Architects
- Information for Architects
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Q: Am I required to have any other qualifications if I\'ve completed the NCARB Intern Development Program (IDP)?
A:The Colorado Board recognizes, but does not require, successful completion of NCARB's IDP as meeting the requirements to take the ARE. Therefore, if you\'ve completed IDP, you have met the experience requirements required for licensure in Colorado and the last step would be to take the ARE. Once you have successfully completed the ARE, you would be ready for licensure in Colorado. When we receive your IDP information and your ARE scores from NCARB, we will contact you with the appropriate application for you to fill out to complete the licensure process. Be advised that it can take several weeks for NCARB to send the information to the Colorado Board.
Note: Effective January 1, 2014, NCARB's IDP is required of all Colorado applicants for original licensure.
- Information on Architect Education
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Q: If I\'ve gone through the NCARB IDP, do I have to take the ARE through NCARB too?
A: No. You may apply to take the ARE directly through the Colorado Board. However, it may be more convenient to continue through the exam process with NCARB, which you may do if you have an NAAB accredited degree in architecture. NCARB will send your IDP record and your exam scores to the Colorado Board after you\'ve passed the entire ARE. If you choose to take the ARE through Colorado rather than NCARB, you will need to complete the Application Material for Original License by Examination and have your NCARB IDP record sent to the Colorado Board. Be advised that it can take several months for NCARB to send your IDP information to the Colorado Board.
Q: What do I do now that I\'ve gone through the NCARB IDP and passed the ARE?
A: Once we receive your IDP information and your ARE scores from NCARB, we will contact you with the appropriate application for you to fill out to complete the licensure process. Be advised that it can take several weeks for NCARB to send the information to the Colorado Board.
Q: If I have taken and passed some of the divisions of the ARE, can I apply to finish out the licensing process in Colorado?
A: Yes, you may apply to Colorado to transfer the portions of the ARE that you have passed and complete the licensing process in Colorado. You will need to complete and submit the Application for Original License by Examination.
Q: If I have passed all divisions of the exam in another state but have not been issued a license, can I transfer my scores to Colorado?
A: Yes. However, prior to January 1, 2011, Colorado did not allow early eligibility to take the exam. If you took the exam(s) in a state that allowed early eligibility, any exams taken prior to January 1, 2011 and prior to completing all of Colorado's education and experience requirements will not be accepted by the Colorado Board. If you took the exam after obtaining your education and experience, you will need to complete and submit the Application for Licensure by Transfer of Grades.
- Information on Architect Experience
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Q: Do I have to go through NCARB and IDP to get my experience verified?
A: No, IDP is no longer required. However, you must have an NCARB File Number in order to take the ARE. You may apply directly to the Colorado Board without going through the entire NCARB IDP process, however, all applicants are required to apply online at www.ncarb.org to set up an NCARB record and obtain an NCARB file number.
In addition, you must meet the Colorado experience requirements pursuant to the NCARB IDP training requirements (refer to Board Rule 4.4.1). Be aware that many states require completion of IDP for licensure and may not award endorsement or reciprocity licensure without it. Information about IDP and states that require it is available from NCARB's website. If you decide to apply directly to the Colorado Board, you must complete the Application Material for Original License by Examination.
- Information on Architect Applications
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Q: Do I have to fill out an application if I have an NCARB Council Record?
A: Yes, however, the process is streamlined with the NCARB Council Record. Please refer to the Application for Original License by Endorsement.
- Information on Architect Examinations
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Q: What do I have to do to request special examination accommodations?
A: If you require examination administration accommodations that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, please fill out the ADA Examination Accommodation Request For
Professional Engineers and Engineer Interns
The following information is provided as a resource to those applying to qualify for enrollment as an Engineer Intern (EI) or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) in the State of Colorado by examination or by endorsement (also referred to as comity or reciprocity.)
All applicants are required to follow all application instructions and comply with the instructions found on the application forms.
- Information for Engineers
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Q: Does Colorado have a residency requirement?
A: No.
Q: Does our firm have to be licensed to practice engineering in Colorado?
