Since some states have started allowing PE candidates to take the exam before their 4 years of experience are complete, I wanted to start a discussion on your PE licensure experiences. I'll share my experience below to get us started.
Here are some questions to consider sharing from your experience:-When did you take the exam?
-Do you wish you'd taken it earlier or later?
-What kind of preparation did you do for the exam?
-If you are licensed in multiple states, do you have any recommendations on being prepared for applying in other states?
-If you could give any additional advice to those seeking licensure, what would it be?
Here's my experience:-I graduated in 2016, and Oklahoma dropped the requirement that you had to wait until your 4 years of experience were complete.
-I sat for the exam in April 2019 after 3 months of studying using School of PE's review course.
-I was able to apply for my PE license a few months before my 4 years were complete because per the regulations I was able to apply for part of my internship experience to count toward my 4 years.
-I applied for my initial PE license through the NCEES Record since Oklahoma is one of a handful of states that allows you to do so. Hopefully this will make it easier for me to get additional PE licenses in other states in the future.
Here's my recommendations:-Take a look at your state's PE requirements when you are graduating from college. This will give you an idea of what your options are. Some people also choose to apply in a surrounding state if the timelines are different there.
-When I took the PE exam, the younger EI that I was mentoring also sat for the exam and passed after being out of school for only 1 year. I would recommend taking the exam 1 to 2 years out of school if you have that option. The longer you wait, the less of the general knowledge you'll probably remember from undergrad.
-My final advice would be to keep detailed records of what projects you work on and what portions of the projects you specifically completed. This will make it much easier to complete your PE application since you have to list detailed work experience from the time your graduated up to your application for licensure.
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Heidi C. Wallace, P.E., M.ASCE
Tulsa, OK
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