Examinations for Registration

Registration, mandatory for some engineers and a badge of distinction for others, is the responsibility of all segments of the profession—education, experience, and examination—the latter is recognized as the final proof of competency. In the interest of appropriateness as well as uniformity and comity among the registration boards, the National Council of Engineering Examiners has been charged with responsibility for the preparation and grading of a fundamentals and a principles and practice examination. At present all but three jurisdictions use these uniform examinations. The creation of new and viable examinations on a twice-a-year basis requires the involvement of many individuals from all areas of practice and discipline, and represents the combined efforts of the technical societies, engineering education, and those in private practice. This multiple involvement has resulted in good examinations, but the cooperation must continue in order to counter the affects of consumerism and general public distrust of all forms of regulation.