Home  Exams  Principles and Practice (PE/PLS)  Design Standards E-mail This Page  Printer-Friendly Format 

Related Pages
PE design standards:
• Construction (REVISED)
• Structural
• Transportation (REVISED)

Detailed specifications for the Principles and Practice exams (in PDF format):
• PE Agricultural
• PE Architectural
• PE Chemical
• PE Civil
• PE Control Systems
• PE Electrical and Computer
• PE Environmental
• PE Fire Protection
• PE Industrial
• PE Mechanical (NEW)
• PE Metallurgical and Materials (NEW)
• PE Mining and Mineral
• PE Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
• PE Nuclear
• PE Petroleum
• PE Structural I
• PE Structural II
• PS

NOTE: Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view PDF documents. Version 5.x or higher is recommended. (If getting version 6.0, please opt to download the FULL version of the software.)
PE Design Standards

Summary — Below are answers to commonly asked questions regarding the design standards publications used for the PE Civil, Structural I, and Structural II exams:

• What are the current design standards? How do I purchase them?
• Which PE exams refer to the design standards?
• Am I responsible for bringing my own copy of all relevant standards (publications) to the exam room?
• What happens if, in answering an exam question, I refer to a standard not specified on this Web site?
• Why are the exams not based on the very latest edition of the standards?


What are the current design standards? How do I purchase them?

Check out the current listing of publications:

• Construction design standards (PDF format)
• Structural design standards (PDF format)
• Transportation design standards (PDF format)

NCEES does not sell design standards.


Which PE exams refer to the design standards?

• The PE Civil exams will refer to the construction, structural, and transportation design standards. Examinees need only the design standards applicable to the module they are taking.
• The PE Structural I and Structural II exams will refer to the structural design standards.


Am I responsible for bringing my own copy of all relevant standards (publications) to the exam room?

Yes. Please contact your licensing board for any restrictions.


What happens if, in answering an exam question, I refer to a standard not specified on this Web site?

You may not receive credit for your answer. To ensure you get full credit, you must refer ONLY to the specified publications.


Why are the exams not based on the very latest edition of the standards?

It would be unfair to expect examinees to know and have access to a standard immediately following its release. Sometimes there are particular aspects of the "latest edition" that will cause its acceptance by local authorities to be delayed. It is our intent to test examinees on knowledge of a standard with which they should be familiar and have been using in their practice.

NCEES typically updates the design standards listing immediately after a test administration. We suggest that you periodically check this Web site prior to each exam administration.