Professional Documents
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T
PE EXAM
S U R V I V A L
GU I D E
PROVIDES GUIDANCE, CHECKLISTS,
AND TIPS TO PASS
ACE THE PE EXAM...
8. Be a Test-Day Hero! 24
Exam Day Supplies! 24
11. (Bonus Chapter) Special Offers! Discounts and offers on Reference and Review
Materials! 32
Ways to save on Reference Materials! 32
Civil PE Review Course Savings! 32
Save on PPI Reference Materials! 32
AceThePE.com 2
The PE Exam Survival Guide
With Information on the FE Exam
The point, without getting too philosophical is to understand what you are up against, and for you
to keep in mind the reason you are doing all of this hard work. But every dream carries with it
built-in stumbling blocks, barriers, and those "Murphy's Law" type moments that can keep us
from realizing even the most powerful dream. This guide is intended to help you survive the
challenges that will come your way so that you can in fact reach your goal, or dream, to become
a Professional Engineer. We will begin with the basics of the PE Exam in general, then move into
getting the right materials, preparation and study tips, and also test taking tips.
Before we get into the meat of the subject, though, I would like to introduce myself. It is true that
I am not a famous person nor am I a well-known guru, so I understand that you may have
questions about my credibility. Let’s go ahead and address that and a few other questions, and
then we can get you on your way to being a professional engineer.
• Introduction
My name is Andy Richardson, PE, and I passed the PE Exam twice. I enjoyed taking the Civil PE Exam so
much that I decided to take the Structural PE Exam as well. Of course I am kidding about enjoying any PE
Exam. Though I would not choose to take the PE Exam for fun, I do enjoy learning and improving myself
as an engineer. Most importantly, I remember what it felt like when I passed the PE Exam and I thought I
could help other people pass the PE Exam as well. That is why I decided to create the PE Exam Survival
Guide - to help people realize their dream of becoming a Professional Engineer.
If you are still nervous about my credentials, hopefully this abbreviated Curriculum Vitae will ease your
nerves.
Hopefully, now you see that I have the credibility to provide suggestions about the PE Exam, and more
importantly the knowhow to help you pass the exam. If there is anything that I can do to help you, or if you
AceThePE.com 4
have any ideas for this guide or my website, please do not hesitate to contact me using the contact
information on the cover.
So that is a bit of the background of this guide for those that were curious; now you can quit wasting time
reading this page and start finding out what you need to do to pass the PE Exam...
Sincerely,
Andy Richardson
Professional Engineer
--Andy Richardson
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1. QUICK-HITTING POINTS ABOUT THE PE EXAM
(...FOR THOSE TOO BUSY TO READ IT ALL...)
I decided to write a chapter for those of you who just can’t make time to read the entire thing. If that is
you, then please at least read this chapter. I believe it will help you develop your own framework to pass
the PE Exam. Of course, if you can find the time, I believe reading the entire guide will give you the most
benefit. I am working on developing an audio version of this guide, but in the meantime you must read it ;)
--MARK TWAIN
If you are reading this, then you probably do want to get ahead. You want to have the benefits of PE
Licensure, and have the credentials of of being a PE. You have worked hard for a long time, and you finally
want to realize the dream of becoming a Professional Engineer. You may very well be on the last leg of the
journey of getting your PE License, which is passing the PE Exam. This book will provide guidance to you
to be successful in that endeavor and help you to get started. By getting this eBook and following the
advice in it, you are well on your way to doing exactly that.
• Key #2 - Be Motivated
Let me take a second to clarify a common question that may be rolling around in your head. Many people
ask me ‘Is the PE Exam hard?.’ Yes, the PE Exam is hard. The passing rate for the PE exam averages
about 67%. This means that 33% of people fail the exam. Many of these people worked pretty hard at the
exam and still came up short. So, yes the PE Exam is hard, and if you do not properly prepare by working
a ton of problems, you will fail! In summary, the PE Exam is hard, and will take focus, a plan, and
following through with the plan. If you take it lightly, you will fail!
"Ability is what you are capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do.
Attitude is how well you do it."
