# Acceptable Experience for PE board



## EngineerKelley (Feb 3, 2011)

I recently applied to take the PE exam in Georgia and got my letter back concerning my acceptable engineering experience. The months of experience were way below what i was expecting and seem like an error. I am waiting called back by a board member about the issue, but do they every make mistakes on the amount of experience?

My qualifications:

B.S.: Math and Physics December 2005

M.S.: Systems Engineering July 2008

E.I.T.: December 2007

Engineer for Company since 04/2006

I work for a water authority and deal with designing (including acquiring engineering data for projects) water main, sewer main, lift stations, force mains, for various in-house and large state projects. In addition i solely run the hydraulic water and sewer models for my company.

I am classified by the Georgia PE Board Section Code 43-15-9(2), meaning that i need 7 years (84 months) experience.

I currently have 59 months of actual engineering work experience after college plus a masters degree in engineering that i did at night after my work day.

The board stated i had acquired only 24 months of acceptable experience! Am i missing something or did they accidently make a mistake?

Please Help, i just want a possible explaination!


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## snickerd3 (Feb 3, 2011)

your undergrad is not engineering, so it looks like they only started counting from the date of the engineering masters degree


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## EngineerKelley (Feb 3, 2011)

snickerd3 said:


> your undergrad is not engineering, so it looks like they only started counting from the date of the engineering masters degree


I thought about that, but they allowed me to take the EIT back in 2007 and they upgraded my section code to 43-15-9(2), which is the equivalent of an engineering technology degree. Plus if they did that, i would have had a minimum of 28 months exerience since i got my masters in July 2008 and i submitted my application in November 2010.

I am just puzzled! All of my experience has been under a PE, i can't help but think that a mistake was made.

Thank you for your reply!


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## blybrook PE (Feb 4, 2011)

I'm not exactly sure on how they are counting your experience; but most states do not start counting experience until you have passed the EIT. By the way I read the above; you have your Masters + 3 years after EIT; which is more than adequate for several states.

It may be possible that one of your references put down the wrong number, or the application was asking for so much "responsible charge" and your supervisor did not feel you had enough.

Without hearing back from the board, it will be hard to determine what they did. It is all conjecture on our parts as impartial outsiders.


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## EngineerKelley (Feb 4, 2011)

blybrook PE said:


> I'm not exactly sure on how they are counting your experience; but most states do not start counting experience until you have passed the EIT. By the way I read the above; you have your Masters + 3 years after EIT; which is more than adequate for several states.
> It may be possible that one of your references put down the wrong number, or the application was asking for so much "responsible charge" and your supervisor did not feel you had enough.
> 
> Without hearing back from the board, it will be hard to determine what they did. It is all conjecture on our parts as impartial outsiders.


Anything is possible. My experience from everything i have read and heard from people should have been valid from 04/2006 to present. I was expecting to at least have 68 months of experience (i submitted the application in november) with 56 from experience and 12 months for my masters.

I know all the people that gave me a reference and they are more than aware of how hard i work and the quality with which i perform. It just really seems unfair, but all i can do is try to get an explaination and have them re-evaluate my experience maybe with more information given to them.

I hope that my references did not mess up dates, but there is a chance. The board actually messed up my supervisors PE application once, giving him like 3 years of extra experience when he was still working on his degree, so mistakes do happen (they caught their mistake the next time he applied for the PE exam). I just think with my luck that is not the case.

It's discouraging, my timeline has been pushed back at least 3-4 years! Thanks for replying!


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## asunw (Feb 4, 2011)

At least in IL you cannot have time you were in school count for 'work' experience. In IL you are allowed to 'co-op' for 1 year and count it towards work experience but it has to be documented on your transcript.

I still don't know how they got 24 months though, it looks to me like it should be 28 months + 12 months for your masters so 40 months.

Also in IL you can take the EIT up to a year before you graduate from an engineering curriculum but your experience doesn't start until you start working full time and are out of school.


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## EngineerKelley (Feb 4, 2011)

asunw said:


> At least in IL you cannot have time you were in school count for 'work' experience. In IL you are allowed to 'co-op' for 1 year and count it towards work experience but it has to be documented on your transcript.
> I still don't know how they got 24 months though, it looks to me like it should be 28 months + 12 months for your masters so 40 months.
> 
> Also in IL you can take the EIT up to a year before you graduate from an engineering curriculum but your experience doesn't start until you start working full time and are out of school.


Well i'm not sure how they got it either. After calling the licensing board on Wednesday, they said an analyst would call me back within 24-48 hours, but i still haven't heard anything. Honestly i think the analyst look over the applications and make recommendations to the board. I don't see how they can actually look through all the applications in the meeting.

As for the amount of experience i received, i though i would have received 56+12 for a total of 68. I acquired all the experience after getting my B.S.

Thanks for the support and help.


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## snickerd3 (Feb 4, 2011)

the analyst is the state employee for the department of financial and professional regulation. Just a pencil pusher who is checking boxes and adding up timelines. they do most of the experience reviews for the board. If a situation is unique/contested/special then the board will sometimes review at a meeting.


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## HerrKaLeun (Feb 5, 2011)

the only thing you can do is appeal and then make your case in front of the board and they will tell you what exactly is going on.

i don't think a board member should call you to discuss your case. This would be against the whole public process and transparency. Assuming the board has 9 members, that one member doesn't have authority to grant you anything. All explanation of your case may be a public document (open to you or not) and they have meeting minutes etc. there should be no private discussion of your case.

The state employees on the other hand only can give you general information. They do some pre-screening and filter out dubious cases for the board to decide. they don't have authority to decide.

It depends on the state, but generally they count your engineering experience assuming before you graduated as engineer your experience could not have been engineering. Again, you may be able to appeal and convince them otherwise.

Based on your description you have a lot of engineering experience. But did you detail that well enough to the board and did your references match that?


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## peenv1 (Feb 5, 2011)

Hi,

Is that possible that they review your experience and determined that only 24 months is engineering related experience and remaining is non-engineering = non acceptable?



EngineerKelley said:


> I recently applied to take the PE exam in Georgia and got my letter back concerning my acceptable engineering experience. The months of experience were way below what i was expecting and seem like an error. I am waiting called back by a board member about the issue, but do they every make mistakes on the amount of experience?
> My qualifications:
> 
> B.S.: Math and Physics December 2005
> ...


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## redsouther (Feb 7, 2011)

I had an issue with my experience as well (in GA), and ended up needing an additional 2 years because not all of my experience was in an office with a PE. It took almost a year for the board to finally give me a clear answer. After trying to talk to people over the phone and getting nowhere, I requested an "informal conference" concerning the board's decision. The board member in charge of my specific discipline called and gave me the details concerning my case, and told me how to proceed.


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