PE Structural Exam: Sections, Scoring, and Licensure

The PE Structural exam is a four-section, computer-based test from the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) that qualifies engineers to design buildings, bridges, and other structures where failure could be catastrophic. It covers vertical (gravity) forces and lateral (seismic and wind) forces, each split into a breadth section and a depth section, and candidates must pass all four to earn the Structural Engineer (SE) credential. First-time pass rates run as low as 15–16% on the buildings depth sections, which is why the exam has a reputation as one of the hardest professional licensing tests in U.S. engineering.

When You Actually Need the SE Credential

States handle structural practice differently, and that affects whether this exam is optional or mandatory for your career.

Illinois and Hawaii restrict all structural engineering practice to licensed SEs. California, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Nevada, Oklahoma, and Alaska impose partial practice restrictions, typically drawing the line at designated structures: hospitals and other essential facilities, buildings above a certain height, or structures in high-seismicity regions. In those states, a general PE can handle routine work, but the SE is required once a project crosses into the designated category.

Elsewhere, many states only restrict use of the title “Structural Engineer” and let any licensed PE seal structural drawings within their area of competence. Even in title-only states, holding the SE signals a level of qualification most engineers never attempt, and it feeds into the NCEES Model Law Structural Engineer (MLSE) designation that streamlines reciprocal licensure across state lines.

Who Can Sit for the Exam

The usual path takes eight or more years after high school. You need a four-year engineering degree from a program accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, then a passing result on the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam to earn the Engineer-in-Training (EIT) designation. ABET accreditation is near-universally required by state licensing boards.¹

After graduation, most states want four years of progressive structural engineering experience before you apply. The work needs to be structural design, not general engineering, and supervision by a licensed SE who can speak to your competence is typically expected. State boards review this experience individually, and some are stricter than others.

If your degree comes from a non-ABET program or a university outside the United States, NCEES evaluates it against its Engineering Education Standard, which requires at least 32 semester credit hours in higher mathematics and basic sciences (including differential and integral calculus) plus 48 semester credit hours in engineering science or engineering design.² Engineering technology coursework doesn’t count toward those totals, and a bachelor’s in engineering technology, a related science, or mathematics will only be evaluated when paired with a master’s or doctoral degree in engineering.

The Four Sections and How Scheduling Works

The exam has two components, Vertical Forces and Lateral Forces, each with a breadth section and a depth section. You take each of the four sections separately, on different days, and receive independent pass/fail results for each.³

Vertical Breadth: 5.5 hours of exam time in a 6-hour appointment, 55 multiple-choice questions on gravity loads and general structural concepts across all materials.
Vertical Depth: 6 hours of exam time in a 6.5-hour appointment, five multi-part scenarios using drag-and-drop, point-and-click, fill-in-the-blank, and multiple-correct-answer items.
Lateral Breadth: 5.5 hours of exam time in a 6-hour appointment, 55 multiple-choice questions on seismic and wind loads across all materials.
Lateral Depth: 6 hours of exam time in a 6.5-hour appointment, five multi-part scenarios in the same format as the vertical depth.

Breadth sections run year-round at Pearson VUE testing centers. Depth sections are offered only twice a year, in April and October. The 2026 depth dates are April 15–16 and October 27–28.³

One rule locks in your plan: you must select the same depth area, buildings or bridges, for both the vertical and lateral components. Pick buildings for one, and you’re taking buildings for the other.³

What the Exam Covers

The Vertical Forces component focuses on gravity loads moving through a structural system: dead loads, live loads, soil pressures, foundations, and retaining structures. The Lateral Forces component addresses seismic and wind loading, including shear walls, braced frames, diaphragm behavior, and the dynamic response of structures.

Both breadth sections test across the full range of structural materials: steel, reinforced concrete, timber, masonry, and cold-formed steel. The depth sections narrow to your specialty.

Buildings depth: Multi-story design scenarios involving complex floor systems, occupancy requirements, connections, foundations, and construction administration.
Bridges depth: Superstructure and substructure design, vehicular load distributions, abutments, and span configurations based on AASHTO specifications.