-Lou Holtz
That is why I believe that motivation is one thing that sets apart those who pass the PE Exam from those
who unfortunately do not pass. Why is that? Well, as I mentioned before, the PE Exam is hard, and to pass
it you need to put in the time, work problems, and prepare. You are juggling a job, your social life, and
possibly a family and now you have to study for the PE Exam... how will you do it? Somehow you have to
motivate yourself to stay on track with a study schedule over a period of several months. Some of the
things that will help you stay motivated include being accountable to others, joining a study group or
review course, and setting goals along the way. Chapter 6 provides more information on preparing for the
PE Exam, and how to stay motivated during your PE Exam review.
The first thing that will help you on exam day is to have the right mindset. Being confident and calm during
the exam will really help you focus and get an edge on the final score. Of course much of the confidence
will come when you have adequately prepared and that comes from doing the hard work before the exam.
You also need to be organized and ready physically in order to have the right mindset for the exam. Some
things that you need to have organized include your exam-day references and materials as well as travel
and sleep arrangements. Knowing where to go and what to do will calm your mind, and allow you to focus
on killing the exam.
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And of course, as with any test, you need to be prepared physically. This means treating your body well,
especially the few days leading up to the exam. If you have been burning the midnight oil studying, then
take it easy the last few days before the exam.
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2. THE ROAD TO THE PE LICENSE
The road to getting your PE license begins well before taking the PE Exam. This chapter provides a
detailed explanation of the pre-requisites to taking the PE Exam, discusses why someone should take the
PE Exam, and provides instructions on how to register for the PE exam.
AceThePE.com 9
that are consistent in all states. This information will apply to anyone who is planning to take the PE exam -
college student, potential engineering student, as well as PE Exam candidates taking the exam shortly.
Generally, There are Four Main Pre-Requisites for Taking the PE Exam.
(Check your State for Specifics on Prerequisites !!!)
You can find this information from NCEES.org.
"ABET accreditation is assurance that a college or university program meets the quality standards
established by the profession for which it prepares its students. For example, an accredited engineering
program must meet the quality standards set by the engineering profession." From ABET.org
*Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
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How Do I Register for the PE Exam
Once you have met the requirements and have decided to take the PE Exam, you are ready to register for
either the April or October exam. (Some exams are only administered once a year; see chapter 8 for more
information.) Here are the things you need to do to get registered for the exam:
State Application:
• First apply through your state of residency to take the exam, providing required documentation:
• Provide the character and experience references - up to five references are typically required and
usually three are required to be licensed engineers.
• You should get an authorization notice from NCEES emailed to you. Print this out, and hang onto it for
exam day.
• You will also get a link to the NCEES Candidate Agreement. Sign this and bring it with you also.
For most people that get a Bachelor’s of Science in Engineering in the US, the program is accredited. If
your education was outside of the US, then your University may not be accredited, though there are some
Universities outside of the US that are accredited by ABET. If you want to look up whether your University
or particular degree program was accredited, then confirm it at this link: http://main.abet.org/aps/
Accreditedprogramsearch.aspx
If you find that your degree is not accredited by ABET, then in order to meet the education requirements of
the PE Exam, you will need to work with the state board through which you are getting licensed. Each
state will approach the review of your education differently. The NCEES has a program to assist with this
review. To have them review your education credentials, you can go to this link and follow the instructions.
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http://ncees.org/Credentials_evaluations.php. The cost of the initial review is $400. The evaluation consists
of a comparison of your education to their standard by the state board.
The engineering education standard used by the NCEES consists of three parts: 32 hours of Mathematics
& Science, 16 hours of Humanities, and 48 hours of the core engineering curriculum. Bachelor’s courses
are included along with the Master’s and Doctorate work in the evaluation. Any advanced placement work
done during high school will also be included in this evaluation. For thesis work or independent studies,
only six hours will be granted. Work experience and co-ops do not contribute to the accreditation in any
way. Finally, degrees earned exclusively as work-experience based learning are not considered.
In some countries, you will find that your education meets and exceeds the technical requirements, but
you may be deficient in non-technical humanities classes such as sociology or literature. While you may
feel these standards are not ideal, the best approach is to work with the board and accept their review.
You may need to take an extra few classes to meet the requirements. In the end, you will learn something
that will make you a better person and in fact a better engineer.
