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ISA | CSE Registration

Control Systems Engineer (CSE) Licensing

Introduction to the CSE Exam

Control systems engineering is the branch of professional engineering. It requires an understanding of the science of instrumentation and the automatic control of dynamic processes. The ability to apply this knowledge to the planning, design, development, operation, and evaluation of control systems to insure the safety and practical operability of such processes is a must. The CSE examination includes elements of electrical, mechanical, chemical, and other branches of engineering, centered on the technologies needed for feedback and feedforward control of dynamic systems.

The CSE examination is available through 44 U.S. state boards of engineering each October. Individuals seeking the PE designation, in their respective states, usually:

  • Hold four-year engineering degrees from an approved institution,
  • Have a minimum of four years experience, and
  • Pass both the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) and Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) Examinations.

All but four states in the United States offer the CSE examination as one of the Professional Engineers (PE) licensing exams. The following states do NOT offer the CSE examination: Alaska, Hawaii, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. Contact your state board for the specific requirements for your state.

ISA has communicated to NCEES and State Boards of Registration its willingness to serve as the supporting Society for the Control Systems Engineering (CSE) registration process and testimony by ISA licensed members to State Boards. This activity is in the direct support of licensure and the competent and ethical performance of control system engineering services.

This statement is based on the action of ISA's Executive Board in June 1990 (Board Item 2374-90).

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Specifications for CSE Exam

The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) provides the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) examination in Control Systems Engineering (CSE). The CSE examination is a multiple-choice exam.

The examination covers the following specification areas:

