Total Studying Time

[meschroder]

I had a lot of catching up to do. I graduated in 1993 and spent almost all but the last four years in fields that had absolutely nothing to do with engineering. I started in July and spent about 330 hours studying including about 75 hours in the SPE Review Course. I passed the Civil/Transportation first time. You can't start studying too early!! I started reading the CERM Water Resources section in July, then Transportation and then the course started. Starting in August, I spent almost all of my time outside of the review course solving problems. I bought most of the problem/solution books and used them all.* I used the inability to solve a problem as a starting point for additional reading, but seeing how to go about solving the problems was very helpful. Know your references inside and out. Don't waste time trying to find something.

Other than a review course during college that was 5 nights, 3 hours a night I didn't do any other studying for the FE and passed, but that was when you could bring any references you wanted (1993)..

* I have the problem/solution books for sale in the Yard Sale Forum.

 

[AlaME]

I took the EIT in 1995 as a senior in college. Didn't have time to study for it but had no problem with it.

Now, 12 years later, I took the PE and studied for about 250-300 hours and was not comfortable that I had passed until I got the letter. Great refresher. I used the MERM extensively- read about 75% of it and worked about the same percent of sample problems. I worked some problems out of college texts. Every time I would get burned out, I would think of having to do it all again- that would motivate me. Plus the fact that if I failed, I would pay for the test out of my own pocket.

I followed most of the exam reference suggestions in the MERM. Bought too many books- need to sell them and the calculator. One thing that I did ignore was their suggestion to not take anything that you did not study from. I was packing some books from work the day before the test and decided to take a reference book that I had and had not used to study from. It turned out to be the only reference that I had that had the answer to one of the afternoon problems. Truly a God inspired decision to take that book.... Which reminds me- I had plenty of people praying that I would pass the test. Never hurts to have God on your side.

 

[Longhorn ChE 02]

I studied about 25 hours (starting the weekend before the test). I passed the Chem. Eng. PE with an 85 on my first try. I'm 5.5 years out of school. Studied with the official practice problems from NCEES and some other ones. Six Minutes Solutions had questions that were way too long and much more difficult than the actual test. While studying, towards the end I was just reading questions and then the solutions without working problems. I was a good student while in school (at a great school, btw); so it was much more recalling how to do stuff rather than re-learning or learning for the first time.

Also, I had most of my textbooks from college and the CheRM.

 

[pucci]

I passed and put in about 50 hours of studying (including about 30 hours of a review course).

 

[stephenk]

I started college in 93 and graduated with an ME in 97. I finally sat the FE in 2005 and passed.

I sat the PE Oct 07 and passed.

From my 8 years out of college the FE was pretty easy compared to the PE.

The FE I studied one book, did the questions and the sample exam and then I sat and passed the exam with 82% score (no idea why Florida FE gave me a score but the Florida PE did not).

The PE I studied for about an hour every day for about 4 months. I did a ton of questions from several books, did 2 sample exams and read 90% the MERM book.

Most of the people who say the PE is easier are the ones who took it when it wasn't all multiple choice, they had options to choose questions.

In the current exam format, there are 80 questions, 40 of which cover a WIDE range of topics. I think of the first part similar to the FE but a couple levels deeper for calculations.

This is just my opinion and experience and some would say I am pretty smart but I'm definitely not a genius and my memory is terrible. The key to passing the FE and more so the PE is practise, practise, practise.

The more questions you cover and understand the better your chance of passing. Of course the general test taking tips also apply since that is also part of the exam.

 

[ChrisCT]

I was at about 250 Total Time and passed the Oct07 (Civil-Structural). Some factors that make a difference are as follows:

1. I'm in construction...so while I regularly utilize Engineering Principles, I don't perform design work every day.

2. I'm 10 years out of school.

I went in feeling plenty prepared and came out feeling like I had hoped.

 

[roadmonkey]

I think I had around 200 hrs of studying in. I tried to study 2 hrs everyday for 3 months.

I felt as if I couldn't study enough because I had no idea what to expect. By the end I just about hit my limit and was just searching for problems to work through. This led to more time in the forums than really studying!

 

[cbchua78]

About 200 hours. I knew I was taking the Civil-WR when I first signed up for the exam. However, my academic background was in Chemical Eng and Environmental Eng and never had a class in Geotech or Transportation. Because of that, I spent at least 25 hours solid time each for both of them ...just to study and understand some basics stuff. I'm pretty strong in Water Resources and Environmental engineering but still, I spent at least 30 hours each just to review and study for things I have forgotten. I spent about 5 hours to study structure but that was a waste. I took a whole week off before the exam, I went thru all the study material again (mainly CERM and notes from co-worker) the first 2 days and then 6-minute questions for the remaining 5 days. I used one day each for each section. I was a little panicking at the end because I couldn't finish all the questions I wanted to, so I only went thru questions and looked up answers for solutions and tried to understand them.

