SE Reciprocity Question 4

[Galambos]

Just found out that i passed the NCEES SE I&II exam in Ohio. While I am real excited about it, I realize that i still have a few questions about the process. I was too busy worrying about passing this past year to think about these items.
The ultimate goal is to get the Illinois SE and possibly a few west coast states.
1. Has anyone had experience with obtaining the Illinois SE using reciprocity (not CA,WA,NV,ID,OR, etc)?
2. Also, will Ohio actually allow me to call myself an SE? This seems like a very strange question, I know, but I cant find any documentation on the SE license in Ohio other than the fact that the exam is offered.
3. Are there any east coast/midwest states looking to adopt the SE requirement?
4. Will an Ohio SE open any doors for me?

Ted

 

[JStephen]

It sounds like it would be worth a call to the Ohio board as to calling yourself a structural engineer. I would think yes, but it's entirely possible that any registered engineer could use the term. That is, if there's no law, then it's not prohibited.

 

[Qshake]

Having an Illinois SE will not allow reciprocity in any of the western states that I'm aware of.

More confusing, is that the Illinois SE is more binding than most other states with SE requirements. The confusion begins with model law, title act and full licensure.

I would advise you to call the Ohio board and other boards that you are interested in. Also check out the local SEA organization and the STRUCTURE Magazine for more information.

Regards,
Qshake

Eng-Tips Forums:Real Solutions for Real Problems Really Quick.

 

[JAE]

Galambos - I was licensed with a PE in a number of states via EIT / PE exams plus experience. I then took the SE1 and SE2 and then applied to Illinois and was licensed as an SE.

One state I'm licensed in is Nebraska which has instituted an SE designation for those who pass the SE2 exam. Doesn't have any legal ramifications other than allowing you to call yourself SE.

They are in the process of studying the concept of actually converting to an SE license for either all structural projects, or specific projects of major magnitude. This is in response to a national trend in this direction. Some states are into this process while others are status quo with the PE applying to everything but the individual's ethics determining what areas you are capable of practicing in.

Qshake and JStephen have a good point - call Ohio Board to see what they require.

 

[Galambos]

thank you all for your input.

JAE, what state was your SE I&II in that allowed you to get the Illinois SE?

 

[JAE]

The SE I and II were taken in Nebraska but they are NCEES exams so it doesn't really matter where you take them.

 

[Galambos]

JAE,

I ask because i attended a masonry seminar where i met a few IL SE's from Wisconsin. they claimed that IL required them to take their exam in Illinois and that other states NCEES exams would not qualify them. But, i see that there was a rule change in 2004, which might affect this. certainly, i will be calling the board myself, but i received my passing notice on friday afternoon. its like a new toy that you cant play with!

 

[JAE]

I took the SE I and II in about 1992 - 1994.

 

[DaveVikingPE]

Is your name really Ted Gallambos?

 

[JedClampett]

Is there a reason you don't want to call the Illinois Division of Technical Registration and talk to someone? I know that these type of calls can be frustrating, time consuming, etc., but if you get the right person they've heard the same question a hundred times and have the answer on hand.

 

[Galambos]

jed,

i have contacted them. if you read my threads, you would see that i got my notice this weekend after there office was closed. i have worked on getting this license for 1.5 yrs now, and was just anxious to get the questions answered. if you notice, there were other questions i had that were not "answerable" by the boards. and no... my name is not really ted galambos

ted galambos

 

[JStephen]

I thought I recognized that name- if I remember right, the commentary of AISC-ASD refers to him a number of times.

 

[JAE]

I thought he was a shortstop for the 1942 Brooklyn Dodgers.

 

[IceNine]

I have a steel text "Basic Steel Design with LRFD" co authored by Theodore Galambos

 

[ahunt]

Please keep us updated on how this works for you. I too have wanted to take the SE in Ohio. They just make the NCEES test available, which is nice. When I looked into it, they wanted a ton of money to proctor the test. It was something like $1200 for both tests.

I never could figure out if we could get receprocity to Illinois.

 

[Galambos]

ahunt,
i got an email response from illinois. they stated "If you meet the Education and Experience requirements of Illinois, then Illinois will accept the NCEES SEI & II exams taken in any jurisdiction." hope this helps.

by the way, how come you need the test to be proctored? do you mean the illinois test?

ted

 

[ahunt]

At one time I asked why the cost was so high. It was something like $500. They said they had to hire someone. It didn't make sense to me, but the cost was enough to tell me to go away. I would expect it to cost what a PE test would cost. For some reason, a markup seemed to be envolved. This was some time ago, they had just started to offer the tests.

In a couple years my company plans on targeting Chicago. So the Illinios issue will be very much alive.

Aaron

 

[cave]

Ted,

Hearty Congratulations on passing both exams.
I would appreciate your input on the following questions.

a) Approx time you took to study both 1 & 2 exams
b) Reference Books that are worth buying for both exams.
c) Focus areas in the exams.....any tips.

Thankyou.

Parisha

 

[Galambos]

Parisha,

thanks and in answer to your questions...
a.) i tried studying 2 hrs a night for three months M-F, but i had been on-site and out-of-state for a major baseball stadium construction project for both exams which usually interfered with my time. most of my study time came from studying for the civil PE the year before and somehow i retained it.

b.)certainly you MUST have every book on the NCEES list and the most up-to-date. it would be a real shame if you showed up to the test and missed a few points because you didnt have the right references that you knew about ahead of time. it would be even worse if you failed because of it. but, outside of the recommended references, i think you should try to acquire:

- the Wood design book by Breyer,
- steel design book for salmon and johnson(not necessarily the latest since ASD is still permitted on the exam),
- the latest concrete design book by MacGregor. btw, this is the best text book i could ever recommend.

- the SERM by williams (although i am not a big fan of it). this will help with bridge problems, assuming that you are a building guy.

-sample questions from NCEES for the SEI and SEII

c. focus areas for the SEI should DEFINITELY be rigid and flexible diaphragms and shearwalls. these come into play with all materials. the PCA manual helps with rigid diaphragms, the Breyer wood book is great for flexible diaphragms, and the seismic book from ppi2pass.com fills in the gaps.
also, this exam is MIND NUMBING. i finished the civil pe with 1.5 hrs left. i had 10 minutes left for the SEI.

for the SEII, i would recommend studying the IBC 2003 seismic provisions and know it backwards and forwards because NCEES guarantees that seismic will be on the exam. i would recommend xeroxing this chapter and picking it apart with a highlighter and red pen. i studied this every day for a month.
by this point in your career, you probably should not have to study wind or loadings, but it wouldnt hurt to relook the portal method and some other indeterminant methods. i imagine you should also know two materials solidly at this stage and will have to study the other two. for me, i knew concrete and steel well, but had to look at wood and masonry more in depth.

let me know if you need anything else. hopefully someone else finds this informative, too.

ted

 

[therattler]

I recognized your name immediately. It's hard to accept that you have licensure issues, as you have virtual "Rock Star" status among engineers! You gave a talk at a light-gauge steel seminar I attended, and it was terrific.

Thank you for your service to engineers, to the profession, to society.

the rattler