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09.11
NCEES Methodology for Scoring PE Exams, plus Recap of April 2011 Electrical & Computer PE Exam Results
By Richard Schwarz, P.E.
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A Recap of April 2011 Electrical & Computer PE Exam Results
The Principles and Practice of
Engineering (PE) exam for electrical and
computer engineers assumed a
new structure in the spring of 2009.
Examinees now select one of three 80-question
exams. The exam choices are power, computer and
electrical and electronics.
With five exam administrations
completed, the National Council of Examiners for
Engineering and Surveying (NCEES)
has provided early results from the April 2011
administration of the three Electrical &
Computer PE examinations. The overall pass rates
for the three examinations were:
This follows
overall pass rates from October 2010 of 66
percent for first-time exam takers and 35
percent for repeat exam takers, and rates
from April 2010 of 66 percent for first-time
exam takers and 29 percent for repeat exam
takers.
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When will I get my result?
Typically, NCEES
releases scores to licensing boards eight to 10
weeks after the exam date. How and when
examinees receive their results varies by state.
Some boards use NCEES Exam Administration
Services to release the results directly to
examinees; some release them through another
testing service, such as
Professional Credential
Services; and other boards release
the results themselves. In addition, some state
boards must validate the results at a board
meeting before they can release them to
examinees.
Your Exam Result
Exam results are
reported pass/fail. If you did not pass the
exam, you will receive a diagnostic report
indicating subject areas of relative strength
and weakness. These diagnostic reports can
assist you if you decide to retake the exam. Download
a sample diagnostic report.
The Grading Process
All answer sheets
for these multiple-choice exams are machine
graded; a percentage of answer sheets are also
manually verified to ensure accuracy.
Read a step-by-step
explanation of the scoring process.
Determining Passing Scores
When an exam is
introduced or when its specifications change, a
committee of subject-matter experts works with
experienced psychometricians (testing experts
with a background in statistics) to determine
the level of performance that corresponds with
minimal competence in that discipline. This
becomes the passing score. NCEES does not
publish passing scores because they change with
each administration. NCEES scores each exam with
no predetermined percentage of examinees that
should pass or fail. All exams are scored the
same way. First-time takers and repeat takers
are graded to the same standard.
Equating
For subsequent
administrations of the exam, statistical
equating is used to ensure that this level of
performance is consistent across multiple
administrations of that exam. Essentially, this
means that while the numerical passing score may
change with each administration, you are not
disadvantaged when one administration of a
particular exam is more difficult than another.
This process accounts for the 8- to 10-week
interval between an exam administration and the
release of scores to member licensing boards.
Your exam results
are determined by the number of items you
answered correctly for the exam in its entirety.
There are no minimum requirements for particular
sections or topics within an exam. You are not
penalized for incorrect answers. You may request
that your exam answer sheet be
manually
verified. A fee is charged for this service.
Richard Schwarz, P.E., is a
member of the
IEEE-USA Licensure & Registration Committee.
He has worked as a volunteer with the NCEES
Electrical & Computer PE Exam Committee for more
than 25 years.
Comments may be submitted to
todaysengineer@ieee.org.
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