# PE Exam experience requirements



## Frank12 (Nov 30, 2010)

I have completed my 2 years of engineering experience and am applying to take the California Civil PE exam in April 2010. My first year of experience was gained in Arizona under supervision/employer of an AZ licensed civil PE and AZ licensed civil/geotechnical PE. My second year experience was gained in California under the direction of 2 CA licensed civil PE. I worked for the same company and my title remained the same so all 4 references and both years of experience are under one engagement.

My questions are:

1. Is it a problem that one of my references from AZ is a licensed geotechnical PE and not general civil?

2. Will the fact that both my California references are "responsible charge" and not "employer" be a problem?

If anyone has been in a similar situation please let me know your thoughts. Any suggestions or comments? Thanks


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## ptatohed (Dec 1, 2010)

Frank12 said:


> I have completed my 2 years of engineering experience and am applying to take the California Civil PE exam in April 2010. My first year of experience was gained in Arizona under supervision/employer of an AZ licensed civil PE and AZ licensed civil/geotechnical PE. My second year experience was gained in California under the direction of 2 CA licensed civil PE. I worked for the same company and my title remained the same so all 4 references and both years of experience are under one engagement.
> My questions are:
> 
> 1. Is it a problem that one of my references from AZ is a licensed geotechnical PE and not general civil?
> ...



I think you mean April 2011, right? If you have not mailed in your application, you better boogie, the deadline is December 17.

Are the four engineers you mentioned the engineers you will be using as your four required references?

You'll need to break up your work under the supervision of these four engineers into four engagements. You don't need four references for one engagement, you need one reference each for four engagements.

Answers.

1.) You can check with the state board to make sure but I would suspect a geotech PE can be a reference for your exam application.

2.) I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "employer" but as long as they were your immediate supervisor, the board will be happy.

Good luck.


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## yaofu (Dec 3, 2010)

I just want to follow up with another question.

I and my reference both worked on a project in Virginia and my reference has the Virginia PE. Can I use this reference to apply for the California PE, or should all my reference have California PE?

Also, I already had my M.S. and I worked for a year now. My understanding is that I could sit for the Cali PE already, if everything works out. But all my education, projects and residence are in Virginia. Would there be any problem for me to sit for Cali PE? Any idea?

Really appreciate your inputs.



ptatohed said:


> Frank12 said:
> 
> 
> > I have completed my 2 years of engineering experience and am applying to take the California Civil PE exam in April 2010. My first year of experience was gained in Arizona under supervision/employer of an AZ licensed civil PE and AZ licensed civil/geotechnical PE. My second year experience was gained in California under the direction of 2 CA licensed civil PE. I worked for the same company and my title remained the same so all 4 references and both years of experience are under one engagement.
> ...


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## ptatohed (Dec 5, 2010)

yaofu said:


> I just want to follow up with another question.
> I and my reference both worked on a project in Virginia and my reference has the Virginia PE. Can I use this reference to apply for the California PE, or should all my reference have California PE?
> 
> Also, I already had my M.S. and I worked for a year now. My understanding is that I could sit for the Cali PE already, if everything works out. But all my education, projects and residence are in Virginia. Would there be any problem for me to sit for Cali PE? Any idea?
> ...



yaofu, if you look at the engagement and reference form, it reads this "A minimum of four references from licensed Civil Engineers are required. For work in California, references must be California Civil Engineers. For work out of state/country, references must be licensed in that state/country." at the very top.

But just to be sure, I'd contact the CA State board and ask them if your VA experience and references will be accepted.


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## NEED2009 (Dec 6, 2010)

you only need 2 years working experience under a PE in California to take the PE exam? This is nice.


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## yaofu (Dec 6, 2010)

Thank you, ptatohed. That is what I read as well. But I guess my experience will fall in "work out of California" and only PE of that state is needed.

I contacted the board, but they did not reply me yet. Thanks again.



ptatohed said:


> yaofu said:
> 
> 
> > I just want to follow up with another question.
> ...


arty-smiley-048:


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## ptatohed (Dec 7, 2010)

NEED2009 said:


> you only need 2 years working experience under a PE in California to take the PE exam? This is nice.



You need six years but a bachelors degree counts as four.


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## asunw (Dec 14, 2010)

ptatohed said:


> NEED2009 said:
> 
> 
> > you only need 2 years working experience under a PE in California to take the PE exam? This is nice.
> ...


That's very nice. In IL you can take the PE at anytime but you cannot become licensed until you have 4 years of experience. The only ways to shorten this is to co-op for 3 semesters in college (that will count for a year) or to get your masters degree (that will count for a year).


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## ErichB (Dec 15, 2010)

ptatohed said:


> NEED2009 said:
> 
> 
> > you only need 2 years working experience under a PE in California to take the PE exam? This is nice.
> ...


And to add on to this, the two years of working experience must be *AFTER* you earn your Bachelor's degree. Any working experience before earning your Bachelor's will not be counted by the Board.

I've learned this first-hand when I tried applying to take the PE Exam back in April 2010. Thankfully, they kept all my reference records on file, so that I could reuse them when I refiled my application again to take the October 2010 exam.


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## DVINNY (Dec 15, 2010)

^^ WOW. This is news to me. In my state, you have to have 4 or 6 years experience AFTER the bachelors depending on which degree.


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