# Taking the New Jersey Test Prior to Approval



## oshah34 (Oct 6, 2020)

Hey all,

I couldn't find a subforum for questions related to applications, so let me know if I'm in the wrong spot.

I saw that "The New Jersey Board will no longer require registration or approval prior to taking your exam." So my question is it possible to take the test in NJ, pass, and apply later or apply to another state at a later date? Has anyone ever done this? I'll be taking Mechanical Thermal Fluids if it makes any difference.


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## Dothracki PE (Oct 7, 2020)

oshah34 said:


> Hey all,
> 
> I couldn't find a subforum for questions related to applications, so let me know if I'm in the wrong spot.
> 
> I saw that "The New Jersey Board will no longer require registration or approval prior to taking your exam." So my question is it possible to take the test in NJ, pass, and apply later or apply to another state at a later date? Has anyone ever done this? I'll be taking Mechanical Thermal Fluids if it makes any difference.


I am not sure, there isn't much information on it other than what is stated in the announcement. Evidently that is the case (maybe to avoid delays in approval prior to taking the exam due to Covid). But you would probably need to complete the application in NJ using this process as other states may not be able to take your results without first reviewing your application. I think its easy to get a license in multiple states with the correct paperwork and a few fees once you have the NJ PE.

You should probably address this question to the NJ board just to be sure. I have been in contact with NY state board via email over the past couple of months and they have been quick to respond.




Best of luck on your exam!


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## RBHeadge PE (Oct 7, 2020)

oshah34 said:


> So my question is it possible to take the test in NJ, pass, and apply later or apply to another state at a later date? Has anyone ever done this?


It depends. One needs to be careful if they go this route. Some states have decoupled the experience requirement from sitting for the exam (i.e. Texas, Illionois, etc) so one could try to apply via comity with those states.

However some States' have hard written laws or a board that is unwilling to waive the experience requirement for siting for the exam. These would include Pennsylvania and Maryland respectively. So one could take/pass the exam, then get the experience, then apply and get license in New Jersey. However if that person applies via comity in Pennsylvania, the PA board will reject the comity application and require that the applicant reapply as a first time applicant and retake the exam. 

New York State is a hyper-pain under the best of circumstances to apply via comity, so one would not want to give them any reasons to reject your application (after a year long wait!) either.

And some states are in-between those extremes.  I think Michigan has decoupled, but the exam still needs to be taken after a minimum amount of years?


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## bdhlphcdh (Oct 20, 2020)

RBHeadge PE said:


> It depends. One needs to be careful if they go this route. Some states have decoupled the experience requirement from sitting for the exam (i.e. Texas, Illionois, etc) so one could try to apply via comity with those states.
> 
> However some States' have hard written laws or a board that is unwilling to waive the experience requirement for siting for the exam. These would include Pennsylvania and Maryland respectively. So one could take/pass the exam, then get the experience, then apply and get license in New Jersey. However if that person applies via comity in Pennsylvania, the PA board will reject the comity application and require that the applicant reapply as a first time applicant and retake the exam.
> 
> ...


Wait, there are rules from some states that require you to take the exam again even after passing?


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## RBHeadge PE (Oct 20, 2020)

bdhlphcdh said:


> Wait, there are rules from some states that require you to take the exam again even after passing?


Yes, some states have laws (not to be confused with regulations which can be waived by the boards) that say that the exam must be passed after the requisite experience. Unless a provision is written in law for the board to waive the requirement, the board is bound to obey those laws.

For example in Pennsylvania, which has one of the most restrictive start dates for experience:



> https://www.dos.pa.gov/ProfessionalLicensing/BoardsCommissions/EngineersLandSurveyorsandGeologists/Pages/default.aspx
> 
> Section 4.2 of Engineer Land Surveyor and Geologist Registration Law, 63 P.S. § 151.2, an applicant *cannot begin accruing four or more years of progressive experience* to qualify for the principles and practice of engineering examination until *AFTER* the engineer-in training certificate (EIT) is issued.


for reference:

_[ (a) and (b) removed for simplicity, emphasis mine]_



> Section 151.2 - Procedure for licensing as professional engineer
> 
> *(c)* An applicant who is a certified engineer-in-training may apply for licensure and shall pass the examination in engineering principles and practice. *To qualify for the principles and practice examination*, an applicant shall, in addition to holding the engineer-in-training certificate, show satisfactory proof of:
> 
> ...


and in case you were wondering about out of state EITs:



> 49 PA Code § 37.31 (a)(2)
> 
> Unless otherwise stated by the appropriate licensing authority of that jurisdiction, the effective date of the engineer-in-training certificate of a candidate who was certified in a jurisdiction other than this Commonwealth will be the date the certificate was first issued.


