Quick Hits
EIT/LSIT Certification: Information and Application (Engineer-in-Training/Land Surveyor-in-Training)
READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE COMPLETING THE APPLICATION
All of the information necessary to apply for certification as an Engineer-in-Training (EIT) or Land Surveyor-in-Training (LSIT) is available at this web site. The application form has been changed from a scantron form to a .pdf file which can be completed online, printed, signed, and mailed to the Board. Be sure to make a copy for your own files. You may wish to print a copy of this information.
1. GENERAL
- Certification as an Engineer-in-Training (EIT) is the first step required under California law towards becoming licensed as a professional engineer.
- Certification as a Land Surveyor-in-Training (LSIT) is the first step required under California law towards becoming licensed as a professional land surveyor.
- Each applicant must file the application, pay the stated filing fee, and sit for the assigned 8-hour written examination. Persons who pass the written examination will be issued a certificate as either an Engineer-in-Training or a Land Surveyor-in-Training, whichever is appropriate.
- Neither U.S. Citizenship nor California residency is required. However, you must provide your social security number or individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN), or your application will NOT be processed. Disclosure of your social security number is mandatory. U.S. Citizens, if you do not have a social security number you may contact your local United States Social Security Office at 1-800-722-1213 or http://www.ssa.gov/online/forms.html. Non-U.S. citizens without a social security number may request an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) from the Department of Treasury (Internal Revenue Service) at (215) 516-4846 or http://www.irs.gov.
For more information regarding the requirements to submit either a social security number or individual taxpayer identification number, please read the Information Collection, Access, and Disclosure Policy.
2. EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS
- EIT applicants must have completed:
Three years or more of postsecondary engineering education.
OR
Three years or more of engineering-related work experience.
OR
A combination of postsecondary education and experience in engineering totaling three years. - LSIT applicants must have completed:
Two years of postsecondary education in land surveying.
OR
Two years or more of work-related experience in land surveying.
OR
A combination of postsecondary education and experience in land surveying totaling two years.
- BOTH EIT and LSIT applicants must disclose whether they have been convicted of a crime substantially related to the practice of engineering or land surveying.
3. EXAMINATION SCOPE
-
For EIT Certification
- The examination administered and recognized by the Board is the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination. The exam has a four-hour morning and four-hour afternoon session. In the morning, all examinees answer the same 120 questions, each worth one point, covering the breadth of knowledge in engineering. In the afternoon session, examinees choose one of the seven following subject areas: General, Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Environmental, Mechanical, or Industrial Engineering. Candidates identify the chosen subject area at the examination. Each has 60 two-point questions, written to test the depth of knowledge in the selected subject area. The total number of possible points for the morning and afternoon session is 240. The module on the FE examination you choose to take does not effect or determine the branch of engineering in which you are eligible to apply for professional licensure. For LSIT Certification
- The examination administered and recognized by the Board is the NCEES Fundamentals of Surveying (FLS) examination. The exam has a four-hour morning and a four-hour afternoon session. In each session all examinees answer 85 questions and all are required. The total number of possible points for the morning and afternoon sessions is 170.
- Both the FE and FS examinations are closed-book examinations. NO REFERENCE MATERIALS OF ANY KIND ARE ALLOWED. Calculators are acceptable as long as they are authorized by the NCEES Calculator Policy.
4. EXAMINATION DATES
The examinations are scheduled twice each year. Refer to the Examination Schedule - Engineering Examinations for the examination dates and final filing dates for the FE examination and to the Examination Schedule - Land Surveying Examinations for the examination dates and final filing dates for the FS examination.
5. EXAMINATION SITES/LOCATIONS
The Board administers the FE and FS examinations at several locations across the state. Locations are limited-usually to the Central Valley, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, and San Francisco Bay areas. Candidates must choose an examination site during the NCEES registration process. The applicant's exam site choice will be required when registering for National I.D. and included on the application form that must be submitted to the California Board.
6. HOW TO REGISTER AND APPLY
Beginning with the October 2010 administration, ALL applicants will be required to register for the examination with NCEES in addition to submitting their application and fee to the Board. This new process will apply to all applicants, including those who are re-filing or retaking an examination.
