(From the NCEES publication LICENSURE EXCHANGE, February 2013, ISSN NO. 1093-541X, VOLUME 17, ISSUE 1 – PAGE 8)

NCEES is scheduled to complete the transition of the FE and FS exams to computer-based testing (CBT) on January 1, 2014. The transition involves significant changes to the format of the exams and the procedures for administering them.

New exam specifications
NCEES has set new specifications—the knowledge areas to be tested and their relative weights of emphasis—for the FE and FS exams. These are posted online at ncees.org/cbt.

The updated FE and FS specifications are the result of content reviews held in 2011 and 2012, in which NCEES surveyed a cross section of P.E.s and P.S.s, respectively, about the fundamental knowledge and skills necessary for an engineer or surveyor intern to work in a manner that safeguards the health, safety, and welfare of the public.

Changes to administration
The October 2013 exam administration will be the last time the FE and FS exams are offered in pencil-and-paper format. Effective January 1, 2014, the FE and FS exams will be offered only via CBT at approved Pearson VUE testing centers. The PE and PS exams will continue to be offered twice each year (April and October) in pencil-and-paper format, pending further action by NCEES exam committees.

Registration for all exams will open November 4, 2013. The first available seating at a Pearson VUE testing center for the FE and FS exams will be January 2, 2014. There will be four testing windows for the FE and FS each year. Each window will last two months, with a month between them. For example, exam appointments will be available in January and February, with none available in March. Individuals may take the FE or FS exam only one time per testing window and no more than three times in a 12-month period.

The FE and FS exams will be six hours in length, which will include a tutorial, breaks, the exam, and a brief survey. The FE and FS exams will continue to be closed book, and examinees will continue to follow the NCEES policy for using approved calculators. Supplied reference material for the exams will be provided on the computers at the testing centers.

Sample exams for the computer-based FE and FS will be available for purchase after the October 2013 exam administration.

“NCEES will continue to finalize details of the transition and work with Pearson VUE to identify potential sites for new testing centers to ensure adequate seating capacity at locations convenient to our candidate population centers,” said Jerry Carter, NCEES executive director.

More information on the FE and FS exams’ transition to CBT, including details of the latest announcements and events, is available online at ncees.org/cbt.

(From the NCEES publication LICENSURE EXCHANGE, February 2013, ISSN NO. 1093-541X, VOLUME 17, ISSUE 1 – PAGE 6)

NCEES is truly blessed to have so many individuals who volunteer their time and expertise to support the work of the organization. In addition to the members and staff of member licensing boards who help oversee the governance of NCEES, nearly 1,000 licensed professionals participate in the development and maintenance of the 22 exams offered.

There are few weekends when there is not an exam committee in session at NCEES headquarters in Clemson. Whenever I’m in town and available, I make a point of addressing each group to express the Council’s appreciation for their commitment to their profession and their willingness to spend their time away from work and family to ensure that our exams are the best they can be. I am always impressed by the pride and enjoyment I sense from many of the volunteers. They seem to really enjoy the camaraderie and the intellectual challenge of working with their peers in putting together the exams.   Read the rest of this article » » »

NCEES has approved the following list of calculators for use in the April and October 2013 exam administrations:

• Casio: All fx-115models. Any Casio calculator must contain fx-115 in its model name.
  • Example: Casio FX-115MSPLUS Scientific Calculator – $23.99
• Hewlett-Packard: The HP33s and HP 35s models, but no others
  • Example: HP 35S Scientific Calculator – $54.99
• Texas Instruments: All TI-30X and TI-36X models. Any Texas Instruments calculator must contain either TI-30X or TI-36X in its model name.
  • Example: Texas Instruments TI-36X Pro Scientific Calculator – $22.99

Note: no other calculators are allowed in the exam room.

Source: NCEES Licensure Exchange – February 2013 – page 9

Please note the following professional engineer and surveying exam changes will take place with the April 12 and 13, 2013, exam administration.

• The Principles and Practice of Surveying (PS) exam will have new specifications and will now be a closed-book exam. Examinees will be provided with surveying reference material (PDF) on exam day. No other references will be allowed for PS examinees. A new edition of the NCEES PS Sample Questions and Solutions is available.
• The Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) Software Engineering exam will be offered for the first time.
• The PE Industrial exam will have new specifications and move to a spring administration. October 2012 was the last time this exam was offered in the fall administration.
• The PE Civil exam will have revised design standards for the Construction, Civil Structural, and Transportation modules. The design standards for these civil engineering areas have been updated for 2013.

For more information, please visit NCEES.org

NEWS from IEEE-USA

2001 L Street, N.W., Suite 700
Washington, DC 20036-4928

‘We Are a Nation of Immigrants, Not Guest Workers,’ IEEE-USA Testifies
Before House Immigration Subcommittee

WASHINGTON (6 March 2013) — IEEE-USA representative Bruce Morrison
testified Tuesday on Capitol Hill in support of permanent
employment-based visas for high-skill engineers, scientists and
technology workers, while criticizing proposals to increase America’s
reliance on H-1B temporary visas.

“There are right ways and wrong ways” to address high-skill
immigration reform, said Morrison, chairman of Morrison Public Affairs
Group. “We at IEEE-USA very much believe the emphasis should be on
green cards.”   Read the rest of this article » » »

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