The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) is the organization responsible for developing, administering, and scoring the examinations used for engineering licensure in the United States. This includes the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam for Software Engineering. This specific license is critical for professionals who develop software for safety-critical systems, such as health and safety applications, as it demonstrates a required level of competence to protect the public. While individual state boards grant the actual license, they rely on the standardized examinations and criteria established by NCEES.

A. The National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) is a professional association that advocates for licensed engineers but does not issue licenses.

B. The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accredits university engineering programs; it does not license individual engineers.

C. The American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) is a professional society focused on advancing education in engineering, not on professional licensure.

1. National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). (2019). PE Software Engineering Exam Specifications. NCEES. p. 1. Retrieved from the NCEES website. The document outlines the exam content, with Section IV, "Software Safety," explicitly covering topics like safety-critical systems and hazard analysis, which are central to health and safety software.

2. National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE). "About NSPE." NSPE. Retrieved from the NSPE website. The organization's mission statement clarifies its role as a professional society for the "licensed Professional Engineer," distinguishing it from the licensing bodies themselves.

3. ABET. "About ABET." ABET, Inc. Retrieved from the ABET website. The site states, "We are a nonprofit, non-governmental organization that accredits college and university programs in the disciplines of applied and natural science, computing, engineering and engineering technology." This confirms its role is in academic accreditation, not individual professional licensing.

4. Van de Poel, I., & Royakkers, L. (2011). Ethics, Technology, and Engineering: An Introduction. Wiley-Blackwell. In Chapter 9, "The Social Responsibility of Engineers," the text discusses the structure of the engineering profession, noting that organizations like NCEES administer the exams required for licensure by state boards, while societies like NSPE focus on professional advocacy and ethics codes.