# History of PE



## Chunhui Jiang (Feb 20, 2017)

I am very curious about the history of PE, when did United States create the PE exam and licensed engineer title?

What is the percentage of PE among all the people working in engineering field? It is difficult to calculate, as one engineer could become a PE in several states, and I found a macro data which is around 20%

Any friends also interested in these questions?


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## gpoli111 (Feb 21, 2017)

I'm interested in the older formats of the test and when they switched to the 40 morning multiple choice / 40 afternoon multiple choice


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## Chunhui Jiang (Feb 21, 2017)

gpoli111 said:


> I'm interested in the older formats of the test and when they switched to the 40 morning multiple choice / 40 afternoon multiple choice


I am also interested in these questions


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## ptatohed (Feb 21, 2017)

Chunhui Jiang said:


> I am very curious about the history of PE, when did United States create the PE exam and licensed engineer title?
> 
> What is the percentage of PE among all the people working in engineering field? It is difficult to calculate, as one engineer could become a PE in several states, and I found a macro data which is around 20%
> 
> Any friends also interested in these questions?


There should have been a question mark in your title.  I thought I was going to come into this thread and you were going to give us the history.


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## ptatohed (Feb 21, 2017)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regulation_and_licensure_in_engineering 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineer#Regulation


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## Road Guy (Feb 21, 2017)

my grandfather graduated from Ga Tech in the early 40's. He didn't have to take an exam they just basically gave them the license after they graduated..


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## Ken PE 3.1 (Feb 22, 2017)

This might answer your question.

https://www.nspe.org/sites/default/files/resources/pdfs/pemagazine/june2007_the_professional_engineering.pdf


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## TNSparky (Feb 22, 2017)

The world of PE's didn't thrive in the 21st Century until EB.com was created. It was a revolutionary concept: a forum dedicated to the best and highest standards of trolling in any online forum. This mission continues today and we are the custodians of its care and continuance.


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## P-E (Feb 22, 2017)

Well, if you must know: It all started in a little town in western Massachusetts....


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## MA_PE (Feb 22, 2017)

P-E said:


> Well, if you must know: It all started in a little town in western Massachusetts....


In Alice's Restaurant.....


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## wirelessengineer21 (Mar 9, 2017)

an old timer here at my firm said his exam wasnt even multiple choice! can you imagine that?


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## MA_PE (Mar 10, 2017)

wirelessengineer21 said:


> an old timer here at my firm said his exam wasnt even multiple choice! can you imagine that?


Actually in the old "essay" format with just a few problems and you had to show all your work, you were a lot more likely to get partial credit and did not have to get the exact answer like you do in a multiple choice test.


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## ptatohed (Mar 13, 2017)

MA_PE said:


> Actually in the old "essay" format with just a few problems and you had to show all your work, you were a lot more likely to get partial credit and did not have to get the exact answer like you do in a multiple choice test.


True, and I know at least two people that contested their near-passing score, got a few more points after the review, and then passed.


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## starquest (Mar 13, 2017)

The afternoon portion of my EIT/FE exam was essay in April 2000.


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## ptatohed (Mar 13, 2017)

starquest said:


> The afternoon portion of my EIT/FE exam was essay in April 2000.


Wow, I just missed it.  I took mine in Oct 2001.  Mine was all MC. 

I got to bring my own pencil and my own calculator (TI-89) which I think was the last administration before they started handing out pencils and required only NCEES-approved calculators.


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## Chunhui Jiang (Mar 17, 2017)

ptatohed said:


> There should have been a question mark in your title.  I thought I was going to come into this thread and you were going to give us the history.


haha


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## Chunhui Jiang (Mar 17, 2017)

ptatohed said:


> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regulation_and_licensure_in_engineering
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineer#Regulation


Thanks


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## Chunhui Jiang (Mar 17, 2017)

Road Guy said:


> my grandfather graduated from Ga Tech in the early 40's. He didn't have to take an exam they just basically gave them the license after they graduated..


Maybe the students must pass some exam which like our PE exam before graduation that time.


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## Chunhui Jiang (Mar 17, 2017)

Ken PE 3.0 said:


> This might answer your question.
> 
> https://www.nspe.org/sites/default/files/resources/pdfs/pemagazine/june2007_the_professional_engineering.pdf


Wow, thanks


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## Chunhui Jiang (Mar 17, 2017)

TNSparky said:


> The world of PE's didn't thrive in the 21st Century until EB.com was created. It was a revolutionary concept: a forum dedicated to the best and highest standards of trolling in any online forum. This mission continues today and we are the custodians of its care and continuance.


Thanks


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## Chunhui Jiang (Mar 17, 2017)

P-E said:


> Well, if you must know: It all started in a little town in western Massachusetts....


That is interesting


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## Chunhui Jiang (Mar 17, 2017)

MA_PE said:


> In Alice's Restaurant.....


That sounds interesting


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## Chunhui Jiang (Mar 17, 2017)

wirelessengineer21 said:


> an old timer here at my firm said his exam wasnt even multiple choice! can you imagine that?


Extractly.

When I was a senior student, before I take FE exam, some professors in our university provide us some sample questions, and teach us during the Saturday morning. The questions contain many gap fillings, which are especially in the thermal dynamics.


