CA Spring 2017 PE Applications

[CAPLS]

I know some have reached out and received responses.  Have you tried (916) 263-2193 or [email protected]
 

 

[Maji]

I know some have reached out and received responses.  Have you tried (916) 263-2193 or [email protected]
 

I really appreciate you taking the time to respond to the various questions. I wish other State Boards follow your example. 

 

[Civil_Star]

I contacted them and they said [SIZE=10pt]Due to the high volume of applications received, the Board cannot perform status checks. [/SIZE]

 

[CAPLS]

Yes, that is generally the response and honestly speaking there are many, many inquiries on this.  And BPELSG does completely understand the reasons why everyone wants to know.  If you are wondering whether the money should be spent on a review class...in that case the applicant is the best judge of that and wondering if your application will be approved shouldn't be a decision maker.  If you are waiting to register with NCEES for the PE exam...don't wait.  You no longer need to, ESPECIALLY if you applied for an engineering license which is NOT civil engineer.  Go ahead and register with NCEES now and if you had previously passed your FE, you will be approved regardless of the status of you application for licensure in California. Of course, you may have other reasons to inquire...

 

[Apothe]

Yes, that is generally the response and honestly speaking there are many, many inquiries on this.  And BPELSG does completely understand the reasons why everyone wants to know.  If you are wondering whether the money should be spent on a review class...in that case the applicant is the best judge of that and wondering if your application will be approved shouldn't be a decision maker.  If you are waiting to register with NCEES for the PE exam...don't wait.  You no longer need to, ESPECIALLY if you applied for an engineering license which is NOT civil engineer.  Go ahead and register with NCEES now and if you had previously passed your FE, you will be approved regardless of the status of you application for licensure in California. Of course, you may have other reasons to inquire...

I applied for the April 2017 Power PE through NCEES and have had 'Pending board approval' on my account for the last two weeks.

I've previously passed the FE.  Is this just a temp status?

 

[CAPLS]

I applied for the April 2017 Power PE through NCEES and have had 'Pending board approval' on my account for the last two weeks.

I've previously passed the FE.  Is this just a temp status?

You "registered" for the April 2017 Power PE through NCEES and are waiting for Board approval.  After two weeks, its most likely due to trouble verifying your FE exam.  Can you email me your name and contact info at [email protected] including when you passed your FE and what state and I will check into it.

 

[Apothe]

You "registered" for the April 2017 Power PE through NCEES and are waiting for Board approval.  After two weeks, its most likely due to trouble verifying your FE exam.  Can you email me your name and contact info at [email protected] including when you passed your FE and what state and I will check into it.

I have sent you an email with the items requested, thank you again for taking a look at this!

 

[leggo PE]

The flowchart does suggest you can no longer take them all at once: http://www.bpelsg.ca.gov/applicants/new_process_flowchart.pdf

The flowcharts really only apply to people who are presumably taking the national PE Exam before they are approved by the CA BPELSG to take the state specific seismic and surveying exams. For example, my coworker, who graduated in June 2016 with his M.S., has registered to take the national PE Exam this spring without sending in the application to the CA Board. As he does not have the one year of work experience needed to take the state specific exams, he will wait to apply to take those exams and will, by design, be spreading his exams out over two test periods.

I think the general idea now is that CA is giving the opportunity to people to take the national PE exam without needing Board approval. Thus, one can absolutely register for and pass the national PE exam before they have the required work experience to take the state specific exams. Nothing is stopping anyone from waiting any number of years (i.e. one year with a master's degree, two years with an undergraduate degree only) after graduating college before taking the PE Exam. In this case, as long as you have Board approval, you could take all three exams in one cycle and assuming you pass all of them, be done with it.

 

[CAPLS]

Technically speaking, since the CA Board began using CBT over a three week window in the spring and again in the fall, and the NCEES exam is only offered on 1 day twice a year, no one is taking them all at once.

Once NCEES begins testing the PE-Civil in a few years on a continuous basis, it will be all about scheduling times.  Taking everything all at once is a thing of the past now.

 

[Orangineer]

I was wondering if anyone got a response from the board 

My responses from the Board, back in December:

"...beginning with the April 2017 exam, CA has a new licensing process as follows: 1. Engineer passes the FE exam; 2. Engineer passes the PE exam (NCEES exam); 3. Engineer applies to BPELSG for license approval, once approved, 4. Engineer takes CA exams (seismic, survey). 5. Engineer is licensed after all CA requirements (exams, fingerprinting, etc.) are fulfilled."

I then got an email saying "The Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists has technically approved your application for the Spring 2017 exam(s). California State Specific exam(s) instructions regarding how and when to sign up with Prometric (the Board’s computer-based testing vendor) will be emailed to you approximately 4 to 6 weeks prior to the exam date." 