Visit the Exam Registration Schedule for information on when registration will be open and closed for the upcoming examinations.
NCEES registration will be open 24 hours a day during the open registration period. Applicants will need to register on the NCEES web site as well as submitting all of the required application materials and fees to the Board. Applicants will not be allowed to sit for the examinations if they have not met the Board's requirements and have registered with NCEES.
EIT & LSIT Applicants must:
Register online at California Exams at NCEES web site. Select your site and afternoon module carefullly when you register. Once the California Board has approved your exam registration on the NCEES system, no site or module changes will be allowed.
As a last step in the NCEES registration process, download and print your EIT/LSIT application.
Submit a completed and signed application form to the Board office in Sacramento, together with a check or money order in the amount of $100 made payable to the "Department of Consumer Affairs" by the final filing date. If you wish to be notified that your application has been received, please include a self addressed, stamped postcard with your application.
If you have passed the FE or FS examination in another state, you are not required to retake the FE or FS exam to obtain an EIT or LSIT certificate in California. We will grant you an EIT or LSIT certificate provided that the state in which you took and passed the FE or FS examination provides verification to substantiate the examination results. It is not required that you transfer your FE or FS certificate to California in order to become licensed as a Professional Engineer or a Professional Land Surveyor in California; however, many California employers may require a California-issued EIT or LSIT certificate as an employment qualification. If you have already taken and passed the FE or FS examination in another state and wish to obtain a California EIT or LSIT certificate, you may apply via Comity. You must complete the EIT/LSIT application and write "COMITY" across the top. You also must obtain a Verification of Registration form from the State Board(s) where you took and passed the FE or FS examination.
7. SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS
The Board no longer directly handles requests for special accommodations at examinations. NCEES oversees this procedure. If you have a need for special testing accommodations due to religious beliefs or for reasons falling within the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), you must contact NCEES regarding your request. ALL requests must be submitted to NCEES by the final filing date of the examination for which you are applying.
NOTE: You must request special accommodations for each examination administration cycle, even if none of the information has changed since the last request. Information regarding the process for requesting special accommodations is available on the NCEES website. Do NOT contact the Board to request special accommodations; you must contact NCEES.
8. EXAMINATION REFERENCE MATERIALS
EIT applicants may purchase a copy of the Fundamentals of Engineering (EIT) Reference Handbook directly from NCEES. This book and other reference materials can be purchased directly from the NCEES web site or you may contact NCEES at P. O. Box 1686, Clemson, South Carolina 29633-1686, (800) 250-3196, for more information.
LSIT applicants may purchase Fundamentals of Land Surveying (LSIT) Sample Questions and Solutions directly from NCEES. This book provides 85 sample questions for the FS examination. Solutions are provided for each question presented. This book and other reference materials can be purchased directly from the NCEES web site or you may contact NCEES at P.O. Box 1686, Clemson, South Carolina 29633-1686, (800) 250-3196, for more information.
9. SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION/FINAL FILING DATE
Your application must be postmarked by the final filing date noted in the Examination Schedule - Engineering Examinations or the Examination Schedule - Land Surveying Examinations to be accepted for the next examination. Applications received requiring postage due will not be accepted by our office. Final filing dates will not be extended for those who have their applications returned for insufficient postage.
10. ADMISSION NOTICE/CHANGE OF ADDRESS
A Notice will be sent to the email address provided by the applicant during the NCEES Open Registration process with login instructions to download and print the Admission Notice 2-3 weeks before the exam. This document and a valid, government-issued photo ID are required for admittance to the chosen California exam site. Use the Board's address change affidavit to notify the Board if your address changes after you apply.
11. POSTPONEMENTS - Effective October 2011 Exam Administration
Postponement requests will only be granted for military deployment. A copy of orders must be submitted with your request.
12. APPLICATION FORM
WARNING: If an applicant is unable to complete the NCEES Registration process or print an online form, he or she is NOT relieved of the requirement to meet the final filing date. The Board is not responsible for any failure by an applicant to meet filing deadlines.
