What I learned taking the PE exam three times

A little over seven years ago, while I was a student at Brigham Young University, I wrote an article on LinkedIn to share my recommendations for preparing to take the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam. At that time, the exam had switched over to computer base testing and I remember a lot of students feeling worried about being ready for the exam in the new format. Little did I know that when it was my turn to prepare for the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam, I would have to relive the feelings of inadequacy when trying to reach the next level of my professional work.

As stated in the article's title, I took the PE Civil exam multiple times before I passed. ?Although I will not go into questions presented in the exam, I wanted to share encouragement for those who are preparing to take the exam or retake the exam. I want you to know that you are not alone if you are taking the exam more than once.?I hope your employer will see your potential and contribution and that your performance is not based solely on the outcome of the exam first time around.

?I’ll admit, this exam is difficult. It’s not easy to take many lifetimes of engineering experience and cram into an eight-hour exam. There is a rich history from lessons learned from the past and new boundaries are being pushed for growth in the future. But as Civil Engineers (and most disciplines of engineering), we like to solve problems. That means a lot of content that could be included in the exam.

?Although the requirements vary from state to state, I will share my experience of testing in Washington state and also specifically for the Water and Environmental Resources PE Civil exam.

?Practice, Practice, Practice (Questions)

I found it helpful to get practice questions directly from NCEES. I don’t want to discourage anyone from being able to seek out questions from third-party vendors, but know that the practice exams offered from NCEES will help you get an idea of the level of detail and computation typical for the PE exam. It’s also good to stay current with current questions, now that the test has changed to computer based testing. You might encounter questions beyond the typical multiple choice questions. The exam format has evolved over the years, so keep current on the test format.

?Get familiar with your reference manual

I would also recommend that any of those to preparing to take the exam to get familiar with reference material that will be available during your exam.?One change from paper based testing to the computer based format is that you no longer need to lug in a suitcase full of textbooks and bound references for the exam.?From NCEES, you can get a PDF of the current reference manual for FREE, which will be made electronically available to you during the exam for computer based tests. This reference manual has a lot of information but don’t count on finding every answer to the exam in this reference manual.?You will still find value in other reference manuals.?You might as well get familiar with what you can use on the exam. I put a copy of the PDF on my phone for easier access while going through practice questions.

Where can if find my Testing Center?

I would also recommend that you get familiar with where your testing center will be at. You can find your testing center by signing up online on the NCEES website. For me, my testing center was 30-minutes from home and the staff recommended I arrive early since there are other test takers at the testing center. It was also good to know any rules or restrictions related to food, water, and breaks.?My testing center had a cubby for my wallet and keys but recommended keeping my phone in the car. No water allowed by the computers, so I had to use unscheduled break time to get a drink of water. I also had a sandwich shop near the testing center which I could go to during my break.?Knowing about these rules and restrictions and constraints will help you be able to navigate your exam and not have to worry about juggling those logistics in real time. Always good to plan ahead.

How long to practice reviewing questions?

I found it helpful to practice reviewing questions in 20-minute, 30-minute, and 60-minute blocks, depending when I was able to study and how I felt at the end of a work day.?I tried to cut off my practice time at 9:00 PM and it was helpful to sneak in even 10-minutes to review the materials.?I found it most helpful to review the NCEES practice questions and then practice researching through the reference manual.?This exercise helped me become more efficient reviewing through the reference manual and helped me work through common trip-ups when trying to find the right formula or interpreting the different tables correctly for a given problem.?With the computer based testing format, you will have about half your screen for the reference materials.?Even through you can "CTRL+F" search through the manual during the exam, don't waste precious time like me fumbling through to find the right key word or name of a formula or figure.?

When should I start studying?

The earlier you can start studying and running through practice questions, I think it will help you be better off.?I don’t do well with cramming and trying to "marathon" through questions right before the exam date.?I personally don’t retain information very well that way.?I do better with regular, short study sessions rather than a long cramming session.?Since it might be a few months between your exam registration and the date of your exam, you can commit to more serious studying once you have signed up for the exam.?

How many questions do I need to pass the PE exam?

I don’t know if that information is publicly available and I don’t think it’s prudent to try to calculate the minimum questions needed in order to pass.?Always give your best to crush the exam. I had a harsh reality check after my first attempt at the exam when I encountered questions that I wasn't familiar with. I had a better mindset going into the second and third exam that it was OK to not be familiar with all questions and content on the exam.?There will be more learning opportunities after the exam.?For the exam, it’s best to focus on the questions you feel more confident to tackle and save your time on the exam to go after the more difficult questions.?If you can clear your mind to tackle the “low hanging fruit”, you can have more time to trudge through the more difficult or computation heavy questions.?

Am I ready to take the exam?

The timing to take the exam is totally up to you.?For me in Washington State, I needed to satisfy the work/education requirements before I could sign up for the exam.?Check with your state and review what paperwork is needed in order for you to take the exam.?You will draw on your collegiate education and your work experience to help get through the questions on the exam.?I’m not familiar with the comity route for accreditation or seeking reciprocity in another state.?Seek out your state licensing board for information for you so you know exactly what the rules and requirements are for you to sign up for the exam.?Don’t miss your window to take the exam because you didn’t work on the letter of recommendation ahead of time.

After taking the exam multiple times, I learned that there were some topics that I was frankly unfamiliar with. ?This required me to seek additional resources and additional practice questions to get more proficient with the different equations, conversions, and tricks of the trade to work through those tricky questions.?I believe that effort to study where I was weak really paid off really help me to feel more confident approaching the exam.

Closing thoughts

If you feel discouraged preparing for the PE exam, know that you aren't alone. If you pass the first time taking it, great work. If you have to retake the exam multiple times to pass, you are not alone. You'll find lots of support as you network with your coworkers and other professional organizations, since there are other engineers what have been on the same path as you towards earning your professional license. Keep up the effort towards passing the exam and don't get discouraged.

With the computer based exam, results are advertised to come in 7-10 business days, which is a huge improvement to 6-8 weeks or longer prior to that. Be sure to celebrate your victories and be patient through momentary failures. Keep moving forward towards building a better future.