A: No. Colorado does not license firms. To practice engineering in Colorado, you must be licensed as an engineer in Colorado. The Board's statute addresses forms of organization that are permitted to practice in Colorado. Please refer to the PE Statute (C.R.S. 12-25-104) or the PLS Statute (C.R.S. 12-25-204).
Q: Does Colorado offer a way to do a one-time job in Colorado without filling out the entire Professional Engineer application?
A: No. To practice in Colorado, you must be a licensed PE in Colorado. Temporary licenses are not authorized by law, or granted.
Q: How does the application process work?
A: First, you must apply to the State of Colorado for permission to take the examination. After you receive written notice from the State of Colorado, you must then register online with the Board's examination administration vendor NCEES. Please keep in mind that each phase has different deadline dates.
Colorado has two deadline dates: December 1st for April examinations, and June 1st for October examinations. If your application is not fully complete by the current deadline, it will be eligible and reviewed for the following examination.
Q: How do I submit additional education or experience documentation for an application that was turned down due to insufficient experience or education?
A: You will need to complete the Engineering application and write "RE" or "Reapplication" at the top of the application. Submit the new documents for education/experience that were missing or incomplete. For experience, you must complete the Engineering Experience Summary and the Engineering Experience Verification. You can document additional experience in the Experience Summary where you left off on the previous application. For education, you must submit an official transcript in a sealed envelope.
Q: Do I need to pay an additional fee with my reapplication?
A: No, as long as you reapply within the timeframe indicated in the status letter from the Office of Licensing.
- Information on Engineer Education
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Q: I have two (2) ABET* Engineering Master (MS) degrees. Can I use both degrees for two years of education/experience credit toward the engineering application requirements?
A: Yes. See Board Rule 4.6.1.5.
Q: I attended more than one college. Do you need transcripts from all of them?
A: If you graduated with an ABET* BS degree in engineering, only the transcript from the college where the BS degree is conferred is needed. However, if you do not have an ABET BS degree in engineering, you should submit transcripts from all the higher education institutions that you attended in order to receive all possible credit.
Q: Can graduate students apply to take the exam as a student with their school?
A: No. This option is only available to students in senior status in an ABET accredited undergraduate program.
Q: Can my student application be used for multiple exams?
A: No. The student application is good for one exam administration only. If you fail the exam and are still a student, you can apply again through your school. If you have graduated, you will be required to submit a regular application by the published deadlines.
Q: Does Colorado recognize the Washington Accord Agreement for foreign degrees?
A: No. The Washington Accord status is no longer recognized by the Board as of February 10, 2006. The exception is any degree accredited by the Canadian Accreditation Board (CAB). All other foreign degrees are required to be evaluated by NCEES Credentials Evaluations Services if the applicant wishes to have his/her education considered for credit in the application review process.
NCEES Credentials Evaluations Services
P.O. Box 1686
Clemson, SC 29633-1686
865-654-6824
http://ncees.org/credentials-evaluations/*ABET is the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology, the institution that is nationally recognized as setting the academic standard for engineering programs.
- Information on Engineer Experience
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Q: How much experience do I need to qualify for the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam (also known as the PE exam)?
A: That all depends on the amount of education you have. The determination of the total years required to take the PE exam begins with the education of the applicant, as required by law.
This chart should be useful in determining how much experience you need: Summary of Licensing Requirements.
Q: Do I need to have verified experience for the last year even if it wasn't engineering experience?
A: Yes, per Board Policy 40.11 - Verification of Recent Experience: "An applicant must include verification of work experience within the twelve months prior to submittal of the application in addition to any engineering or surveying experience for which the applicant desires credit toward qualification for licensure.
Q: I am not able to have a licensed Professional Engineer verify my work experience. What should I do?
A: You do not have to have a licensed PE verify your experience. It is preferred, but not required. However, you must have someone, preferably a supervisor, that can verify the work and fill out the Engineering Experience Verification form in the application. That individual must have worked with you at the time you gained that experience and have enough knowledge about what you did to be able to evaluate your performance.
Q: The Engineering Experience Verification form has less room than the Engineering Experience Summary forms. How can I make them match?
A: You are limited to three pages for the Engineering Experience Summary forms but can have as many pages of the Engineering Experience Verification forms as needed. You should cut and paste the information form the Engineering Experience Summary form onto the Engineering Experience Verification form. You can say "continued on page 2" and "continued from page 1" to make the continuation clearer.
