How to Pass the PE Exam – Without Spending a Fortune

To answer the question “How to Pass the PE Exam,” we offer the same four recommendations to everyone who asks. Based on the feedback we’ve received from past test-takers, this preparation method works.

Take a Review Course

• This recommendation is purely subjective. If you are confident you know the exam material well enough, then skip this recommendation. If you’re not so confident, then look into review course options. Most universities and community colleges offer some type of PE Exam test preparation course. Be careful when choosing this route. The university’s professors typically present these courses, who may approach their portion of the review as an opportunity to “teach” you the information from an entire course in a few short days. This method is truly information overload and may not show you How to Pass the PE Exam.
• Another option is to take an online review course. Kaplan Engineering, School of PE, PPI₂PASS, and the Minnesota Society of Professional Engineers are all reputable companies with online courses. Again, take the time to research these companies to make certain they offer what you need in a format that’s beneficial.
• EngineeringDesignResources.com offers 60-Day Review Courses for Architectural, Civil (Construction, Geotechnical, and Structural), Electrical, Fire Protection, and Mechanical (HVAC/Refrigeration and Thermal/Fluid Systems).

Work as Many Representative Problems as Possible

• This How to Pass the PE Exam activity gives you confidence and feedback at the same time. If you know the subject matter well enough, then you should have no problems working through sample problems. If you can use extra reinforcement in any area, you’ll know immediately by struggling. This feedback is valuable; you can use it to seek out additional information (add to your Test-Prep Resource Library^©) and work more sample problems.
• To find practice problems, search the internet based on your specific exam – i.e. Electrical Engineering PE Exam Sample Problems or visit EngineeringDesignResources.com.

Assemble a Comprehensive 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.
• In our blog post 12 Weeks to PE Exam, we go into detail about a Test-Prep Resource Library^©. To summarize, your library should contain resources addressing each of the topics listed at NCEES.org. Put all these resources into tabbed three-ring binders for easy navigation during the exam. This method will allow you to quickly and efficiently retrieve the information you need without fumbling through textbooks, review manuals, and college notebooks.

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 these Test-Prep
Resources as a method of study and preparation. For example, 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.

Take a Practice Exam

• Taking a practice exam is helpful in three ways:
  • First, you get a feel for the pace of the exam by setting up your practice exam similar to an actual test day. To do this, start the morning section at 8:00 am, work until 12:00, take a one-hour lunch break, start the afternoon section at 1:00 pm, and finish up at 5:00 pm. This costs you an entire Saturday or Sunday, but the experience gained will far outweigh the cost.
  • Second, you find subject areas where you need more information or practice. It’s better to find out your weak areas during a test run than on the actual exam.
  • Third, you practice using your Test-Prep Resource Library^©. You discover what’s usable and what needs to be reworked, and you might even find sections that can be trimmed down.
• To find practice exams, search the internet based on your specific exam – i.e. Civil Engineering Construction PE Exam Practice Exam, or visit EngineeringDesignResources.com.

Additional Information can be found at:

• 100 Days To PE Exam Success
• PE Exam Success The 10 Best Ways To Be Prepared
• 10 Must-Have PE Exam Resources

How to Pass the PE Exam

Engineering Design Resources
NCEES
Contact Us

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Ready for the PE Exam – let’s get started! Do you remember the first time you tried something new? Whether it was skydiving or scuba-diving, a new sport or a new instrument, learning to drive or learning to fly, those first few “steps” can seem huge. Most times, all we need to do is take a deep breath, put one foot in front of the other, and begin moving.

^{© kevron2001 www.fotosearch.com}

Put one foot in front of the other and begin moving.

Apply these same steps to just about any endeavor. Take, for instance, preparing for the PE Exam. Hopefully, by now you’ve made the decision to take the PE Exam and have registered with NCEES.org. Where most people find themselves at this stage is … “The exam is two months away; I’ve got plenty of time to prepare … I’ll start later.” Before you know it, one month is gone, then another week, and another. Now you’re in panic-mode. There’s not enough time to properly prepare, so you try to cram as much as possible into the little time remaining, and you spend the next few weeks agonizing over the daunting task.

If you’re taking the Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, or Structural PE Exam, you’ll only have to carry this burden around for six months, until the next exam. However, if you’re taking the Architectural PE Exam, you get to suffer for twelve full months … one whole year. Don’t be this person. Take these next two months seriously. Put in the work. Do the hard things necessary to pass the PE Exam, and remember this by Walt Disney…

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”

So … let’s get started.

This post – and a few others – primarily pertain to the Architectural Engineering PE Exam, but the information presented is applicable to any exam.

These first two topics are to get the test-taker to consider building systems – Architectural, Civil, Structural, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing – as a whole – and how each one affects the others:

1. Aspects of building performance that affect human comfort (e.g., vibration, noise, lighting, climate control) and,
2. Impact of one system on another (e.g., lighting load on air-conditioning system capacity)

For example, how do vibrations transmitted from HVAC equipment to the structure impact the overall acoustics of a space or entire building?

• Does the Mechanical Engineer treat the cause with additional isolation devices to limit the transmission?
• Does the Structural Engineer use heavier – or more – steel to counteract the impact?
• Does the Architect and Acoustics Engineer provide additional sound dampening?

How do each of these affect the occupants?

Vibrations can be annoying and interfere with productivity.

Sound dampening can alter the intended “feel” of the space.

Noise can undermine speech and affect attention.

Everything we do as designers has the capacity to impact something else, so we must be aware of our efforts as well as the efforts of others.

To successfully navigate this portion of the exam, we recommend gathering information – articles, charts, graphs, examples, etc. – that relates to these types of impact.

Gather information on:

• Vibration
• Noise
• Lighting
• Climate Control
• Insulation Types & Characteristics
• Day-Lighting
• Windows
• Building Materials

In addition, gather information on:

• How does the lighting load affect the air-conditioning load?
• Does the HVAC load affect the overall electrical load and service size?
• What effect do the MEP systems have on the Structural systems?
• Do the combined systems affect the final architectural design?

Test-Prep Resource Library

In future posts, we will provide some beneficial resources and websites that you can include in your Test-Prep Resource Library^©*. For now, do some digging on your own and see what you can find. Be curious, always ask why or why not, and never merely take someone else’s opinion for your own. This part of the exam has a certain element of subjectivity, and it’s not always “written in stone.” In your quest, you might find a new insight or twist on a long-held belief that makes you question your stance on the issue. That is not a bad thing. Tony Robbins, a life and business strategist, says, “It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.”

*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 your own 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.

So, are you ready for the PE Exam – let’s get started!

PE Exam – Let’s Get Started

Engineering Design Resources
NCEES
Contact Us

Copyright^©  All Rights Reserved

EngineeringDesignResources.com prohibits the use or reproduction of this material by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. This includes photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage retrieval system.

Due to the dynamic nature of the Internet, web addresses or links in these materials may have changed.

Any resemblance in the images in this material to actual people or locations is merely coincidental. EngineeringDesignResources.com prohibits reprinting, copying, changing, reproducing, publishing, uploading, posting, transmitting, or using in any other manner images in this material.