The exam is eight hours long altogether,
split into two four-hour sessions with a 60 minute lunch break in
between.
This accounts for the time required to collect the morning exam.
Morning admission typically begins around 7:15 A.M.
Failure to appear before the doors are closed (around 7:40 A.M.) will
result in the student being turned away from the testing site.
It typically takes 20 minutes for the proctors to pass out the materials
and go over the exam procedures, so that the morning session begins at
8:00 A.M.
Similar procedures are followed in the afternoon session, with admission
starting around 1:15 P.M. and ending around 1:30 P.M.; the test itself
begins at 1:45 P.M.The morning
session is a 120-question general exam for which all examinees must sit,
while the afternoon session consists of 60 questions and is more
discipline-oriented.
For this second half, examinees choose one of the following seven tests:
chemical engineering, civil engineering, environmental engineering,
electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering,
or other disciplines (similar in content to the morning exam, but far
more detailed).
Prior to April 2010, the other disciplines test was called the general
test, but it was renamed to better reflect who should take it
As of the October 2010 exam, the choice of afternoon exam is required to
be made when registering.
A scaled score of 70 is required to pass
the exam.
This does not mean one needs to answer 70% of the answers correctly to
pass, however.
A portion of previous exam questions are then given on subsequent exams.
After the exam, a statistical analysis of these questions is used to
equate the new test to the benchmark test.
This makes all of the tests more or less equal in difficulty.
Those who pass the exam are designated
Engineer In Training or given an equivalent designation, such as
Engineer Intern, by their state's licensure board for engineers, and are
partway through the certification process.
After completing an apprenticeship (the length of which is set by state
law and based on the type of degree received), an EIT may qualify to
take the Professional Engineer (PE) exam.
Certification is awarded upon successful completion of the PE exam.
The standard time of apprenticeship under a Professional Engineer is 5
years of work experience for graduates of an ABET-accredited engineering
program. |
