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 of course work in a Board-approved engineering curriculum (any curriculum approved by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org. (Foreign degrees are not ABET accredited unless they are from Canada. If you have a degree in Canada, please check on its accreditation.)
OR
Three years or more of engineering-related work experience anywhere in the world.
AND
Never have been convicted of a crime substantially related to the practice of engineering.

·         LSIT applicants must have completed:
Two years of postsecondary education in a Board-approved land surveying program.
OR
Two years or more of work-related experience in land surveying.
OR
A combination of one year of postsecondary education and one year of work-related experience in land surveying.
AND
Never have been convicted of a crime substantially related to the practice of land surveying.

3. EXAMINATION SCOPE

·         The EIT examination covers fundamental engineering subjects including mathematics and the basic sciences. The examination administered and recognized by the Board is the 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 EIT examination you choose to take does not effect or determine the branch of engineering in which you are eligible to apply for professional licensure.

·         The LSIT examination covers material related to the fundamentals of land surveying. 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 EIT and LSIT 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 EIT examination and to the Examination Schedule - Land Surveying Examinations for the examination dates and final filing dates for the LSIT examination.

5. EXAMINATION SITES/LOCATIONS

The Board administers the EIT and LSIT examination 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 will be assigned to the site offering EIT or LSIT based on the site preference selected on the application form. If a candidate does not indicate a site preference on the application form, then the candidate will be assigned to the site that is located nearest to his or her address of record as listed on the application form.
NOTE: In April 2009, the Board will be administering the EIT examination at Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo. Due to limited seating at this site, only students at Cal Poly - SLO will be scheduled for this site. If you have already submitted your application for the April 2009 EIT examination and are a student at Cal Poly - SLO, you may submit a written request for this site via fax to (916) 263-2246 or via e-mail to BPELS_EIT_LSIT@dca.ca.gov. This site is only for EIT candidates enrolled at Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo.

6. PHOTO ID

In order to gain entrance into the examination, a photo ID is required and you will not be admitted without one. Identification will ONLY BE ACCEPTED IF IT MEETS ALL of the following criteria:
1. Issued by a state or federal governmental agency (including other U.S. states and foreign countries) [Student identification cards or employee identification cards will NOT be accepted]
2. Contains your photograph
3. Contains your visible signature
4. Contains your printed (typed) name
If you do not have identification which meets ALL of the above criteria, you will NOT be allowed to sit for the examination. THERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS.

7. SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS

The Board no longer directly handles requests for special accommodations at examinations. The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (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. HOW TO APPLY

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". 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 FLS examination in another state, you are not required to retake the FE or FLS 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 FLS examination provides verification to substantiate the examination results. It is not required that you transfer your EIT/FE or LSIT/FLS 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 FLS 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 FLS examination.

9. EXAMINATION REFERENCE MATERIALS

Exam Reference Materials

EIT applicants may purchase a copy of the Fundamentals of Engineering (EIT) Reference Handbook directly from the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (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 detailed exam specifications and 50 sample questions for the LSIT (FLS) 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.

10. 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.

11. ADMISSION NOTICE/CHANGE OF ADDRESS

Your admission notice will be sent approximately 10 days before the exam to the address indicated on your application. Use the Board's address change affidavit to notify the Board if your address changes after you apply.

12. POSTPONEMENTS

Postponements from the assigned examination are only granted for reasonable cause at the discretion of the Executive Officer. A postponement request to the Board must be made in writing and be accompanied by verification. It may be submitted at any time prior to the examination date, or postmarked up to ten (10) days after the examination date. Failure to appear for an exam as scheduled, without obtaining a postponement, will result in cancellation of your application and the forfeiture of your fee. Examples of reasonable cause which qualify for a postponement are: the applicant's illness or injury; death or serious illness or injury in the immediate family; work assignment outside of the continental U.S.; accident or mechanical breakdown on the morning of the examination, etc. Each of these causes must be verified by a certificate or other appropriate document from a medical doctor, employer, repair provider, or the police, as applicable. FAILURE TO PREPARE FOR THE EXAMINATION IS NOT A VALID CAUSE.

13. APPLICATION FORM

CLICK HERE FOR THE EIT/LSIT APPLICATION FORM

WARNING: If an applicant is unable to complete or print an online form, he or she is NOT relieved of the requirement to meet the final filing date requirement. WE STRONGLY URGE YOU TO COMPLETE ONLINE "TYPING" AT LEAST TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE FINAL FILING DATE. We also recommend that you print one or two extra blank forms in case computer or printer problems force you to use a typewriter to meet the filing deadline. The Board is not responsible for any failure by an applicant to meet filing deadlines.