PE Environmental Exam Pass Rate, Format & Study Guide

The NCEES PE Environmental page describes an 80-question, computer-based exam delivered year-round at NCEES-approved Pearson test centers. The appointment lasts nine hours: a short nondisclosure agreement, a tutorial, the 8-hour exam and a 50-minute scheduled break. Questions are multiple choice plus alternative item types; the exam specifications list multiple correct (select all), point and click, drag and drop, and fill in the blank formats. The electronic reference handbook and any design standards the exam specifies are the only reference materials allowed during the exam; personal copies are not allowed. The exam specifications that took effect in April 2026 cover six knowledge areas: Water, Solid and Hazardous Waste, Sustainability, Air, Site Assessment and Remediation, and Environmental and Occupational Health. NCEES lists an exam fee of US$400, payable directly to NCEES.

The PE exam is the examination that state boards use as part of licensing professional engineers; the PE Environmental exam is the one for environmental engineering.

Environmental engineers with several years of experience who are preparing for the NCEES PE Environmental exam as part of licensure.

NCEES page, updated July 2026: 73% of first-time takers passed (415 takers) and 54% of repeat takers passed (118 takers).

Retake rules are set by NCEES and your state licensing board; confirm the current rules on ncees.org and with your board before you register again.

NCEES does not publish a passing score for the PE Environmental exam. The percent score in the portal mock is only a self-check, not a prediction of your result. Format: 80 questions in an 8-hour exam; the portal mock uses 80 multiple-choice questions in 480 minutes and does not simulate the alternative item types or the reference handbook interface.

The NCEES PE Environmental page describes an 80-question, computer-based exam delivered year-round at NCEES-approved Pearson test centers. The appointment lasts nine hours: a short nondisclosure agreement, a tutorial, the 8-hour exam and a 50-minute scheduled break. Questions are multiple choice plus alternative item types; the exam specifications list multiple correct (select all), point and click, drag and drop, and fill in the blank formats. The electronic reference handbook and any design standards the exam specifies are the only reference materials allowed during the exam; personal copies are not allowed. The exam specifications that took effect in April 2026 cover six knowledge areas: Water, Solid and Hazardous Waste, Sustainability, Air, Site Assessment and Remediation, and Environmental and Occupational Health. NCEES lists an exam fee of US$400, payable directly to NCEES. 80 questions · 9-hour appointment with an 8-hour exam and a 50-minute scheduled break · multiple choice plus alternative item types · computer-based · specifications effective April 2026. NCEES does not publish a passing score for the PE Environmental exam. The percent score in the portal mock is only a self-check, not a prediction of your result.

NCEES publishes ranges of questions for each knowledge area rather than exact percentages, so this guide names the areas without weights.

NCEES describes the PE exam as designed for engineers with a minimum of four years of post-college work experience in their discipline. Requirements are set by the licensing board of the state where you apply and can differ, so read your board's rules first.

The NCEES page lists US$400 for the exam, payable directly to NCEES. Some licensing boards charge a separate application fee that is not included here.

Keeping a PE license current (renewal and continuing professional competency) is set by each state licensing board; check your board.

Start with water, the largest area, then work through air, site assessment and remediation, solid and hazardous waste, sustainability, and environmental and occupational health, and finish with timed 80-question runs.

This guide follows the NCEES PE Environmental exam page and the exam specifications effective beginning April 2026, checked November 2, 2026. Fees, pass rates and policies can change, so confirm them with NCEES.