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

How To Beat PE Exam Nerves and Avoid Exam Anxiety

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

In this post (and video above), I discuss a challenge that many engineers struggle with, during the PE exam – NEVES. How can you try to overcome nervousness for the exam and avoid exam anxiety as it can truly cripple you?

It all comes down to practice and preparation…

Are You Eligible to Take The PE Exam?

February 10, 2021 by Anthony Fasano, P.E. Leave a Comment

In this Pass the PE Exam article, I explain how you can determine if you’re eligible and qualify to take the Principles and Practice of Engineering Exam also known as the PE Exam.

The Principles and Practice of Engineering Exam (or PE Exam) is administered by the (National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying), also referred to as NCEES, a national organization tasked with regulating the testing of engineers and surveyors. The PE exam is a standardized test administered nationally across the United States.

PE Exam Practice Problem: Water Resources Wetted Perimeter

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

In this Pass the PE Exam post, I am going to solve a Wetted Perimeter problem that is part of the Water Resources section that you will encounter on the PE Exam. The term wetted perimeter is common in civil engineering, environmental engineering, hydrology, geomorphology, and heat transfer applications; it is associated with the hydraulic diameter or hydraulic radius. The wetted perimeter is defined as the length of the line representing the interface between a fluid and a channel.

Here’s The Wetted Perimeter Problem:

Here’s The Solution:

What PE Exams Are Now CBT (Computer Based Testing) in 2021

January 27, 2021 by Anthony Fasano, P.E. Leave a Comment

Do you know that all PE Exams are eventually going to be CBT (computer-based testing) and what exactly that means for you?

You can find the details from NCEES here, however NCEES had always planned to move the exams to computer-based testing or CBT, however, it is now fast-tracking the move to CBT for some of the PE exams, as part of its response to COVID-19. Currently, PE exams are administered in either CBT format or a pencil-and-paper format depending on the discipline of the exam. Once an exam is moved to CBT, the biggest difference is that you can’t bring in your own books or reference materials anymore – you only get one reference book that they provide you with which is an online reference manual.

Computer-based testing or CBT exams include traditional multiple-choice questions as well as alternative item types (or AITs). AITs, provide opportunities to assess the technical knowledge of examinees using methods not available through traditional pencil-and-paper testing.

All questions, including AITs, are scored as either correct or incorrect. There is no partial credit. These AITs or alternative item types may include but are not limited to the following:

How to Answer Difficult PE Questions During the Exam

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

The biggest challenge in passing the PE exam for most people is not having enough time to answer difficult PE questions. You can be proficient in every technical concept on the exam, but if you’re not fast enough, you may not answer enough questions to pass the PE exam. The best possible way to feel less anxious about the PE exam is to be prepared.

My wife is a licensed professional engineer, and she struggled with this. She was really good at the technical concepts, and could answer any question if she had unlimited time, but when she got into a pressure type exam situation with limited time, she really struggled. So I helped her to create a process for tackling the exam questions with a focus on time management and I want to share that process with you in this video.

With regard to tackling difficult PE questions, I have to acknowledge that some of the PE exams, depending on discipline, have already gone to the CBT or computer based testing format. And the biggest change with CBT is that you cannot bring in personal reference materials, you can only use the digital handbook that NCEES provides. So the approach in answering questions may be different depending on whether or not your test is computer based. However, if your exam is CBT, it should go without saying that you must know the NCEES reference handbook inside-out.

How To Approach Exam Problems From Both a CBT and Non-CBT Perspective?

What Study Materials To Bring To the NCEES PE Exam?

January 13, 2021 by Anthony Fasano, P.E. Leave a Comment

The thought of taking the PE exam is enough to make anyone nervous or stressed out. However, you can breathe a little easier knowing it’s multiple-choice AND it’s an open book exam. But before you rent a pickup truck and load up all the engineering notes and books you can get your hands on, there are some guidelines you must adhere to when choosing what study materials and other items to bring into the PE exam, which I’d like to share with you in this week’s edition of Pass the PE Exam. There are also some strategies you should follow in selecting your PE exam study materials.

Before moving ahead, let me remind you that most successful engineers will tell you that getting their PE license was the biggest career growth driver they’ve experienced, whether it was due to a promotion, salary increase, or just more exciting projects to work on – you want to get your PE license.

However, preparing for the PE exam can be a real challenge, but through this and other videos on our YouTube Channel, you will learn everything you need to know about the licensing process including PE exam preparation.

Subscribe to my channel here, as my weekly videos, will help you PASS THE PE EXAM. And if you leave questions in the comments, I will answer them in future videos.

What PE Exam Questions to Expect and How Many of Each?

January 6, 2021 by Anthony Fasano, P.E. Leave a Comment

So, you have to prepare for the PE exam and you are wondering what types of PE Exam Questions (and how many of them) will be asked on the PE exam? What will be the breakdown of the possible questions?

In this week’s edition of Pass the PE Exam, I will walk you through exactly how to find out what types of PE Exam Questions (and how many of each) you will encounter.

Firstly, If you are not familiar with the PE Exam let me introduce you to what the PE exam is. The Principles and Practice of Engineering exam is the examination required for one to become a licensed Professional Engineer (or PE) in the United States. It is the second exam required, coming after the Fundamentals of Engineering exam and is created and scored by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (or NC double E S).

As a General Rule, a Professional Engineer Who Has the Following Experience Can Take the PE Exam:

Civil PE Exam Practice Problem (Vertical Curves)

December 31, 2020 by Anthony Fasano, P.E. Leave a Comment

Vertical Curves – In this week’s edition of Pass the PE Exam, I’m going to solve a problem that you may encounter during your Civil PE Exam, in the transportation section on vertical curves, as demanded by many of our YouTube subscribers.

A vertical curve provides a transition between two sloped roadways, allowing a vehicle to negotiate the elevation rate change at a gradual rate rather than a sharp cut. These curves are parabolic and are assigned stationing based on a horizontal axis. And during your exam, you will most likely need to answer one or more questions on this topic, which I provide an example of in the video above.

Before moving ahead, let me remind you that most successful engineers will tell you that getting their PE license was the biggest career growth driver they’ve experienced, whether it was due to a promotion, salary increase or just more exciting projects to work on – you want to get your PE license.

However, preparing for the PE exam can be a real challenge which includes solving many problems like the one I am about to show you, but through this and other videos on our YouTube Channel you will learn everything you need to know about the licensing process including PE exam preparation.

Here is the vertical curves problem below: [Read more…] about Civil PE Exam Practice Problem (Vertical Curves)

What Kind of Qualifying Engineering Experience Is Needed for the PE Exam?

December 23, 2020 by Anthony Fasano, P.E. Leave a Comment

One of the least understood areas of the engineering licensure process relates to the question of: What constitutes acceptable qualifying engineering experience for the purposes of licensure?

In this week’s edition of Pass the PE Exam, I’m going to talk about the qualifying engineering experience requirements you will need to satisfy to take the PE Exam. I also cover how to know you are on the right track with your experience, before it’s too late and you realize that you missed out on what could have been years of experience towards your PE license.

This is a VERY important aspect of seeking your PE License, because if the current experience you are getting is not acceptable in your state, then you will need to work additional years before you can sit for the exam, so understanding this topic can truly impact how soon you get your PE license.