A. Engineering Examinations - General

The North Carolina Board administers two separate examinations of eight (8) hours duration, both of which must be successfully completed and passed prior to licensure as a Professional Engineer. The examinations are the Engineering Fundamentals Examination (known as Exam I in North Carolina), and the Engineering Principles and Practice Examination (known as Exam II in North Carolina). Both of these examinations are prepared by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), and administered throughout the United States and its territories. While each jurisdiction has its own statutes regulating engineering within each jurisdiction, generally a passing grade on the nationally recognized examinations in one jurisdiction will be accepted in other jurisdictions as fulfillment of their examination requirements.

B. Engineering Fundamentals Examination (Exam I)

Successful completion of this examination results in certification of the applicant as an "Engineering Intern" by the North Carolina Board. This certification signifies that the first step in licensure has been completed.

The Fundamentals Examination is designed to determine if the applicant has an adequate understanding of the basic and engineering sciences. The subject matter covered in the examination is that which is fundamental to all phases of engineering, and applicable to all engineering disciplines. Thus, the examination is designed primarily for college graduates of an engineering curriculum. However, others with a demonstrated aptitude for engineering, or a graduate in another curriculum who has qualified through a record of the required progressive experience, with adequate study, should also be able to attain a passing score on the examination. The Fundamentals Examination measures an individual applicant's proficiency and knowledge of engineering fundamentals, which would reflect graduate-level study, thought, and mastery.

The Fundamentals Examination is an eight (8) hour examination containing multiple-choice type questions. The morning portion is four (4) hours long and is common to all disciplines and includes the following subjects: Chemistry, Computers, Dynamics, Electric Circuits, Engineering Economics, Ethics, Fluid Mechanics, Materials Science/Structure of Matter, Mathematics, Mechanics of Materials, Statics and Thermodynamics.

The afternoon portion is four (4) hours long and is composed of multiple-choice questions administered in the following 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.

The Board of Examiners expects the applicant to be fully aware of the North Carolina Rules of Professional Conduct. The applicant should also be knowledgeable in the provisions of Chapter 89C of the North Carolina General Statutes (The North Carolina Engineering and Land Surveying Act), and any other statutes that have a bearing directly on the engineering profession.

C. Engineering Principles and Practice Examination (Exam II)

Successful completion of this examination culminates in licensure of the applicant as a "Professional Engineer" by the North Carolina Board. This examination is sometimes referred to as the Professional Exam, or PE Exam, referring to the Professional Engineer licensure resulting from the successful completion of the examination. Passing of the Fundamentals Examination (Exam I) is a prerequisite for Board approval of an applicant's seating for the Principles and Practice Examination (Exam II) in North Carolina.

The Principles and Practice Examination is designed to determine if the training and experience of the applicant have provided an adequate capacity and ability in applying the basic and engineering sciences to the solution of engineering problems. It is anticipated that the required experience, of a progressive nature and level, will assist the applicant in applying knowledge of engineering fundamentals to the solution of the advanced engineering problems.

The Principles and Practice Examination is an eight (8) hour examination requiring the solution of eight (80) problems (40 in the morning session and 40 in the afternoon session) in the engineering discipline designated for examination. Each applicant must designate on the application form the discipline to be examined. The North Carolina Board offers examinations in the following engineering disciplines at the times indicated.

Agricultural (Fall only)
Architectural (Spring only)
Chemical (Spring and fall)
Civil (Spring and fall)
Control Systems (Fall only)
Electrical & Computer (Spring and fall)
Environmental (Spring and fall)
Fire Protection (Fall only)
Industrial (Fall only)
Manufacturing (Fall only)
Mechanical (Spring and fall)
Metallurgical (Fall only)
Mining/Mineral (Fall examination only)
Naval Architecture and Marine (Spring only) Nuclear (Fall only)
Petroleum (Fall only)
Structural I (Spring and fall)
Structural II (Spring and fall)

