Many engineering students get jobs in the engineering industry and never think twice about professional licensure. Meanwhile, others may set out on a career path with the definite ultimate goal of becoming a professional engineer. Becoming a professional engineer can be one of the most rewarding, yet challenging, endeavors one can undertake. However, overall the benefits of the professional engineer license far outweigh the disadvantages.

Only Professional Engineers (PE) can hold an Engineering License in the state, in which they work. This license is typically required for engineers who wish to work as consultants or who aspire for a position in upper management.

Typically, professional engineers earn more money and take on more responsibility than non-licensed engineers. One downside to holding the PE license is greater liability in projects, as it is always the professional engineer who must be accountable for the direction and decisions of a project. It is expected that the professional engineer has attained a competency level that ensures that the safety and welfare of the public is always put first. So there are significant expectations on the professional engineer to always act prudently and carefully.

The specific requirements of attaining a PE license may vary by state, so it is best to check with the specific requirements of your state. However, in general, many states will require that the individual graduated from an ABET-accredited college or university with an engineering degree. Another crucial requirement is the taking and passing of the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam. Finally, the individual is expected to work in industry as an engineer for several years, after which he should take and pass the Principles & Practice of Engineering (PE) exam.

Both exams may seem somewhat intimidating at first, but in fact, studying and preparing for them can be quite manageable. The FE exam will test a student’s recollection of the concepts taught in an undergraduate engineering program. Topics covered include Probability, Statics, Dynamics, Material Properties, Thermodynamics, and more. Although that may seem like a tremendous amount of material to memorize, test-takers are given a Reference Handbook on the day of the test, which outlines major formulas from each of the sections. Hence, the test is intended to determine whether students comprehend major concepts, rather than memorize a ton of formulas.

The PE exam is intended to be taken after the engineer has worked for several years in industry and will test the engineer’s ability to apply engineering concepts to everyday problems. Engineering applications are focused on in the PE exam, with many questions posed as case studies.

Students interested in becoming professional engineers are encouraged to start preparing early for the FE exam. There are study guides available on the market, which can greatly simplify and facilitate the preparation phase.