Between 1996 and 2004, the Council broadened its services and changed many of its exam processes.
In 1996, the Council voted to change the PE exams—with the exception of the Structural exam—to objectively scored, multiple-choice exams in order to improve testing reliability and consistency of measurement; these were administered beginning in 2000. In 1996, the afternoon portion of the FE exam began to be offered in six discipline-specific modules for the first time (Chemical, Civil, Industrial, Electrical, Mechanical, and General) in order to test upper-division knowledge. And in 1999, the FLS exam moved from a practice-based to a knowledge-based exam.
Computer-based testing (CBT) was discussed in the late 1990s. In 1999, a CBT Task Force made a motion for the Council to affirm the vision that CBT should be the eventual format for the exams.
In 2000, established a division to provide exam administration services to NCEES member boards. NCEES continues to provide the same services today through its Exam Administration Services department.
In 2003, a task force was created to address a lack of awareness and understanding among students and educators about licensure. The result was the creation of a website geared toward engineering students and interns, development of Speaker’s Kits, and promotion of the FE exam as an outcomes assessment tool to educators.
By 2004, NCEES had grown from 24 to 57 staff members over a five-year period and needed more space. Council headquarters was expanded to add ample conference space for exam development volunteers and growth of the staff. The building was expanded, and the dedication was held in March 2004.
