Question 1

What are the PE Civil depth options?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 2

What is the difference between the PE and the SE?

Accepted Answer

A PE (Civil with a Structural depth) is the baseline engineering license. The SE (Structural Engineering) is an advanced 16-hour exam for designing significant or high-risk structures; some states require it specifically to practice structural engineering or use the "Structural Engineer" title.

Question 3

What is the difference between a PE and a GE?

Accepted Answer

A PE Civil with a geotechnical depth is the baseline license. A GE (Geotechnical Engineer) is an additional title/authority that some states require specifically to practice geotechnical engineering — it builds on the PE.

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 5

Do I need a geology license for geotechnical work?

Accepted Answer

Not usually for geotechnical engineering, which is licensed as engineering. Engineering-geology and geologic-hazard work may require a Professional Geologist (PG) or Certified Engineering Geologist (CEG), depending on the state and scope.

Question 6

Is the FE required before the PE?

Accepted Answer

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 or, later, the SE.

Question 7

Are these exams open book?

Accepted Answer

The PE and SE exams are open-book in the sense that NCEES provides a reference (on-screen for the PE, your own bound standards for the SE); all are computer-based and time-pressured, so fast reference navigation matters.

Question 8

What is the pass rate for the PE Civil exam?

Accepted Answer

NCEES publishes annual first-time pass rates for each PE Civil depth exam separately (Construction, Geotechnical, Structural, Transportation, Water Resources & Environmental) rather than one combined "PE Civil" rate. First-time pass rates across the depths typically run in roughly the 50-65% range and vary by depth and by year — check the current NCEES pass-rate report for the specific depth exam you are taking.

Question 9

Is the SE exam harder than the PE?

Accepted Answer

Yes, by most measures. The SE is a 16-hour, two-component exam (Vertical Forces and Lateral Forces) compared to the PE Civil's single 8-hour exam, and NCEES-published first-time pass rates for the SE components typically run lower than PE Civil pass rates — often in the 40-55% range per component. Most candidates treat the SE as requiring several months of dedicated, essay/problem-based preparation beyond what the PE required.

Question 10

How hard is the FE Civil exam?

Accepted Answer

The FE Civil exam has a first-time pass rate generally in the 65-70% range according to NCEES data. It is taken close to graduation while foundational coursework (statics, structures, geotechnical, hydraulics) is still fresh, which is a major reason first-attempt pass rates run higher than the PE or SE.

PE Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering