6 Tips to Nail Theory Problems on the PE Exam ??

There’s one crucial aspect of preparing for the PE Civil Exam most test-takers overlook…and you’re probably doing the same. Here’s the thing. ??

Theory problems are a huge part of the exam! As a rule of thumb, you can expect about 10 to 15 of them — and that’s just in the morning half! ??

That’s what Cameron McLaurin, a previous student of our PE Review Course, found firsthand when taking his PE Civil Water Resources & Environmental Exam. In his own words, “Man, there were a lot of theory problems on the exam!”

This catches lots of civil engineers off guard because we’re naturally wired to do calculations. As a consequence, that’s what we do most of our prep…and end up not preparing enough for these purely conceptual questions.

The problem?

There’s just so many theory questions on the exam that, if you don’t get them right, you’re very likely to fail your exam — even if you get all the computational questions right.

And guess what?

The “new,” depth-specific PE exam rolling out this April will be even more conceptual than the “old” exam. It’ll truly test how well you know the topics in the field you plan to make a career out of.

So…how do you prepare for these theory questions? And then, how do you tackle them on exam day? ??

Here are six tips from a previous test-taker who breezed through these theory questions to help you do the same. ??

1. Know Your References Really Well. ??

Since the only resources you’ll have on exam day are the PE Reference Handbook and the codes and standards for your chosen exam, you need to know them by heart. Back to front. Inside and out.

And “knowing by heart” means knowing where each specific piece of information is located, and how to find it quickly and accurately. Why?

Even though these resources are searchable PDF files and you can use the CTRL+F search function, you still need to know:

1. How to spell what you’re looking for — if you can’t spell it you can’t find it
2. If what pops up after the search is indeed what you need for the question.

Therefore, here’s a rule you should live by: from the very first day of your PE exam prep, you need to be using only these resources to solve practice problems and take practice exams.

That way you learn how to find the information you need using the exact same references you’ll have on test day, getting you familiar with them and less overwhelmed using them. ??

2. Read the CERM ??

Although the Civil Engineering Reference Manual (CERM) is no longer allowed during the exam, it’s still a stellar resource for reviewing civil engineering concepts.

During the months leading up to his exam, Matt Fanghella, a repeat-taker who took our PE Review Course for his second (and last) try, would spend 30 minutes each day reading the major sections of each discipline of the CERM.

The goal was to knock out one chapter of the CERM per day, even though he spent 2 days on sections that were longer or needed more “brain power.”

Now, with the changes to the PE Exam, you won’t need to read all the sections of the CERM. However, reading the sections that do apply to your particular discipline (and exam) is a must.

“How does it help,” you ask? ??

By reading the sections of the CERM dedicated to your discipline, you get a refresher on various basic concepts and theories in your field of practice — exactly what the theory questions test you on…without mercy.

If you want to grab a copy of the CERM, now called the PE Civil Reference Manual, by PPI, you can use this link here to get 15% OFF your order. Don’t worry, our treat. ??

3. Watch Civil Engineering Videos ???

YouTube is not only for fun videos (even though we all like them ??). Newsflash: it can also be used to learn…and a lot!

One thing Matt Fanghella also did was watch or listen to videos on YouTube related to topics he was studying for the PE Civil Exam.

Again, how does it help?

The Interleaving study technique states that changing up the forms of practice maximizes learning in the long-term.

So, to watch a visual explanation of the concepts and/or listen to it being explained to you can be a nice way to diversify away from the “reading-only” approach, making you more likely to remember things later on.

There are a lot of YouTube Channels out there with good visuals, as well as podcasts diving into the concepts. Go check them out!

4. Look for Hints on the Exam Itself ??

Sometimes you can find a hint to a theory question you’re struggling with in another problem found on the exam itself. All you have to do is to take a peek around at the other questions.

It can be hints to answer the question correctly right away by making a connection, or even some hints to eliminate one or two of the possible answer choices to make a “smart guess.”

5. Focus on the New Problem Type ?

As mentioned before, you're wired to crunch numbers to solve problems. And that’s especially true in the PE exam when you’re under pressure to solve 80 questions before the time is up.

Because of this, coming across a theory problem can be like an unexpected speed bump — you go from 100 mph doing computation after computation to 50 mph thinking about theory and trying to reason things out.

Because of this, when you run into a theory question on the exam, take a few seconds to calm yourself down, recenter your focus, and read the concept problem carefully to understand what it’s truly asking.

Concept problems require a whole different approach when compared to the computational questions. Never forget that.

6. Flag and Revisit ??

If you feel that you’re spending a lot of time on the same theory question, flag it and come back to it later.

This can work as a “mind reset” and you will be better prepared to successfully tackle the concept problem later. But please, keep this in mind… ??

If you flag it, remember to come back to revisit it before the time is up! (Yeah, some tend to forget that. ??)

What You Should Do Next! ??

Now that you know how to prepare for and nail any theory question the NCEES may throw at you, you need to put it into practice for it to work.

That’s why we at Civil Engineering Academy put together the 100 Bonus Theory Questions.

That’s a compilation of 100 of the best theory questions that can pop up on your exam to give you early exposure to what they could send your way on test day.

As part of it, you get 100 PE exam-like theory questions built with the same look, feel, and difficulty of the real deal. Also, each question comes with in-depth solutions in case you miss anything so you know why.

So don’t waste another second. Go get the 100 Bonus Theory Questions to start practicing today. And don't forget to follow us at Civil Engineering Academy for more tips and resources to help you become a PE and CFM?! ?? ??