On demand FE & PE exam support from your peers who passed. Their challenges will become your success.
In this article (and video above), I solve a new surface water resources and hydrology question by calculating the runoff volume, similar to what you may encounter on the FE exam.
A 53-acre watershed (curve number = 79) receives 122 mm of precipitation. The runoff volume (ac-ft) is most nearly:
[Read more…] about FE Exam Review: Surface Water Resources and Hydrology – Runoff Calculations
In this article (and video above), I answer a question from one of our listeners who asks whether or not he needs to choose a specialty for the Civil PE Exam.
Yes! You are indeed required to choose between one of the five depth exams to take. The PE Civil exam is broken up into two sections: the breadth and the depth. The breadth portion is held in the morning and is the same for every examinee, and the depth portion is held in the afternoon and is structured around areas of specialty, one of which each examinee must select.
The five depths are construction, geotechnical, structural, transportation, and water resources and environmental.
If you are struggling to decide which depth to sign up for, consider looking into the pass rates, potential job responsibilities, and average salaries for each of the five depth options to help you with your decision.
Please note that the PE Civil: Structural depth exam is NOT the same exam as the SE Exam.
Reference: Information for the pass rates and average salaries in this video were taken from NCEES and School of PE, which we will include the links of, below this video.
Another great way to determine which depth you should take is to check out NCEES’ PE Civil exam specifications that we will link to in the comments of this video. The exam specifications outline the topics that will be covered on each depth exam.
Also, check out the video we did called: What’s The Hardest PE Exam? where we talk about the difficulty level of the different PE Exams.
I hope you found this article helpful. In upcoming articles, I will solve some more PE exam practice problems and answer other questions from our subscribers. Pass the PE Exam videos will publish weekly, so be sure to click the subscribe button so you don’t miss something that could make a substantial difference in your exam result.
Lastly, I encourage you to ask questions in the comments of this video, or on this page and I’ll read and respond to them in future videos. So, if there’s a specific topic you want me to cover or answer, we have you covered.
I’ll see you next week… on Pass the PE Exam
Anthony Fasano, P.E.
Engineering Management Institute
Author of Engineer Your Own Success
In this article (and video above), I solve a fluid mechanics and hydraulics question, similar to what you may encounter on the FE exam.
A 8-ft wide rectangular channel carries a flow of 400 ft3/s at an initial depth of 2.1-ft before entering a jump. The sequent depth (ft) at the low velocity flow (or sub-critical) is most nearly:
[Read more…] about FE Exam Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulics: Steady and Unsteady Flow
In this article (and video above), I talk to Connor Adamsick, PE, a bridge engineer at HDR in Denver Colorado who recently took the Civil Structural PE Exam in April and passed the exam. Connor was previously seen on one of our videos called “How To Pass The Civil PE Exam In 2021“, where he provided some very specific study prep tips, and in this video he takes us through the actual exam process, describing in detail how it works from start to finish so you can get a full sense of what to expect on the actual PE exam day.
In this article (and video above), I talk about how you can prepare to remain focused on FE exam day, especially if you have trouble focusing or get distracted easily.
[Read more…] about 4 Prep Methods to Remain Focused on FE Exam Day (Helps With ADHD and Anxiety)
In this week’s Pass the PE Exam article, I talk to a professional engineer, J’Que C. Jones, PE who is also the author of Pass The PE Exam In 3 Months: Strategies & Mindset For The Non-Test Taker. J’Que will discuss the strategies and mindset you need to be able to achieve that same success and pass the PE Exam yourself!
J’Que wrote the book, “Pass The PE Exam In 3 Months: Strategies & Mindset For The Non-Test Taker” so that people who are not “test takers” have a resource to help them pass the PE exam. He also wants to encourage diverse groups of people to believe that they too can pass the PE exam as he did.
You must be sure and clear of your motivating reasons why you won’t become a PE. It is not easy and you must put in a lot of time and effort into your preparations to become a PE.
Be sure that the test you are taking is correct for you. Do not select a test because of what people are telling you, or because people you know selected a certain test. When selecting your test, look at your previous education, training, and work experiences, to see which test will work the best for you. Look at the exam specifications, the number of questions in different disciplines, and your knowledge of the questions, and conclude which exam will have the flattest learning curve possible for you. Do not select the test based on things you want to learn more about. Stick to what you already know.
