Taking the PE exam only having a master electrician license and no degree

[mfrancis]

Has anyone been able to take the PE exam having a master electrician license but no engineering degree?
If so can you tell me how you were able to get the waiver?

 

[charlie b]

I don't believe that is an option at all. Here is a quote from the Texas Engineering Practice Act and Rules Concerning the Practice of Engineering and Professional Engineering Licensure:

§ 1001.302. License Eligibility Requirements
(a) An applicant for a license under this chapter must submit evidence satisfactory to the board showing at least that the applicant has:

(1) graduated from:
(A) an engineering curriculum approved by the board as having satisfactory standing; or
(B) an engineering or related science curriculum at a recognized institution of higher education, other than a curriculum approved by the board under Paragraph (A);

(2) passed the examination requirements prescribed by the board; and

(3) engaged in the active practice of engineering for at least:
(A) four years, if the applicant graduated from a curriculum described by Subdivision (1)(A); or
(B) eight years, if the applicant graduated from a curriculum described by Subdivision (1)(B).

(b) To satisfy the requirement of Subsection (a)(3), an applicant must submit a specific record showing engineering work of a character satisfactory to the board indicating that the applicant is competent to be placed in responsible charge of that work.

(c) For purposes of determining an applicant’s qualifications under Subsection (a)(3), the board may not consider as active practice in engineering work:
(1) engineering teaching;
(2) the mere execution, as a contractor, of work designed by an engineer; or
(3) the supervision, as a foreman or superintendent, of the construction of work designed by an engineer.

(d) A person is not eligible to be licensed as an engineer unless the person is of good character and reputation.

(e) A person who has the necessary license qualifications described by this chapter is eligible for the license regardless of whether the person is practicing at the time the person applies for the license.

Item (a)(1) requires a college degree, and item (c)(2) does not allow you to count, as the required experience, the time you spend working as an electrician.

 

[petersonra]

I don't know about PE licenses but at least at one time one did not need a degree to stand for the bar examination in CA. You just had to pass the test.

Don't know if they work it the same way for PEs.

 

[GoldDigger]

I don't believe that is an option at all. Here is a quote from the Texas Engineering Practice Act and Rules Concerning the Practice of Engineering and Professional Engineering Licensure: Item (a)(1) requires a college degree, and item (c)(2) does not allow you to count, as the required experience, the time you spend working as an electrician.

Although (c)(2) and (3) do seem to leave open the possibility that if you are an EC rather than just an electrician you might be able to take credit for both the design and the execution of projects for which you also did the design rather than just working to the design of an engineer.
At least credit for those hours you spent designing?

 

[ggunn]

Although (c)(2) and (3) do seem to leave open the possibility that if you are an EC rather than just an electrician you might be able to take credit for both the design and the execution of projects for which you also did the design rather than just working to the design of an engineer.
At least credit for those hours you spent designing?

Be that as it may, I believe that the chances of an electrician passing the PE exam are very small, no offense intended. An engineering education requires the study of a broad range of concepts, many of which an electrician would never come in contact with.

 

[rbalex]

Be that as it may, I believe that the chances of an electrician passing the PE exam are very small, no offense intended. An engineering education requires the study of a broad range of concepts, many of which an electrician would never come in contact with.

This is a point well taken. Only 30 - 40% of degreed engineers pass the NCEES electrical PE exam in any given year.

 

[gadfly56]

This is a point well taken. Only 30 - 40% of degreed engineers pass the NCEES electrical PE exam in any given year.

When I was taking it, the pass rate for the chemical engineering PE was about 15%.

 

[ron]

This is a point well taken. Only 30 - 40% of degreed engineers pass the NCEES electrical PE exam in any given year.

I liked it so much, I took it twice

 

[gadfly56]

I liked it so much, I took it twice

I had so much fun I took it four times! :lol:

 

[Frank DuVal]

Sadly even Virginia has re-written the laws so you must have 4 years of higher education to take the PE. Back in the 80s when I took the exam, there was a provision for a non-degreed individual who worked in the field for 20 years to be able to sit for the exam. Now that 20 years just means you do not have to have passed the EIT, you still need 4 years equivalency.

