ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Professional engineer

A professional engineer is someone who has gone to school to learn about how buildings, roads, and other things are built, and has passed tests to show that they know how to design and build things safely and correctly.

Just like how you learn addition and subtraction in school and take tests to show that you can do it well, engineers go to college to learn about math, physics, and other sciences that help them understand how things work. They also learn about design, materials, and safety regulations so they can make sure that the things they build are strong, safe, and work well.

After they finish school, they have to take a test called the Professional Engineer (PE) Exam. This test is really hard, but it makes sure that the engineer knows everything they need to know in order to be good at their job. Once they pass this exam, they become a licensed professional engineer and can start designing and building things for real!

Professional engineers make sure that buildings, bridges, roads, and other structures are safely designed and built. They have to think about things like how strong the materials are and how they will hold up in different weather conditions. They also make sure that everything they build meets safety codes and regulations, so that people won’t get hurt.

So, just like how you learn math and take tests to show that you know how to do it well, professional engineers go to school to learn about building things and take tests to show that they are experts at it. They make sure that everything they design and build is safe and works well!