Thank you for participating in this survey of the practice of professional metallurgical and materials engineering conducted on behalf of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) by Pearson VUE. NCEES is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing professional licensure for engineers and surveyors.
The Professional Activities and Knowledge Study (PAKS) survey is the first and most important step in the development process for the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) Metallurgical and Materials exam and is part of a process that occurs every 6 to 8 years to ensure that the exam is relevant to current practice in the profession. It is being distributed to licensed metallurgical and materials engineers in all industries. Results from the survey will be used to revise the test specifications for the PE Metallurgical and Materials Engineering exam. You will be asked to rate the importance of the knowledge areas required by a newly licensed professional metallurgical and materials engineer, as well as the tasks performed to practice in a manner that safeguards the health, safety, and welfare of the public. The survey will also include demographic and professional questions that will be used to assess sample representativeness.
When rating the knowledge areas and task statements, keep in mind that the survey reflects practice at the national level and is not based on any individual state. For guidance, consider the attributes that you are looking for in a newly licensed professional engineer interviewing for a position in your practice.
Participation in the survey is voluntary. Your answers are anonymous, and responses will be reported only in the aggregate.
The survey may take 20–40 minutes to complete. A calculator may be useful for parts of the survey. You may also need a notebook and a pencil to take notes. There will be an opportunity at the end of the survey to add topics that may have been missed. Please try to complete the survey in one sitting. If you need more than one session to complete the survey, close the browser between survey sessions. Do NOT click "Click to Submit and Exit" before completing the full survey. If you do click "Click to Submit and Exit," you will not be allowed to return to the survey. Please complete the survey by May 8th, 2023.
NCEES sincerely thanks you for your contribution to the study of professional engineering and for your time and assistance in ensuring that the PE Metallurgical and Materials exam is reflective of the current practice of professional engineers.
