PE Architectural

The exam includes 85 questions. The exam appointment time is 9.5 hours and contains a nondisclosure agreement (2 minutes), a tutorial (8 minutes), the exam itself (8.5 hours), and a scheduled break (50 minutes). Budget your pace per question against the 8.5-hour working block, not the full appointment.

It is computer-based and administered one day per year as a single-day testing event. The next test date listed by NCEES is October 28, 2026. Because there is only one sitting per year, a missed or unsuccessful attempt generally means waiting for the following year's administration.

No. This is a single-day event rather than year-round testing. Examinees may reserve their seats up to a year in advance at a Pearson test center once they are registered with NCEES and approved by their board. NCEES encourages reserving as early as possible for this single-day event.

A $400 exam fee is payable directly to NCEES. Some licensing boards may also require a separate application and application fee as part of their approval process, so check your board's unique registration procedures before registering, since board requirements can add cost and time.

None of your own. NCEES provides an electronic reference handbook and all specified design standards during the exam, and those are the only reference materials permitted. You will not be allowed to bring personal copies of any material into the exam room. Practice navigating the searchable PDFs beforehand so you can find equations quickly.

No. The exam includes multiple-choice questions as well as alternative item types (AITs), such as other interactive formats delivered in the computer-based platform. Read each item's instructions carefully, because AITs may ask you to select multiple responses, fill in a numeric answer, or complete a different action than a standard four-option question.

For the Architectural Engineering exam reported as of January 2026, 89 first-time candidates passed at a 60% rate, while 16 repeat candidates passed at 31%. Those figures show first-time candidates doing markedly better than repeaters, which argues for thorough preparation before your first attempt rather than treating it as a trial run.

Computer-based exam results are typically available 7–10 days after you take the exam. NCEES sends an email notification with instructions to view results in your MyNCEES account, and the results include information specific to your licensing board on how to proceed based on your performance.

Start with the specifications and design standards, which NCEES posts six months before the administration. Specs change only every 5–7 years, but design standards change more frequently, so confirm you are using the editions listed on the current specification before you build a study plan or buy reference books.

The PE exam is designed for engineers with a minimum of four years of post-college work experience in their chosen engineering discipline, and you must be approved by your licensing board before reserving a seat. Board requirements vary, so confirm your state's procedures before registering through MyNCEES.