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

Civil Engineering subdisciplines show distinct pass rate patterns

The most recent NCEES data (January–June 2025 testing window, the second full release under the April 2024 specification) reveals important variations within civil engineering specializations. Civil: Water Resources and Environmental leads with a 68% first-time pass rate, while Civil: Transportation now trails at 55% — a 13-percentage-point spread across the five PE Civil disciplines.

Civil Engineering subdiscipline breakdown:

• Water Resources and Environmental: 68% first-time / 47% repeat (largest first-time cohort: 2,264 candidates)
• Geotechnical: 61% first-time / 41% repeat
• Structural: 58% first-time / 37% repeat
• Construction: 56% first-time / 36% repeat (smallest first-time cohort: 767 candidates)
• Transportation: 55% first-time / 42% repeat

Year-over-year shifts (Jul–Dec 2024 → Jan–Jun 2025):

Four of the five PE Civil disciplines saw first-time pass-rate decreases between the prior NCEES release and the current one: Water Resources & Environmental dropped from 70% to 68% (−2 points), Geotechnical from 63% to 61% (−2 points), Construction from 61% to 56% (−5 points), and Transportation from 65% to 55% (−10 points, the largest single-discipline shift). Structural was unchanged at 58%. Transportation's decline is the most consequential: it moved from second-highest to lowest in a single cycle, a pattern worth watching as the April 2024 specification beds in across more candidate cohorts.

This variation reflects complexity differences between subdisciplines and shifts in candidate composition under the April 2024 specification. Water Resources & Environmental's higher success rate benefits from straightforward hydraulic calculations and topics that align closely with undergraduate coursework. Transportation's decline likely reflects the discipline's expanded scope under the April 2024 specification — geometric design, traffic engineering, drainage, pavement, and site development now combined into a single 80-question exam without the breadth/depth split. Structural's stability at 58% suggests the discipline-specific format hasn't shifted that cohort's preparation patterns.

For context, PE Civil pass rates fall in the middle range across all NCEES PE disciplines. Engineering disciplines as a whole span roughly the 40s to 80s in first-time pass percentage; Civil sits comfortably in the middle of that band.

Pass-rate trends respond to structured preparation. PEwise's PE Geotechnical exam prep course and PE WRE exam prep course are PE Civil exam prep courses built around the post-2024 PE Civil exam specifications.

Computer-based testing transformed civil engineering pass rates

The transition from pencil-and-paper to computer-based testing between 2020-2024 significantly improved civil engineering performance. Civil: Structural saw the most dramatic improvement, with pass rates increasing from approximately 45% to 58% - a 13 percentage point jump. Other civil subdisciplines experienced similar gains of 8-15 percentage points.

This improvement reflects several advantages specific to civil engineering practice. Electronic reference materials replaced the cumbersome transportation of multiple code books, design manuals, and reference guides that civil engineers previously carried to exam sites. The searchable electronic format particularly benefits structural engineers navigating complex building codes and steel/concrete design standards.

Civil-specific advantages of computer-based testing include:

• Instant access to current building codes and design standards
• Searchable AISC, ACI, and AASHTO references
• Elimination of 40+ pounds of reference materials
• Year-round scheduling flexibility accommodating project cycles
• Faster results (7-10 days versus 8-10 weeks)

For comparison, the transition benefited all engineering disciplines, with increases ranging from 10-30 percentage points. The Civil Engineering improvement falls in the middle range, suggesting steady benefits without the dramatic changes seen in disciplines like Power Engineering (31-point increase).

Strategic recommendations for civil engineering first-time success

Optimal timing for civil engineers involves taking the exam within 3-5 years of graduation when theoretical knowledge remains fresh while gaining sufficient practical project experience. Structural engineers may benefit from the longer preparation time due to complex code requirements, while water resources engineers can succeed with earlier attempts.

Civil engineering preparation strategy:

• Dedicate 250-350 hours over 4-6 months
• Emphasize breadth review across all five subdisciplines
• Focus heavily on practice problems and code navigation
• Consider ASCE or School of PE review courses (90%+ success rates)
• Master electronic reference materials before exam day

Subdiscipline-specific recommendations:

• Structural: Extra emphasis on steel/concrete design codes and complex calculations
• Water Resources: Focus on hydrology, hydraulics, and environmental regulations
• Geotechnical: Practice soil mechanics problems and foundation design. Consider specialized providers like PEwise for focused geotechnical preparation with modern animated content
• Transportation: Master highway design and traffic engineering principles
• Construction: Understand project management and construction methods

Risk mitigation for civil engineers includes avoiding unprepared attempts (especially critical given subdiscipline breadth), not delaying too long after graduation, and investing in review courses as insurance against multiple attempts. First-time success remains significantly more likely than repeat attempts across all civil subdisciplines.

Civil engineers have advantages in abundant study resources, established preparation networks through ASCE, and comprehensive university curricula that cover exam topics. However, the breadth requirement demands more extensive preparation compared to specialized engineering disciplines.

Conclusion

Civil Engineering PE exam first-time pass rates reflect the complex, interdisciplinary nature of civil practice, with subdiscipline variations from 55% (Transportation) to 68% (Water Resources & Environmental) under the January–June 2025 NCEES release, highlighting different preparation requirements by discipline. The transition to computer-based testing improved success rates across all civil subdisciplines while maintaining professional competency standards; the April 2024 specification consolidation is now layering on top of that, with year-over-year shifts that vary by discipline. Success correlates strongly with structured discipline-specific preparation, optimal timing around four years of experience, and first-time focus — making strategic preparation choices critical for civil engineering career advancement.

The data clearly demonstrates that disciplined preparation covering your specific subdiscipline and strategic timing outweigh raw experience in determining PE exam success, providing actionable insights for civil engineers pursuing licensure.

For a deeper look at exam-related decisions: our PE Civil exam cost guide for 2026 walks through NCEES, state, and licensure fees discipline by discipline, and our PE exam requirements by state covers experience, references, and application timelines for all 50 jurisdictions.