PE Civil Exam Pass Rates 2026: First-Time and Retake Data by Discipline

The latest PE Civil exam pass rates range from 60% to 71% for first-time examinees and from 38% to 49% for repeat examinees, according to NCEES data updated in July 2026. Water Resources and Environmental has the highest reported rate in both groups, while Construction has the lowest. These are cohort statistics—not personal probabilities or passing scores.

This guide compares all five PE Civil disciplines, calculates approximate Civil-wide rates from the published volumes, and explains what NCEES pass-rate and scoring data can—and cannot—tell you.

Latest PE Civil Exam Pass Rates at a Glance

Source: NCEES PE Civil—Scoring & Pass Rates

What Is the Overall PE Civil Pass Rate in 2026?

NCEES currently publishes separate first-time and repeat figures for each Civil discipline rather than one official combined “PE Civil pass rate.” However, the published volumes and rounded percentages can be used to estimate broader rates.

Across the five disciplines, the July 2026 table includes:

• 7,607 first-time examinees, with an approximate volume-weighted pass rate of 64.6%;
• 3,438 repeat examinees, with an approximate volume-weighted pass rate of 44.0%; and
• 11,045 examinees across both groups, with an approximate combined rate of 58.2%.

These are PEwise calculations, not rates published directly by NCEES. Each estimate multiplies the reported volume for a discipline by its published rate, totals the estimated passing examinees, and divides by the relevant total volume. Because NCEES displays whole-number percentages, the estimates are subject to rounding.

What Do NCEES PE Exam Pass Rates Mean?

A pass rate is the percentage of a reported group that passed. It is not the minimum score required to pass and does not assign a personal probability to an individual candidate.

For year-round computer-based exams such as PE Civil, NCEES reports rates for six-month populations and updates them in July and January. The July 2026 figures represent examinees from the January–June 2026 reporting population; they are not lifetime or full-year pass rates.

The table also does not disclose candidates’ education, work responsibilities, preparation methods, study hours, course use, prior scores, or test-day conditions. It cannot prove why one discipline or candidate group produced a different rate.

First-Time vs. Repeat PE Civil Pass Rates

First-time rates are higher than repeat rates in all five Civil disciplines in the July 2026 data. The gaps range from 18 percentage points for Transportation to 22 points for Construction and WRE.

That comparison should be interpreted carefully. First-time and repeat examinees are different populations. The table does not establish that repeat status itself causes a lower chance of passing, nor does it show that one preparation behavior explains the gap.

NCEES states that first-time and repeat examinees are graded to the same standard. Repeat candidates are not assigned a higher passing requirement. A candidate who does not pass receives a diagnostic report showing relative performance in major topic areas, which can help identify where a retake plan needs to change.

Which PE Civil Discipline Has the Highest Pass Rate?

Water Resources and Environmental has the highest July 2026 PE Civil pass rate: 71% for first-time examinees and 49% for repeat examinees. It also has the largest reported first-time cohort, with 2,620 examinees.

This does not prove that WRE is inherently the easiest PE Civil exam. Pass rates reflect the performance of the people who selected and took that discipline during a particular reporting period. Candidate background, preparation, experience, and other unreported differences can affect the result.

Choose the PE Civil discipline that matches your education, engineering work, licensure path, and board requirements, not simply the highest published rate.

Which PE Civil Discipline Has the Lowest Pass Rate?

Construction has the lowest July 2026 rate in both groups: 60% for first-time examinees and 38% for repeat examinees.

The five first-time rates are relatively close except for WRE’s higher figure: Construction 60%, Transportation 61%, Structural 62%, Geotechnical 63%, and WRE 71%. Those values rank the reported cohorts, but they do not isolate exam difficulty or predict how a candidate from another discipline would perform.

PE Civil Pass Rates by Discipline

PE Civil Construction pass rate

NCEES reports 60% for first-time examinees and 38% for repeat examinees, based on volumes of 1,000 and 417. Candidates should prepare from the Construction specification effective on their exam date and verify its listed design standards.

PE Civil Geotechnical pass rate

NCEES reports 63% for first-time examinees and 44% for repeat examinees, based on volumes of 434 and 201. This is the smallest reported Civil cohort in both groups in the July 2026 table.

PE Civil Structural pass rate

NCEES reports 62% for first-time examinees and 43% for repeat examinees, based on volumes of 1,624 and 847.

PE Civil: Structural is not the same examination as the separate NCEES PE Structural exam, often called the SE exam. Do not mix the pass rates, formats, or candidate volumes from the two exam programs.

PE Civil Transportation pass rate

NCEES reports 61% for first-time examinees and 43% for repeat examinees, based on volumes of 1,929 and 1,097. Transportation has the largest repeat cohort in the current Civil table.

PE Civil Water Resources and Environmental pass rate

NCEES reports 71% for first-time examinees and 49% for repeat examinees, based on volumes of 2,620 and 876. WRE has the highest rate and largest first-time cohort in the July 2026 Civil data.

What Score Do You Need to Pass the PE Civil Exam?