Reference Materials Provided During the Exam

You cannot bring your own materials into the testing center. The exam provides searchable digital copies of every major design code, and learning to navigate them under time pressure is a real part of the difficulty.

IBC: International Building Code (2018 edition)
ASCE 7: Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures (2016 edition)
ACI 318: Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete (2014 edition)
AISC Steel Construction Manual (15th edition) and Seismic Design Manual (3rd edition)
AISI S100: North American Specification for the Design of Cold-Formed Steel Structural Members (2016 edition)
NDS: National Design Specification for Wood Construction (2018 edition) and Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic (2015 edition)
TMS 402/602: Building Code Requirements and Specification for Masonry Structures (2016 edition)
AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications (8th edition)

NCEES also supplies its own reference handbook with formulas and constants, free to download through your MyNCEES account.⁴ Preparation should include extensive practice searching these specific editions.

Registration and Fees

Registration starts with a MyNCEES account. Your state licensing board must approve your application before you can schedule a seat at Pearson VUE, and once approved you can reserve a seat up to a year in advance.³

NCEES charges $350 per section, paid directly to NCEES.³ Passing all four on the first attempt costs $1,400 in exam fees. Each retake is another $350. State application and licensing fees are separate and vary widely.

Pass Rates and How Scoring Works

The difficulty shows up clearly in the numbers. As of January 2026, NCEES reports the following first-time and repeat pass rates:³

Lateral Breadth: 53% first-time, 40% repeat
Lateral Depth (Bridges): 50% first-time, 45% repeat
Lateral Depth (Buildings): 16% first-time, 8% repeat
Vertical Breadth: 34% first-time, 41% repeat
Vertical Depth (Bridges): 26% first-time, 0% repeat
Vertical Depth (Buildings): 15% first-time, 31% repeat

The buildings depth sections are the toughest. A 15–16% first-time rate means roughly five out of six candidates fail on their first attempt. Bridge depth pass rates aren’t generous either, particularly on the vertical side.

NCEES uses criterion-referenced scoring. Your result depends on reaching a minimum ability level set by subject-matter experts through psychometric methods, not on how you perform against other candidates. There’s no curve, no fixed pass percentage, and NCEES does not publish the passing score.⁵

Results, Retakes, and the Diagnostic Report

Results typically appear within 7 to 10 days. NCEES sends an email, and you view pass/fail status through your MyNCEES account.⁵

If you don’t pass, you get a diagnostic report showing your performance across each knowledge area on a 0–15 scaled score, compared with the average performance of passing examinees. The visual comparison makes it easier to pinpoint which topics to rework.⁶

NCEES allows one attempt at a given section per testing window and no more than three attempts in any 12-month period.⁷ That limit effectively applies to breadth sections, which are offered year-round. A failed depth section means waiting roughly six months for the next administration. Some state boards add their own restrictions, so check with yours before assuming you can test at the maximum frequency NCEES allows.

From Passing to Licensed

Passing all four sections does not make you a licensed Structural Engineer on its own. You still apply to your state licensing board, which reviews your education, experience, exam results, and professional references before issuing the license. State application fees typically run from $75 to $425, and processing times vary.

The NCEES Model Law Structural Engineer designation can smooth the path to licensure in additional states later. Qualifying requires an ABET-accredited engineering degree with at least 18 semester hours of structural analysis and design coursework (including 9 hours of structural design), passing results on the PE Structural exam, four years of structural engineering experience, and a clean disciplinary record.⁸ If you already hold an NCEES Record, you can request an MLSE review through your MyNCEES account for $50.

After licensure, continuing education keeps the credential active. Requirements vary by state, but a common benchmark is 30 professional development hours per two-year renewal cycle, including credits in ethics and state-specific regulations. Renewal fees are generally modest next to the cost of getting licensed in the first place.

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ABET. Licensure, Registration and Certification
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NCEES. NCEES Engineering Education Standard
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NCEES. PE Structural Exam
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NCEES Knowledge Base. NCEES Exam Reference Handbooks
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NCEES. Exam Scoring
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NCEES. Sample Diagnostic Report for Computer-Based Exams
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NCEES. NCEES Examinee Guide
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NCEES Knowledge Base. Model Law Designation FAQs