What are the PE Civil depth options?

NCEES offers five PE Civil depth exams: Construction, Geotechnical, Structural, Transportation, and Water Resources & Environmental. You take a shared breadth portion plus the depth you choose.

Do site/land-development engineers need a surveying license?

Engineering and surveying are separate licenses. A PE can design site improvements, but setting boundaries, preparing plats and legal descriptions generally requires a Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) license. Many site professionals hold both.

Is the FE required before the PE?

Yes. You must pass the FE (Fundamentals of Engineering) to become an EIT, then gain qualifying experience — typically about four years — before sitting the PE.

Are the civil PE and surveying exams open book?

They are open-book in the sense that NCEES provides a searchable on-screen reference handbook; the exams are computer-based and time-pressured, so fast reference navigation matters.

🏗️ PE License & Exam Prep

Civil Engineering & Land Surveying License Exam Prep

Civil and site/land-development work is licensed through the Professional Engineer (PE) and Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) systems. This overview covers the FE, the PE Civil depth exams, and the surveying licensure path — what each covers, how they relate, and how to prepare.

⚠️ Requirements, fees and exam details vary by state, jurisdiction and over time. Always confirm the current specifics with NCEES or the relevant board before you apply.

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The credential landscape

Civil engineers follow the FE → PE Civil path, choosing a depth area (Construction, Geotechnical, Structural, Transportation, or Water Resources & Environmental). Site/land-development professionals often add the surveying ladder (FS → PS) to plat, set boundaries and prepare legal descriptions. Both are administered by NCEES and granted by state boards.

Engineering path (PE Civil)

1Earn an ABET civil degree
2Pass the FE Civil exam → EIT
3Gain ~4 years of qualifying experience
4Pass a PE Civil depth exam
5Apply to your state board → Professional Engineer

Surveying path (PS / PLS)

1Surveying / geomatics education
2Pass the Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam
3Gain qualifying survey experience
4Pass the Principles & Practice of Surveying (PS) exam
5Apply to your state board → Professional Land Surveyor

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Engineering licensure (FE & PE Civil)

FE Civil

PREP COMING SOON

Fundamentals of Engineering — the first step toward the Civil PE.

Administered by

NCEES (Pearson VUE)

Format

Computer-based · 110 questions · ~6-hour appointment · year-round

References allowed

Open-book — on-screen NCEES FE Reference Handbook only

How you qualify

Typically taken in your final year of an ABET civil program. Passing earns the EIT designation.

Key topics

Statics & mechanicsStructuresGeotechnicalHydraulics & hydrologyTransportationConstructionSurveying

PE Civil (depth: Construction / Geotechnical / Structural / Transportation / Water Resources)

PREP COMING SOON

The Professional Engineer exam with a chosen civil depth area.

Administered by

NCEES (Pearson VUE)

Format

Computer-based · 80 questions · ~8-hour appointment · year-round

References allowed

Open-book — NCEES-supplied reference handbook

How you qualify

Pass the FE, gain ~4 years of qualifying experience (varies by state), then apply through your state board.

Key topics

Project planningMeans & methodsSoil mechanicsStructural mechanicsHydraulicsGeometric designCodes & standards

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Land surveying licensure

Fundamentals of Surveying (FS)

PREP COMING SOON

The first surveying exam — the survey equivalent of the FE.

Administered by

NCEES (Pearson VUE)

Format

Computer-based · 110 questions · ~6-hour appointment · year-round

References allowed

Open-book — on-screen NCEES FS Reference Handbook

How you qualify

Surveying/geomatics education; typically taken near graduation.

Key topics

Measurements & errorBoundary law basicsGNSS/GPSCadastralMapping & GISMath & geodesy

Principles & Practice of Surveying (PS)

PREP COMING SOON

The professional surveying exam leading to PLS licensure.

Administered by

NCEES (Pearson VUE)

Format

Computer-based · 100 questions · ~8-hour appointment · year-round

References allowed

Open-book — NCEES-supplied reference

How you qualify

Pass the FS, gain qualifying experience (varies by state), then apply through your state board. Most states add a state-specific exam.

Key topics

Boundary lawLegal descriptionsPlats & subdivisionsControl surveysRiparian/water boundariesSurvey ethics

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Requirements at a glance

Credential	Prerequisite	Typical experience	Administered by
FE Civil	Civil coursework	Final-year student / grad	NCEES
PE Civil	Pass FE	~4 years under a PE*	NCEES + state board
FS (Surveying)	Surveying coursework	Final-year student / grad	NCEES
PS (Surveying)	Pass FS	Qualifying experience*	NCEES + state board

* Experience hours and prerequisites vary significantly by state, jurisdiction and credential level. Figures shown are typical ranges, not legal requirements.

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Exam strategies & study tips

Pick your PE depth early

The PE Civil breadth content is shared, but the depth (Construction, Geotech, Structural, Transportation, Water) is what you specialize in. Choose based on your daily work and study its references hard.

Drill the design standards

Civil depth exams reference specific standards (AASHTO, ACI, AISC, ASCE 7, NDS, MUTCD, etc.). Know which apply to your depth and practice navigating them quickly.

Study from official references and the current cycle

Use the same edition of the code/handbook the exam is written to, and the certifying body’s official references. Exams are tied to a specific cycle — the wrong edition costs you on lookup questions.

Map the requirements before you study

Confirm the exact education, experience hours and application steps with the certifying body or state board first — missing a prerequisite trips up more people than the exam content does.

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Practice with the studio's free tools

Many exam questions are calculation problems you can rehearse right now with the free tools in the Civil & Site Studio:

Manning's Open-Channel Flow →Rational Method Peak Flow →SCS TR-55 Curve Number →Cut/Fill Volume →

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