Civil Engineer, Certified (CE-C)

• Undergraduate engineering degree or closely related field.
• Professional Engineer (P.E.) license or equivalent international licensure.
• Completion of the online CE-C application and payment of application fee.
• Submission of a supervisor/mentor-verified CEBOK-outcome aligned Experience Checklist. Important: Please type all names and initials directly into the signature and initial fields of the fillable checklist; saved adobe acrobat signatures are not accepted.
• Passing the CE-C online written exam (40 question, 60-minute timed exam).
• Adherence to ASCE Code of Ethics.

1. Prepare your application materials

Your CE-C application will include:

• Completed CE-C Application Form.
• Resume or C.V.
• Completed and Verified CE-C Experience Checklist:
  • This checklist verifies the CEBOK outcomes that cannot be measured through the written exam such as Critical Thinking & Problem Solving and Professional Attitudes & Responsibilities.
  • Applicants must upload the completed checklist that has been validated by manager(s) or mentor(s), as part of their application. Important: Please type all names and initials directly into the signature and initial fields of the fillable checklist; saved adobe acrobat signatures are not accepted.
• Application fee payment.
  
  • ASCE and/or Institute members - $250
  • Nonmembers - $350

Note: References are not required for the CE-C certification.

2. Submit your application

Once your application materials are complete (including uploading the completed Experience Checklist), submit your application and payment for processing.

Important: Once submitted and paid, the application fee is non-refundable. Please make sure you meet the CE-C eligibility requirements before paying the fee.

CEC staff will review all applications for completeness. Incomplete applications at the published deadline will be delayed until the next application cycle (see "Application Deadlines" section below).

3. What happens after you submit

After the completeness check, your application will be forwarded to the Civil Engineer, Certified Administrative Unit (CEC-AU) for review.

Following review, one of the outcomes below will occur:

1.  Approval to take the CE-C written online exam, or
2. A request for additional documentation or clarification regarding your experience or competencies.
   
   The CEC-AU is responsible for issuing the Civil Engineer-Certified (CE-C) credential once all requirements—including submission of completed Experience Checklist and passing the written online exam — are successfully met.

All applicants must submit an application fee covering program expenses including application review, examination fees, record keeping, issuance of a certificate, and initial year's board certification fee.

• ASCE and/or Institute members - $250
• Nonmembers - $350

• Spring application deadline: March 31
• Summer application deadline: June 30
• Fall application deadline: Sept. 30
• Winter application deadline: Dec. 31

Our program involves thorough applicant reviews by volunteer boards and panelists, so the timeline from application submission to board certification can span several months. Below is an overview of typical processing times.

1. After submission, your application undergoes a completeness check by CEC staff (7-10 business days) before it is sent to the appropriate Review Committee.

2. Complete applications are reviewed quarterly for winter, spring, summer, or fall intake (6-8 weeks). For example, if an application is received in February, it will be reviewed with other applications received by the March 31 deadline for the spring application review. (Allow 6-8 weeks, about 2 months, for review time by Review Committees after each published application deadline.)

3. Incomplete applications received by the deadline are deferred to the next cycle for review.

Below are the following possible outcomes once an application has been fully reviewed by the Review Committee and the timeline after an application is submitted:

1. The applicant may be approved to take the online Civil Engineer, Certified (CE-C) exam. If approved for exam, instructions on scheduling the exam will be provided. (6-8 weeks, about 2 months, after the review deadline).

2. The applicant may be required to submit additional documentation and/or clarify their professional experience and expertise. (6-8 weeks, about 2 months, after the review deadline + additional weeks for additional review).

3. Upon passing the exam, the applicant is granted certification or denied certification. (12-14 weeks, about 3 months, after the initial review deadline + additional review of additional documentation of application materials + schedule exam + take exam + notified of exam results).

4. If the candidate fails the initial exam attempt, they may re-test once for no additional cost within 6 months of the initial attempt.

Please contact [email protected] for any questions regarding the timeline of the application process.