I find these two messages contradictory. I don't know about you guys (fellow Civil PE-seekers), but I don't even know if I can get through all the material for the 8-hr exam, even without doing the CA special exams in the same cycle. So, I no longer mind the confusion about whether I can do them all at once, because I'm not going to.

If anyone has a recommendation for a good prep class in the SF bay area (or a decent online one), let me know because I might just cave and sign up. (Maybe PPI?) Getting through these practice problems on my own is taking a lot longer than I thought...

 

[CAPLS]

My responses from the Board, back in December:

"...beginning with the April 2017 exam, CA has a new licensing process as follows: 1. Engineer passes the FE exam; 2. Engineer passes the PE exam (NCEES exam); 3. Engineer applies to BPELSG for license approval, once approved, 4. Engineer takes CA exams (seismic, survey). 5. Engineer is licensed after all CA requirements (exams, fingerprinting, etc.) are fulfilled."

I then got an email saying "The Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists has technically approved your application for the Spring 2017 exam(s). California State Specific exam(s) instructions regarding how and when to sign up with Prometric (the Board’s computer-based testing vendor) will be emailed to you approximately 4 to 6 weeks prior to the exam date." 

I find these two messages contradictory. I don't know about you guys (fellow Civil PE-seekers), but I don't even know if I can get through all the material for the 8-hr exam, even without doing the CA special exams in the same cycle. So, I no longer mind the confusion about whether I can do them all at once, because I'm not going to.

If anyone has a recommendation for a good prep class in the SF bay area (or a decent online one), let me know because I might just cave and sign up. (Maybe PPI?) Getting through these practice problems on my own is taking a lot longer than I thought...

Please elaborate on why you find these two messages contradictory so I have a better understanding of what you mean by that.

Thanks

 

[Orangineer]

Please elaborate on why you find these two messages contradictory so I have a better understanding of what you mean by that.

Thanks

Sure, what I mean is:

The first message suggests that I have to pass the 8-hr national exam before I can take the CA special exams; the second message suggests I can sign up for the special exams via Prometric now (before taking the national exam). 

 

[CAPLS]

Sure, what I mean is:

The first message suggests that I have to pass the 8-hr national exam before I can take the CA special exams; the second message suggests I can sign up for the special exams via Prometric now (before taking the national exam). 

Ah, I understand now, thanks for responding.  There is no perfect time to implement changes.  BPELSG is always communicating with the group that hasn't applied yet but has questions while simultaneously communicating with the group that have already applied but the application hasn't progressed all the way through the review process...ALSO while simultaneously communicating with the group that has an application already approved but haven't completed all exams yet.  Whew!

The first message is intended more for those that haven't submitted an application to BPELSG yet (or the application hasn't progressed far enough to know) as it is anticipated that pathway will become the norm.  The second message was much more specific and direct to you because of the status during the transition.  Hope this helps to clarify.

 

[Math]

I got an Email that I could not pass the home examination.

Please help me how can pass it.

How many times can I retake it?

 

[ptatohed]

I got an Email that I could not pass the home examination.

Please help me how can pass it.

How many times can I retake it?

Please don't post multiple times.  You also sent me a PM. 

 

[STR_BR]

I got an Email that I could not pass the home examination.

Please help me how can pass it.

How many times can I retake it?

Math,

You can retake it as many time you wish. The Board Rules and Engineers Act are fairly short documents, just read carefully and take your time. As ptatohed mentioned, I was able to find most if not all answers from those 2 documents.

 

[Math]

Thanks

 

[znjjay]

I got an email from the board saying that my application has been "Technically Approved" and they will send over instructions on how to register for the exam 4-6 weeks before the exam date.

Does anybody know that this means my application has been approved? Is there a chance the application will be rejected later?  I'm unsure about the technically approved part.

Thanks

 

[CAPLS]

Technically approved means your education/experience was approved for the requirements of the license that you applied for.  Your application can not be fully approved until you meet all requirements.  I'm guessing you still an exam or two to pass first.

 

[JJ_structural]

I'm wondering if I should be concerned that I have not been approved by the CA board yet.

I am applying as a Civil PE by comity. I have already passed the 8 hour NCEES PE exam and I am currently licenced in another state, and am hoping to be approved to sit for the CA Civil Seismic and Survey exams this April. Below is the progress of my application so far:

9/7/16: Application and NCEES Record were delivered to the CA Board

10/11/16: Received an email from the Board that my application was received

11/7/16: Received an email from the Board that my application has been sent to Engineering Registrar for technical review (I received the postcard mail notice of the same on 11/14/16)

I'm starting to get a little concerned that my application has been in the technical review phase for almost 4 months now without being approved or hearing anything from the Board that there is a deficiency with my application. Is anyone else in this situation? Should I be worried that my application has gotten lost? I have not reached out to the Board yet since they specifically tell you that they cannot provide status updates for individual applications.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can provide some insight.