When to Start Studying

I have about two years before I complete the experience requirement and plan to apply to test.  When should I start studying? Studying for the FE took me about 9 months and I didn't feel comfortable at that pace, and only some of my day-to-day job is relevant to the exam material.

I intend to take civil - transportation (I work in railroad engineering).

Thanks!

@ca_enright, it really depends on you and your knowledge, test taking ability, time available to study, etc. 

The test subject matter can change within the next 2 years so I wouldn't get too dedicated now. But it might be a benefit to borrow some study material from coworkers/library. Watch some youtube videos, take a practice test, look through your old college notes/books. This will help you get an idea of how much time you need. You can start getting serious about 12 months before the exam and turn into a hermit within 6 months of the exam.   

ca_enright said:

I have about two years before I complete the experience requirement and plan to apply to test.  When should I start studying? Studying for the FE took me about 9 months and I didn't feel comfortable at that pace, and only some of my day-to-day job is relevant to the exam material.

I intend to take civil - transportation (I work in railroad engineering).

Thanks!

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So when you say you weren't comfortable with the pace of 9 months of studying for the FE, do you mean that was not enough time still? I am assuming that but just want to confirm. If that is the case, I would agree with Matt. Start sooner rather than later but the transportation code with most likely change by then. 

CivilGuy00 said:

So when you say you weren't comfortable with the pace of 9 months of studying for the FE, do you mean that was not enough time still? I am assuming that but just want to confirm. If that is the case, I would agree with Matt. Start sooner rather than later but the transportation code with most likely change by then. 

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9 months felt rushed, especially having been out of undergrad for two years. 

Any good materials to focus on starting with?  I didn't really have any courses covering any of the materials in the transportation depth section or much in the civil breadth. 

Since you still have about 2 years, I would suggest starting with basic civil engineering and geometric concepts. As Matt said, in 2 years the test content could change to the point where you waste time on stuff that is no longer included. I would also hold off on spending money on the codes that could also change. While most information in the codes will be similar, it's possible the test could ask a question that changes between the two versions of the code. 

ca_enright said:

9 months felt rushed, especially having been out of undergrad for two years. 

Any good materials to focus on starting with?  I didn't really have any courses covering any of the materials in the transportation depth section or much in the civil breadth. 

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In my opinion, to start with get yourself the Civil Engineering Reference Manual (CERM). I would also purchase the NCEES practice exam for the Transportation depth. Again, they may come out with another practice exam, which you could also purchase, but these two references will stay consistent throughout for the most part.

It's a personal preference..I don't even remember what I ate for dinner last night so for me starting too early isn't really something i'd do because my mind won't store the information that long.

That said, I think the best approach is to sign up for a review class, usually they will set a schedule for you, gather the relevant material, and place you with a group of people who have the same goal as you and that is to pass the exam.  For me that beats study alone starring at a book.

The CERM is definitely an overkill, i find some of the topics are beyond the scope of the exam, I only used the CERM as a quick reference on the exam for those trick/unique questions that you probably won't come across during your review.  I think ~300 hours of study is going to be enough to pass the exam, so if you can set 20 hours aside per week, you'd only need to start about 4 month prior.

2 years is way too much overkill

unless you are doing a few hours at a time, to which i say don't bother.

If you studied civil in college and do civil work and it hasn't been that long since college, just do 6 months with 8hrs per week. you'll be alright. Remember, 70% of people pass, so they aren't out to fail you.