Blog Posts

Moment of Inertia Question and Solution (FE Exam)

May 4, 2021 by Anthony Fasano, P.E. Leave a Comment

In this article (and video above), I provide a refresher on how to answer a moment of inertia problem as part of your FE Exam preparation.

This sample problem has been provided to us by PrepFE. PrepFE is one of the most effective FE exam self-study prep services out there and happens to be one of the most affordable too. It is an app that gives you access to countless sample FE problems to bolster your self-study efforts.

You can visit PrepFE here and use the discount code in the description of this video here to receive 10% off and get some great FE practice problems.

Following Is the Sample Problem:

What is most nearly the area moment of inertia about the x-axis of the composite shape shown below?

What Is the Passing Score For the PE Exam?

April 28, 2021 by Anthony Fasano, P.E. Leave a Comment

What’s the passing score for the PE Exam in 2021? And what’s the scoring process? In this article (and video above), we look at the exam and see how the NCEES “determines the level of performance that corresponds with minimal competence in that discipline”.

You can find the information shared in this post, plus more, on the PE Exam passing score at NCEES. Most of the PE Exams are 80 multiple choice questions taken over an 8 hour period – 40 questions in the 4 hour morning session, and 40 questions in the 4-hour afternoon session.

FE Exams In 2021 – New Changes

April 20, 2021 by Anthony Fasano, P.E. Leave a Comment

In this week’s Pass the FE Exam article (and video above), I am going to provide you with a COVID-19 update on the FE Exams in 2021, and talk about what you need to know if you are planning or have already booked your FE Exam.

It is likely for you to have questions about the status of your FE Exams in 2021, like, what is the status, will it require scheduling new exam appointments at this time? The status of Pearson’s global test delivery is changing rapidly due to the spread of COVID-19.

The Pearson VUE-owned test centers are continuing to monitor the situation and make decisions about test center operations in accordance with government and local authorities.

How to Study for the PE Exam When You Have Kids

April 14, 2021 by Anthony Fasano, P.E. Leave a Comment

Balancing work, school and parenting are challenging, to begin with, and it can be even more of a challenge during these times where many people work remotely, when one has to study for the PE Exam with kids around them.

In this article (and video above) Isaac Oakeson from Civil Engineering Academy provides some tips on how you can study for the PE Exam when you have kids or other responsibilities that take up a lot of your time. We have 6 kids between us, so we have some experience with this, and Isaac has been helping engineers pass the PE exam for years.

Here are 7 Tips to Help You Study for the PE Exam When You Have Kids:

FE Exam: Vertical Curve Question and Solution

April 8, 2021 by Anthony Fasano, P.E. Leave a Comment

In this week’s Pass the FE Exam article (and video above), I give you a refresher on how to answer vertical curve questions for your Civil Engineering Transportation Exam.

PrepFE is one of the most effective FE exam self-study prep services out there and happens to be one of the most affordable too. It is an app that gives you access to countless sample FE problems to bolster your self-study efforts.

You can visit PrepFE here and use the discount code in the description of this video here to receive 10% off and get some great FE practice problems.

What’s The Hardest PE Exam for Civil Engineers?

April 1, 2021 by Anthony Fasano, P.E. Leave a Comment

In this article (and video above), Isaac Oakeson, P.E. from Civil Engineering Academy talks about the difficulty level of each of the possible Civil PE Exams you can take. Isaac is a civil engineer himself, who has spent years helping civil engineers pass the PE exam, and in this the video he will rank the different exams, based on his opinion, from the hardest PE Exam to the easiest PE Exam. Below are questions I have posed to Isaac followed by his answers.

What’s The Hardest PE Exam for Civil Engineers?

Q: One of the first questions I get from EIT’s who are interested in taking the PE Exam is “How hard is it?” or “Which is the easiest to pass?”

A: Generally speaking, you’re better off taking the discipline that you do daily as you’ll be more familiar with the basic concepts and will have less to learn. The exam changes every time, so it’s luck of the draw on which one could potentially have easier questions. That said, every depth exam is hard and requires a high degree of effort; but let’s dive a little deeper, and highlight some things that might be easier for you.

How Long Should I Study for the FE Exam?

March 23, 2021 by Anthony Fasano, P.E. Leave a Comment

How long should I study for the FE Exam is a question asked by many engineers and the answer isn’t as straightforward as you might think. That is why, in this article (and video above) I am going to explain how long I believe you should study for the FE Exam.

So let’s think about the length of study required to pass the FE exam.

Here Are 3 Things To Consider:

How Much Money Does a Licensed Professional Engineer Make?

March 17, 2021 by Anthony Fasano, P.E. Leave a Comment

If you achieve your engineering license, will you get a pay raise? If so, how much can you expect and how much more does a licensed Professional Engineer make? You will get answers to all of these in this week’s Pass the PE Exam article (and video above).

It can be uncomfortable to ask your supervisor or company’s HR staff about a salary increase or raise, because you don’t want people to think you are only in it for the money.

The Real Secret To Pass the PE Exam (Q & A With Mason Mallard)

March 12, 2021 by Anthony Fasano, P.E. Leave a Comment

What is the real secret to pass the PE Exam? Is there a secret, or is it just good preparation? In this article (and video above), I ask that question to a practicing engineer Mason Mallard. Mason is a former professional baseball player, now a mechanical engineer who works for EMA Engineering in Texas and just turned 25 years old and recently passed the PE HVAC exam in January!

Here Are the Tips From Mason Mallard on How To Pass the PE Exam:

The FE Exam Passing Score Is…

March 9, 2021 by Anthony Fasano, P.E. 1 Comment

In this week’s Pass the FE Exam article (and video above), I discuss what FE Exam passing score you will need to achieve to pass the FE Exam.

Firstly, you should know that there is no set number of problems or specific quantitative scores that we can cite as the passing score for the FE Exam, it doesn’t exist.

The exam is scored on a pass or fail scale and NCEES, the organization that administers the exam, does not provide an exact score needed to pass. NCEES has used a term “scaled score” in the past, which is confusing