So Pennsylvania by law, has to check that the applicant applying for license by comity, had met the progressive experience requirement of four years after issuance of EIT and the date of the PPE exam, to grant licensure.

And applicants can't apply until they have the four years under their belt. So a typical springtime graduate who gets in their paperwork ASAP won't get their EIT until June, which is also when the deadline for applying for the Oct exam. So nearly everyone has to wait 4 years and a few months to take the April exam instead. Someone who has a once/yr October exam effectively has a five year experience requirement before sitting for the exam. Of course the CBT is making this go away, but it still sucks.

And BTW, PA has actually relaxed its requirements in the last 20 years! When I was an undergrad, the experience had to be gained under a licensed PE in the same discipline as the applicants undergraduate degree! It was making it nearly impossible to license engineers in the Commonwealth in certain disciplines. And the graduate degrees had to be in the same discipline as the undergrad or they wouldn't count as experience either. Thankfully they changed those rules earlier this decade.

There are many other states with similar laws or restrictive regulations. I am listing Pennsylvania because its one of the two jurisdictions with which I intimately familiar with the laws and regulations.

tl;dr YES, always look at the other states requirements


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## Bubbagump (Oct 20, 2020)

RBHeadge PE said:


> Yes, some states have laws (not to be confused with regulations which can be waived by the boards) that say that the exam must be passed after the requisite experience. Unless a provision is written in law for the board to waive the requirement, the board is bound to obey those laws.
> 
> For example in Pennsylvania, which has one of the most restrictive start dates for experience:
> 
> ...


Okay, please clarify because I’m in similar situation. So what if you got you recently got EIT and PE licensure in another state. Let’s say you have 8 years of experience after college and finally got your EIT in 2018 and PE in 2019(West Virginia. Would it be a problem to wait the 4 years (2022) and transfer by comity in PA?

i was told that should not be a problem.


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## RBHeadge PE (Oct 21, 2020)

Bubbagump said:


> Okay, please clarify because I’m in similar situation. So what if you got you recently got EIT and PE licensure in another state. Let’s say you have 8 years of experience after college and finally got your EIT in 2018 and PE in 2019(West Virginia. Would it be a problem to wait the 4 years (2022) and transfer by comity in PA?
> 
> i was told that should not be a problem.


Did the PA Board tell you that it would not be a problem? Or someone else?

If the former, then they have changed their long-held reading of the law. This has been a sticking point for them for a while so it'd be nice if they finally changed.


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## Bubbagump (Oct 21, 2020)

RBHeadge PE said:


> Did the PA Board tell you that it would not be a problem? Or someone else?
> 
> If the former, then they have changed their long-held reading of the law. This has been a sticking point for them for a while so it'd be nice if they finally changed.


The PA board told me that a few years ago, I hope it’s true. I will follow up with them to confirm.

looking at the reciprocity rules, it seems like you could be right. That would suck for me.


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## RBHeadge PE (Oct 21, 2020)

I sincerely hope I'm wrong.


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## oshah34 (Mar 4, 2021)

Hey, I haven't checked on this thread in a while, I really appreciate the detailed replies. I emailed the TX board (just picked TX randomly, because they are also a state that has decoupled their exam from experience) and they are OK with accepting an application where I took the exam in one state but am applying to another.

Just to be clear for anyone else reading: I was approved to take the Mechanical TFS exam from NJ, without an application, as they state on their website. I checked with the TX board and they are willing to accept a passing test from a different state. This is for first time licensure.

I may just end up applying to TX, due to the fact that they accept the NCEES record for first time licenses, which makes the application process easier (I think).

So, the answer is, check with the board that you wish to apply to!


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