Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE), including the Structural (SE) Exam

Visit NCEES.org to register for all exams. 

Qualifications to be eligible to sit for the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE), including the 16-hour Structural (SE) exam in Nebraska, you must have:

• Graduated from an engineering program accredited by EAC/ABET or the Canadian Accredited Board (CEAB) OR met the NCEES Engineering Education Standard;
  • To determine if your program is EAC/ABET or CEAB-accredited, search ABET's or CEAB's database of accredited programs.
  • If your program is not accredited, you must have your education evaluated by NCEES Credentials Evaluations to determine if it meets the NCEES Engineering Education Standard. The evaluation must be submitted directly to the Board by NCEES. Any deficiencies identified must be corrected or removed by the Board. Refer to Rule 2.2.5 of the Board's Rules and Regulations (Title 110, NAC).
• Note: If your degree is in engineering technology only, it has been the Board's experience that these degrees typically do not meet the NCEES Engineering Education Standard due to a deficiency in engineering sciences and design. In addition, NCEES will only conduct evaluations where the applicant has graduated from:
  • ​Bachelor's degrees in engineering from a non-US based program;
  • Non-EAC/ABET-accredited degree programs in engineering, engineering technology, related science, or mathematics only when coupled with a master's degree or doctorate in engineering; or
  • At the request of an NCEES member board. Such requests must come directly from the member board to the NCEES Manager of Credentials Evaluations.​​
• Passed the FE Exam. 

Application Process

It is the applicant's responsibility to submit all required applications, documents, and fees to the Board.

1. Complete and submit the Application for Examination: Principles & Practice of Engineering Exam. The application and all supporting documentation must be received by the deadlines published at the top of this page.
2. Request a copy of your official transcripts be sent directly to the Nebraska board from the institution, or its authorized agent, from which you earned your EAC/ABET or CEAB-accredited degree. If you have had your transcripts verified through NCEES Credentials Evaluations, have the report sent directly to the Nebraska Board by NCEES.
3. If you passed the FE exam in another state, request verification of passage to be sent directly to the Nebraska Board from the licensing board in the jurisdiction where you took and passed the exam. Many jurisdictions auto-verify exam results to MyNCEES accounts. You may also be able to request an electronic verification to be sent to Nebraska through your MyNCEES account. If your state is not listed, you will need to have a Verification of Licensure or Examination of a Professional Engineer completed and submitted directly to the Nebraska board.

If an applicant meets all the above and has no education deficiencies that must be reviewed and removed by the Board, the application may be administratively approved by staff with formal approval occurring at the next regularly scheduled Board meeting. All other applications must go to the Board for approval. Approved applicants must then register with and submit any exam registration fees directly to NCEES by the deadline posted on NCEES' website. Applicants must receive approval from the Nebraska Board to sit for the PE exam or SE component prior to registering with NCEES. Failure to do so may result in the loss of registration feed paid to NCEES and/or the eligibility to sit for the exam.

A separate application is required for each discipline a candidate wishes to take. This includes candidates already licensed in Nebraska wishing to sit for the exam in a different discipline.

Approval to sit for the exam is valid for four PE exam or SE component attempts. If the exam is not passed after four attempts, additional steps are required prior to sitting for the exam or component again. See Examination Failures below for more information.

Study Materials

Study materials for the exam are available from NCEES. Links to other study-related offerings may be obtained from the organizations listed on our Links of Interest page.

Becoming Licensed as a Professional Engineer

Once the candidate has successfully passed the PE exam, further instructions for completing the licensure process will be sent, including the passage of a short exam on the Engineers and Architects Regulation Act and the Board's Rules and Regulations.

Examination Failures

After the fourth and subsequent failure of a PE exam or component of the SE exam (in the same discipline or component), candidates will be required to present to the Board evidence of having acquired additional relevant formal learning before being approved to sit for the exam or component in the future and a new application. The candidate will be eligible to retake the failed exam or component for one additional attempt.

• Relevant formal learning means coursework consisting of at least two semester credit hours at the undergraduate or graduate level in the knowledge areas identified as failed in the NCEES exam diagnostic report.
• The coursework must be acceptable or transferable to an institution that offers EAC/ABET or CEAB-accredited engineering programs. Online coursework is acceptable.
• Examination preparatory classes, continuing education offerings, class auditing, and individual study do not satisfy the formal education requirement.
• The verification must be sent directly to the Board from the institution where the course(s) was taken.

Notification of the Board's action will be sent once reviewed. Approved applicants must register with and submit the exam registration fees directly with NCEES by the deadline posted on its website. Applicants must receive approval from the Nebraska Board prior to registering for NCEES. Failure to do so may result in the loss of registration fees paid to NCEES and/or the eligibility to sit for the exam.

 PE Exam Application