I would love to sit for a PE exam, except my state requires you to apply for permission, and one of the requirements is 4 years of professional experience working under another PE, after you're already approved as an Engineer-in-Training, which itself required 8 years of experience if you don't have an engineering degree. 15 people sat for the software PE exam last year nationwide compared to nearly 1,000 for some other disciplines.
With those kind of numbers how is anyone with the 12+ years of experience required who doesn't personally know a software PE (of which it seems there are maybe 100 in the United States based on the age of the test and pass rates) supposed to get the certification? I totally accept that my Poli Sci degree means I'll need more professional experience that a Comp Sci or Comp Eng graduate, however the requirement to work under another PE eliminates the vast majority of potential applicants.
With those kind of numbers how is anyone with the 12+ years of experience required who doesn't personally know a software PE (of which it seems there are maybe 100 in the United States based on the age of the test and pass rates) supposed to get the certification? I totally accept that my Poli Sci degree means I'll need more professional experience that a Comp Sci or Comp Eng graduate, however the requirement to work under another PE eliminates the vast majority of potential applicants.