Licensure · engineer intern · checked Oct 29, 2026
EIT certification, what it is and how to get it
EIT certification is not an exam. It is a certificate your state licensing board issues once you have passed the FE exam and hold a degree it accepts, and it records you as an engineer-in-training (EIT) or engineer intern (EI), a step toward a PE license. NCEES writes and scores the FE but issues no certificate.
Updated Oct 29, 2026 · Not affiliated with NCEES.
- Model Law requirementDegree + FE
- Texas EIT fee$15
- Texas EIT validity8 years
FE, EIT and EI: three names, two things
- The FE is the exam. NCEES runs it, and a pass is a result in your MyNCEES account, nothing more.
- EIT and EI are the same certificate under two titles. The NCEES Model Law calls it engineer intern; Texas and California call it engineer-in-training. The board that issues it decides the title.
The Model Law asks for two things: an EAC/ABET or ETAC/ABET degree, or one that meets the NCEES Education Standard, plus a passed FE (Model Law 2026, §130.10 B.1). Each board adopts its own version.
Searches for an "FE license" or "FE certification" mean this certificate: there is no license that comes from the FE itself.
How to get an EIT certificate
- Finish, or nearly finish, a degree your board accepts. Some boards let you sit the FE in your final year and certify you after graduation.
- Pass the FE in your discipline: registration and cost.
- Apply to your state board with proof of the degree and the FE result, and pay its fee. Some boards ask you to apply to them before you book the FE, so read their page first.
- Keep it current if your board sets an expiry, until the PE license replaces it.
Example: Texas
| Item | Detail | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intern title | Engineer-in-Training (EIT) | TBPELS: Engineer-in-Training [1] | |
| Certificate fee | $15 EIT application | TBPELS: Engineer-in-Training [1] | |
| Certificate valid for | 8 years from issue, renewable | TBPELS: Engineer-in-Training [1] | |
| PE exam before the experience | A Texas EIT may take the PE exam before earning the four years of experience | TBPELS: Engineer-in-Training [1] |
In Texas the certificate costs $15 and runs 8 years from issue, and it is renewable (TBPELS: Engineer-in-Training). It also opens the PE exam early: a Texas EIT may sit the PE before the four years of experience are done. Fees, validity and that early access differ by board.
What the certificate does, and what it doesn't
It shows a board, and an employer, that you have the education and the FE behind you, and it starts the record that your PE application builds on. Job ads that ask for an "EIT" mean an engineer at that stage.
It doesn't let you practice on your own: the Model Law says the engineer-intern enrollment does not authorize the holder to practice as a professional engineer (Model Law 2026, §140.10 E). How your experience years must be supervised and documented is set by your board.
EIT vs PE
The EIT is the halfway mark; the PE is the license. An EIT has a degree and the FE. A PE has those, the years of experience the board requires (four after an EAC/ABET bachelor's under the Model Law), a passed PE exam and a license number, and may seal engineering work. The two exams behind those titles are compared on FE vs PE; every step from degree to license: how to become a PE.
Start with the FE in your discipline
FE Civil app
FE Civil questions, answers and worked solutions in a study app.
Not affiliated with NCEES.
FE Mechanical app
FE Mechanical questions, answers and worked solutions in a study app.
Not affiliated with NCEES.
FE Electrical and Computer app
FE Electrical and Computer questions, answers and worked solutions in a study app.
Not affiliated with NCEES.
FE Environmental app
FE Environmental questions, answers and worked solutions in a study app.
Not affiliated with NCEES.
FE Chemical app
FE Chemical questions, answers and worked solutions in a study app.
Not affiliated with NCEES.
Source notes
- TBPELS: Engineer-in-Training pels.texas.gov · checked Oct 29, 2026
EIT questions
Can an EIT sign drawings?
No. It is a certificate of enrollment as an engineer intern. It doesn't authorize you to practice as a professional engineer; the PE license does.
Texas says EIT, the Model Law says EI. Which is right?
Both; only the name differs. The NCEES Model Law says engineer intern (EI); Texas and California, among others, say engineer-in-training (EIT).
How long does a Texas EIT stay valid?
Validity is set board by board. In Texas it is valid for 8 years from issue and can be renewed.
Does the engineer-intern step need an ABET degree?
The Model Law also accepts an ETAC/ABET degree or one that meets the NCEES Education Standard. Boards decide what they accept beyond that.