Engineering Examination

1.      WRITTEN EXAMINATIONS

The applicant for licensure as a Professional Engineer in North Carolina is required to successfully complete the Engineering Fundamentals Examination (Examination I) and the Engineering Principles and  Practice Examination (Examination II). Each examination consists of eight (8) hours of written work. An applicant is required to pass each of these examinations prior to licensure. Applicants are advised that examination details are subject to change at any time. Detailed instructions will be provided at the  examination time and site.

FUNDAMENTALS EXAMINATION (Exam I)

CLOSED BOOK EXAMINATION - Only NCEES supplied reference materials distributed at the examination site are permitted in the examination room. Battery-operated, silent, non-printing calculators may be used.

Morning: Part I is four (4) hours long and is composed of 120 one-point multiple-choice questions. All answers are recorded by marking appropriate spaces on a separate answer sheet. The morning session is common to all disciplines and includes the following subject areas: Chemistry, Computers, Dynamics, Electric Circuits, Engineering Economics, Ethics, Fluid Mechanics, Materials Science/Structure of Matter, Mathematics, Mechanics of Materials, Statics and Thermodynamics.

Afternoon: Part II is four (4) hours long and is composed of 60 two-point multiple-choice questions administered in the following five disciplines: Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Industrial and Mechanical with a general engineering section for all remaining disciplines.

Examinees will work all questions in the morning session and all questions in the afternoon section they have chosen.

PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE EXAMINATION (Exam II)

OPEN BOOK EXAMINATION - Use of reference material authorized as explained on reverse (Item #3).

This examination is offered in the individual engineering disciplines. The following disciplines are offered at the Spring examination: Architectural, Chemical, Civil, Electrical and Computer, Environmental, Mechanical, Naval Architecture and Marine, Structural I and Structural II. The following disciplines are offered at the Fall examination: Agricultural, Chemical, Civil, Control Systems, Electrical and Computer, Environmental, Fire Protection, Industrial, Manufacturing, Mechanical, Metallurgical, Mining/Mineral, Nuclear, Petroleum,  Structural I and Structural II. 

The Principles and Practice of Engineering Examination is a 100% objectively scored (multiple-choice) examination. Structural II is the only exam that is essay only format.

Specifications for the various discipline exams as well as Structural and Transportation design standards are available on the web site of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying at www.ncees.org. Applicants who do not have Internet access may contact the Board office and request written copies of this information.

Each candidate will be required to sign a statement that they will neither copy nor divulge any examination problem or solution, and that any violation thereof will be sufficient grounds for invalidating the candidates examination.

1. Devices or materials that might compromise the security of the examination or examination processes are not permitted.

2. Non-communicating, battery operated, silent, non-printing calculators are permitted.

3. Calculating and computing devices having a QWERTY keypad arrangement similar to a typewriter or keyboard are not permitted.  Such devices include but are not limited to palmtop, laptop, handheld, and desktop computers, calculators, databanks, data collectors, and organizers,  Calculators with alphanumeric keypads are permitted.

4. Communication devices, such as pagers and cellular phones are not permitted.

Since examinations are given nationally and scored by a central examination service, results are normally received 8-12 weeks after the examination. The Board will notify each applicant in writing of the results - either "pass" or "fail." Numerical grades will not be furnished to the applicant.

An applicant who has failed an examination will be accepted for reexamination and seated upon written request and submission of the required fee. The deadline dates for such requests are January 2 for the Spring Examination and August 1 for the Fall Examination. An applicant who has had a total of three (3) unexcused absences or failures for the examination shall only be eligible after submitting a new application with appropriate application fee, and be considered by the Board for reexamination at the end of 12 months. After the end of the 12-month period, the applicant may take the examination no more than once every calendar year.

Initial or new applications which require review by the Board must be completed, including all supporting documents, and received in the Board office not later than the following dates:

Returned checks are subject to a $25.00 processing charge.