Why does it take so long to get my FE and PE exam results?

Ever wonder why it takes so long to get your exam results?  In a condensed version, below is the process from the time you hand in your exam until your receive your results:

1) Proctors sends test and answer sheets to NCEES.  At any time, NCEES estimates approximately 30,000 examines and with both a morning and afternoon session, that’s +60,000 answer sheets that need to be analyzed.

2) Digital copies are made of each answer sheet and a statistical analysis is performed on the test results to look for anomalies.

3) NCEES then reviews any statistical outlier questions and fine tunes the passing score depending on the exam difficulty.

4) Exams are scored PASS or FAIL and results are released to state boards.

5) How you get your results depends on the state where you took the exam:

  • Some states boards use NCEES Exam Administration Services to release results directly to examines
  • Some states boards release them through other testing service (e.g., PCS)
  • Some states boards release the results themselves.
  • Some state boards must validate the results at a board meeting before they can release them to examines. (THIS IS WHERE A LOT OF THE TIME GOES – waiting for the board to convene and vote on the results.)

FYI – Scores are typically released 8-10 weeks after exam administration.

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