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Exam Availability:
Year Round
Civil
The Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam tests for a minimum level of competency in a particular engineering discipline.
It is designed for engineers with a minimum of four years of post-college work experience in their chosen engineering discipline.
The PE Civil exam is computer-based and administered year-round at NCEES-approved Pearson VUE test center.
The exam includes 80 questions. The exam appointment time is 9 hours and includes:
- Nondisclosure agreement (2 minutes)
- Tutorial (8 minutes)
- Exam (8 hours)
- Scheduled break (50 minutes)
Learn more at the NCEES YouTube channel.
Register for the exam by logging in to your MyNCEES account and following the onscreen instructions. Prepare for your exam by
- Reviewing the exam specifications, fees, and requirements
- Reading the reference materials
- Understanding scoring and reporting
- Viewing the most up-to-date exam pass rates
A $400 exam fee is payable directly to NCEES. Some licensing boards may require you to file a separate application and pay an application fee as part of the approval process to qualify you for a seat for an NCEES exam. Your licensing board may have additional requirements. Familiarize yourself with your state licensing board’s unique registration procedures before registering for a PE exam by returning to the primary PE page and choosing your location on the map.
Exam specifications and design standards
For details on the format and length of the exam, the topics covered, and applicable design standards, select your engineering discipline below to download the exam specifications. PE exam specifications and design standards are posted 6 months before their effective date. Exam specifications change once every 5–7 years. Design standards change more frequently. The design standards included in the information below are effective as of April 1, 2024.
The PE Civil exam includes multiple-choice questions as well as alternative item types (AITs).
Exam Resources
Exam Prep Materials
NCEES will provide an electronic reference handbook and all specified design standards during the exam. This handbook and the standards listed on the exam specifications are the only reference materials that can be used during the exam. You will not be allowed to bring personal copies of any material into the exam room. Register or log in to MyNCEES to access a copy of the handbook.
NCEES does not sell printed copies of the handbook or provide design standards. Design standards are available through the publisher, typically as both an electronic and printed copy.
The handbook and the design standards used on the exam are searchable PDF files with linked chapters for easy navigation. Learn more about how to search the handbook and design standards with our YouTube video.
The NCEES Examinee Guide is the official guide to policies and procedures for all NCEES exams. Download your free copy to find out more about registering for exams and what to expect on exam day.
Prep materials for the PE exams, including a practice exam, can be found within the NCEES portal.
Reasonable Accommodations
Reasonable accommodations are available for examinees who meet certain eligibility criteria and sufficiently document their request.
Scoring & Pass Rates
Computer-based exam results are typically available 7–10 days after you take the exam. You will receive an email notification from NCEES with instructions to view your results in your MyNCEES account. Results include information specific to your licensing board regarding how you should proceed based on your performance.
PE Exam Pass Rates
NCEES has successfully converted or is in the process of converting, all exams to a computer-based format.
Pencil-and-paper (P&P) exam format
Most PE exams are currently offered in pencil-and-paper format and available once or twice per year depending on the examinee population. Pass rates are updated after results are released—typically in May for the April exams and in December for the October exams.
Computer-based testing (CBT) exam format
Some PE exams are administered year-round via computer-based testing. For these exams, pass rates are shown for the January–June or July–December population (updated in July and January, respectively).
Other CBT exams that have a smaller examinee population are administered on a single day in October each year. For these exams, the pass rates are updated in November.
| Exam | 1st Time Volume | 1st Time Pass % | Repeat Volume | Repeat Pass % | Format | Availability | Last Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural and Biological Engineering | 19 | 89% | 1 | 0% | CBT | Once per year | Jan 2024 |
| Architectural Engineering | 89 | 72% | 19 | 58% | CBT | Once per year | Jan 2024 |
| Chemical | 211 | 58% | 57 | 39% | CBT | Year round | July 2024 |
| Civil: Construction | 1037 | 55% | 474 | 40% | CBT | Year round | July 2024 |
| Civil: Geotechnical | 528 | 57% | 220 | 37% | CBT | Year round | July 2024 |
| Civil: Structural | 1889 | 57% | 736 | 39% | CBT | Year round | July 2024 |
| Civil: Transportation | 2242 | 64% | 744 | 44% | CBT | Year round | July 2024 |
| Civil: Water Resources and Environmental | 2466 | 69% | 686 | 52% | CBT | Year round | July 2024 |
| Control Systems | 124 | 58% | 51 | 39% | CBT | Once per year | July 2024 |
| Electrical and Computer: Computer Engineering | 39 | 46% | 2 | 0% | CBT | Once per year | Jan 2024 |
| Electronics, Controls, and Communications | 79 | 72% | 25 | 52% | CBT | Once per year | July 2024 |
| Electrical and Computer: Power | 1122 | 60% | 519 | 44% | CBT | Year round | July 2024 |
| Environmental | 381 | 71% | 93 | 48% | CBT | Year round | July 2024 |
| Fire Protection | 181 | 78% | 35 | 29% | CBT | Once per year | July 2024 |
| Industrial and Systems | 91 | 70% | 21 | 57% | CBT | Once per year | Jan 2024 |
| Mechanical: HVAC and Refrigeration | 649 | 76% | 194 | 51% | CBT | Year round | July 2024 |
| Mechanical: Machine Design and Materials | 356 | 67% | 82 | 46% | CBT | Year round | July 2024 |
| Mechanical: Thermal and Fluid Systems | 452 | 74% | 83 | 52% | CBT | Year round | July 2024 |
| Metallurgical and Materials | 50 | 68% | 5 | 0% | CBT | Once per year | Jan 2024 |
| Mining and Mineral Processing | 34 | 76% | 9 | 33% | CBT | Once per year | Jan 2024 |
| Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering | 52 | 71% | 14 | 57% | CBT | Once per year | Jan 2024 |
| Nuclear | 19 | 58% | 1 | 0% | CBT | Once per year | Jan 2024 |
| Petroleum | 81 | 74% | 35 | 54% | CBT | Once per year | Jan 2024 |
If you are concerned about exam misconduct or an exam security issue, there are options for contacting NCEES about this.
Exam Security Tip Line
To report any exam misconduct or an exam security issue, you may do any of the following.
- Use the message feature in your MyNCEES account to contact NCEES Client Services.
- Call 800-250-3196, extension 5296, to leave a message. Please provide your name, phone number, and a brief summary of why you are calling so you can be contacted by our compliance and security staff.
- Call 800-250-3196, extension 5467, to speak to the compliance and security manager.
The information you provide is strictly confidential, and your contact information will not be shared outside the NCEES compliance and security staff.