Still have questions? Check the CEC frequently asked questions here.

• Duration: 60-minute, 40 item, timed exam.
• Format: Multiple-choice questions, closed-book exam, administered online using AI proctoring to ensure compliance with exam rules. 
• Prohibited actions: External apps, notes, talking, or sharing content.

To take the online exam via the Certiverse platform, you will need to:

• Complete the network test on the System Requirements page.
• Use a supported browser: Microsoft Edge (latest version) or Google Chrome (latest version).
• Enable camera and microphone access for AI proctoring.

• Review of the Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge and specific competency areas included in the Experience Checklist and Exam (see information below).
• Review the Test Taker User Guide which provides essential instructions for taking the exam on the Certiverse/Rosalyn platform.
• You will receive an email with detailed instructions from CEC staff when you’ve been approved to schedule and take the exam.

Stay tuned for additional ASCE Resources to help you prepare for the CE-C certification! 

• Once approved by the Civil Engineer-Certified Administrative Unit (CEC-AU) to sit for the exam, CEC staff will coordinate with you to schedule your exam date and time. Please note, once a CE-C application is approved, the candidate must complete the written exam within the next 12 months.
• You will receive detailed instructions from CEC staff and Certiverse, the external vendor hosting the online exam.
  
  • Booking guidelines:
    • Book only when ready to take exam within 7 days of scheduling.
    • Cancellation must occur within this 7-day window via the CEC Exam Store.

• For eligibility or booking questions, contact CEC staff at [email protected].
• For technical issues while scheduling, preparing for, or taking the exam, contact Certiverse Test Taker Support at [email protected].

Helpful Links:

• System Requirements: Live and AI Proctoring
• Taking an On-Demand Live Proctored Exam with Rosalyn
• Rosalyn Manual Application Download
• Test Taker Knowledge Base

• Passing candidates will be confirmed by CEC-AU for certification at their next meeting, and CEC staff will notify them of their official certification.
• For those that do not pass on their 1st attempt, please see details on re-takes below.
  
  • Exam Re-Take Policy: 
    • If you do not pass the first attempt, you may retake the exam once at no additional cost.
    • The second attempt must be taken within 12 months of the being approved to take the exam, following the same scheduling process with CEC staff and Certiverse.
      The exam consists of two forms—if a retake is needed, you will receive the second form.

The Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge (CEBOK) defines the set of knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to exercise responsible charge in civil engineering practice. According to ASCE, the CEBOK outlines 21 foundational, technical, and professional practice learning outcomes for individuals entering responsible charge, serving as a roadmap to prepare future civil engineers.

• Critical Thinking & Problem Solving (Experience Checklist)
• Project Management (Experience Checklist + Exam)
• Engineering Economics (Experience Checklist + Exam)
• Risk & Uncertainty (Experience Checklist + Exam)
• Breadth in Civil Engineering Areas (Experience Checklist)
• Design (Experience Checklist)
• Sustainability (Experience Checklist + Exam)
• Communication (Experience Checklist)
• Teamwork & Leadership (Experience Checklist)
• Professional Attitudes & Responsibilities (Experience Checklist)
• Ethical Responsibilities (Experience Checklist + Exam)

ASCE’s Guidelines for Engineering Grades were created to help engineers and their employers recognize an engineer’s level of professional development and career advancement. The guidelines outline the knowledge, skills, and responsibilities associated with engineers at each grade.

The Civil Engineer, Certified (CE-C) credential aligns most closely with ASCE Engineering Grades Levels 3 and 4 but may be beneficial to engineers at all levels of their career. 

Certified engineers must recertify annually by paying the designated fee, maintaining a valid professional engineering license, and completing the necessary continuing professional development hours (PDHs).

10 hours/10 PDHs (or non-U.S. equivalent) is required every year for this certification. Up to 4 hours per year of the 10 may be non-PDH awarding professional skills development courses, aligned with the outcomes in the CEBOK.  

Annual recertification fee

• ASCE or Institute Member: $75
• Non-member: $125