I didn't take review classes and my wedding was 2 weeks after the exam, I also put in about 50 hrs+/week for a month or 2 before the exam. Considering all these and that I passed the exam the first time, I think I did pretty good!

 

[sergcanes98]

Hey whats up group!

Took the FES Review course two weekends (one in February and one in March), studied Geotech for a couple of weekends in March (with a friend who was taking the April test), studied casually until September, then.....

3 or 4 days a week, 4 hours a night

FIU prep course Saturdays (8 weeks, 4 hours each)

All day Sunday (10 hours)

So yeah I guess it goes with the 300 hour average,

and

I PASSED!!!! :multiplespotting:

(Stiill waiting on my license # from the Florida board though :brickwall:

 

[sergcanes98]

.... Which reminds me- I had plenty of people praying that I would pass the test. Never hurts to have God on your side.

I have to definitely agree with you. Not to get into religion, but as a Catholic, my mom was praying to the Virgin Mary, and I had a St. Jude prayer card with me during the exam. Friend of mine who also took it in October '07 and also passed, his girlfriend also had a prayer candle to St. Jude as well. :holyness:

Prayer definitely helped.

 

[ufcfan]

how much studying time did everyone put in? i put in roughly 280 hours total and passed the civil transportation PE. that time included about 35 hours of the refresher course. it was mostly spent doing problems - all i could find actually.

Like 200 hours in total including like 8 hours during the week plus 12 refresher course sessions of 8 hours each for 12 weeks.

 

[Polysloman]

" plus 12 refresher course sessions of 8 hours each for 12 weeks.

 

[annie]

I passed Mechanical - Thermal & Fluids first try. I studied around 300 hours ( including notes preparation, tabs, Sample tests etc).

 

[BlackVision]

LOL...This post is crazy. The average examinee studied 200 hours!??? Wholly molly. I have 3 weeks to go and I maybe studied only 10 hours so far just for my PM part of the California Civil PE exam. I guess I better get to cracking open the books. lol. I plan only to studying maybe 2 hrs a day until test day. So that will total to about 50 hours (oh and I am not studying for the other two tests, the siesmic and surveying that is required in Cali). I plan only to pass the 8 hour and worry about them other tests in October.

But I know someone who borrowed a tabbed CERM book and studied maybe 10 hours a week before the test, and he passed the 8hr.

I think 200 hours is rediculous...but maybe 50 is not enough. I had intended to study 100 hours for 3 months and I would have been confident I would pass. Now I am going to get really stategical and tab like a mofo!! I heard even tabbing your practice problem books helps a lot. Like a tab saying, "uniform flow open channel problem" etc.

Good luck people.... oh and who is taking the Calfifornia CE Civil Exam?

 

[mtn_green]

I passed the HVAC test with 40-50 hours of studying....six minute solutions helped greatly in getting prepared for the type/style of questions.

 

[jmbeck]

Mech/HVAC...First time taker

I was one of the first people in the testing room, and decided "Ya know, since I'm here and waiting on these other folks, I may as well take the plastic off of this MERM thing". So I guess about 15 minutes, give or take.

Passed. In fact, I scored so high, they asked me to help develop questions for future exams. I turned them down though, I don't have time for all that BS.

Seriously. I'm just a wealth of knowledge and ability.

However, I've been told that others have passed with about 50 or so hours with a lot of time doing the six minute solutions.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

I scored so high that Lindeburg autographed my MERM and asked me if I'd do him a favor by writing the 13th edition. I told him I was busy helping Chuck Norris roundhouse kick a few fellows, and couldn't do it.

 

[benbo]

I scored so high that Lindeburg autographed my MERM and asked me if I'd do him a favor by writing the 13th edition. I told him I was busy helping Chuck Norris roundhouse kick a few fellows, and couldn't do it.

Actually, I'm a PE and it all happened by accident. I showed up at the fairgrounds where the exam was to judge a chili cookoff, but apparently I came the wrong weekend. The proctors found me wandering the parking lot, and seeing how obviously intelligent I was, immediately gave me a license. And not only that, they asked me to come in and identify the passing candidates by walking down between the tables and touching them on the shoulders. After that they held a parade where I was given my license and the key to the city.

 

[roadwreck]

Actually, I'm a PE and it all happened by accident. I showed up at the fairgrounds where the exam was to judge a chili cookoff, but apparently I came the wrong weekend. The proctors found me wandering the parking lot, and seeing how obviously intelligent I was, immediately gave me a license. And not only that, they asked me to come in and identify the passing candidates by walking down between the tables and touching them on the shoulders. After that they held a parade where I was given my license and the key to the city.

As an encore did you turn water into wine, feed 5000 people with 5 loaves of bread and two fish then walk across the local pond?

Edit: Being Good Friday perhaps my post is in poor taste...

...oh well, no one ever accused me of having taste anyway.

 

[PErimeter]

P E in 2 days

Two-fifty hours, three months gone

Prayer needed always

(in a haiku mood for some reason...)