Is the Civil PE Exam Difficult to Pass? After completing a college degree, passing the FE exam, and getting at least four years of experience working in engineering (in most states), candidates can sit for the PE exam. The PE exam is one of the last steps in becoming a licensed professional engineer. But how hard is it? In this article (and video above), I answer that question and also take a look at the PE Pass rates.
FE Exam Prep: Strength of Materials
In this article (and video above), I solve a strength of materials question, similar to one you might encounter during the FE Exam, to give you a better understanding of what you can expect during the exam.
Question:
A steel bar (E = 200 GPa) is stretched with a force of 50 N. If the bar is 4 m long and has a cross-sectional area of 0.5 square meters , what is the approximate elongation?
(A) 1 nm
(B) 2 nm
(C) 3 nm
(D) 4 nm
Solution:
Does a Master’s Degree Help You Take the PE Exam Quicker?
Does a master’s degree help you take the PE Exam quicker? In this article (and video above), I answer that question and also cover some of the other benefits of getting your master’s degree.
To get right to the point here, in many states, you reduce the amount of qualifying engineering experience, which is typically 4 years for a PE license, by one year with a Master’s Degree in engineering. However, you will likely need to complete your degree before it will count, you will not get credit for a degree that you are working towards. It is very important that you check your state board’s website to be certain, though, because every State has their own requirements related to the Master’s degree credit.
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FE Exam Prep: Ethics
In this article (and video above), I solve an ethics question similar to one you might encounter during the FE Exam in the FE and Professional Practice category.
Question:
Why may it be difficult to apply codes of ethics to real-world situations?
(A) The codes are too idealized for real-world situations.
(B) Since few people follow such codes, doing so would put one at a great disadvantage.
(C) Corporations are profit oriented, and frown upon anything that may affect their bottom line.
(D) Sections of the code are vague or conflict with other sections.
Solution:
How Many Years’ Experience Do You Need To Take The PE Exam?
In this article (and video above), I answer the following question from one of our listeners: “How many years experience do I need to take the PE Exam?”
Typically, in many US States, the experience requirement to apply for your PE license is four years of qualifying engineering experience. However each state acts independently to set its own education experience and residency requirements, therefore, there is variation throughout the US.
It is generally required that all candidate’s experience be accumulated after graduation from an accredited school. If you have worked while attending school, and if the work fits the criteria for qualifying engineering experience, you may qualify to take the examination less than four years following graduation. However, depending on circumstances, it may be difficult for you to demonstrate that the pre-graduation experience constitutes true engineering experience.
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FE Mathematics Exam Prep Question
In this article (and video above), I solve a FE mathematics exam prep question similar to one you might encounter during the FE Exam, to give you a better understanding of what you can expect during the exam. These types of questions and answers will help you prepare for your FE Exam and help you get a better understanding of what to expect during the exam.
I also provide tips for how to visualize questions like this and how to to find the right equations in the reference handbook, which is critical to exam success.
Question:
Which of the following expressions is equal to the angle between two planes whose normals are given by V1 and V2?
Solution:
From FAIL to PE EXAM PASS: How He Did It (The Second Try)
In this article, (and video above), I talk to Frisner Jean-Pierre, P.E. (JP), a General Engineer at the United States Department of the Air Force about how he prepared for the PE exam and what he did differently the second time around that helped him pass the exam.
Here Are Some of the Questions We Ask JP:
- How did you prepare for the PE exam?
- Did you do self-study, or did you enroll in any prep courses?
- How did you approach the different categories of the exam?
- What was the big difference between the pencil-and-paper exam, and the computer-based exam?
- Do you have any advice for engineers out there that are thinking of taking the PE exam soon?
Here Are Some of the Key Points Discussed in the Episode:
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FE Exam Mechanical Practice Question: Continuity Equation
In this article, (and video above), I solve a continuity equation question similar to one you might encounter on the mechanical section of the FE Exam.
Question:
Which of the statements is true concerning the following continuity equation?
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Do THIS After You Pass the PE Exam
In this article (and video above), I talk about what you can expect after you have taken your PE Exam and what you should do after you pass the PE exam. We talk about how long you will have to wait for your results to be available, how you can obtain your license if you passed, and when you will be able to start practicing as a licensed engineer. Information for this post was referenced from these articles (PPI, NSPE, and NJSPE).
FE Civil Exam Practice Problem (Spring Constant)
In this video (and article above), I solve a spring constant question similar to one you might encounter on the civil section of the FE Exam.
Question:
A long metal rod can be used as a very stiff spring. The deformation of a rod is given by the following expression:
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