Read This If You Didn’t Pass Your Exam in 2024 ??

The end of the year means dreaming big for the next 12 months, but if you fell short of your goal of passing your exam in 2024…

Well, I know it’s not quite fun vibes. ??

When I took it, the results would come in the mail, just in time to either make or break Christmas. And I failed both my FE and PE exams, so I’ve been in your shoes…more than once. ??

As someone who used to run marathons, I’ve come to learn a powerful strategy used by pro athletes after falling short of their goals for a given season to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

I used it in my end-of-the-year exam “off-season” to get myself back on track so my next try would be better…and you can too. ??

The 3-Word Hack Sports Pros Use (and Why) ??

After an unsuccessful season falling short of their championship goals, it’s very easy for athletes to feel like they’re not talented or don’t have what it takes to succeed.

But…

The really pro athletes who win the most go the complete opposite route.

They do a detailed post-season evaluation. ??

That is, they review their performance, stats, habits, and practice volume for the past season. Why? ??

They know that without a complete evaluation of why they didn’t make it and what needs to change, they’re doomed to fall short of the same goal in the following season as well.

In a newsletter by Peak Performance Sports, they mentioned that after the Boston Celtics lost the 2023 Conference Finals, Jayson Tatum took the time to take a hard, honest look at his play and stats up till this point.

In his own words…

“Whatever we’ve done has been great. But it hasn’t been enough…because we haven’t accomplished what we’re trying to do.”

How does this apply to you? ??

For test-takers like you and me, this strategy translates into a “post-exam evaluation.” ??

Just as pro athletes like Tatum analyze their seasons, you should take the time to assess your exam prep and performance.

Here’s why. ??

• It helps you figure out the “why” — did you underestimate the exam and didn’t put into enough practice, or was the study plan too ambitious or not structured enough?
• It helps you identify barriers — did something outside of your control get in the way, like health challenges or extra work commitments?
• It helps spot your ineffective strategies — did you spend a lot of time on theory and not enough on problems?

By reflecting on what worked and what didn’t work in 2024, you can tailor a much more effective strategy and make sure 2025 is your year of getting this thing done and over with. ??

Let me break down how you can easily do it before the year ends so you hit the ground running in January. ??

How to Do It Yourself in 4 Steps ??

A post-exam evaluation doesn’t have to be complicated and time-consuming. Here’s what you can cover to get it done fast. ??

1?? Was the study plan realistic?

It’s very easy for us to overestimate how much we can get done in a given period. Most often, we think we can do much more than we actually can…or have time for.

So, think about your own study plan.

Were you focused on your exam prep alone, or were you juggling a lot of other commitments at the same time?

Did you actually have as much time to study (and sit down to do so!) as much as you said you would given your schedule?

2?? What study habits worked and didn’t work?

Why an athlete like Tatum has to look at his practice habits, you have to look at your study habits.

What kept you consistent and what derailed you? Maybe getting up earlier to study worked better for you than trying to study in the evening after work when you were tired.

Did you follow a spaced out study schedule with two- to four-hour study sessions, or were you cramming for six-plus hours?

Did you spend enough time on solving problems, or got bogged down in the theory? (This is the most common mistake our students make.)

Did you take enough practice exams simulating the real deal…or just one?

3?? What was the quality of your study sessions?

If you’ve checked our Quick Tip Video on the Distributed Practice study method, you know that how focused you are while studying plays a big role in how much you really learn.

So… ??

Were you studying while your phone was ringing every five minutes with social media and text messages notifications?

Did you study in a quiet room without interruptions until your study sessions ended…or were you being asked a question every 10 minutes?

These may seem small things, but at the end of the day, they have a huge impact on your exam score.

4?? What were your wins?

While taking a hard, strategic look at everything you did wrong helps a lot, a post-exam evaluation is not about beating yourself up. In fact, it’s just the opposite.

Just as you search for the things you can improve on, you should also search for the things on which you already upped your game.

• Maybe your problem-solving speed improved.
• Maybe you’re a lot more familiar with the codes that you can even close your eyes right now and remember what each chapter is about.
• Maybe you gained confidence in those topics that seemed impossible for you to understand (or remember if you’re taking the Civil FE Exam).

Even after failing your exam, you’re not on the same level as you were before you started prepping for it. You’ve improved.

And figuring out what these small wins are keeps you confident enough in yourself to keep pushing through this.

What to Do in Your “Exam Off-Season” ??

Now, based on everything you’ve identified before, it’s time to make a new, better plan for your next try — and that’s what you do in your end-of-the-year “exam off-season.”

During the off-season, Tatum worked out with Jaylen Brown, rehabbed an annoying injury, talked with previous Boston champions seeking guidance, and put on 12 pounds of muscle to improve his performance and stats in the games.

What is your version of Tatum's adjustments? ??

If studying in the morning worked better for you, then use the Time Blocking technique and reserve that time for your study sessions every day.

Did you start watching fun cat YouTube videos after 90 minutes into your study sessions?

Then that’s your maximum attention span right now and you shouldn’t try to study for longer than that. Plan your study sessions accordingly.

Did you run into a problem you couldn’t solve, or couldn’t understand the solution that was given?

Then you need a study group like we have for both our FE and PE review courses.

A place where you can ask questions and receive tips from both those in the same shoes and those who have already crossed the finish line.

Whatever it is that you found out you need to change…

...do like Tatum did.

He has taken the feedback from the past season, made adjustments to his game, and then recommitted his efforts to do things differently for the next season.

That’s what you’ve got to do in your "exam off-season."

(And yes…that’s right now before the first Monday of 2025. ??)

Do You Need Help With Your Post-Exam Evaluation? ??

As the saying goes, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

If you want 2025 to be the year you pass your exam, then take the time to follow the steps above, reflect, adjust according to the lessons you've learned…

…and then it’s just a matter of acting on the new game plan when the new year hits. ??

If doing the post-exam evaluation is giving you some trouble, we can help.

When signing up for either our FE course or any of our PE courses, you can add a one-on-one kickoff call where I dive into your diagnostic report with you and help you map out your next steps. ???

I've helped many past CEA students with post-exam evaluations after a fail, and I’m sure I can help you too. In fact, I’d be pumped to do so. ??

In the meantime, if you want to keep seeing everything we publish here to help you on your journey to pass both the FE, PE, and CFM? exams, then don't forget to follow Civil Engineering Academy .