PE exam format and pass rates by discipline
The PE exams are computer-based at Pearson VUE centers, with most disciplines at 80 questions and a nine-hour appointment that includes eight hours of exam time. NCEES’s July 2026 update puts first-time pass rates for the large year-round disciplines between 55% and 73%.
Last checked October 2026 against NCEES’s PE Civil page, which carries its latest pass-rate table (updated January and July 2026, depending on the discipline). NCEES updates these twice a year, so check its page for the newest figures. Format details differ by discipline.
Format
- Experience. NCEES describes the PE as designed for engineers with a minimum of four years of post-college work experience in their discipline. Most states now let you take it before you finish that experience; see which ones.
- Computer-based. NCEES says it has converted all its exams to computer-based format. Many are offered year-round, and smaller disciplines are given on a single day each year.
- Question types. Multiple choice plus alternative item types.
- Electronic references only. NCEES provides an electronic reference handbook and the specified design standards. They are the only reference materials allowed, and you cannot bring personal copies.
- PE Structural is different. The 16-hour PE Structural exam is taken as separate breadth and depth sections ($350 each to NCEES); from April 2026 the depth sections run in 6.5-hour appointments.
- Specifications change. NCEES posts exam specifications six months before they take effect, and says they change once every five to seven years, with design standards changing more often. Updated PE Civil design standards take effect from April 2027.
Pass rates
| Exam | First-time pass | Repeat pass | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil: Construction | 60% | 38% | Year-round |
| Civil: Geotechnical | 63% | 44% | Year-round |
| Civil: Structural | 62% | 43% | Year-round |
| Civil: Transportation | 61% | 43% | Year-round |
| Civil: Water Resources and Environmental | 71% | 49% | Year-round |
| Electrical and Computer: Power | 62% | 42% | Year-round |
| Environmental | 73% | 54% | Year-round |
| Chemical | 55% | 32% | Year-round |
| Mechanical: HVAC and Refrigeration | 71% | 40% | Year-round |
| Mechanical: Machine Design and Materials | 61% | 39% | Year-round |
| Mechanical: Thermal and Fluid Systems | 70% | 46% | Year-round |
| Industrial and Systems (January 2026) | 69% | 29% | Once per year |
| Electrical and Computer: Computer Engineering (January 2026) | 56% | 0% (5 candidates) | Once per year |
From NCEES’s table, as shown on its PE Civil page in October 2026. Year-round disciplines were last updated in July 2026. The two once-a-year disciplines shown were last updated in January 2026.
Repeat examinees pass at much lower rates than first-timers in every discipline. NCEES says its figures summarize examinees taking exams under the jurisdiction of an NCEES member board. Small disciplines have few candidates, so their rates swing, and NCEES’s table lists more disciplines than we show, including Fire Protection, Nuclear and Petroleum.
Common questions
Is PE Civil: Structural the same as the SE exam?
A study guide says PE Civil: Structural is an 80-question discipline of the PE Civil exam, not the separate PE Structural (SE) exam, which has a different structure.
How should I read these pass rates?
Pass rates describe candidate populations and are not a personal target. Disciplines with different candidate pools should not be compared as difficulty rankings.
Does every state accept PE Civil: Structural?
Not everywhere. Illinois stopped accepting the PE Civil: Structural exam toward its PE license from April 2024, and licenses structural engineers separately through the 16-hour PE Structural exam. Check your state’s rules before choosing a Civil discipline.