It should be stressed that while the North Carolina Board of Examineers for Engineers and Surveyors examines engineering applicants in one of the listed disciplines, upon successful completion of the requirements for licensure in North Carolina, the applicant is licensed as a Professional Engineer. The Professional Engineer is authorized to practice engineering in North Carolina in any area and discipline in which the licensee is competent, within the provisions of Chapter 89C of the North Carolina General Statutes. This practice recognizes the engineer's ability, through education, training, and experience, to gain competence in more than one designated discipline. That determination as to a person's competency is made by the Professional Engineer; if challenged, it will be the proper subject of Board inquiry and determination.

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D. Reference Materials

The Fundamentals Examination (Exam I) is a closed-book examination. Only NCEES supplied reference materials are permitted in the examination room.

The Principles and Practice Examination (Exam II) is an open-book examination. Any bound reference books or reference materials may be brought to the examination, and used in solving the examination problems. Scratch paper is not permitted, as adequate space in the examination booklets is available for computations.  The books and materials brought into the examination room by the applicant are for personal use only; no exchanging of materials is permitted during the examination.

Battery operated, silent, non-printing calculators may be utilized during the examinations.  Calculating and computing devices having a QWERTY keypad arrangement similar to a typewriter 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. Approved Calculators here.

E. Dates of Examination

The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) specifies the time period in which the examinations may be administered. The North Carolina Board administers the engineering examinations two times each year, within the time periods specified by NCEES. Generally, examinations are administered about mid-April of each year, and in late October or early November of each year. The normal examination schedule usually consists of administration of the Principles and Practice Examination on a Friday with the Fundamentals Examination being administered on the next day, Saturday. The exact dates are announced by the Board, and may be obtained by contacting the North Carolina Board.

The Fundamentals Examination is administered at each of the examination offerings. Certain disciplines of the Principles and Practice Examination are offered only at the fall examination each year. Those disciplines offered only in the fall are Agricultural, Control Systems, Fire Protection, Industrial, Manufacturing, Metallurgical, Mining/Mineral, Nuclear and Petroleum. The following disciplines are offered at both the spring and fall examination: Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Environmental, Mechanical, Structural I and Structural II.  The Naval Architecture and Marine examination is only offered during the spring exam administration.

F. Admission to Examination Site

Applicants who have been approved for a given examination by the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors will be notified by mail. They will be furnished a Seating Notice with instructions as to date, time, and place of the examination for which they have been approved. The Seating Notice must be presented for admission to the examination site at the designated time and date.

Both examinations are of eight (8) hours duration. The examinations are administered in a four (4) hour period in the morning, with approximately a one (1) hour lunch break, and a four (4) hour period in the afternoon. Candidates can anticipate that they will be required to be present at the examination from about 8:00 A.M. until approximately 6:00 P.M., if they take the full time allotted for completion of the problems.

G. Reexamination

An applicant who fails to pass the examination may be readmitted to the same examination at a later administration, upon written request for readmission and the submission of the applicable reexamination fee.

An applicant who has accumulated a combination of three (3) or more failures or unexcused absences on an 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 twelve (12) months.  After the end of the twelve (12) month period, the applicant may take the examination no more than once every calendar year.   The Board will make a determination as to the applicant's qualifications for further examination, and so inform the applicant.

H. Absence from Examination

After Seating Notices have been issued, applicants may not be excused from the scheduled examination except for official jury duty or upon submission of a doctor's certificate confirming that the applicant is not physically able to be present for the examination. A request for excuse must be made in writing to the Board office and must contain evidence of jury duty, or a doctor's certificate.

Once the Seating Notice is mailed to the applicant, the Board on behalf of the applicant incurs a financial obligation for the examination. Therefore, any absence from the scheduled examination by an applicant, whether or not excused, will result in commitment of the examination fee of the applicant. The applicable reexamination fee will be required for any subsequent examination requested by the applicant.