Need to increase your knowledge on mechanical engineering licensure? Well in this post there is everything you need to know!
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Professional Engineer (PE)
Once a mechanical engineer has obtained licensure from the state board of registration, in order to provide engineering services to the public, they are now classed as a Professional Engineer (PE). This license is an assurance of quality and a symbol of accomplishment, and is the engineering profession’s highest standard of competence. Professional registration is an important criteria for engineering students and passing the FE (Fundamentals of Engineering) exam is the first step on any engineer’s journey with that goal in mind. There are four steps that you must complete on your way to becoming a professional engineer, you must:
- Graduate from a program accredited by the ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology).
- Pass the FE exam.
- Gain 4 years of working experience as an engineer in the field.
- Pass the PE (Principles and Practise of Engineering) exam (you can’t take the PE exam without passing the FE exam first).
Why?
The decision to become licensed as a Professional Engineer is a very important one and can greatly improve your career options. To work as an independent engineer or a senior engineer, many engineering jobs require mechanical engineering licensure (PE license). Other engineering roles that require a PE license are: patent work, public safety, fulfill your role as an expert witness, or advertising engineering services. You don’t actually ever need to be licensed for “legal” reasons, however you will need a PE license to be considered for management positions in the engineering field.
The biggest reason that a mechanical engineer would be interested in obtaining a PE license is (take a wild guess!)… Money. PEs make a lot more money than engineers that don’t have a license. Even if your very first job doesn’t require a PE license, you might require it later in your engineering career. Improving your skills in CAD programs like AutoCAD, Revit, Inventor and Fusion 360 will also give you a competitive edge!
These days, it is advisable to be in a position to switch jobs at short notice to compete with others who may have obtained a PE license previously. Another advantage is that jobs that require mechanical engineering licensure are very rarely outsourced overseas. Another way to increase your attractiveness to employers is by improving your skill by taking online courses and obtaining certifications, such courses can be found at LinkedIn Learning.
FE Exam
The FE is a exam taken on a computer designed and delivered by the NCEES (National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying). It is advisable to take the FE exam in your last semester of college or just after you finish college when the ”fundamentals of engineering” are at the front of your brain.
The general passing percentage for seniors is 85% whereas the passing rate for students that wait is 45%. This is because the students that have waited need to try a lot harder to learn content that they knew previously. When you are in your senior year or just out of college, the FE might be the hardest exam that you have ever taken. Preparation is essential for this exam, fail to prepare – prepare to fail. Remember that 😉
How to Prepare
Most colleges have engineering programs have electives that support the FE exam. Refer to the NCEES information for engineers. You can also seek help from any adviser/tutor that you may have. Preparation courses are also available at most colleges which offer a program to help study and revise the material included in the FE exam. The Fundamentals of Engineering Supplied-Reference Handbook can be downloaded at http://ncees.org/exams/study-materials/download-fe-supplied-reference-handbook/.
This is the reference handbook that is given to engineers taking the FE exam at the exam, so it essential that you become familiar with it prior to taking the test. There are many preparation manuals available from PPI or NCEES.
PE Exam
The PE exam tests for a minimum level of competency in a particular engineering discipline (mechanical engineering in this case). Mechanical engineers that have gained a minimum of 4 years post-college work experience in their respective field can take the test. It is an 8-hour exam that includes 80 questions that is an a “pencil writing on paper” format, biannually in April and October. It is split up into two sections, an initial 4 hour exam in the morning knows as the “breadth” and another 4 hour “depth” exam later in the afternoon. There are 3 different flavors of the depth exam to choose from: HVAC and Refrigeration, Mechanical Systems and Materials (also known as Machine Design) and Thermal and Fluids Systems.
How To Prepare
The best way to prepare for the exam is:
- Reading the reference materials and examinee guide
- Understanding the scoring and reporting
- Reviewing the PE exam specifications
- Keeping up to date with current PE exam pass rates
Another important aspect of your preparation for the PE exam is to have an efficient strategy for taking the exam. Organize your reference books, highlight and mark out the relevant sections so you can easily access them during the exam. You must also ensure that you have all of the right tools with you, these are provided by the test conductors. Lastly, you must, of course, approach the exam with confidence!
Upon following these steps and taking the PE exam, your PE stamp will hopefully be on its way! And remember, if things do not go your way, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts” – a quote by Winston Churchill.
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