Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 38, September 20, 2024
a) Beginning with
the April 2011 exam administration, the examination for licensure as a
structural engineer shall be divided into 2 Parts.
1) Part I - Fundamentals of Engineering. This
examination shall consist of problems or other examining techniques designed to
evaluate the applicant's knowledge of the basic and engineering sciences and
related subjects normally considered as the fundamentals of
engineering.
2) Part II - 16-hour
Structural Examination. This examination replaces the Structural I and
Structural II examinations. This examination shall consist of two 8-hour
components: the Vertical Forces (gravity/other) and Incidental Lateral
component and the Lateral Forces (wind/earthquake) component. An applicant must
receive acceptable results on both 8-hour components to pass the Structural
Examination. The problems may include, but not be limited to, bridges,
buildings, foundations, and the practice of structural engineering as described
in Section 5 of the Act.
3) An
applicant may sit for each component in separate exam administrations but must
receive acceptable results on both components within a five-year period. If
both components are not satisfactorily completed within the five-year period,
the applicant shall be required to retake the first component.
4) Part I of the examination shall be waived
for an applicant who is enrolled as an engineer intern or licensed as a
professional engineer and who received a license by passing the fundamentals of
engineering examination administered under the authority of the Illinois
Professional Engineer Practice Act of 1989 or by another
jurisdiction.
b) A state
constructed Structural III examination shall not be accepted towards meeting
the examination requirements for licensure.
c) The NCEES 8-hour Principles & Practice
of Engineering Civil/Structural examination shall not be accepted towards
meeting the examination requirement for licensure as a structural
engineer.
d) The examination
administered by the Division shall be provided by the National Council of
Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). The specific examination
content shall be as determined by periodic evaluations of the test
specifications by NCEES.
e) The
scoring of the examinations and determination of scores shall be as approved by
NCEES.
f) Separate scores shall be
given for the Fundamentals of Engineering and/or the 16-hour Structural. All
scores shall be graded as pass or fail. Once an applicant fails a Part of the
examination, that Part shall not be waived.
g) Candidates may not review their
examination booklet or the associated answer sheets. Rescoring of the
examination or any individual problem is not permitted; however, a retabulation
of the numerical score will be permitted for a paper examination, but no
retabulation of a computer-based examination is allowed.
h) Retake of Examination
1) Applicants shall be required to retake
only the Part on which a passing score was not achieved.
2) If an applicant fails to pass an
examination for licensure under this Act within 3 years after filing the
application, the application shall be denied. However, the applicant may
thereafter make a new application for examination, accompanied by the required
fee (Section 1480.195). New applications
shall include proof of meeting the qualifications for examination in effect at
the time of the new application except as provided for in subsection
(h)(1).
i) Successful
scores of previously passed Parts of the examination shall be accepted for the
purpose of licensure provided the applicant has met all other requirements for
licensure as outlined in the Act. For these purposes, the most recent score on
a Part shall be the score of record. In no circumstances shall the Division
accept a previous passing score on a Part for an applicant whose score of
record is a failing score.
j) After
the October 2010 examination administration, if an applicant has not passed
both the Structural I and II examinations, the applicant will be required to
take and pass the 16-hour Structural examination and will receive no credit for
passing either the Structural I or the Structural II examinations.
k) Examinations may be given in various
formats with different application submittal dates depending on the examination
format.
1) For examinations administered in
paper form in October and April, there is an examination assignment cutoff date
that varies depending on the actual date of the examination. For examinations
administered in the spring, receipt of the applications after November 15 for
the April exam or, for examinations administered in the fall, after May 15 for
the October examination, may not provide sufficient time for required
credentials to arrive at the Department and be reviewed by the Board prior to
the exam assignment cutoff date. If this occurs, the applicant will be approved
to sit for a later examination if all requirements are met.
2) For examinations administered continuously
in a computer-based format, there is no deadline for submittal of the
application and the applicant, if approved to sit for the exam, will be allowed
to test for three years after date of receipt of the application by the
Department. For the computer based examinations, there will be four windows in
a year, with a maximum of three attempts in any calendar year, and no more than
one attempt in a window.
l) Any person who is licensed in Illinois as
a Structural Engineer will not be allowed to retake a passed examination or
take a different version of the structural examination unless specifically
required to do so by the Board.
