PE Exam

How To Pass The Civil PE Exam (In 2021)

June 9, 2021 by Anthony Fasano, P.E. Leave a Comment

In this article (and video above), I talk to Connor Adamsick, an EIT and bridge engineer at HDR in Denver Colorado who recently took the Civil Structural PE exam in April. He talks about his experience taking the exam, and how he thinks gymnastics correlates with studying for your PE Exam. He is also going to provide some very specific study prep tips that you won’t want to miss.

Here Are Some of the Questions We Ask Connor:

You recently wrote an article on LinkedIn called: All-American to PE Hopeful where you talked about how while competing for your University, you also were studying for a degree in Civil Engineering. What has this experience taught you and how does gymnastics correlate with studying for your PE Exam?
Take us through the preparation process, from the moment you decided to take the exam up to where you started to study for the exam. Are there any set guidelines, schedules, or procedures you used to determine how you will study for the exam?
Why did you decide to take the exam a year early?
How long did it take you to study for the Civil Structural PE exam?
While studying for the exam, did you set goals for yourself, and if so, how did the goals help you along the way?
Tell us more about exam day. Was it everything you expected, and how do you think you did in the exam?
What advice can you give engineers out there considering taking the Civil Structural PE exam?

Here Are the Key Points Discussed in the Episode:

How to Get Your PE License in Another State

May 26, 2021 by Anthony Fasano, P.E. Leave a Comment

As a licensed professional engineer, there are certain situations where you may need to obtain a PE license in another state. In this article (and video above), I talk about if, and how, you can get licensed in states other than the one where you passed the PE exam.

You worked hard and passed the PE exam, and now, you want plan to use it in states other than the one in which you took the exam. Can you receive permission to do so? The answer is yes you can, but unfortunately, earning a professional engineering license in one state does not automatically make you eligible to obtain the license in other states.

Why You Would Need To Become Licensed in Other States?

Can I Take the PE Exam Without Taking the FE Exam?

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

In this article (and video above), I answer a question I get from many listeners, which is: “Can you take the PE exam without taking the FE exam first?”

So, Can You Take the PE Exam Without Taking the FE Exam First?

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.

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:

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 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:

Do Not Make This One Mistake or You Will Fail Your PE Exam

March 3, 2021 by Anthony Fasano, P.E. Leave a Comment

In this week’s article (and video above), I share with you the biggest mistake that most engineers make, and if you make, might cause you to fail your PE exam.

The biggest mistake that engineers make in preparing and taking the exam is not realizing or remembering that the biggest obstacle that you face during the exam is TIME – PERIOD!

So, just as important, if not more important than studying all of the different problem types, is having a solid approach to the exam in terms of approaching the problems and using your time efficiently. [Read more…] about Do Not Make This One Mistake or You Will Fail Your PE Exam

How To Organize Your 4 Years of Progressive Engineering Work Experience

February 24, 2021 by Anthony Fasano, P.E. Leave a Comment

In this article (and video above), I explain how you can document and organize your progressive engineering work experience while applying for the PE Exam. You must detail your engineering experience in a very specific way to get accepted to take the PE Exam, and if you do it the right way, it will significantly improve your chances of being accepted to sit for the Engineering Principles and Practice or PE Exam.

Following are 5 tips to help you navigate the preparation of your PE Exam application, specifically how to list your progressive engineering work experience on the application. But you should remember that every state may review experience differently, and the following are general tips from my experience and my conversations with other engineers. Your State may require more or less than 4 years of experience. [Read more…] about How To Organize Your 4 Years of Progressive Engineering Work Experience