PE Exam Question 1

[hanabie]

Hello,

I wish that I could get a PE to open my option for my future career. I have passed EIT in California, and I'm currently working as a mechanical engineer. I do the drafting and the analysis for the new products. It is not an invention, and it is pretty much reverse engineering and trim it to match customers' needs.
Will I still be qualified for the exam? I heard that CA only requires 2 years design experience in order to take the exam. Is it true?
How can I prove that I have 2 years design experience in engineering? We do not have any licensed PE as well as experienced or senior mechanical engineers who can be my references.

Thank you

 

[MiketheEngineer]

You might (probably) have a problem - not unheard of...

1. Get up to date with the CA requirements.
2. Most require a minimum of 4 years of "professional" work under a a PE
3. You usually need at least three and more often four PEs to verify your experience.

You need to get a "plan" to make this all work - like submitting all your work to friendly PEs that can verify your work or whatever you can dream up that meets the state's requirements.

You might have to change jobs... Sorry..

 

[hanabie]

@miketheengineer,

Thank you, does that also apply to mechanical engineer? Can I get references from my professors to verify my experience?
Some of my professors are registered PE.

Getting a job under many PE supervision is not easy nowadays.

 

[JohnRBaker]

When I was working in Michigan as a Mechanical Engineer in the 70's, I needed a minimum of 4 years of 'professional experience' but I don't think I had to provide a detailed 'resume' of what I had been doing as long as my manager (who happened NOT to be a P.E. himself, but there were several working for him) signed the 'affidavit' stating that I had fulfilled the requirements as outlined by the State.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[KENAT]

Look up the rules, they are available online, that will answer some of your questions.

As I recall, in CA time spent drafting doesn't count toward your PE experience.

PE requirements are written around folks in non exempt industry, can make it tricky for those of us in exempt to meet the 'cookie cutter' requirements.

Posting guidelines faq731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[MiketheEngineer]

Hanabie -

Pick up that 2,000 lb phone and CALL the Board. They will be very happy to let you know their requirements - what will work - what won't. Don't guess - because 4 years from now - you will probably be wrong.

And by the way - write down the names of all those you talk to....

 

[zdas04]

When I decided to get my PE I was in an exempt job in an exempt industry. Not a PE as far as the eye can see. I picked up that one-ton telephone and called the board. Talked to a very nice fellow who acted as though he got that exact phone call several times a week. I hadn't taken the FE at that point so he helped me develop a plan that got me into the next FE, and into the PE exam the time after next (you don't get the FE results in time to take the PE 6 months later). I can't remember all the details, but my experience was verified by non-PE (and several non-Engineer) managers. The PE references that I did need came from my network (one of them was a guy that I'd been talking to on the bus most every day for 2 years, that I'd never worked with or for).

Talk to the board. They are mostly very nice people who truly are more interested in you getting licensed than in giving you the run around.

David Simpson, PE
MuleShoe Engineering

"Belief" is the acceptance of an hypotheses in the absence of data.
"Prejudice" is having an opinion not supported by the preponderance of the data.
"Knowledge" is only found through the accumulation and analysis of data.

 

[hanabie]

Thank you. I will definitely pick up my phone and start asking questions for the requirements. I have searched the requirements and it seems pretty confusing. That is why I'm here.
Also, I'm not only doing drafting. I also do analysis for gearbox and pressure vessels. However, the products are not in the market yet.

Thank you again for your advises.

 

[zdas04]

Downplay the drafting or leave it out altogether.

David Simpson, PE
MuleShoe Engineering

"Belief" is the acceptance of an hypotheses in the absence of data.
"Prejudice" is having an opinion not supported by the preponderance of the data.
"Knowledge" is only found through the accumulation and analysis of data.

 

[MiketheEngineer]

Definitely emphasize the gear boxes and pressure vessels - drafting is a big NO-NO except maybe on a resume when you can say fluent in AutoCad 3022 or whatever number they are up to.

 

[ShaggyPE]

I agree with the others about contacting the California Board. I am in California in an exempt industry. Fortunately I do have the luxury of working under a PE and had a co-worker who was a PE too. It is not necessary that your references be PEs, but probably helps.

Check out EngineerBoards for good PE exam info as well.

-Dustin
Professional Engineer
Pretty good with SolidWorks

 

[Maui]

In some states (like Wisconsin for example) all five of your references must be from licensed and currently registered professional engineers. I don't know what it's like in California, but I'd be surprised if you could get by without at least one of your references being from a PE.

Maui

http://www.EngineeringMetallurgy.com

 

[imcjoek]

Here in Jersey they require 5 references, 3 of which must be PEs.

I was lucky enough to have the single PE reference required to sit for the EIT, but don't see a realistic way to get three in this industry. I'll be calling them, but they've always been rather terse the few times I've had to deal with them. Welcome to NJ, I guess.

I've seen much hand waving pertaining to doing away with exemptions and a lot of comments from the PE camp about how one can't call themselves an engineer without having the license; yet I don't see any initiative from the NCEES side to make their requirements jive with the realities of exempt industries. From this side of the fence, NCEES begins to smell a bit of an old boys club.

 

[crossframe]

Many moons ago, California required only 2 years of engineering experience. The board will discount experience that is not deemed "engineering experience," but a lot of that will be how you describe it. A lot of us do drafting as part of our engineering work, but it is only a part. After talking to the board, I would honestly assess my experience and make sure that I had the necessary length of engineering experience necessary... plus a few months.

 

[EngAddict]

Yeah reframe the drafting but don't leave it our per se, "advanced modelling for numerical analysis"..