Are you applying to take the FE or PE exam in Oregon?

• The application deadline is Jan 15/July 15 (45 days later than Oregon)
• The application cost is only $65 (vs. $225 in Oregon)
• You'll receive the exam results directly from NCEES via e-mail (so you'll be one of the first states to find out your results)
• You'll be able to re-take the exam 6 months later if you fail
• There are no requirements in Washington to show additional proof of study if you fail an exam more than twice.
• I have not heard of anyone having any problems with the Washington Board, whereas everyone I know (including myself) has had some sort of issue with our dealings with OSBEELS.

klk said:

If you work in Oregon, you'll eventually need to deal with OSBEELS, but at least you won't be dealing with the stress of studying for an exam as well. The comity process seems to go a lot more smoothly than applying by examination.

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klk said:

Since most people applying to take an exam do not end up dealing with OSBEELS until after they've submitted their application, I wanted to post a warning about a recent change to the rules that will affect you if you fail and need to retake the exam.
A few years ago, OSBEELS changed their deadlines to Dec 1/June 1 because they need more time to review applications. This caused a problem for people who wanted to submit application to retake the exam prior to the deadline, but hadn't received their results yet. People got around the issue by submitting their re-application anyway, but asking OSBEELS to hold payment until their results are received.

Yesterday, OSBEELS held a hearing to make a change that prohibits people from submitting a re-application until after their results have been received. Since exam results are never available prior to Dec 1st or June 1st, this means that examinees will NEVER be able to retake an exam in Oregon 6 months later. I submitted a public comment on the issue with the proposed rule change but I don't think it stopped them from enacting it. A board member told me after the meeting that they were going to look into this issue and that they were sympathic, but there was nothing they could do about it immediately.

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I also took the PE in Oregon this past October and discovered this new rule as I tried to register for the April examination. I wrote a letter of appeal to the Board asking for a waiver to register for the April exam and citing extenuating circumstances that will prevent me from taking the exam next October. The request was denied.

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IlPadrino said:

It'll be interesting to see if NCEES is able to prevent jurisdiction shopping - I've gotten the sense they're against the idea of you going to a different state because it's easier (education, experience, or exam registration).

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klk said:

Since most people applying to take an exam do not end up dealing with OSBEELS until after they've submitted their application, I wanted to post a warning about a recent change to the rules that will affect you if you fail and need to retake the exam.
A few years ago, OSBEELS changed their deadlines to Dec 1/June 1 because they need more time to review applications. This caused a problem for people who wanted to submit application to retake the exam prior to the deadline, but hadn't received their results yet. People got around the issue by submitting their re-application anyway, but asking OSBEELS to hold payment until their results are received.

Yesterday, OSBEELS held a hearing to make a change that prohibits people from submitting a re-application until after their results have been received. Since exam results are never available prior to Dec 1st or June 1st, this means that examinees will NEVER be able to retake an exam in Oregon 6 months later. I submitted a public comment on the issue with the proposed rule change but I don't think it stopped them from enacting it. A board member told me after the meeting that they were going to look into this issue and that they were sympathic, but there was nothing they could do about it immediately.

Until OSBEELS gets their act together, I would highly recommend that you apply to take the exam in Washington instead of Oregon, for a multitude of reasons:

• The application deadline is Jan 15/July 15 (45 days later than Oregon)
• The application cost is only $65 (vs. $225 in Oregon)
• You'll receive the exam results directly from NCEES via e-mail (so you'll be one of the first states to find out your results)
• You'll be able to re-take the exam 6 months later if you fail
• There are no requirements in Washington to show additional proof of study if you fail an exam more than twice.
• I have not heard of anyone having any problems with the Washington Board, whereas everyone I know (including myself) has had some sort of issue with our dealings with OSBEELS.

If you work in Oregon, you'll eventually need to deal with OSBEELS, but at least you won't be dealing with the stress of studying for an exam as well. The comity process seems to go a lot more smoothly than applying by examination.

Click to expand...