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## Chunhui Jiang (Mar 17, 2017)

MA_PE said:


> Actually in the old "essay" format with just a few problems and you had to show all your work, you were a lot more likely to get partial credit and did not have to get the exact answer like you do in a multiple choice test.


So sounds like problem solving questions.


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## Chunhui Jiang (Mar 17, 2017)

ptatohed said:


> True, and I know at least two people that contested their near-passing score, got a few more points after the review, and then passed.


So they cannot pass if they did not argue about that.


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## Chunhui Jiang (Mar 17, 2017)

starquest said:


> The afternoon portion of my EIT/FE exam was essay in April 2000.


What kind of essay?

Based on some materials like case study?


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## starquest (Mar 17, 2017)

Chunhui Jiang said:


> What kind of essay?
> 
> Based on some materials like case study?


No.   Like a traditional test in college...a problem with a blank page below it for you to solve.    

Surprisingly I had my results for that exam quicker than I did for the PE taken last year!


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## Chunhui Jiang (Mar 17, 2017)

starquest said:


> No.   Like a traditional test in college...a problem with a blank page below it for you to solve.
> 
> Surprisingly I had my results for that exam quicker than I did for the PE taken last year!


I think that make sense, as FE exam should be easier than the PE exam, is that correct?


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## ptatohed (Mar 17, 2017)

Chunhui Jiang said:


> I think that make sense, as FE exam should be easier than the PE exam, is that correct?


If I had to take one again, give me the PE.


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## Chunhui Jiang (Mar 18, 2017)

ptatohed said:


> If I had to take one again, give me the PE.


I have not taken the PE exam, but I think FE are some basic questions, but in very wide field.


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## dimockman (Mar 19, 2017)

starquest said:


> The afternoon portion of my EIT/FE exam was essay in April 2000.


Took the EIT in 1992. Don't remember any essay questions. I believe it was all multiple choice

Sent from my GT-I9295 using Tapatalk


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## starquest (Mar 20, 2017)

Chunhui Jiang said:


> I think that make sense, as FE exam should be easier than the PE exam, is that correct?


I thought the FE was much easier but there was a 16 year gap between taking the two exams...not to mention that I took the FE less than one year after finishing my BS degree.   I do remember that the PE was 100% essay in 2000 though.   Also, they let you take the FE and PE at the same time back then if you met the other requirements (at least in PA).   A talked with a few people on the day of the exam who took the PE on Friday and were taking the FE with me on Saturday.


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## Chunhui Jiang (Mar 21, 2017)

dimockman said:


> Took the EIT in 1992. Don't remember any essay questions. I believe it was all multiple choice
> 
> Sent from my GT-I9295 using Tapatalk


Wow, I was 2 years old when you pass the FE exam.


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## Chunhui Jiang (Mar 21, 2017)

starquest said:


> I thought the FE was much easier but there was a 16 year gap between taking the two exams...not to mention that I took the FE less than one year after finishing my BS degree.   I do remember that the PE was 100% essay in 2000 though.   Also, they let you take the FE and PE at the same time back then if you met the other requirements (at least in PA).   A talked with a few people on the day of the exam who took the PE on Friday and were taking the FE with me on Saturday.


I also took the FE exam when I was a Senior student.

Now I think passing the FE exam is one prerequisite for taking the PE exam, so we cannot take PE exam before we pass the FE exam.


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## Road Guy (Mar 21, 2017)

I graduated in 97- took the EIT then. It was the first time they offered a discipline specific PM section.

I didn't take the PE till 2004? but I don't recall anyone my age saying the PE cam was essay format. I think that does back in the 80's...


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## MA_PE (Mar 22, 2017)

Road Guy said:


> I graduated in 97- took the EIT then. It was the first time they offered a discipline specific PM section.
> 
> I didn't take the PE till 2004? but I don't recall anyone my age saying the PE cam was essay format. I think that does back in the 80's...


I took the PE in 2004 also and it was all multiple choice.  The essay format was back in the 80's.


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## MetsFan (Mar 23, 2017)

> On 3/13/2017 at 3:15 PM, ptatohed said:
> Wow, I just missed it.  I took mine in Oct 2001.  Mine was all MC.
> 
> I got to bring my own pencil and my own calculator (TI-89) which I think was the last administration before they started handing out pencils and required only NCEES-approved calculators.


Same here.  I don't even think I knew it was an essay format the year before.


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## RBHeadge PE (Mar 23, 2017)

starquest said:


> Also, they let you take the FE and PE at the same time back then if you met the other requirements (at least in PA).   A talked with a few people on the day of the exam who took the PE on Friday and were taking the FE with me on Saturday.


Are you sure they were seeking liscensure in Pennsylvania, or just taking the test in Pennsylvania? I know in 2004 that PA required EIT + 4 years to sit for the PE exam. And the rules in those years were pretty old (circa 80s) so I doubt they were different in 2000.


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## RBHeadge PE (Mar 23, 2017)

ptatohed said:


> If I had to take one again, give me the PE.


Agreed.

The FE was much easier but included everything found in an undergrad engineering curriculum. I took my last semester of undergrad when everything was fresh. I probably haven't touched 30+% of that content since the exam and I'd have to relearn a lot of pass the test today.

The PE is much harder, but more focused on things I encounter more often. I'd only have to refresh myself on a couple topics to try to pass again.


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