Remember, in the long run, reaching the dream of getting a PE License really is worth it, so keep that
goal in mind while you are working through what seems like a tedious mountain of requirements at times!
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3. WHAT IS THE PE EXAM LIKE ?
It is important to understand the Format and content of the PE Exam in order to develop a study strategy
and do your best on the exam. Here I will cover the overall format, scoring, and content of the discipline-
specific exams.
There are actually 25 exams administered by the NCEES (that is, if you count the depth exams on the
mechanical, civil and SE exams separately). The exams are as follows:
• Civil PE Exam
• Civil with Water Resources and Environmental emphasis
• Civil with Transportation emphasis
• Civil with Structural emphasis
• Civil with Geotechnical emphasis
• Civil with Construction emphasis
• Mechanical PE Exam
• Mechanical with Thermal and Fluid Systems emphasis
• Mechanical with Mechanical Systems and Materials emphasis
• Mechanical with HVAC and Refrigeration emphasis
• Electrical PE Exams
• Electrical and Computer with Power emphasis
• Electrical and Computer with Electrical and Electronics emphasis
• Electrical and Computer with Computer Engineering emphasis
• Structural (SE) Exam
• Structural (SE) Exam with Bridge emphasis
• Structural (SE) Exam with Building emphasis
• Industrial PE Exam
• Petroleum PE Exam
• Nuclear PE Exam
• Naval Architecture and Marine PE Exam
• Mining and Material Processing PE Exam
• Metallurgical and Materials PE Exam
• Fire Protection PE Exam
• Environmental PE Exam
• Control Systems PE Exam
• Chemical PE Exam
• Architectural PE Exam
• Agricultural PE Exam
• (New in 2013) Software PE Exam
AceThePE.com 13
More information about the discipline exam specifications can be found in Chapter 4, on the website, or
directly from the NCEES website. It is very important to review those specifications and use them as a
study guide.
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4. DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC EXAM INFORMATION
To find the study materials and exam requirements (specifications) for your exam go to your exam and then
click on the link provided (AceThePE.com). There you will find you discipline-specific information. (For now,
this external linking keeps the book slim). See also chapter 5 on guidance on getting the right reference
materials.
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5. STUDY MATERIALS & REFERENCES
I believe the most important materials needed to prepare for the PE Exam, regardless of discipline, are
good reference materials, plenty of practice problems, and a sample exam. If your discipline has a
core reference manual that covers the majority of topics, then that will be beneficial to use. These Core
reference manuals helped me on my PE Exams. The core reference manual provides a quick method of
finding formulas and solutions for the majority of the problems during your review and on the exam.
Since the PE exam is open book, much of your study materials will be the same materials you use as
references on exam day, so begin to learn your way through those references early and often.
Working problems is the key to mastering the materials, so a good collection of problems is vital. I suggest
that you take two sample exams during your review. Definitely take the one from the NCEES website (if
available in your discipline), and at least one more sample exam. Take the NCEES exam a couple weeks
before the exam and take the other sample exam a month or so before the exam. In addition to these
references, your discipline will likely have some required design standards that are referenced in the
NCEES specifications for your exam; those will need to be included in your preparation arsenal.
Finally, for each topic on the exam, I suggest that you have no more than one reference for that topic. Pick
the best reference for that topic, and begin to use it when you come to a a question on that topic. For me,
most (roughly 80%) of my questions were answered from one core reference, and the remainder of the
questions (roughly 20%) were answered from a few other texts. Of course your discipline may be different,
so you will need to consider that in gathering your review materials.
While studying, you will want to purchase an NCEES approved calculator and begin using it early to get
accustomed to it.
Discipline-Specific Requirements
For your discipline-specific requirements, refer to you can just go straight to acethepe.com/pe-exam/
and click on the exam you are taking in the menu. There you will find exam specifications and suggested
study materials for your exam. Use this checklist along with the specific requirements to gather your
materials together.
Checklist of materials
For a printable checklist of study materials, as well as a step-by-step process for preparing for the Civil and
other PE Exams, go to AceThePE.com and signup for the newsletter.