Control Systems Engineer (CSE) Examination Specification

Specification Area Approximate Percentage of the Examination % Number of Questions
I Measurement
  1. Sensor technologies applicable to the desired type of measurement (e.g., flow, pressure, level, temperature, analytical, counters, motion, vision, etc.)
  2. Sensor characteristics (e.g., rangeability, accuracy and precision, temperature effects, response times, reliability, repeatability, etc.)
  3. Material compatibility
  4. Calculations involved in: pressure drop
  5. Calculations involved in: flow element sizing
  6. Calculations involved in: level, differential pressure
  7. Calculations involved in: unit conversions
  8. Calculations involved in: velocity
  9. Calculations involved in: linearization
  10. Installation details (e.g., process, pneumatic, electrical, etc.)
 24% 19
II Signals and Transmission
  1. Signals - 11.5%, 9 questions
    1. Pneumatic, electronic, optical, hydraulic, digital, analog
    2. Transducers (e.g., analog/digital [A/D], digital/analog [D/A], current/pneumatic [I/P] conversion, etc.)
    3. Intrinsically Safe (IS) barriers
    4. Grounding, shielding, segregation, AC coupling
    5. Basic signal circuit design (e.g., two-wire, four-wire, isolated outputs, loop powering, etc.)
    6. Calculations: circuit (voltage, current, impedance)
    7. Calculations: unit conversions
  2. Transmission - 1.25%, 1 question
    1. Different communications systems architecture and protocols (e.g., fiber optics, coaxial cable, wireless, paired conductors, fieldbus, Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol [TCP/IP], OLE Process Control [OPC])
    2. Distance considerations versus transmission medium
 12.5% 10
III Final Control Elements
  1. Valves - 12.5%, 10 questions
    1. Types (e.g., globe, ball, butterfly, etc.)
    2. Characteristics (e.g., linear, low noise, equal percentage, shutoff class, etc.)
    3. Calculation (e.g., sizing, split range, noise, actuator, speed, pressure drop, air/gas consumption, etc.)
    4. Applications of fluid dynamics (e.g., cavitation, flashing, choked flow, Joule-Thompson effects, two-phase, etc.)
    5. Material selection based on process characteristics (e.g., erosion, corrosion, plugged, extreme pressure, temperature, etc.
    6. Accessories (e.g., limit switches, solenoid valves, positioners, transducers, air regulators, etc.)
    7. Environmental constraints (e.g., fugitive emissions, packing, special sealing, etc.)
    8. Installation practices (e.g., vertical, horizontal, bypasses, troubleshooting, etc.)
  2. Pressure Relieving Devices - 5%, 4 questions
    1. Pressure Relieving Valves: Types (e.g., conventional spring, balanced bellows, pilot operated, etc.)
    2. Pressure Relieving Valves: Characteristics (e.g., modulating, pop action, etc.)
    3. Pressure Relieving Valves: Calculations (e.g., sizing considering inlet pressure drop, back pressure, multiple valves, etc.)
    4. Pressure Relieving Devices: Material selection based on process characteristics
    5. Pressure Relieving Valves: Installation practices (e.g., linking valves, sparing the valves, accessibility for testing, car sealing inlet valves, piping installation, etc.)
    6. Rupture discs (types, characteristics, application, calculations, etc.)
  3. Other Final Control Elements - 2.5%, 2 questions
    1. Motor controls
    2. Solenoid valves
    3. On-off devices/relays
    4. Self-regulating devices
 20% 16
IV Control Systems Analysis
  1. Documentation - 7.5%, 6 questions
    1. Drawings (e.g., PFD, P&ID, Loop Diagrams, Ladder Diagrams, Logic Drawings, Cause and Effects Drawings, SAFE Charts, etc.)
  2. Theory - 6%, 5 questions
    1. Basic processes (e.g., compression, combustion, distillation, hydraulics, etc.)
    2. Process dynamics (e.g., loop response, P-V-T relationships, simulations, etc.)
    3. Basic control (e.g., regulatory control, feedback, feed forward, cascade, ratio, PID, split-range, etc.)
    4. Discrete control (e.g., relay logic, Boolean algebra)
    5. Sequential control (e.g., batch)
  3. Safety - 2.5%, 2 questions
    1. Safety system design (e.g., Safety Instrumented System [SIS], Safety Requirements Specification [SRS], application of OSHA 1910, etc.)
 16% 13
V Control Systems Implementation
  1. HMI (e.g., graphics, alarm management, trending, historical data)
  2. Ergonomics (e.g., human factors engineering, physical control room arrangement, panel layout)
  3. Configuration and programming (e.g., PLC, DCS, Hybrid systems, SQL, Ladder logic, sequential function chart, structured text, function block programming, data base management, specialized controllers, etc.)
  4. System comparisons and compatibilities (e.g., advantages and disadvantages of system architecture)
  5. Installation requirements (e.g., shielding, constructability, input/output termination, environmental, heat load calculations, power load requirements, purging, lighting, etc.)
  6. Commissioning (e.g., performance tuning, loop checkout, etc.)
  7. Safety Instrumented System [SIS] model validation calculations (e.g., Safety Integrity Level [SIL], reliability, availability, etc.)
  8. Troubleshooting (e.g., root cause failure analysis and correction)
 20% 16
VI Codes, Standards, and Regulations
  1. Working knowledge of applicable Codes, Standards, and Regulations: American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
  2. Working knowledge of applicable Codes, Standards, and Regulations: Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
  3. Working knowledge of applicable Codes, Standards, and Regulations: Instrumentation, Systems & Automation Society (ISA)
  4. Working knowledge of applicable Codes, Standards, and Regulations: National Electrical Code (NEC)
  5. Working knowledge of applicable Codes, Standards, and Regulations: National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA)
  6. Working knowledge of applicable Codes, Standards, and Regulations: National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
  7. Working knowledge of applicable Codes, Standards, and Regulations: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
 7.5% 6
Total   100% 80

Notes:

  1. The knowledge areas specified as 1., 2., 3., … etc., are examples of kinds of knowledge, but they are not exclusive or exhaustive categories.
  2. This examination contains 80 multiple-choice questions. Examinee works all questions.
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Statistics on the CSE Exam

CONTROL SYSTEMS ENGINEER (CSE) EXAM RESULTS
1992* '93 '94 '95 '96 '97 '98 '99 2000 '01 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06 '07
Number of Candidates 145 216 269 236 205 178 157 157 145 139 158 167 145 193 159 167
Number Passing 45 75 110 130 99 116 131 136 125 133 130 112 100 94 113 114
Percent Passing 31 35 41 55 48 65 83 87 86 96 82 67 71 66 71 68
* First national CSE examination
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Study Materials

ISA offers study materials and courses for those preparing for the CSE exam. The CSE Study Guide reflecting the multiple-choice format of the examination, and the Control Systems Engineering Exam Reference Manual: A Practical Study Guide, are both available for order through ISA Press. ISA Education and Training also offers a three-day exam review course, as well as other courses and web seminars that may help you prepare. A list of potentially useful reference texts is also available for download.

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Request Information/Listing of Licensure Boards

Professional Engineering registration in the United States is administered by each State Licensing Board. The requirements for licensure vary from state to state. To receive information from your state on the requirements for the CSE examination, the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) has a listing of Licensure Boards by state. For more information on the CSE examination, email ISA.