if you qualify for receiving special accommodations, email the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying at accommodations@ncees.org. Don’t let anything stop you from becoming a New Jersey professional engineer!
From standardized tests in grade school to pulling all nighters for final exams, as an engineer, you’re no stranger to studying. Just when you thought you’d broken the shackles of long-form studying, along comes the PE exam. The PE exam is a whole different ball of wax, consisting of 80 questions over an eight-hour period. For specific exam information on each engineering discipline, click here. By taking and passing the PE exam, you can take your career to new heights and explore your options for New Jersey engineering memberships. Follow these study tips to ensure you ace the test!
The next PE exam date is October 26, so try out these tips for creating a study schedule to help you stay on track, and get the most out of your exam materials to ace the test.
A PE license opens many doors to new opportunities, and when these opportunities start popping up, having a New Jersey engineering membership at NJSPE can help. By following these study tips, you’ll have the upperhand and will crush the PE exam. Happy studying!
The pencil-and-paper professional engineering exam is usually the first time engineers have sat for an exam in more than four years. If you’re having flashbacks to cumulative final exams in college or the SATs, we can understand if the thought of taking the PE exam gives you heart palpitations. However, you can breathe a little easier knowing it’s multiple choice AND it’s open book. But before you collect all the engineering notes and books you can think of instead of studying for the exam, there are some guidelines you must adhere to when choosing reference materials and other items into the exam.
Thankfully, the professional engineering exam is open book. However, that doesn’t just mean you can pile up a bunch of books and notes and roll into the exam room. Instead, you must have your reference materials approved on the day of the exam by the test administrator. To ensure your materials are usable for the exam, follow these guidelines:
As long as you don’t have any loose papers floating around, you will be OK. Keep in mind that during the exam, you may not rip out any pages or remove any sticky notes and doing so may result in immediate dismissal from the exam. If you have any questions, fill out on a contact form on the New Jersey Society of Professional Engineers website.
To keep the testing environment as fair and free from cheating as possible, there are very strict rules on what is allowed into the exam room. Unless you have a disability or pre-discussed special circumstance, there are no exceptions to the rules. The only approved items are:
We aren’t kidding when we say this list is strict. Not even pencils, pens, or notepads are allowed in the room. If you need something else and require special accommodations, please contact the New Jersey board prior to the exam.
Remember, the PE exam is a very important step in any engineer’s career, which is why the rules are so strict. However, as long as you adhere to the guidelines provided above, it’ll be smooth sailing, and you can focus on crushing the exam. Need anymore PE exam advice from your friends at the New Jersey Society of Professional Engineers? Let us know! Contact us online or email us at info@njspe.org.
Because there are so many different versions of the professional engineering exam, it can be difficult to know what information is relevant to you and what is relevant to other disciplines. Regardless of what discipline you are looking for a professional engineering license in, below is the information you need to know everything about what to expect from your results, including when you get them, how you get them, and how they are determined.
Most of the PE exams are pencil and paper, with the exception of the chemical engineering and nuclear engineering exams. If you fall into any other exam category, the below information is relevant to you:
Similar to the FE exam, the chemical and nuclear engineering PE exams are only offered as computer-based exams. There are some similarities and differences for these results compared to the pencil and paper exams, including:
It is important to note that regardless of what version of the exam you take, every exam is scored evenly, even if it isn’t the first time someone is taking it. The scoring process and results are taken very seriously to ensure there are no mistakes in grading. If you are on your way to getting your professional engineering license and want to know more about the exam, check out this page for all the best information.
Applying to take your New Jersey professional engineer exam can be a tricky process. Many people don’t realize you can’t just pay the registration fee and show up for the exam. Instead, you must apply to the New Jersey State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors first. This application is very detailed and takes a while to complete, so it is best to start applying at least a month prior to the PE exam registration deadline.
The board is very particular about how things are submitted in the application, so you need to read everything carefully and carve out the necessary time to get things done successfully. If you don’t, the board can deny your application and require you to resubmit it, which will take even more time and may cost you the application fee.
To make sure your application to sit for the New Jersey professional engineer exam is a success, we recommend getting the pieces you need to submit with your application together first. You need to secure the following materials prior to applying to the State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors:
When you have all those materials ready to go, you are in a wonderful spot to actually dig into the application itself. The first part of the application is easy – it requires your name, address, social security number, criminal history, and all the usual personal information. Then, there’s a series of yes or no questions on many different topics, ranging from child support to any disciplinary actions you’ve received as an engineer.
Once you’ve completed all that, you start getting into career specifics. If you are an Engineer in Training, you will need to provide your certificate number and date issued. For your references, you will need each person’s address, license number, and list of states where he or she is licensed. After that, you are on the most writing intensive part of the application: detailed statement of experience. On this section, you must list each engagement you’ve had; your employer; name, address, and license number of your supervisor; and specific engineering and design work you did on each project, including complexity and degree of responsibility.
