EIT certification/ FE Exam for EE

[senioritis_everyday]

So this got me wondering,

Since there is no GRE subject test in engineering, would it be a good idea to pass the FE exam and get EIT certification for an Electrical Engineering (MS of PhD) program? Is it not worth it for all engineering disciplines beside Civil?

Any comments would help, thanks!

[zilch]

I took it when I was a senior and honestly I didn't think it was that great of an exam. The EIT certification is necessary if you ever want to be a PE and the only sub-fields of EE where that might apply would be in power systems.

The PE lets you sign and seal engineering plans and lets your signature act as an official approval that something is safe and certified and what not. As you mentioned, this is pretty much mandatory for most civil engineers but not so much for other engineering disciplines. Most grad schools (for EE) won't care if you have the EIT certification, half of the professors I've talked to don't even know what it is. The only reason to take it is to leave open an option for a future career path.

[crimsonengineer87]

I also agree with zilch.

I, myself, am a civil engineer and my department basically required us to take it. It was pretty expensive to take it, so if you failed, it'd be a waste of like $150+. However, there are two caveats. You only need a 50% to pass AND we had a review session scheduled 6-7 weeks prior to the exam to review all the different topics for our exam. So unless you plan to do something that will require a stamp of some sort in EE, then maybe try it, if not, don't. It only helped me for a fellowship, where it explicitly asked me if I was an EIT.

If you're planning on getting a PhD and being a professor, then I don't think the PE is worth it. However, like zilch said, it does leave open a different pathway for your career in industry, in case you go that way.

[navyasw02]

So this got me wondering,

Since there is no GRE subject test in engineering, would it be a good idea to pass the FE exam and get EIT certification for an Electrical Engineering (MS of PhD) program? Is it not worth it for all engineering disciplines beside Civil?

Any comments would help, thanks!

The FE/EIT wont help for beans when applying for grad school. That said, TAKE THE EXAM!!! Take it straight out of college while everything is fresh so that's one less hurdle you have to jump through for your PE application. You may never want or need to get registered as a PE, but trust me, all my friends who are trying to get their PE's and didnt take their FE earlier all said they wish they had done it sooner. In CA, that can make the difference between getting your PE in just a few months when you meet the requirements to waiting over a year and a half in some cases because you have to sign up for the FE, wait for the results to come (which in CA means AFTER the PE application deadline), apply for the PE on the next cycle (basically 1 year from when you took the FE), and then finally taking the PE.

Bottom line - TAKE THE EXAM! It's easy and worth it.

[NBB]

Hi,

Does anyone know how long does it take to get the certificate? The board received my application and cashed my check in early April, but I still haven't received it yet.

Any info will be appreciated. Thx!

[coffee_grad]

Hi NBB,

 

I know a lot has changed since I took mine (Oct 2013) and it varies by state (I did mine in DE); Nevertheless, this was my experience. I took the last paper-based exam and took it at the start of my senior year of undergrad. In order to get the certificate, you have to have passed the exam and graduated from an accredited program (i.e. they need your transcripts to verify that you actually graduated). After I graduated, I contacted the DE office to ask about it and had to fill out another form and send transcripts from my undergraduate institution. The secretary told me they do it in batches about once a month. After I got everything in, it took about a month to get my certificate. So, my advice is don't expect it to just appear at your door -- be proactive and follow up with your state office contact. 

 

As for the rest of you, I took mine because I'm a civil discipline and the faculty at my undergraduate institution encouraged us to take the exam. I think if you graduate from an accredited engineering program, you should just take it. It's not that expensive, it is not hard, it leaves open career opportunities (lets be honest, none of us really know where our lives will go), and it is a certification that distinguishes your accomplishments.