How much does the PE exam cost?
The PE exam fee is $400 per attempt, paid to NCEES. PE Structural uses a section price of $350, and taking all four sections once costs $1,400 in NCEES fees. A licensing board can require its own application and fee before you sit. Pearson charges $50 to reschedule or cancel an appointment when you do it at least 48 hours ahead.
What NCEES charges for one PE attempt
For PE exams other than PE Structural, you pay NCEES $400 every time you register, and that payment covers one attempt. Registering again for a later attempt means paying the full $400 fee again.
The FE exam fee is a separate NCEES charge. Read how you apply for the PE exam before you register.
What the PE Structural exam costs
PE Structural has four sections: vertical breadth, lateral breadth, vertical depth, and lateral depth. NCEES charges $350 for each section, so taking all four sections once costs $1,400 in NCEES fees. You can register for the sections at different times, but each registration carries its own $350 fee, and retaking a section means paying that fee again. The difference between the PE Civil exam and the PE Structural exam changes the NCEES bill: PE Civil is a single $400 registration, while PE Structural is $350 per section.
What your licensing board may charge
Some licensing boards require a separate application and fee before you can sit for an NCEES exam. The board sets that amount, and it sits on top of the NCEES exam fee, so two people taking the same exam can owe different totals.
The NCEES fee is fixed, but the board fee varies by board. See PE license basics in Texas, California, Florida, and New York if one of those states is yours.
What it costs to reschedule or cancel
Rescheduling or canceling an appointment costs $50, paid to Pearson, and you must make the change at least 48 hours before the appointment.
If your exam status is still Unscheduled, you cancel the registration in MyNCEES instead. NCEES returns the registration fee less a $50 administrative fee, so a $400 payment with no appointment booked refunds $350.
What prep courses and design standards cost
A paper handbook is not something you can buy from NCEES, and the design standards used for study are not supplied by NCEES either. Publishers sell those design standards, so budget their prices alongside the exam fee. See what references you can use on the PE exam before you buy.
Prep courses are a separate choice, and the prices in the table below are published list prices read on 2026-10-03. School of PE rows cover PE Civil OnDemand for Construction, Geotechnical, Transportation, and Water Resources and Environmental, plus PE Environmental OnDemand, while PPI rows cover PE Civil Water Resources and Environmental prep. For problem practice, see where you can practice PE Civil problems.
| Prep option | Length | Listed price |
|---|---|---|
| School of PE OnDemand | 1 month | $499 |
| School of PE OnDemand | 4 months | $1,599 |
| School of PE OnDemand | 6 months | $1,999 |
| School of PE OnDemand | 12 months | $2,399 |
| School of PE OnDemand | 18 months | $2,799 |
| PPI Learning Hub bundle | 3 months | $695 |
| PPI Learning Hub bundle | 6 months | $895 |
| PPI OnDemand | 1 month | $545 |
PPI lists Live Online for PE Civil Water Resources and Environmental from $2,095 on sale, with a regular price of $2,595 on that page.
Frequently asked questions
Is the PE exam fee the same in every state?
The NCEES fee is the same wherever you test: $400 per PE attempt, or $350 for each PE Structural section. A licensing board may still require its own application fee, and the board sets that amount. Add the NCEES fee and your board’s fee to see your total.
How much does it cost to retake the PE exam?
Each registration requires you to pay the full exam fee again: $400 for a standard PE exam, or $350 for one PE Structural section. Moving an existing appointment to a new time costs $50, paid to Pearson, when you make the change at least 48 hours before the appointment.
Does NCEES sell the design standards?
NCEES does not provide design standards for study, and it does not sell printed copies of the handbook. You buy design standards from their publishers, and you should budget those publications apart from the $400 PE exam fee or the $350 fee for a structural section.
What refund do you get if the PE registration is still unscheduled?
If your exam status is Unscheduled, you can cancel the registration in MyNCEES. NCEES returns the registration fee less a $50 administrative fee, so a $400 PE registration refunds $350. A scheduled appointment instead carries a $50 payment to Pearson when you cancel or reschedule at least 48 hours ahead.
How much do PE prep courses cost?
Published prices read on 2026-10-03 vary by product and term. School of PE lists PE Civil OnDemand (Construction, Geotechnical, Transportation, and Water Resources and Environmental) and PE Environmental OnDemand at $499 for 1 month, $1,599 for 4 months, $1,999 for 6 months, $2,399 for 12 months, and $2,799 for 18 months. PPI lists PE Civil Water Resources and Environmental prep as a Learning Hub bundle at $695 for 3 months or $895 for 6 months, an OnDemand course at $545 for 1 month, and Live Online from $2,095 on sale, regularly $2,595. Those figures are publisher prices, separate from the NCEES exam fee.
Sources
- NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF). Retrieved October 3, 2026.
- NCEES: PE Structural exam. Retrieved October 3, 2026.
- School of PE: PE and FE courses. Retrieved October 3, 2026.
- PPI: PE Civil Water Resources and Environmental exam prep. Retrieved October 3, 2026.