PE Exam Success - The 10 Best Ways To Be Prepared

PE Exam Success – The 10 Best Ways To Be Prepared explains the top methods to dramatically increase your odds for success on the PE Exam.

PE Exam Success Results Vary Primarily Due To The Use Of Effective Exam Preparation Methods …

Or Not!

PE Exam Success

Prepare Smarter Not Harder!

As you are preparing to take an engineering PE exam, it will help to keep these in mind:

1 – Build A Solid Test-Prep Resource Library^©*

*NOTE: As per the NCEES Examinees Guide, books, notes, notebooks, etc. are no longer permitted in the testing room. This does not diminish the importance of a Test-Prep Resource Library^©as a method of study and preparation. Taking the time to assemble a resource library will naturally help you categorize and document your study materials, help you determine what’s essential to pass the exam, and keep all your resources in one easy-to-access tool.

This one is a must-do. Of all the other nine PE Exam Success – The 10 Best Ways To Be Prepared ideas listed here, this one, in our opinion, is by far the most important.

If you will take the time to:

Collect all the relevant information pertaining to each of the topics shown for your particular test, including:
- Example PE Exam Problems with Solutions
- Equations
- Commentary
- Charts and Tables
Assemble the information into binders.
Devise some method of retrieval to locate information quickly.
Spend a portion of your allotted study time to review and fine-tune your reference binders.

…your odds of successfully passing the PE Exam will dramatically increase.

The Study Guides found at EngineeringDesignResources.com are full of example problems, equations, commentary, and ideas for your Test-Prep Resource Library^©

2 -Know the Codes

Depending on which PE Exam you are taking, it would be well worth your time to spend time reading through and becoming very familiar with the Code – or Codes – that are primary to your industry, such as:

Mechanical Engineering – The International Mechanical Code, The International Energy Efficiency Code, and The International Plumbing Code
Electrical Engineering – The National Electrical Code and The Life Safety Code – NFPA 101
Civil Engineering – The International Building Code
Structural Engineering – The International Building Code
Architectural Engineering – The International Codes – Building, Mechanical, Energy Efficiency, and Plumbing – and The National Electrical Code

3 – Know The Format

Most of the PE Exams are 80 multiple choice questions taken over an eight hour period – 40 questions in the four-hour morning session and 40 questions in the four-hour afternoon session.

That means 480 minutes to read the questions, understand what’s being asked, find the applicable resource, work the problem, and mark the answer on the test page – the Scantron.

That’s only SIX minutes per question.

This may seem like a lot of time … but it’s not.

Use some of your preparation time practicing answering questions at the rate of one every six minutes. This will help you gauge your pace for test day.

4 – Plan Your Study Time

Whether you have 12 months, 12 weeks, or 12 days – hopefully not 12 days – you can plan your time wisely to maximize the benefits of your study effort. Most likely, you have a job, maybe a family, other commitments, and probably some interests that take time. Sit down with the test outline for your particular PE Exam – found at NCEES.ORG – and plan out how to cover all the material you need to review in the amount of time available.

Refer back to ideas #1, #2, and #3 above.

Work through the process systematically, and you will be successful.

5 – Use The Right Tools

What tools does your industry use to make design easier?

Psychrometric Charts
Bending Stress Tables
Equations

Whatever these tools are, make sure you have them on hand in your Test-Prep Resource Library^©and be able to use them quickly. The last place to learn to use a tool is when you need it – under pressure.

Also, log onto NCEES.ORG for information on what’s allowed into the testing centers and what calculators are acceptable.

6 – Take Sample Tests

Ways to find sample PE Exams:

Search the internet
Search Amazon.com
Search your industry’s applicable websites – i.e. for Civil Engineering go to www.asce.org.

If you need assistance locating any resources, Contact Us.

7 – Work To Your Strengths

As with everything in life, we perform better and are more successful when we are doing those things we have already mastered. Only little gains will be realized trying to learn something new and gain proficiency while under the pressures of a deadline – test day.

As such, take the time to figure out what you know very well. Spend the majority of your time on these subjects. Polish your expertise, gain new insights, practice your skills. This hyper-focus on strengths will give you the confidence you need on Test Day to knock out a good portion of the questions.

8 – Get Help On Your Weaker Topics

For those topics that aren’t as engrained as you’d like, use some of your preparation time getting help from someone who is an expert. There are plenty of people who are willing and eager to help you attain your PE. Look for mentors in:

Your current company
Companies with which you previously worked
Local professional societies
National professional societies
Local schools, colleges, and universities
Online

9 – Exploit The Odds

Most of the PE Exams – with the exception of the Structural Depth exams – are 80 multiple choice questions, taken over an eight hour period. To pass the exam and receive your PE License, you need to correctly answer 70% of the questions.

That’s only 56 right answers – so weigh the odds in your favor!

Take the Electrical PE Exam as an example:

You have a lot of experience in:
- General Power Engineering – Measurement and Instrumentation (7.5% or six questions)
- General Power Engineering – Special Applications (10% or eight questions)
- Circuit Analysis – Devices and Power Electronic Circuits (9% or seven questions)
- Rotating Machines and Electromagnetic Devices – Rotating Machines (12.5% or ten questions)
Get tutoring in:
- Transmission and Distribution – System Analysis (12.5% or ten questions)
- Transmission and Distribution – Protection (10% or eight questions)
Spend enough time reading through and learning the codes:
- General Power Engineering – Codes and Standards (12.5% or ten questions)

That totals 59 correct answers – more than enough to pass the PE Exam.

10 – Eat Well And Get Plenty Of Rest

This one is really a no-brainer, but it never hurts to hear it again. Take the time to adjust your diet leading up to the PE Exam. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, poultry, fish, nuts, and lean protein. Drink lots of water – at least 1/2 ounce for every pound. So if you weigh 185 pounds that’s 93 ounces of water per day (12 x 8oz glasses).

Bonus – Prepare for Test Day in Advance

Lastly, begin to assemble all of your test-day resources well in advance of the PE Exam. You will probably want to pack:

Healthy snacks
Drinks – like water
Clothing or jackets that can be taken on or off quickly and quietly
Extra money
Any forms or documents that may be required at the testing facility
Directions to the testing facility
Hotel reservations, if needed

If you will begin putting these things together in advance, then you won’t have to worry about them the night before the PE Exam.

You can find useful and effective study materials to help you prepare for your PE Exam at:

PE Exam Study Guides