AceThePE.com 16
6. ITEMS TO TAKE INTO THE EXAM
This is an open-book exam, allowing you to bring any hardbound books into the exam room. The
administration of this varies from state to state, so check the requirements. Generally speaking, you will
want to take your study materials and design standards as well as bound problems, notes, and sample
exams (if allowed by your state).
Candidates may bring printed reference materials as long as they are bound and remain
bound during the exam. Loose paper may be bound with ring binders, brads, plastic snap
binders, spiral-bound notebooks, and screw posts, but not with staples. Sticky notes and
flags are permitted only when they remain attached to book pages.
--NCEES Website
Here are a few additional recommendations to throw into your box of materials (albeit not technical). First,
include a watch, (if allowed by your state). This will help you keep track of time during the exam. If you get
cold easily, then you may want to wear layers of clothes so you are ready for different conditions. Consider
also bringing a spare calculator or fresh batteries. I brought a few ibuprofen which came in quite handy
when I got an afternoon headache. Yikes! Bring something to eat for lunch and leave it in the car - just in
case. During one exam I took, they served pizza for lunch. I am no dietician, but I am pretty sure that is not
‘brain food.’
As far as things that you should leave at home, here are a few things: Do not bother bringing in non-
technical or obsolete textbooks. State codes and ordinances are not going to be tested, so those can be
left at home also. Also, you will have to use the pencil from the NCEES so leave your pencil in the car.
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7. PREPARING FOR THE PE EXAM
Once you have gathered your materials and registered for the PE Exam, it is time to hit the books. Let me
share with you some recommendations to help you pass.
Now that we know what does not work, lets go over some ways to be successful at taking the PE Exam.
AceThePE.com 18
Sure, I know it is an open-book exam, but with 80 problems to work in 8 hours, you only have an average
of 6 minutes to work each problem. As such, you don't have time to re-learn material during the exam;
rather you need to be solid on the questions asked. When I took the PE Exam, my goal was to study for
300 hours. I did the best I could to meet that goal, though I probably fell a little short. With work, family,
and your personal life I know that it can be difficult to prepare for this exam.
• Discuss with Boss/Manager about your hours. Perhaps you can work four “tens,” or four “nines”
and a “four” each week.
• Discuss with family the amount of time you will be spending studying nights and weekends.
a) Week One
• Study 24 hours a week for 13 weeks. (This assumes that you will miss a couple hours.)
1. Study 3 hours M-Th (1 hour during lunch and/ or before work; and 2 hours in evenings).
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2. Retake if necessary.
Once you write your goals down, it is important to review them periodically. Post your goals to your
bathroom mirror, refrigerator, or on your computer desktop. By having your goals visible each day, you will
be reminded to stick with it and continue to improve!
Here is why the motivation section and goals section might be the most important sections I have to
offer... I believe that motivation is one thing that sets apart those who pass the PE Exam from those who
unfortunately do not pass. Why is that? Well, as I mentioned before, the PE Exam is hard, and to pass it
you need to put in the time, work problems, and prepare. You are juggling a job, your social life, and
possibly a family and now you have to study for the PE Exam... how will you do it?
Focus
I know this stuff sounds really hard. You are busy with your job, family, perhaps kids, and your social life. In
order to meet your goal of passing the PE Exam, however, you are going to need to find a way to focus
your attention on just this exam and put everything you can into preparing for, taking, and passing it. The
time you spend may seem like a lot, but in the grand scheme of things, it will be a short period of time that
will be well worth it. A laser beam is just a light that is focused intensely on one thing. When focused in that
way, a laser can do some amazing things. So can you when you get focused!
Accountability
Most people cannot maintain a high level of intensity and focus for extended periods of time. Some
engineers do excel at this skill and you may have no issue motivating yourself to study and prepare. If you
do have a hard time motivating yourself, consider getting some sort of partner or system of accountability
to help you stay on track. The next section lists a few resources that will help you study and also stay
motivated.
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Time Management
We all have the same amount of hours in the week; the only difference is how we use them. There are 168
hours in the week. If you take 13 weeks to study for the exam, then you only need about 23 hours per
week to reach the suggested 300-hour mark. Twenty-three hours seems like a lot of time at first, but it is
less than 15% of your time throughout the week. Is the PE Exam important enough for you to put in 15%
of your time for 13 weeks in order to pass it?