Q: How many different references do I need for a period of time?
A: Only one, if that reference can verify the entire work engagement timeframe. If not, then you need as many as necessary to cover that timeframe.
Q: Do I really need to show my experience all the way back to high school?
A: Yes, but you do not need to have all of it verified. It is suggested that you provide a one line description of the non-engineering experience since you are limited to three pages for your Summary of Experience. Please be advised that non-engineering experience gained within 12 months prior to submitting your application must be verified per Board Policy 40.11.
Q: Can experience earned as part of my Masters degree coursework be used for work experience?
A: No.
Q: Can experience earned outside of my Masters degree coursework be used for work experience if gained during the time I am getting my Masters degree?
A: Yes.
Q: Can I earn work experience while earning my Bachelor of Science in Engineering?
A: No. Per Board Rule 4.6.4 -Employment While a Full-Time Undergraduate Student, "full-time engineering or land surveying undergraduate students will not receive employment experience credit for summer jobs, part-time, or full-time jobs."
- Information on Engineer Applications
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Q: What are the application deadlines?
A: To be eligible for the April exam, your complete application must be received no later than December 1st. To be eligible for the October exam, your complete application must be received no later than June 1st.
Q: I don\'t have enough room to put information on the electronic forms online. What should I do?
A: If you are having problems with the forms, please contact our technical support staff for assistance at dora_registrations@state.co.us.
Q: Who should I make my check out to?
A: State of Colorado.
Q: Where should I mail my application (and verifications)?
A: Please mail to the following address:
State of Colorado
Division of Professions and Occupations
Office of Licensing - PE/PLS
1560 Broadway, Suite 1350
Denver, CO 80202Q: What is my EI/FE (Engineer-Intern/Fundamentals of Engineering) enrollment number?
A: If you became enrolled after 1994, you do not have an EI number. The law changed at that time and the Board stopped issuing Engineer-Intern enrollment numbers.
Q: Do I have to include a self-addressed stamped envelope with my application?
A: No. We no longer require this. You can track your application status using Online Services.
- Information on Engineer Examinations
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Q: What is the application deadline to apply for the Colorado examination?
A: To be eligible for the April exam, your complete application must be received no later than December 1st.To be eligible for the October exam, your complete application must be received no later than June 1st.
Q: Once I receive approval from the State of Colorado to take the NCEES PE (Principles and Practice of Engineering) or FE (Fundamentals of Engineering) exam, how do I register for the examination?
A: Register and pay online at www.ncees.org/exams website.
Q: I was approved to take the exam in October, but did not take the exam. What do I need to do?
A: If you are a non-student applicant, you have two years from the date you were approved to take the exam, or two years from the date you took the exam and failed it, to re-take the exam. You must register with NCEES/NCEES Exam Services per Board Rule 4.3.2. -Approved Applications, "The board retains application forms and supporting documents for persons who have been approved to sit for the fundamentals of engineering, principles and practice of engineering, fundamentals of surveying, principles and practice of land surveying, or the Colorado state specific surveying examinations for a period of two years from the date of approval by the board. If an applicant does not take the examination within that two-year period, the application will be removed from the board files. If an applicant fails an examination, the applicant has two years from the date of that examination to retake the examination or the application will be removed from the board files."
If you are a student, you will have to fill out an application with the State of Colorado and be approved to sit for the exam. If you have graduated, you will need to file an application as a non-student.
Q: Do I pay for the NCEESexam with my application and payment to the State of Colorado?
A: No. You will wait for the Board to approve your application to take the exam. When you receive a letter from the Board, you will log on to the NCEES website and pay to register to take your exam.
Q: My EI (Engineer-Intern) record is showing an expiration date on the Board's licensee database. I thought they never expired?
A: Once you become a Professional Engineer in the State of Colorado, we put the date you became a PE in the Engineer-Intern expiration date, because you are no longer an intern and that status is cancelled. We retain your EI enrollment information on file and can provide it to other states to which you may apply for a license.
Q: Why does the Board give me a "Pass/Fail" status on my licensing examinations instead of my actual scores?
