Professional Engineer Exams (FE & PE)

Professional Engineer Exams

Many employers will require you to become licensed as a Professional Engineer (PE). To begin this process, you should take the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam. Passing this exam will qualify you as an Engineer in Training (EIT), and after four years you may take the PE Exam. For more information on what the Professional Engineer Exam is and why you should take it, please read information from the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES).

The best time to take the FE exam is before or immediately after graduation while the technical information is still fresh in your mind.  You are eligible to take the exam as soon as you are within 6 months of graduation. 

The FE and FS exams are offered at Pearson Vue Select testing centers located throughout Ohio. The exams are offered in four, two-month testing windows with exams available in January-February, April-May, July-August and October-November. Candidates will be permitted to take the FE and FS exams one time during each testing window, limited to three times in a 12-month period. Registration for the exams is currently open through NCEES.

To download the application for eligibility to take the exam, go to http://www.peps.ohio.gov/IndividualLicensing/Examinations/FE.aspx.  You will need to start the application process approximately four months ahead of when you wish to take the exam, so plan ahead! 

*The FE exam is just the first step towards obtaining a PE license. Please visit the NCEES website http://ncees.org/ for more information about the licensure process.

Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam

You may register for the FE Exam in Ohio directly through NCEES if you are a:

  1. Graduate of an EAC/ABET accredited engineering curriculum of four years or more or currently enrolled and in your final two semesters (or equivalent) of an EAC/ABET accredited engineering curriculum.
  2. Graduate of an ETAC/ABET accredited engineering technology curriculum of four years or more or currently enrolled and in your final two semesters (or equivalent) of an ETAC/ABET accredited engineering curriculum.

Once you receive a passing score on the NCEES FE Exam, and you have graduated from one of the programs listed above, you may submit an Engineer Intern (EI) Application and an official college transcript to the Ohio State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors to receive an EI designation and EI certificate. Applications are available, online.

For more information, please view the Individual Licensing page on the Ohio Professional Engineers & Professional Surveyors website.