PE experience 4

[COEngineeer]

So I am submitting my PE application (structural). So here is my experience. Do you think they will let me take the exam? Or do I need more experience?

1 year: soil, concrete, asphalt testing (lab and field) (technician experience 100%)
went back to school for 2 years for my graduate degree (structural)

1.5 years: I was one of the companies representatives out in the field. I had to make sure everyone followed the safety procedures and do their job. I worked on different projects but mostly pretty easy tasks, so I claimed mostly technician experience (85% technician, 15% design)

11 months + : My current job. I do residential and light commercial building design. I claimed (80% design, 20% project engineering)

Is this enough experience for the exam? OR do I have too much technician experience?

 

[bridgebuster]

"1 year: soil, concrete, asphalt testing (lab and field) (technician experience 100%)" - I doubt this would count; it doesn't in NY

"went back to school for 2 years for my graduate degree (structural)" - counts for 1 year in NY

"1.5 years: I was one of the companies representatives out in the field. I had to make sure everyone followed the safety procedures and do their job." Safety compliance doesn't count in NY.

"11 months + : My current job" Sound like it should count.

 

[COEngineeer]

Well, you know how it is with civil engineering degree. Sometimes they hire engineers to do technician job with engineering salary. I thought the value technician experience also?

 

[COEngineeer]

http://www.dora.state.co.us/aes/licensing/PEinstructions.pdf

Page 8 explains about work experience.

 

[swivel63]

you would have had to make some sort of engineering decision for the experience to count. you can fudge the description, though

 

[JAE]

I agree with bridgebuster.

 

[COEngineeer]

OK, so my other question would be, how much longer shall I work in my current job to be able to take the PE? I will submit my application anyway. I just hope the board isnt like bridgebuster

 

[JAE]

You can submit anytime. The board will review it and then either accept or reject. Based on your descriptions as you've posted them here, it doesn't look like you'd be accepted in many states.

Most will want to see continued growth in engineering design over the four years. It looks to me like you've got just shy of 2 years of design experience.

 

[COEngineeer]

No where on the instruction that says you need 4 years of design experience.

 

[rbulsara]

All boards have very clear requirements as to how many years of experience they need. You should be able to figure that out and have some cushion.

Nothing would be more aggravating if for some reason, they do not accept your some of your experience and you fall short. While do not lie, but being tactful in describing your tasks on the application is very important. Use words like "perform calculation", "design", "evaluate", "assist in design", "write specifications" etc. more often.

Administrative, construction administration experience counts for very little. Emphasize on technical aspects.

 

[cousink]

When completing your application, why do you want to volunteer a % of non-engineering work as part of your experience? Is that just to squeeze a few extra drops out of the lemon for the mix?

By the way, my references gave me some great advice about completing my application. You might speak with your references about how to describe or claim the "technician" work as training for professional engineering, because they are the persons who you assume would corroborate that experience. They were telling you what to do at the time, right? I don't know that, but I do recommend not to sell yourself short.

 

[COEngineeer]

So the exam is in April, will they give me the experience from today until the exam also?

 

[Tark62]

Every state has different policies on the length and type of qualifying experience. Any answers you get here may be completely irrelevant, unless they come from someone who is licensed in your state. But even then, state policies are subject to change from year to year. The only way to get a definitive answer is to carefully read your state's latest laws and regulations, or to contact your state board directly.

The California Board will not accept qualifying experience between the date of the application and the date of the exam. But other states could be completely different.

 

[JAE]

COEngineeer - Usually they insist on you having the 4 years of experience at the time of the application, not at the time of the test.

 

[aggman]

I found my state board to be very helpful when I was filling out my application. I even sent them a sample of some of what I was going to put on my application to find out if it was what they were looking for as far as descriptions. They responded with some helpful comments on how they would like things worded.

 

[bridgebuster]

I agree with JAE. I had a little over 3.5 years experience when I applied for the exam; had to wait for the next round.

 

[johnsmith2]

Do we need to provide the proof of working experience? Need a letter from my previous companies? Thanks for information.

 

[JStephen]

Some points to keep in mind. First, a job may not involve extensive design work, yet, if the job normally requires a PE to do it, then it should also qualify as PE experience. Secondly, there's probably not very many PE's that manage to spend 100% of their time doing design work, even if that's their main task- and the more important you are, the more time you'll tend to spend in writing letters or reports, attending meetings, or other non-design tasks. Thirdly, the boards are concerned about your experience, but not necessarily about the importance of the work you had experience in. Some people design skyscrapers, some people design garages. The skyscrapers sure look better on the resume, but if both require a PE, then one counts just as readily as the other.

 

[bridgebuster]

Do we need to provide the proof of working experience?

Someone has to attest your application.

 

[civilperson]

Try California, only two years of engineering experience required to take the exam. (Check if there is reciprocity with other states).