I have a question for my fellow ISU civil engineers. I currently work in Kentucky and plan on taking my civil PE exam in October. I'm expecting to be working more in Tennessee in the future and am wondering how easy it is to become licensed in a second state assuming I do pass the exam.
Also any study tips/resources would be appreciated.
I agree with others: Get the state you live in first, then branch out beyond that. Technically, you can't put "PE" on your business card/email if you are not licensed in the state where your office is. I know some states have been cranking down on this recently. Also, get your NCEES record if you are going to apply in multiple states for licensing, it's a nice time saver. It does come with a price, though (not sure what it is anymore).
I'm not licensed in TN, but I recall previous co-workers saying it did things a little differently. I believe TN is one of, if not the only, state that taxes you to get your PE. So, instead of $200 for 2 years (like most states), TN is something like $600 per 2 years because there is a tax on professionals. I'm not sure how hard/easy it is to get a license there with reciprocity.
Study tips - Download the outline from NCEES and focus on the big topics: structural, geotech, horizontal/vertical curves, and water flow. Get the Civil Engineering Reference Manual (CERM) and the example test booklet. The questions in the CERM are WAY harder than what's actually on the exam. That's why I recommend the example test booklet. Those questions are much more indicative of what's on the actual test.
I took the geotech afternoon exam. I thought the morning was a breeze and the afternoon was harder than I thought it would be, but still not bad. I walked out feeling like I would be shocked if I didn't pass.
Feel free to DM with any specific questions you have.