2003: First offering of the Architectural Engineering PE Exam

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Innovation: First offering of the Architectural Engineering PE exam
Date: April 2003
By: The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) and the Architectural Engineering Institute (AEI)

Formal education in architectural engineering (focusing on structural, mechanical or electrical fields of building design with an appreciation for integrating building design elements) became widespread in the US by the 1950’s. The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) developed the Architectural Engineering Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) examination in the 1990’s and first offered the exam in April 2003 [1]. This exam marked the distinction of architectural engineering as an engineering discipline and allowed architectural engineering graduates to become fully licensed professional engineers. The Architectural Engineering Institute (AEI) sponsored the development of the exam and remains responsible for is maintenance. In 2010, a Professional Activities and Knowledge Survey (PAKS) was performed on the exam to verify that content tested still represents information relevant to the field. The survey defined three domains of the field that were present on the old exam that continue to be tested in the new exam: electrical systems, mechanical systems, and structural systems. In addition, two new domains were added to the 2010 version of the exam: Building Systems Integration and Project Management/Construction Administration. PAKS will be repeated again in six to eight years, resulting in another modified PE exam [2]. `

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