NCEES does not publish the PE Civil passing score. Exam results are based on the total number of correct answers, with no deduction for wrong answers. NCEES then converts the result to a scaled score that accounts for minor differences in difficulty among exam forms and compares it with the minimum ability level established for that exam.

NCEES does not set a predetermined percentage of candidates who must pass or fail. Results are reported as pass or fail. Therefore, claims such as “70% always passes” or “you need 56 correct answers” are not official NCEES rules.

See the NCEES exam-scoring explanation for the controlling description.

Are PE Civil Exams Curved?

Not in the common sense of passing a fixed percentage of the group. NCEES states that there is no predetermined percentage of examinees who should pass or fail. Scaled scoring adjusts for minor differences in difficulty across exam forms; it does not mean candidates are competing for a limited number of passing results.

How Often Does NCEES Update PE Civil Pass Rates?

PE Civil is administered year-round in a computer-based format. NCEES publishes pass rates for the January–June and July–December populations and updates the figures in July and January.

Always check the date shown in the official table. A page carrying the current year in its title can still contain an older reporting window if it has not been maintained.

Will the April 2027 Specifications Change Pass Rates?

NCEES currently separates specifications and design-standard links for exams effective before April 2027 and those effective beginning April 2027. Candidates must select the documents that match their scheduled exam date.

The July 2026 pass-rate table cannot predict how later cohorts will perform under revised specifications. Any claim that a future specification will raise or lower the pass rate would be speculation until relevant results are published.

How Should Candidates Use PE Civil Pass-Rate Data?

Use the data for context, not as a discipline-selection shortcut or personal forecast.

Confirm your discipline and specification. Choose the official document effective on your exam date.

Treat the pass rate as population data. Your readiness depends on evidence from your own work.

Diagnose your preparation. Use fresh problems to identify conceptual, reference, unit, calculator, and pacing errors.

Practice the exam process. Work with the appropriate electronic references, an approved calculator, mixed questions, and timed simulations.

Change the process after a failed attempt. Combine the NCEES diagnostic report with your practice records instead of repeating the same plan unchanged.

For a complete preparation process, read how to improve your chances of passing the PE Civil exam.

PE Civil Preparation With PEwise

PEwise offers focused preparation for PE Civil Geotechnical, Water Resources and Environmental, Construction, and Structural candidates.

The Structural course is built using the NCEES specification and updated resources effective April 2027. While the specification and referenced design-standard editions may include some changes, the core concepts and principles remain the same. Candidates testing before April 2027 should be aware that the course uses the newer sources, but this does not mean the course materials are incorrect or unsuitable for earlier exams.

The courses combine concise visual lessons, explained practice, full-length simulations in a CBT-style study environment, and weekly live PE Power Hour support. PEwise is not the NCEES/Pearson testing platform. Candidates upload their own NCEES PE Civil Reference Handbook for practice, and other reference documents available in the simulator vary by discipline.

At the time of this update, each course is listed at $149 for 90 days, with the first two modules available as a free preview and extension options available. Eligible students who meet all published Pass Guarantee requirements may receive one additional three-month access period after submitting a non-passing NCEES result; the guarantee is not a refund.

Compare PEwise PE Civil courses or try the free PE Civil practice exams.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the PE Civil exam pass rate in 2026?

In NCEES data updated July 2026, PE Civil first-time rates range from 60% to 71%, while repeat rates range from 38% to 49%. A volume-weighted calculation across all five disciplines gives approximate rates of 64.6% for first-time examinees and 44.0% for repeat examinees.

Which PE Civil exam has the highest pass rate?

Water Resources and Environmental has the highest July 2026 rate: 71% for first-time examinees and 49% for repeat examinees.

Which PE Civil exam has the lowest pass rate?

Construction has the lowest July 2026 rate: 60% for first-time examinees and 38% for repeat examinees.

Why are repeat PE exam pass rates lower?

The NCEES table does not identify the causes. First-time and repeat examinees are different populations, so the difference should not be attributed to one factor without additional evidence. Both groups are graded to the same standard.

Does a higher pass rate mean an easier PE Civil exam?

No. A higher cohort pass rate does not by itself prove that an exam is inherently easier. The published table does not control for candidate background, experience, preparation, or other differences.

Is the PE Civil exam curved?

NCEES does not predetermine how many examinees should pass or fail. It uses scaled scoring to account for minor differences in difficulty among exam forms.

What is the PE Civil passing score?

NCEES does not publish the passing score. Results are based on correct answers, converted to a scaled score, and reported as pass or fail.

How often are NCEES PE Civil pass rates updated?

NCEES updates rates for year-round CBT exams in July and January, covering the January–June or July–December population.

Are PE Civil Structural and SE exam pass rates the same?

No. PE Civil: Structural and the separate NCEES PE Structural exam, often called the SE exam, are different exam programs with different formats, candidate groups, and reported rates.

Will the April 2027 specification changes affect pass rates?

Future effects are unknown. Candidates should use the specification effective on their exam date, but the July 2026 table cannot predict performance under later specifications.