Principles & Practice of Engineering Exam
The Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam is an in-depth technical exam administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES)
Do I Need to Write the Principles & Practice of Engineering Exam?
If you intend to practise engineering in the United States, the PE exam is often the final step to obtain a P.E. licence in the United States. APEGA is not involved in US state board licensing decisions. APEGA recommends that members interested in applying to a state board contact that board directly for more information regarding their licensure requirements and application process.
The PE exam is not required if you plan to practise in Canada only.
Registering for the PE Exam
APEGA members and members-in-training may write the exam. We do not offer this exam for applicants.
The exam is administered year-round with the exception of some disciplines only once per year. Once we have processed your request, we will email you instructions on how to register with NCEES.
Exam Fee
Writing the Principles & Practice of Engineering Exam requires paying an administration fee to APEGA at the time of registration (non-refundable after the exam deadline has passed). Once your request has been processed, you will be emailed instructions on how to register with NCEES.
Payable to APEGA | $75 CAD + GST |
Payable to NCEES | $400 USD |
PE computer-based exam
To register, please log in to the myAPEGA and look under Exams. After you register with APEGA, you will be sent an email advising how to apply with NCEES.
Do not register with NCEES before applying to APEGA or you will be ineligible to write the exam.
The following PE exam disciplines are administered year-round at NCEES-approved PearsonVUE test centres in North America:
- Chemical
- Environmental
- Mechanical
- Electrical and Computer: Power
- Civil
The following PE exam disciplines are administered only one day per year (usually in October). Check the NCEES website for the exact date.
- Petroleum
- Nuclear
- Fire Protection
- Industrial and Systems
- Agricultural and Biological Engineering
- Mining and Mineral Processing
- Electrical and Computer: Computer Engineering
- Electrical and Computer: Electronics, Controls and Communications
- Architectural Engineering
- Naval Architecture and Marine
- Control Systems
- Metallurgical and Materials
Taking the PE Exam
The exam includes 80 questions. The exam appointment time is 9 hours and includes:
- Nondisclosure agreement (2 minutes)
- Tutorial (8 minutes)
- Exam (8 hours)
- Scheduled break (50 minutes)
Rescheduling & Cancelling
You may cancel or reschedule your CBT appointment through your MyNCEES account. Please refer to the NCEES Examinee Guide (PDF) for more information.
Exam Results
Exam results for computer-based exams are typically available 7–10 days after you take the exam. You will receive an email notification from NCEES with instructions to view your results in your MyNCEES account. Results will include information specific to your licensing board regarding how you should proceed based on your performance.
All results are reported as pass or fail. If you fail the exam, you will receive a diagnostic report showing your performance for each of the major topics covered on the exam. The diagnostic report is provided to help identify the knowledge areas where improvement is needed before retaking the exam. The purpose of this report is to provide general information on performance; it is not designed or intended to be used for any other purpose