A: The Colorado Board requires examinations to identify candidate proficiency upon entry into the engineering and land surveying professions. These credentialing examinations are not developed to serve as achievement tests, i.e., provide information regarding how much knowledge an individual has attained in relation to learning objectives or relative to a normative group. They also are not designed for job or placement decisions.
Instead, these examinations are created, and proficiency cut-points on these measures are derived, to reliably ascertain pass/fail status in relation to what an entry-level practitioner should be expected to know and/or demonstrate for safe practice.
Q: Why did the Board previously give scores?
A: In keeping with the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, National Council on Measurement in Education, 1999) and the psychometric principles that underlie the development of the credentialing examinations, the Board made the decision to report the pass/fail classifications the credentialing examinations were intended to yield.
By adopting the pass/fail examination reporting policy, the Board has also taken the lead to prevent the abuse and/or misuse of scores from the examinations it uses to determine dichotomous pass/fail classifications.
Q: If the Board does not give me my actual scores, then how will I know how well I passed or how badly I failed my licensure examinations?
A: The tests required for licensure are intended to measure whether candidates can demonstrate the competence that is needed for safe practice at the time they enter into the engineering and/or land surveying profession. These measures are not intended to yield scores that may be interpreted inappropriately, e.g., scores are not predictors of success in the profession, nor are they indicative of the quality of the services that a licensee may offer to a customer.
What does and should matter to licensing boards is whether a licensure candidate can demonstrate the required entry-level competence on licensing examinations. This focus is grounded in the principle that all new licensees are at least able to demonstrate a level of competence that is believed necessary for safe practice.
In the case of failing candidates, the Board issues a diagnostic report that provides strengths and weaknesses feedback on the examinations. This information may serve as guidance by identifying the areas a failing candidate did not demonstrate entry-level proficiency.
Refer to the Pass/Fail Exam Results FAQ for source references.
Q: What can I take into the exam location?
A: Please refer to the NCEES Exam Day Policies for detailed information, including what can be taken into the exam location.
- Information on Engineer Endorsement
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Q: I already have a license as a Professional Engineer (PE) in another state. Is there a list of states that are "substantially equivalent" to Colorado's requirements for endorsement applications to get a license as a PE?
A: No. Basically your application is reviewed as if you are applying to take the PE examination. Therefore, you need to submit all documentation required by the application instructions.
Q: Does Colorado allow for "reciprocity" or "comity" with entities that are not in the United States?
A: No. You must file a complete application for licensure including an NCEES Credentials Evaluation if you want credit for your foreign degree. The exception to the requirement for evaluation of foreign degrees are those obtained from programs accredited by the Canadian Accreditation Board (CAB).
NCEES Credentials Evaluations Services
P.O. Box 1686
Clemson, SC 29633-1686
Phone: 865-654-6824
www.ncees.org/credentials-evaluationsQ: I took my FE (Fundamentals of Engineering) exam in another state, butI was never enrolled in that state as an Engineer-Intern (EI). What option should I pick on the engineering application?
A: Select "transfer my engineer-intern enrollment from another US jurisdiction." Even though you were never enrolled as an EI, the Board will recognize that you took and passed the NCEES FE exam in the other state as long as you meet the qualifications to become an EI in Colorado.
Q: How do I do reciprocity or comity of PE license?
A: Colorado does not have direct reciprocity or comity with other U.S. states or foreign countries. Colorado allows for the endorsement of a license from another U.S. state, which includes acceptance of the NCEES FE and PE examination scores. You are required to meet Colorado's education and experience rules, thus you must complete the entire application and attach all supporting documents (official sealed transcripts, experience summary and sealed experience verification forms and the fee).
You will need to request the state(s) where you took your FE, PE exam(s) as well as where you have an active PE to verify and mail the information directly to the State of Colorado.
Q: If I want to endorse my active PE license from another US jurisdiction, and I am an NCEES Council Record holder, do I need to include all the supporting documents with my application?
A: No. The official transcripts, experience summary, experience verification and verifications of examinations and licenses are part of the NCEES Council Record and will be submitted to Colorado from NCEES upon your request. However, if these documents are not part of the council record, then you are responsible for obtaining them in order to complete your application.
