PE Registration Versus ISA CAP Certification

Why Do You Need Professional Credentials?

Every profession wants to improve its practitioners technicalcompetence, and the process of obtaining credentials helps achievethat goal. In addition to familiarizing professionals withapplicable codes and standards, this process contributes to betterpractices, results in safer designs, increases breadth ofunderstanding and improves standardization and efficiency.

The process also benefits employees and employers. Potentialemployees gain a documented means to demonstrate theirqualifications to potential employers. Employers have someassurance of the competence for new hires, and they can representqualifications of credentialed employees to customers.

Certification and licensing work in conjunction with a formaleducation and work experience to provide a level of personalprestige in industry. Furthermore, they encourage an employmentstructure where senior personnel provide training for neweremployees along with a means to hand down practical experience. TheProfessional Engineering (PE) process, in particular, requiressenior PEs to provide references for engineers planning to take thetest.

To PE or Not to PE

PE licensure was first developed around a century ago at the statelevel to ensure that public works were designed safely. Today themajor PE disciplines parallel university engineering degrees:civil, electrical, and mechanical.

Though PE licenses are state-specific, the

National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying

 represents and administers the examination process across the U.S.To obtain a PE, a person generally needs to get a four-year degreein the selected field, pass a Fundamentals of Engineering exam,obtain six years of professional experience under the direction ofanother PE, and pass a Principles and Practice of Engineering exam.

When you obtain your PE license in one state, you will often findthat a path called comity will enable expedited licensing in otherstates. Once obtained, the PE can be renewed for life, althoughsome states require continuing education units.

The PE license is a legal right to practice in a certain area ofexpertise. The title engineer is legally protected in manystates, and usually a company offering engineering services musthave a PE in a position of responsibility.

The major PE disciplines are called practice acts, meaning thatpersons holding these licenses also have the authority to sign andseal engineering drawings. Government engineering employees may berequired to have a PE, and engineering work performed forgovernment agencies usually requires a PE stamp.

Controls Systems Engineering (CSE) is not one of the primary PEfields, but instead is a fairly recent development available inmany, but not all states. It is focused on process control topicsand is supported by the ISA.

However, the CSE PE is called a title act, meaning that personsreceiving this PE can use the title but have no authority forsigning documents and drawings.

Captivating Alternative

This brings us to another professional certification, the ISACertified Automation Professional (CAP). The CAP is a relativenewcomer, but it has the goal of defining the control systemsprofessional. As with the PE, the CAP is also intended for personsworking at the highest levels in their field.

While the CSE PE focuses on process control, the CAP targets awider range of automation topics to demonstrate competence in theentire field. As detailed on the

ISA

 web site, the control systems domains include feasibility study,definition, system design, development, deployment, and operationand maintenance.

The technical fields covered include continuous control, discretecontrol, reliability, safety, integration, software, maintenance,start-up, and engineering work structures. Economics and estimatesare also covered.

Where the PE requires a four-year engineering degree, the CAP isopen to those with a four-year technical degree so that physics,math and other similar majors may apply. There is also a path fortwo-year degree holders with extensive documented industryexperience to obtain the CAP.

One final difference is that the ISA CAP bills itself as aworldwide program, which may be important to certain companies orindustries. The PE, on the other hand, is specific to the UnitedStates, although many countries around the world offer similarengineering licensure.