Guidelines for awarding engineering designations for the CCC/CCE certification examination
May 2, 2012
The AACE International Certification Board has adopted guidelines for awarding engineering designations for the Certified Cost Consultant (CCC) and Certified Cost Engineer (CCE) certification examination, in compliance with The Council of Engineering and Scientific Specialty Boards (CESB), the accreditation agency for AACE International certification programs.
According to the CESB, AACE International shall “limit the use of the title “engineer” or any variation, to licensed professional engineers or candidates possessing an engineering degree from an EAC/ABET accredited university.” Specifically, the CCE candidate’s degree must state “engineer” in the diploma’s title (e.g., Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, etc.). Degrees that do not have “engineer” in its title, even if it is from a college or branch of engineering, will not qualify for a CCE designation.
The need to control engineering designations is necessitated by our accreditation, and all applicable laws, and does not imply that AACE International is endorsing a specific designation to be more superior to the other designation. The eligibility requirements, examination, and credential recognition are identical. The only distinction is those with an engineering degree (bachelor or master) will be awarded the CCE designation, whereas all other candidates, with or without a degree, will be awarded the CCC designation, upon successfully passing the examination and technical paper.
Additionally, persons who are not registered professional engineers in some states are often prohibited under local state laws from using the Certified Cost Engineer (CCE) designation, even if they hold an accredited engineering degree. Consultants generally are affected by these laws, as are most engineers.
Please note that most U.S. State laws have clauses which specifically exempt employees of industrial firms or public utilities from registration if they do not perform engineering consulting work and/or are not in a position to perform engineering work directly affecting the public health and safety. Thus, many engineering employees are not required to be registered. Therefore, if a candidate has been certified as a CCE, but is not registered and prohibited by law from using the CCE designation, they should request a new certificate to be issued as a Certified Cost Consultant and the certified directory updated to reflect the correct designation. Use of the CCE designation in violation of your state law could result in legal action being brought against you by a third party.
The AACE International Certification Board is committed to ensuring that all past, present and future certification designations are in compliance with the CESB accreditation guidelines, and all applicable laws. Therefore, if at any time it is found that a designation was given erroneously, upon recertification or an audit of our files, the incorrect designation will be revoked and the correct designation awarded.
Any questions related to this issue should be directed to the certification department at AACE International Headquarters at certification@aacei.org or 304-296-8444.
