CA PE application questions

Thanks in advance for taking the time to review this, I appreciate any insight!

I'm applying for CA PE through comity. I have over 7 years of qualifying experience since graduation, although my engagement references do not all qualify to verify that experience because they are not licensed civil engineers. However, I have plenty of qualifying experience. My question is: Can I get away with supplying 4 PE references and ingoring the "non-qualifying" references? In other words, I will concede that some of my experience record will not count, but I don't need it. I guess the question is, will the CA board hold up my application because they have not received verification of my entire qualifying experience, or do they simply evaluate that an applicant meets the minimum qualifcations and then approve the application?

As an update, I e-mailed the board my questions. The response I received was that the board requires all of the application, transcript, and verification materials prior to commencing review of an application. Once the application review commences, satisfying the minimum qualifications is enough for approval. In other words, make sure you get all of your references to send their letters, even if you don't think they matter.

Mark Leyner said:

Thanks in advance for taking the time to review this, I appreciate any insight!

I'm applying for CA PE through comity. I have over 7 years of qualifying experience since graduation, although my engagement references do not all qualify to verify that experience because they are not licensed civil engineers. However, I have plenty of qualifying experience. My question is: Can I get away with supplying 4 PE references and ingoring the "non-qualifying" references? In other words, I will concede that some of my experience record will not count, but I don't need it. I guess the question is, will the CA board hold up my application because they have not received verification of my entire qualifying experience, or do they simply evaluate that an applicant meets the minimum qualifcations and then approve the application?

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I'm sure some recent CA applicants will have more useful info for you but my thought is you should include, at a minimum, your 4 PE references/engagements to cover the minimum experience required of the Board and you need not include work experience performed under non-PE references that fall outside of those minimum experience dates except to show continuous work experience. The Board does not like gaps. Ex. In 2008 you worked under a non-PE, in 2009 under a PE, 2010 under a PE, 2011 under a non-PE, 2012 under a PE.... etc. I'd not include 2008 but I would include 2011.

that's what i was hoping, i.e. - i wouldn't bother asking for a reference from non-PEs that were verifying working experience but the response i got from the board indicated that i needed references from each working engagement and a minimum of 4 PE references to satisfy the requirements for a "complete" application. as I understand it, they won't review my application without all of the references, even though the non-PE references won't count and the working engagements listed for those periods won't count. in accordance with the bureaucratic nature of human organizations, you have to fill out all of the paperwork even if it doesn't count and therefore, doesn't make sense to do so.

some people like to think about what they're doing and then take actions in accord with their thinking, some people like to avoid thinking about what they're doing and take action in accord with rules provided to them by others. i understand the mitigating circumstances here: lots of applications to review, scarce resources, special consideration for 'unique' cases and so on. if you want to play ball, you gotta play by their rules.