FE/PE testing waiver (Texas)?

[leanne]

The Texas Board of Professional Engineers allows qualified individuals to request an exam waiver for the Fundamentals of Engineering Examination (FE) and/or the Principles of Practice Examination (PE) depending on their level of experience and several other factors.

http://www.tbpe.state.tx.us/lic_waiver.htm

I'm interested to know whether anyone here has done this in Texas (or another state)?

With a BSEE from an ABET university and over 12 years of engineering experience (primarily in industrial engineering not electrical design - my employer sees great benefit to having EE & ME grads as quality engineers & quality engineering is seen more as industrial by the state board) under the industrial exemption (I do not pose a threat to the public health, safety, or welfare), theoretically, I qualify to apply for the waiver of FE & perhaps even the PE exam.

I'm certain that I could pass the exam(s) with proper preparation (since I've slept a few times since using most of what is covered on the FE - last used in college). But, why take an exam if the requirement to take it can be waived? I'm already preparing to sit for ASQ exams (I allowed my certification to lapse while on medical leave & was unaware of the grace period for recertification by CEUs until too late to submit my re-cert package)

 

[RDK]

It's my understanding that a Texas PE obtained by waivers would not be accepted by another state that did not also grant waivers.

In Canada P.Eng is completely transferable from province to province. Once you have one the other's are automatic. Based on my Manitoba and Saskatchewan P.Engs, my Alberta P.Eng took 2 weeks. (Counting postal mail system time.)

Rick Kitson MBA P.Eng

Construction Project Management
From conception to completion

http://www.kitsonengineering.com

 

[leanne]

Rick, thanks for your reply.

The inter-state/international reciprocity issue is not really of much interest to me. If I go for my PE, it will be for me, not to meet employment requirements.

Jobs here in the US requiring a PE status are pretty much limited to those affecting public safety, health, or welfare (i.e., civil/structural/architectural engineering, environmental engineering, or power engineering here in the US). Any job really requiring a PE status I would ethically have to disqualify myself from application as not having the appropriate experience & educational background.

And, I don't plan to work in Canada where according to other posts I've read by you, all engineers are required to be registered. No offense, but your Canadian winters are not for this Texan. I'm still wondering how I will survive my first winter in Indy, where I am currently working & they had 50 inches of snow this past winter. Houston doesn't get much snow. I may not survive...I have ancestors born in MD circa 1759, who then moved to NC, then to IN, but they died in Indiana in the 1820's after surviving the Revolutionary War - their descendants DID move south. ;-)

While I have a BSEE, my educational focus was in electronics design, not power grid design - there is a major difference in the upper level EE electives between these two courses of study.

 

[electricpete]

"theoretically, I qualify to apply for the waiver of FE & perhaps even the PE exam."

That will be contingent upon you proving that your experience constitutes engineering work (including statements from supervisor during each job and PE's who worked with you). From your description it sounds like you may have a tough time demonstrating that. I don't know for sure but common sense tells me that the burden of proving the experience would be stiffer for someone requesting licensure based soley upon experience than it would be for someone petitioning to take the exam.

Also it states "Applicants requesting an exam waiver(s) must not pose a threat to the public health, safety, or welfare, and have...". Does that mean you have some kind of limited license? What does it really mean to have a PE license limited to non-PE work?

 

[leanne]

That will be contingent upon you proving that your experience constitutes engineering work (including statements from supervisor during each job and PE's who worked with you). From your description it sounds like you may have a tough time demonstrating that. I don't know for sure but common sense tells me that the burden of proving the experience would be stiffer for someone requesting licensure based soley upon experience than it would be for someone petitioning to take the exam.

My experience would be at issue if I were to take the exams as well.

What constitutes engineering work? I've done design of experiments, worst case analysis, and been involved in design reviews. Are those activities not considered engineering? I've had one manager in the past xx years who was a PE. He was an ME. I'm EE. I have plenty of relatives who are PEs. You can't swing a cat at my family reunions without hitting an engineer. However, they are not familiar with my work - we've never worked together. Getting verification of my past experiece is easy. Getting verification of my past experience from a PE would be nigh on impossible. This is true whether I take the test or apply for waiver.

Also it states "Applicants requesting an exam waiver(s) must not pose a threat to the public health, safety, or welfare, and have...". Does that mean you have some kind of limited license? What does it really mean to have a PE license limited to non-PE work?

I believe this is weasel wording to lure industry exempts into becoming registered. It's been done before. About 10 years ago, there was a big push in Texas to get engineers registered. The testing was waived for a huge number of engineers, so we already have RPEs in Texas who never had to take the exam(s) - they were grandfathered/grandmothered into the registration system. Reciprocity with other states can be an issue, but otherwise from what I understand based on a review of the TX RPE website, a Texas RPE is a Texas RPE regardless whether they ever were tested. There is a strong reliance on ethics within the engineering community to prevent an RPE from taking on a project for which they are not qualified, i.e., an RPE with a power grid design background should not approve Civil or concrete designs & vice versa.

 

[electricpete]

"Getting verification of my past experience from a PE would be nigh on impossible"

If I am remembering the rules right, that means you are not eligible. I thought you had to get recommendations / endorsements from 3 PE's that you have worked with. They verify that you actually did what it says on your application, and provide a general statement of your character. It's been 10 years for me so I forget the exact rules.