You must complete the affidavit of Eligibility form and submit it with your application, as this form is NOT part of your NCEES Council Record.
Q:What checklist requirements are needed for NCEES Council Record holders? If the NCEES box is checked, do the boxes for attachments need to be checked and are there any requirements for these items?
A: No, you do not need to check the boxes for supporting documents. All this information is provided by NCEES. You must check the Engineering Application and NCEES Council Record Holders boxes only.
Professional Land Surveyors and Land Surveyor Interns
The following information is provided as a resource to those applying to qualify for enrollment as an Land Surveyor Intern (LSI) or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PLS) in the State of Colorado by examination or by endorsement (also referred to as comity or reciprocity.)
All applicants are required to follow all application instructions and comply with the instructions found on the application forms.
- Information for Surveyors
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Q: Does Colorado offer a way to do a one-time job in Colorado without filling out the entire Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) endorsement application?
A: No. To practice in Colorado, you must be a licensed PLS in Colorado. Temporary licenses are not authorized by law or granted.
Q:Does Colorado have a residency requirement?
A: No.
Q: Does our firm have to be licensed to practice land surveying in Colorado?
A: No. Colorado does not license firms. To practice land surveying in Colorado, you must be licensed as a land surveyor in Colorado. The Board's statute addresses forms of organizations that are permitted to practice in Colorado. Refer to the PE Statute(CRS 12-25-104) or thePLS Statute(CRS 12-25-204).
Q: How does the application process work?
A: First, you will apply to the State of Colorado for permission to take the examination. After you receive written notice from the State of Colorado, you will then register online with the Board's examination administration vendor, NCEES. Please keep in mind that each phase has different deadline dates.
Colorado has two deadline dates: December 1st for the April examinations and June 1st for the October examinations. If your application is not fully complete by the current deadline, your application will be eligible and reviewed for the following examination.
Q: How do I submit additional education or experience documentation for an application that was turned down due to insufficient experience or education?
A: You will need to complete the Land Surveyor application and write "RE"or "Reapplication" at the top. Submit the new documents for education/experience that were missing or incomplete.
For experience, you must complete the Land Surveyor Experience Summary and the Land Surveyor Experience Verification. You can document additional experience in the Experience Summary where you left off on the previous application.
For education, you must submit an official transcript in a sealed envelope.
Q: Do I need to pay an additional fee with my reapplication?
A: No, as long as you reapply within the timeframe indicated in the status letter from the Office of Licensing.
- Information on Surveyor Education
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Q:I attended more than one college. Do you need transcripts from all of them?
A:If you graduated with a Board approved BS degree in Land Surveying, only the transcript from the college where the BS degree is conferred is needed. However, if you do not have an ABET* BS degree in Land Surveying, you should submit transcripts from all the higher education institutions that you attended in order for all possible credit to be awarded to you.
*ABET is the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology, the institution that is nationally recognized as setting the academic standard for engineering programs.
Q:Does Colorado recognize the Washington Accord Agreement for foreign degrees?
A:No. The Washington Accord status is no longer recognized by the Board as of February 10, 2006. All foreign degrees are required to be evaluated byNCEESCredentials Evaluations Servicesif the applicant wishes to have his/her education considered for credit in the application review process.
NCEES Credentials Evaluations Services
P.O. Box 1686
Clemson, SC 29633-1686
Phone: 865-654-6824
www.ncees.org/credentials-evaluationsQ: If I don\'t have education past high school, am I required to submit my high school transcript?
A: Yes.
- Information on Surveyor Experience
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Q: How much experience do I need to qualify for the Land Surveying examinations (LSI/PLS examinations)?
A: That depends on the amount of education that you have. The determination of the total years required to take the LSI/PLS exam begins with the education of the applicant, as required by law.
This chart should be useful in determining how much experience you need: Summary of Licensing Requirements.
Q: Do I need to have verified experience for the last year even if it wasn\'t land surveying experience?
A: Yes, per Board Policy40.11 - Verification of Recent Experience: "An applicant must include verification of work experience within the twelve months prior to submittal of the application in addition to any engineering or surveying experience for which the applicant desires credit toward qualification for licensure.
