How Long Does it Take to Get PE Exam Results?

So you burnt the midnight oil, prepared well, and finally took the PE exam.

You are hopeful that your dream of becoming a professional engineer will be a reality soon.

You have crossed your fingers and are waiting for your PE exam results.

But when will they come out?

Will you have to wait for a coon’s age, just like your exam prep phase where days felt like months and months like years?

Well, here is a piece of good news for you:

You will obtain your results in a few days or weeks. To be accurate, the NCEES® releases the PE results within 7-10 days following the date you took your examination.

It seems like a blink of an eye, right?

The PE exam is centered on a computer-based testing format, and the results for such exams are released much more swiftly than those based on the pencil and paper format.

The reason is that the computer-based PE exam enables the NCEES® to evaluate the grades of its huge candidate pool simply and efficiently. The computer assists the NCEES® in summing up scores, taking averages, and analyzing how the students performed on the exam rather than manually adding up all the scores.

Furthermore:

You will also get directions from NCEES® via email on how to check your results in your MyNCEES account. Your results will also include information on the standards set forth by your licensing board regarding your next steps in sight of your PE exam scoring.

Speaking of the PE exam scores, let’s take a closer look at what score you need to attain to pass the PE exam.

What is the PE Exam Passing Score?

PE Exam Passing Score

To cut to the chase, the NCEES® does not define a specific passing score for the PE exam. Therefore, there are only two possible outcomes for the NCEES® PE exam results: passing or failing.

It may seem counterintuitive, but that’s the truth.

The reason for this is:

The NCEES® determines the examinants’ minimal level of competency. The PE exam score is considered a raw number throughout the process of exam scoring. The raw score is then converted into a scaled score employing standard procedures. This scaled score reflects an examinee’s degree of proficiency which is then contrasted with the baseline competence level for the PE exam, which the NCEES® predetermines for each examination period.

However:

Candidates talk to one another about their passing scores following each PE test result, giving an overall idea of how the students should prepare and perform to ace the examination successfully.

According to that:

Students must obtain a minimum score of 70% on average; however, this NCEES® PE exam passing rate is predicated only on the student’s personal experiences and isn’t always credible. Moreover, it’s crucial to keep in mind that these figures are subject to rapid change. This is because the NCEES® set the benchmark score on the examinee’s minimal ability score.

Still on the fence about what is the PE exam passing score? We recommend you go through our in-depth blog to acquire more clarity.

How Many People Pass the PE Exam the First Time?

How Many People Pass the PE Exam the First Time?

Here is a table highlighting the number of people passing the PE exam for the first time with their passing rates and examination discipline:

Examination DisciplineVolumePass ratesExam Format     Last updated
PE Agricultural and Biological Engineering3382%CBTDec 2021
PE Architectural Engineering6456%P&PJune 2021
PE Chemical14863%CBTJune 2022
PE Civil: Construction78649%CBTJune 2022
PE Civil: Geotechnical38849%CBTJune 2022
PE Civil: Structural123354%CBTJune 2022
PE Civil: Transportation1462  65%

CBTJune 2022
PE Civil: Water Resources and Environmental138064%CBTJune 2022
PE Control Systems17567%P&PDec 2021
PE Electrical and Computer: Computer Engineering4549%CBTDec 2021
PE Electronics, Controls, and Communications20869%CBTDec 2021
PE Electrical and Computer: Power94259%CBTJune 2022
PE Environmental30671%CBTJune 2022
PE Fire Protection23682%CBTDec 2021
PE Industrial and Systems10466%CBTDec 2021
PE Mechanical: HVAC and Refrigeration64371%CBTJune 2022
PE Mechanical: Machine Design and Materials35270%CBTJune 2022
PE Mechanical: Thermal and Fluid Systems39168%CBTJune 2022
PE Metallurgical and Materials5682%P&PDec 2021
PE Mining and Mineral Processing6551%CBTDec 2021
PE Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering2662%P&PJune 2021
PE Nuclear1753%CBTDec 2021
PE Petroleum8656%CBTDec 2021

Conclusion

Preparing thoroughly for the PE exam is more essential than anticipating your PE exam results. However, keeping an eye on the PE exam pass rates provides a solid sense of how efficiently you’ll need to perform to crush the examination.

If you are planning to take the PE exam, you can check out our article on the best tips for passing the PE exam to prepare accordingly.

You can also read our detailed guide to get familiar with everything you need to know about the PE exam so you can stay on track and not deviate from the objectives.

wasim-smal

Licensed Professional Engineer in Texas (PE), Florida (PE) and Ontario (P. Eng) with consulting experience in design, commissioning and plant engineering for clients in Energy, Mining and Infrastructure.