Study Groups
If possible, try to connect with a some people who are taking the same exam as you and study together
as a group. This will provide an opportunity to work through problems which are not clear to you and you
can teach each other the problems that you may not have time to go through alone. I actually did this with
a co-worker when I took the Civil PE Exam. We would work a few different problems, and then we would
teach each other the problems the other did not work. There is no better way to learn and remember
something than to teach it to someone else.
Review Courses
Review Courses, such as the one that is offered by PPI or Kaplan, not only help to review the course
material, but they also provide a means of holding you accountable. People that pay for such courses have
indicated that the schedule and the organization alone were helpful in encouraging them to stay on track
with their studies.
AceThePE.com 21
Study Tips
• Study Each Day.
The old adage that Rome was not built in a day is true with your PE Exam studies as well. With the
business of life it is almost impossible to expect to find 6, 8, or even 10-hour increments to study. Of
course, those times are important, but try to study each day to keep the continuity and habit of studying.
In addition, I believe that sometimes you learn more in the shorter increments than in the longer ones.
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."
--Aristotle
Regarding your employer, you will want to get their support as well. Some employers will pay for or
reimburse you for the cost of exam registration, books, and review courses. If you are not sure whether
they will pay for these things, then I suggest that you ask them. The worst thing they can do is tell you no;
so it does not hurt to ask. Similarly, you may find that your employer may give you some flexibility in your
schedule, enabling you to spend more time studying. Some ideas that are worth exploring include working
half days on Fridays or even cutting back your hours some. Keep in mind that your passing the PE Exam
will benefit them almost as much as it will mean to you.
Manage your stress. Lets face it, preparing for the PE Exam can be stressful. Try to manage
your stress through taking breaks, exercising, and spending time away from studies.
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Snack Attack. Be cautious about overeating (or drinking) as a way to cope with the stress of
taking the exam. It is far to easy to overdo on the snacks while you are studying. Of course,
sometimes it is the only motivation you have to keep studying. I know I used to look forward to
my cappuccino at the coffee house while I studied.
Take a Break.There is plenty of time to study and to take a break. By taking breaks, you can
actually get more out of the time you are cracking the books.
Taper down the week before the exam. I ran my first marathon in November of 2011. From
that experience, I learned that you need to taper your training the week before the race in order
to get the most out of your body. I believe the week before your exam, you need to begin to
focus less on studying and more on relaxing and getting sharp for exam day.
• Sleeping arrangements
If you are taking the exam away from home, take a moment to call and confirm your sleeping
arrangements and/or hotel room. If you will be at home the night before the exam, check your schedule,
and plan a low key evening the night before the exam.
• Travel Arrangements
Get good directions to the location of the exam and find out where the exam room is ahead of time. Of
course, leave early enough to check into the exam room with plenty of time to spare. Getting into a traffic
jam, accident, or getting lost could all happen on your exam day, so it is best to allow a few minutes of
cushion just in case.
Being prepared for the day of the exam will make your exam day go much smoother and will help you be
successful in passing the PE Exam.
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8. BE A TEST-DAY HERO
You have finally made it to exam day, and you want to execute well once that day arrives. Of course,
being prepared is the ultimate way to execute, and you should do all you can to properly prepare. but let
me first share a few things the day before and day of the exam to ensure that you will be a Test-Day hero.
The Day Before - Remember to Get Your Mind and Body Ready
Hopefully, once exam day arrives you will have prepared, but there are some strategies that can help you
be efficient and as effective as possible on exam day. A few suggestions include: be prepared with all of
your materials and your entrance; sleep well the few nights leading up to the exam; relax; be confident;
and remember to keep track of your units! I have a complete article and podcast that provide strategies to
give you an edge on exam day. Just remember the three C’s and that you need to be Cool, Calm, and
Collected in order to perform at your best.
You want to be at your best on exam day, so that you can obtain the highest score possible AND survive
the whole ordeal. Of course, by then you will have put in many hours of review and you will be well-
prepared for the material, but you also want your mind and body to be at their best on exam day. Here is
some advice to ensure that your mind and body are at their sharpest to pass the PE Exam.
