Exam changes

NCEES Exam Changes for 2026 and 2027: Dates and What Changes

Which NCEES PE and surveying exams change in 2026 and 2027, with the effective dates, what changes for each exam, and the approved calculators for 2026.

Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exams · Last reviewed

The short answer

Several NCEES exams change between spring 2026 and fall 2027. The biggest groups are the PE Structural depth sections (longer in 2026, then 48 questions each in April 2027) and four PE exams that move to new specifications or new design standards in April 2027: PE Civil, PE Control Systems, PE Fire Protection and PE Structural. If you plan to test in April 2027 or later, study from the new specifications, not older ones.

This page summarizes two notices NCEES sent to its member boards (October 20, 2025 and July 20, 2026). Confirm every date and detail on ncees.org before you register, because NCEES can revise its schedule.

Changes by date

ExamWhat changesWhen
PE Electrical and Computer: Electronics, Controls, and CommunicationsNew specificationsApril 2026
PE EnvironmentalNew specificationsApril 2026
PE Structural Engineering: Lateral and Vertical Depth sectionsTotal time becomes 6.5 hours (60 minutes more)Spring 2026
PE Architectural EngineeringNew specificationsOctober 2026
PE CivilNew design standards. The specifications are not changingApril 2027
PE Control SystemsNew specifications and design standardsApril 2027
PE Fire ProtectionNew specifications and design standardsApril 2027
PE Structural Engineering: Lateral and Vertical Breadth sectionsNew specifications and design standards. The number of questions does not changeApril 2027
PE Structural Engineering: Lateral and Vertical Depth sectionsNew specifications and design standards. The exams consist of 48 questionsApril 2027
Principles and Practice of Surveying (PS)New specificationsJuly 2027
Public Land Survey System (PLSS)The exam begins administrationLate September 2027

Approved calculators for 2026

NCEES stated that there is no change to the approved calculators for 2026. The list is:

  • Hewlett-Packard: HP 33s and HP 35s
  • Casio: fx-115 models (models beginning with fx-115) and fx-991 models (models beginning with fx-991)
  • Texas Instruments: TI-30X models and TI-36X models (models beginning with those prefixes)

What to do if your exam is changing

  1. Find your exam in the table and note the date. Exams that change in April 2027 are tested on the new specifications from that administration on.
  2. Download the current specification from ncees.org. NCEES posts specifications ahead of the change, and the July 2026 notice says the 2027 specifications are already posted.
  3. Compare the topic areas and question counts with your study plan, and move study hours to match the new weights.
  4. For design-standard changes (such as PE Civil in April 2027), check which code and standard editions the exam will reference, and practice with those editions.
  5. Check your state licensing board for registration rules and deadlines, since the board, not NCEES, decides who may sit for the exam.

Study plans and practice exams on this site

The study plans below are built from the NCEES specifications linked on each plan. Open the plan for the topic areas and question counts, and check the effective date shown there against the table above.

  • PE Civil: Structural, PE Control Systems and PE Fire Protection plans link the 2027 specifications.
  • The PE Environmental plan uses the April 2026 specification.
  • The practice exams on this site are original study material, not NCEES questions, and have not been separately aligned to the new specifications. Use the NCEES specification as the guide to what is tested.

Related tools and labs

Calculators, labs and simulators are part of the All-Access Pass.

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Questions

Which PE exams change in April 2027?

According to the July 20, 2026 NCEES notice: PE Civil (new design standards, specifications not changing), PE Control Systems (new specifications and design standards), PE Fire Protection (new specifications and design standards), and the PE Structural Engineering Breadth and Depth sections (new specifications and design standards; the Depth exams will have 48 questions).

Is the PE Civil exam changing in 2027?

The design standards change in April 2027, but NCEES states that the PE Civil exam specifications are not changing. Check the exam specification on ncees.org for the standards the exam will reference.

How long is the PE Structural depth exam now?

NCEES stated that from April 2026 the total time for the PE Structural Engineering Lateral and Vertical Depth sections becomes 6.5 hours, which adds 60 minutes. In April 2027 the Depth sections move to new specifications and design standards and consist of 48 questions.

Does NCEES publish a passing score for the PE exam?

As far as we could find, no. Exam-prep and licensing-board sources report that results are pass or fail and that NCEES does not publish a minimum passing score, and we did not find a number on the NCEES exam pages. Any percentage you see online is an estimate. Check ncees.org for the current reporting policy.

Which calculators are allowed on NCEES exams in 2026?

NCEES lists the HP 33s and HP 35s, Casio fx-115 and fx-991 models, and Texas Instruments TI-30X and TI-36X models, and stated there is no change for 2026. Check ncees.org before exam day, because the policy is revised periodically.

Where do I find the new exam specifications?

On the NCEES website. NCEES posts each exam specification ahead of the date it takes effect, and the exam pages on ncees.org link the current version.

Sources

Educational material. Examples use simplified, hypothetical inputs and are not a design, a construction document or professional engineering advice. Confirm requirements with the codes and standards adopted where the work is built and with a licensed engineer.

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