Q: The Engineering Experience Verification form has less room than the Engineering Experience Summary forms. How can I make them match?
A: You are limited to three pages for the Land Surveyor Experience Summary forms, but can have as many pages of the Land Surveyor Experience Verification forms as needed. You should cut and paste the information from the Land Surveyor Experience Summary form onto the Land Surveyor Experience Verification form. You can say "continued on page 2" and "continued from page 1" to make the continuation clearer.
Q: How many different references do I need for a period of time?
A: Only one, if that reference can verify the entire work engagement timeframe. If not, then you need as many as necessary to cover that timeframe.
Q:Do I really need to show my experience all the way back to high school?
A: Yes, but you don\'thave to have all of it verified. It is suggested that you provide a one-line description of the non-land surveyor experience, since you are limited to three pages for your Summary of Experience. Please be advised that non-land surveyor experience gained within the 12 months prior to submitting your application must be verified per Board Policy40.11.
Q: Can I earn work experience while earning my Bachelor of Science in Land Surveying?
A: No, per Board Rule4.6.4 - Employment While a Full-Time Undergraduate Student:"Full-time engineering or land surveying undergraduate students will not receive employment experience credit for summer jobs, part-time, or full-time jobs."
- Information on Surveyor Applications
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Q: I don't have enough room to put information on the electronic forms online. What should I do?
A: If you are having problems with the forms, contact our technical support staff for assistance at dora_registrations@state.co.us.
Q: Who should I make my check out to?
A: State of Colorado.
Q: Where should I mail my application (and verifications)?
A: Please mail to the following address:
State of Colorado
Division of Professions and Occupations
Office of Licensing - PE/PLS
1560 Broadway, Suite 1350
Denver, CO 80202Q: What is my LSI/FS (Land Surveyor-Intern/Fundamentals of Surveying) enrollment number?
A: If you became enrolled after 1994, you do not have an LSI number. The law changed at that time and the Board stopped issuing Land Surveyor-Intern enrollment numbers.
Q: Do I have to include a self-addressed stamped envelope with my application?
A: No. You can track your application status using Online Services.
- Information on Surveyor Examinations
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Q: Once I receive approval from the State of Colorado to take the NCEES PLS (Principles and Practice of Land Surveying) or FS (Fundamentals of Surveying) exam, how do I register for the examination?
A:You register and pay online at thewww.ncees.org/Examswebsite.
Q: I was approved to take the exam in October, but did not take the exam. What do I need to do?
A: You have two years from the date you were approved to take the exam, or two years from the date you took the exam and failed it, to re-take the exam. You must register withNCEES/NCEESExam Services per Board Rule 4.3.2. -Approved Applications: "The board retains application forms and supporting documents for persons who have been approved to sit for the fundamentals of engineering, principles and practice of engineering, fundamentals of surveying, principles and practice of land surveying, or the Colorado state specific surveying examinations for a period of two years from the date of approval by the board. If an applicant does not take the examination within that two-year period, the application will be removed from the board files. If an applicant fails an examination, the applicant has two years from the date of that examination to retake the examination or the application will be removed from the board files."
Q: Do I pay for the NCEES exam with my application and payment to the State of Colorado?
A: No. You will wait for the Board to approve your application to take the exam. When you receive a letter from the Board, you will log on to theNCEESwebsite and pay to register to take your exam.
Q: My Land Surveyor-Intern (LSI) record is showing an expiration date on the Board's licensee database. I thought they never expired?
A: Once you become a Professional Land Surveyor in the State of Colorado, we put the date you became a PLS in the Land Surveyor-Intern expiration date, because you are no longer an intern and that status is cancelled. We retain your LSI enrollment information on file and can provide it to other states to which you may apply for a license.
Q: Why does the Board give me a "Pass/Fail" status on my licensing examinations instead of my actual scores?
A: The Colorado Board requires examinations to identify candidate proficiency upon entry into the engineering and land surveying professions. These credentialing examinations are not developed to serve as achievement tests, i.e., provide information regarding how much knowledge an individual has attained in relation to learning objectives or relative to a normative group. They also are not designed for job or placement decisions.