If you’re a coffee drinker, you might want to think about how much coffee you drink because you don’t
want to be going to the bathroom every 30 minutes during the exam.
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Don't Make This Common Mistake Just Before the Exam
It is natural to think about the exam too much or especially to cram for the exam early on the day of the
test. This is a huge mistake for several reasons: 1. If you don’t know it by then, you’re not going to know it.
2. Stressing yourself will only reverse the benefits of the brain food and the good night’s sleep and can
even result in the test-taker’s worse nightmare “drawing a blank.” The best strategy is to arrive a bit early
so you can register and still have a bit of time before the test begins. But, while you’re standing around
and waiting (which will tend to ratchet up your anxiety), my recommendation is to socialize a little bit, meet
some folks, and talk about things other than the exam. If you begin to talk to others about what they
studied for, you will just end up questioning yourself and whether you reviewed properly. The best thing is
to keep your mind relaxed just before the exam, and then when it’s time to take the exam, focus and be
intense about it.
Once test time gets here, take a moment and remind yourself to follow the three C's: Cool, Calm, and
Collected. Just don't say it out loud or people might think that you are weird. But take a deep breath and
try to relax. Being relaxed and calm during the exam will actually help you do better and not be stressed
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and uptight during the exam. Realize that, although this is an important exam, even if you don’t pass it the
first time, that’s okay. You can always take it again and just know that you’re not a failure if you don’t pass
the first time. Of course, do remember that there is a time limit on the exam. So, though you need to be
collected, you will need to be efficient at working through the problems as well.
As I noted earlier, given the number of problems on the PE Exam, you have an average of six minutes to
solve each problem. That is plenty of time to solve all of the problems on the exam and still have time
leftover to check your work. Some problems will take less time than that, and some will take more than
that. So remember to be efficient and remember the three C's on exam day - Cool, Calm, and Collected -
and you should do just fine.
Next, let me offer you even more practical tips to help you master your test day.
• First Pass
For the first pass, go through and do the so-called 'easy problems.’ These are problems that you know
cold or that you know with no reference. It might be a verbal question or it may just require a simple
calculation. But these are problems that you can probably do within a minute or two - quickly and easily. In
the morning you’ll probably have about 10 of those kinds of problems, about 25% of the problems. This
allows you to have 10 problems done in about 20 minutes. That’s 25% of your morning exam. So, you can
focus the rest of the three and half hours or so on the remaining 75% of the problems. So, that gives you a
leg up and gets you kind of moving and grooving into the exam.
• Second Pass
The next pass involves solving the core of the exam questions. These are the problems that you know how
to do. You just need to refer to your manual, find the formula, and solve the problem. For these problems,
you will want to spend around 3 to 6 minutes per problem. Most of these problems will be answered from
one or two of your core references. With your books properly tabbed you will be able to go through and
just - boom - pick that formula out and do that problem. Also, having an index is very helpful because you
can go to the index, see where the formula is and where the reference is, and then go to the place that you
need to go in your book. So that’s the second pass, which is when you will complete problems on the
medium level of difficulty. After completing this pass you will have probably knocked out another half of the
exam, which means you should have about 75% of the exam done, and hopefully you still have plenty of
time to work through the last pass.
• Third Pass
At this point, you should have about an hour or so left to do the remainder of the problems on the
morning or afternoon exam. These questions are the hard ones to which you knew you would have to
return. Either you weren’t clear about the subject, or you knew they were going to take a lot of work.
AceThePE.com 26
Spend the rest of the time working through these last problems. Just try not to spend too much time on
any one problem. If you find yourself exceeding 8 to 10 minutes on a problem, then either wrap it up or
come back to it later. At some point during the last pass, the exam administrator will announce there are
30 minutes left. At that point, you will want to wrap up the last pass, check your work, and check that your
bubbles have all been entered correctly. This way you will be ready to lay down your pencil when it’s time.
I found that the success and momentum of answering the easy questions early provided the momentum
to answer the harder questions later in the exam. In addition, I felt like I was ahead of the clock which gave
me confidence as well. Other people prefer to just work through each problem sequentially until they
complete the exam. But the ”3-Pass System” is the one that I have used to get through the PE Exam, and
it could be beneficial to you as well.
