PE exam ending on time?

I'm writing the PE exam this friday at the Cow Palace in the Bay Area of California. I know that there is no set times for the test to start and end, but can anyone give me a ballpark idea of when I should expect the afternoon session to end?

I unfortunately have a flight that evening and it's going to be tight (yikes!).

Thanks.

I can only speak for the last time I took the exam. I took the exam in SC in Apr 06. I just remember by the time you wait in line and get admitted then they go over the instructions, then fill out the exam answer sheet with name, etc., the exam starts late. That means you go to lunch late. Then you come back from lunch late only to get another long instruction set. All in all I was at the exam site from 7AM til about 6PM.

I got there at 7 for I believe, doors closing at 7:40, instruction from then until 8, then the morning session started right about 8. Finished around 11:30, signed out, and had lunch and took a walk until about 12:30.

I then hung out back at the site while waiting to be admitted again. Exam maybe started about 1:15, again finished a little early, collected my stuff and was out around 5.

Drove the hour home and collapsed.

I took FE twice. First time end around 6:15PM and second time end around 5:45PM................The lunch hour is not always one hour. It is around 40 to 45 mins.

I am going to take PE in CA on this Friday (For my first time)and I assume the time should be end around 6 PM. If you coming back directly from CA to another city that I recommand to book your return flight around 9PM or later.

Thanks for the feedback so far!

chaocl said:

I recommand to book your return flight around 9PM or later.

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So my 615 flight is going to be really tight then! Suppose I could book one at 730 aswell and then cancel one of them at lunch when I'll have a better sense of timing.

When I took it I think I got out of there at about 5:00. Probably no way you'll make a 6:15 flight. Even the 7:30 flight could be tight with security and all, along with the exam being done right at rush hour.

Man that's extra stress I definitely would not want on that particular day! Good luck!

Try the connecting flight(such as flight to nearby internation airport and from there you transfer your flight back) and they should have late time (If your 7:30 is the latest flight to your destination)....

zephyr said:

Thanks for the feedback so far!
So my 615 flight is going to be really tight then! Suppose I could book one at 730 aswell and then cancel one of them at lunch when I'll have a better sense of timing.

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You'll get nailed with all sorts of cancellation fees. Assuming you can find a cheap enough motel somewhere, why not just stay Friday night. By the time you finish the exam, drive to the airport, dump the rental car, and get through security, there won't be many flights left unless are taking a redeye to the east coast.

Go back to your room and unwind for a bit, treat yourself to a nice meal somewhere, and watch something naughty on the motel select-o-vision.

zephyr said:

Thanks for the feedback so far!



So my 615 flight is going to be really tight then! Suppose I could book one at 730 aswell and then cancel one of them at lunch when I'll have a better sense of timing.

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Yeah, that's probably not gonna work. I took the FE/EIT at the Cow Palace in October 2006, and we ended at 5:45pm. For you, on a Friday afternoon with city traffic/rush hour, it's gonna be tough. How are you going to get from Cow Palace to SFO? Cab? BART?

I'm taking the PE this Friday at the Cow Palace too. I hope it doesn't stink as bad as it did for the EIT. It really does smell like cow poo.

Anyways. I recommend you stay in San Francisco for the night - like others said, one less thing to worry about on an already stressful day. Go out and have a few drinks :Banane35: then go to bed early.

Good luck- keep studyin', it's almost over :reading:

Thanks for all the feedback. I actually live in SF, but am going to a U2 concert in Vegas on Friday night so it's important that I catch a flight as soon as possible once the exam ends (as not to miss the concert). I ended up getting fully refundable tickets for both a 615 and 730 departure. Fortunately SFO is really close to the exam site so I should be able to just valet my car at the airport and make the 730 flight worst case.

Thanks so much for all the feedback and Good luck to all the fellow exam takers!

The afternoon session lasts as long as you need. I was out of there 2 hours before the official end of the exam because I had already answered all of the questions I knew, and triple checked my references/math for the ones that I didn't really know. I had nothing else to do that I felt would help my chances of passing the exam. So I could have easily made your scheduled flight, but I am sure that there are people that were fighting to not put down their pencils at the end of the exam. That being said, I wouldn't count on getting out early because the last thing in the world you want is to feel unnecessarily rushed. Another thing to consider is that before lunch, unless you finished one hour or more ahead of lunch time, you couldn't leave the exam room early.

I actually live in SF, but am going to a U2 concert in Vegas on Friday night so it's important that I catch a flight as soon as possible once the exam ends (as not to miss the concert).

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Uhhh...prioritize dude.

VTEnviro said:

Uhhh...prioritize dude.

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seriously. Forget the test, catch the 8am flight to Vegas!

VTEnviro said:

Uhhh...prioritize dude.

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+1

You're stressing yourself out over catching a flight to see a f'ing concert? Not to mention, you're jeopardizing something that is a career-changing event over about 2 hours of music.

Just sayin...

You're worried about making a U2 concert?

Ummm...VT's right. You really nee to prioritize.

Depends which is important to you....

PE exam ---> twice a year

U2 concert ---> ???

chaocl said:

Depends which is important to you....
PE exam ---> twice a year

U2 concert ---> ???

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According to the tour website, one two days later in LA and one three days after that in Vancouver.

It isn't like a U2 tour is really rare or anything.

Capt Worley PE said:

It isn't like a U2 tour is really rare or anything.

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I've never been to a U2 concert, but I have taken the PE

Why does Bono hate engineers?

Road Guy said:

Why does Bono hate engineers?

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I think it's because he hasn't met a LEED AP certified one yet...