After the detailed statement of experience, you’re all done! The only thing left it to do is take your application and have it notarized. Package up all your materials and mail them to the State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors at 124 Halsey Street, 3rd Floor, P.O. Box 45015, Newark, New Jersey 07101. The deadline for the October New Jersey professional engineer exam is coming up at the end of August, so download your application and get started now!
The New Jersey PE exam isn’t one-size-fits-all. It is offered in several different engineering disciplines to ensure the test takers have the knowledge they need to practice engineering at the highest level of skill and ethics. Most exams are in-person and offered at test locations in Newark and Trenton. Others, however, are online and can be taken at specific test sites. Find out the specific information related to your discipline below.
Agricultural and Biological Engineering
This PE exam is eight hours long and consists of 80 questions. The agricultural and biological engineering exam is only offered once per year in April. Information about the 2019 exam will be available in November 2018. The exam is offered in pencil and paper format and costs $375 to register.
Architectural Engineering
The architectural engineering PE exam is offered on pencil and paper once per year in April. It is eight hours long with 80 questions and costs $375 to sit for the exam. Information about the April 2019 exam will be available this November.
Chemical
Unlike most other exams, the chemical engineering PE exam is offered online at approved Pearson VUE test centers. The exam from beginning to end takes nine hours and consists of signing a nondisclosure agreement, tutorial, 80-question exam, and a scheduled break. The exam can be scheduled at your discretion, but can only be taken a maximum of three times during a 12-month period. It costs $375 to sign up to take the exam.
Civil
You can sit for separate PE civil engineering exams in several disciplines: construction, geotechnical, structural, transportation, and water resources and environmental. Like most other exams, it is eight-hours and 80 questions long. Unlike other exams, it is offered in pencil and paper format twice per year in April and October. Registration costs $375.
Control Systems
Similar to other exams, the control systems PE exam is offered on pencil and paper once per year every October. It is eight hours, 80 questions long and costs $375 to sit for the exam. Information about the next exam will be available this November.
Electrical and Computer
This exam is similar to the civil engineering PE exam in that it is offered twice per year in October and April. The exam is offered in three disciplines: computer engineering, electrical and electronics, and power. The exam is 80 questions and will take eight hours to complete. To complete the pencil and paper exam, it costs $375.
Environmental
This PE exam is unique because it is offered twice per year in October and April, but it is only offered in one discipline. The $375 exam registration is your ticket to sitting for the in-person, 80-question, eight-hour long pencil and paper exam.
Fire Protection
This is the newest PE exam offered. It is offered once per year every October and costs $375 to register. Like the other exams, it is 80 questions long and can be completed in eight hours. It is only offered in a pencil and paper format.
Industrial and Systems
The industrial and systems engineering PE exam is offered on pencil and paper once per year in April. It is eight hours long with 80 questions and costs $375 to sit for the exam. Information about the next exam will be available November 2018.
Mechanical
The mechanical PE exam is offered in HVAC and refrigeration, machine design and materials, and thermal and fluid systems. It is a pencil and paper exam offered in October and April every year. The 80-question, eight-hour long exam costs $375 for registration.
Metallurgical and Materials
The metallurgical and materials exam is eight hours long and consists of 80 questions. It is only offered once per year in October. Information about the 2019 exam will be available in November 2018. The exam is offered in pencil and paper format only, and it costs $375 to register.
Mining and Mineral Processing
Just like most other PE exams, the mining and mineral processing exam is offered on pencil and paper once per year every October. It is eight hours, 80 questions long and costs $375 to sit for the exam. Information about the next exam will be available this November.
Naval Architecture and Marine
This PE exam is offered once per year every April and costs $375 for registration. It is 80 questions long and takes eight hours to complete. The naval architecture and marine exam is only offered in a pencil and paper format.
Nuclear
Here’s another different one – the nuclear PE exam is computer-based and only offered once per year. You can reserve your seat up to a year in advanced once you’ve been approved by the board to sit. The exam takes nine and a half hours and consists of signing a nondisclosure agreement, tutorial, 85-question exam, and a break. The exam costs $375 and can’t be taken more than three times in 12 months.
Petroleum
The petroleum PE exam is eight hours long and consists of 80 questions. It is only offered once per year in October. The exam is offered in pencil and paper format only and costs $375 to register. Information about the next exam will be available November 2018.
Software
This exam will be discontinued after the April 2019 test date. However, if you register for the final exam date, it will be eight hours long and consists of 80 questions. It is offered in pencil and paper format, and it costs $375 for registration.
Are you preparing to take the upcoming New Jersey PE exam? Let us know! We want to give you the information you need to feel prepared and ace the exam. If you’d like to learn more about the PE exam, check out this page on our website for everything and anything exam related.