• Tab it up
During your review, you hopefully tabbed the sections you have used to work problems as well as the
sections that have a high probability of coming up on the exam. Having these tabs and using them during
the exam will make you more efficient and will just help things to go more smoothly for you. I used the
color coded tabs created by 3M for my tabs. Some states ask that you have no loose-leaf papers, so
make sure the tabs are attached sufficiently for your State’s requirements.
• Be a Morning Hero
Remember that the PE Exam has a morning and afternoon section. I found that the afternoon exam tends
to be slightly more difficult than the morning exam. If you can get some momentum going in the early part
of the exam and especially at the early part of the AM exam, then I think it will give you confidence for the
afternoon exam.
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• Pick a Bubble, Any Bubble
The PE Exam is a Scantron type format, with the answers being recorded onto a bubble-in form.
Obviously, it is important to take your time when you bubble it in so that the scanner picks everything up
properly. Also remember to enter the answer in the right place, and try not to erase answers because it
may pick up the erasure mark.
• Guess Away
Make sure that you fill in all bubbles for the portion of the exam you are taking. The PE Exam is a multiple-
choice exam and there’s no penalty for guessing. So when they announce that you have just five minutes
remaining, you will want to make sure you have every single bubble filled in, and filled in cleanly. Guessing
is better than leaving them blank.
These “little” may not seem like much individually, but they can really add up, and could even be the
difference between passing or failing.
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9. MORE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ’S)
I realize they can have a bit of a price tag, so it is not necessarily an easy decision. Of course, if you can
get your employer to pay for some of the costs of the review course, that takes the burden off of you. For
those that do not have that luxury, you will want to explore the benefits of taking a PE Exam review course.
There is evidence that taking a course may help you pass the PE Exam but this is a decision you have to
make yourself after due diligence.
Unless noted otherwise, all PE Exams are given in both the fall as well as the spring.
* Architectural Engineering, Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering,and Industrial Engineering will be
held only on the April Dates.
** Petroleum Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Mining and Mineral Processing Engineering, Metallurgical
and Materials Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Fire Protection Engineering, Control Systems
Engineering, and Agricultural Engineering are held only on the October Dates.
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For the SE Exam, it is a two-day exam held in both the spring and the fall, with the first day exam listed as
above and the second day of the exam being held on the following Saturday. The Friday exam has a
Vertical and Gravity emphasis while the Saturday exam has a Lateral emphasis. The SE Exam dates can
be found on the NCEES.org website.
I believe that motivation is one thing that sets apart those who pass the PE Exam from those who
unfortunately do not pass. Why is that? Well, as I mentioned before, the PE Exam is hard and to pass it
you need to put in the time, work problems, and prepare. When you are juggling a job, your social life, and
possibly a family and also have to study for a very difficult PE Exam... motivation is the key. Acknowledging
the high level of difficulty will help you to get motivated to study and prepare.
Getting references
If the PE Exam is hard, then getting your paperwork and references together seems even harder at times.
Here are a few tips for getting your paperwork turned in on time.
* Make a list of the character and experience references you wish to use.
* Contact your references by phone and ask them if they would be a character or experience reference
(as applicable). Tell them that it is important that it be completed within within one week in order to
expedite the application process.
* Print the forms and fill out as much information as you can in order to save your reference time.
Include postage and addresses on the mailing envelopes.
* If you can get the form filled out on the spot, that is ideal. You may need to have them place it in an
envelope for you to mail.
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* After you deliver the form, follow up by email in one day to find out the status. If necessary, call after
two days to see if the form is filled out. If it is not filled out after a week, then you might want to get a
new reference.
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11. (BONUS CHAPTER) SPECIAL OFFERS! DISCOUNTS AND
OFFERS ON REFERENCE AND REVIEW MATERIALS
The expenses for taking the PE Exam can add up quickly once you combine the registration fees, review materials,
travel costs. Not to mention the cost of review courses, should you choose to take one. Here are a few ways to
save on those costs.