Instead, these examinations are created, and proficiency cut-points on these measures are derived, to reliably ascertain pass/fail status in relation to what an entry-level practitioner should be expected to know and/or demonstrate for safe practice.
Q: Why did the Board previously give scores?
A: In keeping with the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, National Council on Measurement in Education, 1999) and the psychometric principles that underlie the development of the credentialing examinations, the Board made the decision to report the pass/fail classifications the credentialing examinations were intended to yield.
By adopting the pass/fail examination reporting policy, the Board has also taken the lead to prevent the abuse and/or misuse of scores from the examinations it uses to determine dichotomous pass/fail classifications.
Q: If the Board does not give me my actual scores, then how will I know how well I passed or how badly I failed my licensure examinations?
A: The tests required for licensure are intended to measure whether candidates can demonstrate the competence that is needed for safe practice at the time they enter into the engineering and/or land surveying profession. These measures are not intended to yield scores that may be interpreted inappropriately, e.g., scores are not predictors of success in the profession, nor are they indicative of the quality of the services that a licensee may offer to a customer.
What does and should matter to licensing boards is whether a licensure candidate can demonstrate the required entry-level competence on licensing examinations. This focus is grounded in the principle that all new licensees are at least able to demonstrate a level of competence that is believed necessary for safe practice.
In the case of failing candidates, the Board issues a diagnostic report that provides strengths and weaknesses feedback on the examinations. This information may serve as guidance by identifying the areas a failing candidate did not demonstrate entry-level proficiency.
Refer to the Pass/Fail Exam Results FAQ for source references.
- Information on Surveyor Endorsement
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Q: I already have a license as a Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) in another state. Is there a list of states that are "substantially equivalent" to Colorado's requirements for endorsement applications to get a license as a PLS?
A: No. Basically, your application is reviewed as if you were applying to take the PLS examination. Therefore, you need to submit all documentation required by the application instructions.
Q: Does Colorado allow for "reciprocity" or "comity" with entities that are not in the United States?
A: No. You must file a complete application for licensure including anNCEESCredentials Evaluationif you want credit for your foreign degree. The exception to the requirement for evaluation of foreign degrees are those obtained from programs accredited by the Canadian Accreditation Board (CAB).
NCEESCredentials Evaluations Services
P.O. Box 1686
Clemson, SC 29633-1686
Phone: 865-654-6824
www.ncees.org/credentials-evaluationsQ: I took my Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam in another state. I was never enrolled in that state as a Land Surveyor-Intern (LSI). What option should I pick on the land surveying application?
A: Select "transfer my land surveying-intern enrollment from another US jurisdiction." Even though you were never enrolled as an LSI, the Board will recognize that you took and passed the NCEES FS exam in the other state as long as you meet the qualifications to become an LSI in Colorado.
Q: How do I do reciprocity or comity of PLS license?
A: Colorado does not have direct reciprocity or comity with other U.S. states or foreign countries. Colorado allows for the endorsement of a license from another U.S. state, which includes acceptance of the NCEES FS and PLS examination scores. You are required to meet Colorado's education and experience rules, thus you must complete the entire application and attach all supporting documents (official sealed transcripts, experience summary and sealed experience verification forms and the fee). You will need to request the state(s) where you took your FS, PLS exam(s) as well as where you have an active PLS license to verify and mail the information directly to the State of Colorado.
Q: If I want to endorse my active PLS license from another US jurisdiction, and I am an NCEES Council Record holder, do I need to include all the supporting documents with my application?
A: No. The official transcripts, experience summary, experience verification and verifications of examinations and licenses are part of the NCEES Council Record and will be submitted to Colorado from NCEES upon your request. However, if these documents are not part of the Council Record, then you are responsible for obtaining them in order to complete your application.
You must complete the affidavit of Eligibility form and submit it with your application, as this form is NOT part of yourNCEESCouncil Record.
Q: What checklist requirements are needed for NCEES Council Record holders? If the NCEES box is checked, do the boxes for attachments need to be checked and are there any requirements for these items?
A: No, you do not need to check the boxes for supporting documents. All this information is provided by NCEES. You must check the Land SurveyingApplication andNCEESCouncil Record Holders boxes only.