18VAC10-20-210. Requirements for the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam:

E. Have obtained, by documented academic coursework, the equivalent of education that meets that requirements of ABET accreditation for the baccalaureate engineering technology curricula. Whether an education is considered to be equivalent shall be determined by the judgment of the board.

F. Have graduated from an engineering, engineering technology, or related science curriculum of four years or more.

For E above, you need to pass the EIT and 10 years experience. For F, just 20 years experience. Acredited institutions can get experience down to 4 years with an EIT.

Frank DuVal

 

[Jraef]

I think a key point that may have been missed is that it is not worded as an "a or b or c", etc., it would be ALL of the above as I read it.

I attempted to get mine in Washington state 20+ years ago. At that time because my degree was a BS-EET, not BS-EE, I needed letters of recommendation from three existing PEs. I could only get one to write me that letter, so I never even got the chance to try. Maybe it's different now, charlie b, do you know?

One guy I went to school with (who did get a BS-EE and EIT) took it 4 times over 10 years and failed. I'm not sure if he ever tried again, he had his own successful System Integration business by then and decided he didn't need it any more because he could just hire PEs. He of course did a lot of control work, but he said part of the testing was on HV distribution and such, which he had no interest in. That's the part he could never get past. He would never need to use it, but the exam process was blind to that.

 

[charlie b]

I attempted to get mine in Washington state 20+ years ago. At that time because my degree was a BS-EET, not BS-EE, I needed letters of recommendation from three existing PEs. . . . Maybe it's different now, charlie b, do you know?

I looked up the requirements. They are quoted below. The source is the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 18.43.040. As I read it, a BS-EET could count as 2 of the required 8 years of experience. They still require five letters of recommendation, three of which must come from PEs.

(1) The following will be considered as minimum evidence satisfactory to the board that the applicant is qualified for registration as a professional engineer, engineer-in-training, professional land surveyor, or land-surveyor-in-training, respectively:

(a)(i) As a professional engineer: A specific record of eight years or more of experience in engineering work of a character satisfactory to the board and indicating that the applicant is competent to practice engineering; and successfully passing a written or oral examination, or both, in engineering as prescribed by the board.
(ii) Graduation in an approved engineering curriculum of four years or more from a school or college approved by the board as of satisfactory standing shall be considered equivalent to four years of such required experience. The satisfactory completion of each year of such an approved engineering course without graduation shall be considered as equivalent to a year of such required experience. Graduation in a curriculum other than engineering from a school or college approved by the board shall be considered as equivalent to two years of such required experience. However, no applicant shall receive credit for more than four years of experience because of undergraduate educational qualifications. The board may, at its discretion, give credit as experience not in excess of one year, for satisfactory postgraduate study in engineering.

 

[S-117]

engineering =/ contracting

engineering =/ contracting

Has anyone been able to take the PE exam having a master electrician license but no engineering degree?
If so can you tell me how you were able to get the waiver?

i do not believe ANY state would waive the engineering background required to be a licensed engineer. working as an electrician would possible be used for years of experience, but not the educational fundamentals.

 

[steve66]

Something else I haven't seen mentioned - I believe the work experience must be completed under the supervision of a PE, who has to sign off on the applicant's experience.

So even those with an engineering degree can't sit for the PE exam unless they worked under another PE for 4 years.

 

[Fnewman]

The requirements vary some by state, but are generally as described. An interesting note is that quite a few PEs who lack practical experience (have only worked in electronics, etc.) could not pass a Master Electrician's exam without a lot of study! Two totally different types of education, although the PE exam is (or was ) much more practically oriented than the EIT.

 

[Ingenieur]

Many (most?) states have adopted the 'model law'
abet degree
fe exam and eit cert
4 years documented experience under a PE
P and p exam PE cert

most have 'sunset' experience in lieu of education exemptions

in fact there is a movement (passed?) to required an MS or 30 post BS credits to take the PE

 

[AudreyTerry]

I am also looking forward to a PE license, having an electrician degree

 

[jim dungar]

I am closing this thread, because it is 4 years old.

Please feel free to start a new one.