PPI has review courses for the FE Exam (EIT Exam), Civil PE Exam, Mechanical PE Exam, Electrical PE
Exam (Power and Electronics), Environmental PE Exam. they also have a California Seismic & Survey
Review Course, and a Casio FX-115 Calculator Review Course that may be helpful to you.
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12. (BONUS CHAPTER) - LIFE AFTER THE PE EXAM
Let me say from the outset that failure is never easy when we are going through it. People will probably tell
you that this will make you stronger and that you will learn a lesson from it. But these kind of clichés won’t
really help at this point. At first you will just feel a combination of anger, frustration, and disappointment.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that this exam does not define who you are. You are a
success, regardless of the result of this test. And besides, whenever you do pass the test, this setback will
no longer matter anyway. So try to keep these things in mind and take some pressure off of yourself.
The first thing that I suggest you do is just take a deep breath and let it sink in slowly. Take some time off
from thinking about the PE Exam altogether. Instead, I suggest that you focus on something else for a
while. Time will take the sting out of this result and you will begin to feel better. Go to the beach, watch a
movie, or just spend time with the family or friends. Eventually you will need to get back in the saddle, but
take a short time to pick yourself up off the ground.
Of course you will need to overcome this challenge. You will need to sign up for the next exam and work
even harder to pass it next time. And I trust that you will, in fact, pass it the next time around.
So for now just remember these two things. First, I just want you to let it sink in and try to somehow relax.
Secondly, after a couple of weeks off, I want you to make a plan to pass the exam - and follow through
with it. Focus in like a laser beam on this goal, and dominate the exam this time around. But please learn
from the mistakes you made the first time. Not just the technical mistakes you made on the exam,
because you will not likely get the same questions twice. But it will help you immensely to make a note of
things that you could have done better during the preparation as well as while you were actually taking the
test. And focus on the things you did well the first time around and build on them.
I admire that you are willing to keep trying, and I trust that your efforts will pay off with a passing grade this
time. When you do get that passing grade, the feeling of accomplishment will be even greater. In the end…
this will indeed make you a stronger person.
One thing I want to mention about getting the results of the PE Exam - it can sometimes feel anti-climatic.
This is because normally you will just get a simple letter in the mail or you will view the results online. While
it seems like there should be some kind of bells and whistles going off, the reality is that the result is either
a pass or a fail and the board issuing this decision doesn’t assign it a value. Only you can enjoy what this
time means so when you pass, celebrate, have a party, and mark this occasion.
If you have an opportunity to go to a ceremony, I would encourage it. My state board held a ceremony for
the new engineers at the state capital, and it kind of stamped the day in my mind forever. After all of the
hard work you put into getting your license I believe that the occasion should be marked with some sort of
ceremony.
Either way, I am sure you will be a great engineer and I am proud that you will be a fellow 'PE' with me. If
there is anything I can do in the future to help you in your professional or personal endeavors, please let
me know. You may contact me via the form on http://acethepe.com or directly at info@acethepe.com.
But I also knew this: now that my name was on the drawings, liability was now a larger concern. In fact,
anytime you place your seal on something, you are stating that the work was done under your supervision,
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and it meets the requirements of your jurisdiction. If something goes wrong with that project, people will
come after your company first, and then you.
As an employee of a company, you should discuss liability with your manager and/ or boss and find out
what will happen if something goes wrong. Usually your employer will carry an insurance policy that
includes error and omissions insurance. If you will be signing off on work, I encourage you to check with
them to find out about the insurance policy and if you will be included specifically in the policy.
A Final Word
Thanks for taking the time to read this eBook. I hope it is truly useful in helping you to maximize your
potential and to realize your dream of becoming a Professional Engineer.
As I have said earlier, I really care about your success, so if there is anything I can do to help you pass the
PE Exam, or get ahead in your career, please do not hesitate to contact me. I can be reached by email at
info@acethepe.com, and I try to answer all emails within 24 hours (except maybe on the weekends!).
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COPYRIGHT NOTICE (OR LACK THEREOF)
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Site Owners and Sellers Take Notice- Feel free to distribute this work free to your users as a complete
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permission for that (sorry). But I have a great and easy program that will allow anyone to make a buck from
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guide and other products.
AceThePE.com 36