PE — ABET-Accredited Pathway
Detailed licensing requirements and pathways
SOURCE SUMMARY
Standard pathway for PE licensure with ABET-accredited engineering degree. Requires board-approved engineering curriculum, FE and PE national exams, California state-specific law exam, and qualifying experience.
Requirements at a Glance
Visual summary of what this pathway requires
Education
BOARD_APPROVED
Bachelor
Exams
FE
PE
LAW
Experience
See Details
Professional practice
References
minimum
References
Education Requirements
| Type | Parameters | Required | Source | Citation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
EDUCATION
|
degree_level:
BS
discipline:
engineering
accreditation:
BOARD_APPROVED
|
Required
|
California Professional Engineers Act |
Business and Professions Code Section 6753(a); Title 16 CCR Section 424
|
Graduation with engineering degree from a college or university with board-approved curriculum. Board establishes criteria for approving engineering school curricula per Section 6751.5.
100% confidence
|
Examination Requirements
| Type | Parameters | Required | Source | Citation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
EXAM
|
exam:
FE
|
Required
|
California Professional Engineers Act |
Business and Professions Code Section 6755(a); Title 16 CCR Section 438(a)
|
NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam required unless applicant qualifies for FE waiver under Section 438(a).
100% confidence
|
|
EXAM
|
exam:
PE
|
Required
|
California Professional Engineers Act |
Business and Professions Code Section 6755(a)
|
NCEES Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam in the desired discipline (civil, electrical, or mechanical).
100% confidence
|
|
EXAM
|
exam:
LAW
jurisdiction_specific:
True
passing_score:
70
|
Required
|
California Professional Engineers Act |
California Laws and Professional Practice exam requirement
|
California Laws and Professional Practice exam covering the Professional Engineers Act (Business and Professions Code sections 6700-6799) and Board Rules (Title 16, California Code of Regulations sections 400-476). Minimum passing score: 70%.
100% confidence
|
Experience Requirements
| Type | Parameters | Required | Source | Citation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
EXPERIENCE
|
years_required:
0
progressive:
True
under_pe_ps_supervision:
True
|
Required
|
California Professional Engineers Act |
Business and Professions Code Section 6753(a); Title 16 CCR Section 424
|
Board-approved engineering degree receives 4 years of credit as qualifying experience. For civil engineers, experience must be under direction of a civil engineer legally qualified to practice (Section 6752). Actual work experience (beyond education credit) must be gained after graduation, calculated on actual time basis not to exceed 40 hours per week.
100% confidence
|
Reference Requirements
| Type | Parameters | Required | Source | Citation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
REFERENCES
|
count:
minimum
from_pe_ps_only:
False
|
Required
|
California Professional Engineers Act |
Work Experience Engagement/Reference forms requirement
|
Applicants must submit Work Experience Engagement/Reference forms where professional references verify engineering work experience, confirm relationship with applicant, and attest to qualifications and competence. Minimum number of references required for application review.
95% confidence
|