Can spring graduates take the spring test?

First, I want to say thank you for all the help I have already received from all of you.

I tried searching for this but I couldn't find anything. I graduated in early May of 2013 and started work the next Monday. The spring of 2017 test is on April 21st. I Called the Missouri board and they told me that the realize that this would not allow for a full 4 years, but they take that into consideration. So, I went ahead and completed my application and sent it in. Yesterday, I received a letter in the mail saying I couldn't sit for the exam until October. I called the board again and now they are now saying that the 4 year rule is strict and there isn't any tolerance on it. So after all that...

Has anyone ever taken the test right at 4 years after graduation? It seems like most schools graduate in early May. If the test is in April, it's impossible for a spring graduate to take the spring test. 

I missed deadline for 4 years requirement by less than 2 week and had to wait half a year to be eligible. There are no ways around it unless you have Master degree (then in my state you have to have 3 years) or if you worked during your school years, but it's not that easy to get this time counted. I was working for the last two years, part time, and wasn't able to count any of this time towards experience.

This is what I've seen people do when they wanted to take a test sooner - they traveled to states without 4 year rule, so example, I know at least 5 people who went to IL and took their PE exam there.

If you want to take spring test for some reason, you can take studying easier and get ready for April 2018 exam

Totally depends on the state.  Some states allow you take it straight out of college and then license you after you accrue the necessary experience.  Some require a strict 4 years of experience, some require somewhere in between.

It's totally up to your state.  If you want to take it early, apply to take the exam in an "early" state, then simply apply for licensure by comity once you passed and accrue the required experience.  That's really the only way around it if your home state is strict on 4yrs prior to allowing you to take the exam.

I've heard plenty of stories like this in the past. Some jurisdictions are very strict about the 4 year requirement. Sometimes they have to be strict because the requirement is written into legislation and they have no flexibility to waive it. Pennsylvania was once so strict that a spring graduate taking an October only exam, would essentially have to take the test 4.5 years after graduation to satisfy the bizarre wording of the law. I understand that things have relaxed in the last decade, so I don't know if this was still the case.

I have a friend missed it by 12 days, because a two week gap in employment left him 12 days shy of 4 years of experience on the date he submitted his application (Maryland). He flew to Illinois to take the exam.

One should be careful when travelling to a state with relaxed requirements to take the test and gain initial license. If they should pass, they may not be able to gain reciprocity/commity with other states that have a more strict requirements without retaking and passing the exam.

I know someone mentioned that the state of Kentucky doesn't have comity if someone takes it early.  But I would imagine that states that don't accept passing exam scores from other states are VERY few and far between.  By all means, if someone intends to do that, they can call their state board to check.  But the NCEES is a national exam.  Its the same exam in Montana, Alaska, Kentucky, Florida, etc... Unless it is strictly written in their state statues that they don't accept early PE exam scores, they can't turn you down.

Comity is not reciprocity.  Reciprocity would be honoring a license from another state.  No states that I'm aware of have reciprocity.  Comity is essentially extending someone a courtesy of honoring their credentials.  If you have a passing NCEES PE exam score, the required education, the required experience, and any other state specific requirements, it really doesn't matter the order in which you obtained them.  Unless the state SPECIFICALLY has it written in its statutes that they will not accept a certain order.  

Again, someone previously mentioned Kentucky has specifically inserted language into their state code, and there maybe other states that have, so you are right on that account.  But it should be an easy check by calling their state board.  Even then I believe Kentucky's state reg's are written such that KY simply can't be the first license someone receives after taking an early exam in another state.  So you can take an early exam in TN, for instance, get licensed in TN, and then apply for comity to KY as your second license as a work around for their absurd rules.  But it would take another step. And maybe there are other states that do this, that is just the only one that has come up in discussions on this board.

I know a couple of states that explicitly state that you have to have the experience prior to testing.

You just have to be aware what you need to do going forward in your career.

smahurin said:

I know someone mentioned that the state of Kentucky doesn't have comity if someone takes it early.  But I would imagine that states that don't accept passing exam scores from other states are VERY few and far between.  By all means, if someone intends to do that, they can call their state board to check.  But the NCEES is a national exam.  Its the same exam in Montana, Alaska, Kentucky, Florida, etc... Unless it is strictly written in their state statues that they don't accept early PE exam scores, they can't turn you down.Comity is not reciprocity.  Reciprocity would be honoring a license from another state.  No states that I'm aware of have reciprocity.  Comity is essentially extending someone a courtesy of honoring their credentials.  If you have a passing NCEES PE exam score, the required education, the required experience, and any other state specific requirements, it really doesn't matter the order in which you obtained them.  Unless the state SPECIFICALLY has it written in its statutes that they will not accept a certain order.  

Again, someone previously mentioned Kentucky has specifically inserted language into their state code, and there maybe other states that have, so you are right on that account.  But it should be an easy check by calling their state board.  Even then I believe Kentucky's state reg's are written such that KY simply can't be the first license someone receives after taking an early exam in another state.  So you can take an early exam in TN, for instance, get licensed in TN, and then apply for comity to KY as your second license as a work around for their absurd rules.  But it would take another step. And maybe there are other states that do this, that is just the only one that has come up in discussions on this board.

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I think that's similar to the situation in California. WA requires an extra year of experience so some people get CA license early, work a year, then apply for WA

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Ya, I live in Montana and in order to sit for the exam in MT you have to have your 4-years of experience at the time you apply to the state board, 4+months before the exam.  I believe a fair amount of young engineers in Montana fly down, take the exam in CA, and then several years later once they've accrued the necessary experience get licensed through comity.

As stated in previous posts, each state has their own rules so you should check the regulations for your individual state. While states do offer licenses if you already have it from another state, it is not an automatic and each state will vary. Your state may want to review your references and experience before issuing the license in your home state. In NJ, the 4 years experience is based on actual work and not just 4 calendar years. Depending on the type of engineering work you do, how much responsibility you have, internships you may have had, may help you get approved before the 4 year mark after graduation. Another thing to consider is whether or not your application adequately described your actual work experience. You may think it's the 4 years preventing you from getting approved, but in the end it may be that your written description does not adequately describe your engineering experience and everything that you have done.