Having a study plan is crucial to ensure that you allow yourself adequate time to prepare. It helps you to lay out some structure and keep yourself accountable. Ensure that you have paid your preparation dues in advance. No plan equals failure. You will not be able to cover all the topics needed to write the exam which will cause you to miss questions.
Human beings are creatures of habit and most of what we do daily is devoted to habits. Habits are extremely powerful and it takes 21 days to create or break habits. You have to control your habits and decide which habits you are going to feed. A winning habit is a habit that will help you to achieve the desired result. You must cut back on the non-winning habits, and try to create or adopt many winning habits when you are preparing for the exam.
You have approximately 6 minutes to answer a question on the test. Work on improving your speed by using repetition and practicing. Only allow yourself 6 minutes to answer each question or to solve a problem. Doing this will give you a better chance of passing because you will be able to answer all the questions in time. Also. when it comes to building speed, you must have an in-depth knowledge of the subject. There are many questions in the exam that you can answer quickly if you have a good understanding of the subject.
Approach your studies with a razor-sharp focus and embrace any advantage that you can gain. Ask other engineers specific questions about how they prepared for the exam, what their experiences were, if they passed on the first try, what they did differently during the times they did not pass, and so on. Learn from the answers you get and incorporate them into your studying approach. You can either be smart or wise. A smart person makes mistakes, recognizes his mistakes, and learns from them. A wise person learns from the mistakes of others.
Mimic the test environment as close as possible while you study. Study hard for long periods and aim for 2 hours at a time. Keep yourself accountable for any time you do not study in the 2 hours. The PE exam is a long test. It is 8 hours of sitting, thinking analytically and controlling your stress. You must get your mind and your body ready to endure the entire test.
A test-taking strategy is not a one-size-fits-all parameter. Look for a few different strategies that you can practice and find what works best for you. It must allow you to answer all the questions and problems in the allocated time, and get positive results from it. There are many different test-taking strategies that you can follow such as focusing on the questions you know first, work the exam from front to back, and first answering the questions based on the structural problems. The strategy you follow is dependent on what works for you. Practice the strategy until it becomes like autopilot for you so that you can focus on the problems and not the logistics. Stick to the strategy you practiced and execute it when you write the test.
J’Que is a licensed engineer, who struggled with standardized tests his entire life. Through perseverance and dedication, his goal of attaining licensure came to fruition. His aim is to help other non-test takers and repeat takers of the PE exam attain their professional engineer’s license, by providing anecdotes and proverbs from his own experiences as well as the experiences of others in a non-conventional and relatable way.
Pass The PE Exam In 3 Months: Strategies & Mindset For The Non-Test Taker
I hope you found this article helpful. In upcoming articles, I will solve some more PE exam practice problems and answer other questions from our subscribers.
Pass the PE Exam videos will publish weekly, so be sure to click the subscribe button so you don’t miss something that could make a substantial difference in your exam result.
Lastly, I encourage you to ask questions in the comments of this video, or on this page and I’ll read and respond to them in future videos. So, if there’s a specific topic you want me to cover or answer, we have you covered.
I’ll see you next week… on Pass the PE Exam
Anthony Fasano, P.E.
Engineering Management Institute
Author of Engineer Your Own Success
In this Pass the FE Exam article (and video above), I talk about whether or not employers care which FE exam you take, and also provide some advice on how you can determine which FE Exam is the right exam for you.
[Read more…] about Do Employers Care Which FE Exam You Take?
In the previous article we covered the first 5 steps that you will need to take when applying for the PE exam, and in this article, I am going to take you through the final 5 steps, and show you how to complete your application.
Please note that the information in this article was taken from various sources including PE Exam Coach. There will be slight differences in the process depending on which state you are applying to. Most states provide detailed checklists indicating the process as well as application process checklists on their respective state board websites.
To review the first 5 steps please click here.
In this Pass the FE Exam article (and video above), I solve a problem in which I define a definite integral. You may need to answer questions like this on your FE Exam (calculus section), so practice is always recommended.
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.
Evaluate the following expression:
[Read more…] about Definite Integral: Calculus Example (Problem and Answer)
As engineers progress in their careers, it is necessary for most to obtain their Professional Engineering (PE license) on their way to becoming an Engineering Manager. At EMI, we understand the importance of obtaining professional licensure, and the opportunities that it can provide. Therefore, I would like to share three tips that helped me pass the Civil PE exam:
[Read more…] about Three Tips to Pass the Civil PE Exam (From Someone Who Just Did!)
