# WHAT IS YOUR DEGREE?



## DVINNY (Jan 4, 2007)

I don't have options about whether you think it is relevant to passing, but would like to hear your opinions on this thread.

If you have a Masters, do you feel that it was responsible for passing/failing?

If you have a 4 yr. Tech Degree, do you feel it was responsible for passing/failing?


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## NCcarguy (Jan 4, 2007)

You need to add one more.......H.S.

I don't have a degree!!!! And other's here are in the same boat. 20 years of experience (or less in some states) :true:

and I don't think there's much doubt that it's what's keeping me from passing the test. Most of what's on the exam, I'd not seen before I started disecting every book I could find on each subject, but trying to learn without an instructor is EXTREMELY difficult! I also don't have a lot of the reference material that most college graduates would have. Try learning moments and shear in a spare bedroom by yourself, or phase relationships???? as my last results would show!


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## RIP - VTEnviro (Jan 4, 2007)

M.S. in engineering.

It helped me take the exam a year early, and a lot of the questions during prep/exam were comparable to a grad level homework or quiz question.

Definitely helped me. Plus, I started studying for the PE 6 months out of grad school. Study habits and long nights/busted weekends were still familiar to me. If I had stopped at a B.S., it would have been 3+ years since I'd picked up a book and a lot harder to get back on the wagon.


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## grover (Jan 4, 2007)

My B.S. Engineering degree certainly helped with the FE exam, but we didn't cover hardly ANY of the PE coursework in school, just on-the-job. (EE Power)


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## MattC (Jan 4, 2007)

I had a BS in Environmental Science, and an MS in Environmental Engineering. With eight years of experience IL let me sit for the exams. The board reviewed my total educational background and decieded that to be ABET equivalent I had to take 5 more hours of advanced math either differential equations or Calc 3. Problem was I graduated in 1995 and this was in 2002. So I had to take the entire calc sequence over as I barely remembered what the integral symbol meant. I took the FE last april and passed 1st try and the PE this OCt and passed 1st try. I passed only because of what I learned from my MS. MY BS undergraduate was namby pamby science/engineering light. The env. PE had very few difficult problems, it was just broad and covered everything under the sun. The level of difficulty of the problems was far less involved than in grad school. They had to be as you have to solve 100 in 8 hours.


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## tmckeon_PE (Jan 4, 2007)

Got my degree from ABET approved Engineering from UCF in 1990. Graduated with 160+ hours (145 needed for the eng degree). Passed the EI/FE in the same year. Got lazy, difficult circumstances, etc. and didn't get my PE until this last Oct exam 2006. That's 16 years (one would think I would have had it much earlier).

:true:


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## DVINNY (Jan 4, 2007)

The reason I ask is because my degree is a 4 yr. Engineering Tech Mechanical. It is ABET/TAC accredited however, which is what qualifies me to take the exam.

My degree and 4 yrs in school contribute absolutely ZERO to what I have seen on the PE exam thus far, and therefor the reason for this poll/thread. I am trying to decipher if it is just because I took Mechanical in school, and am taking the PE in Civil.

Basically, 90+% of everything I'm studying for the PE, I've never seen in my life. I work with 5-6 guys that have a B.S. Eng. Tech Civil, and they had all of the coursework, so I think it mostly has to do with the major.

I also want to see everyone's take on it, since ASCE wants B.S. + 30 hrs to sit for the exam


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## DVINNY (Jan 4, 2007)

Also, with my Tech degree, my state board requires that I had the FE and then 6 years of documented experience before allowing me to take the exam. I graduated in '97, took the FE in April of '00, and took the PE for the first time in October '05.


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## cement (Jan 4, 2007)

I have the BSCE and alot of grad work in transportation, which perepared me pretty well. But I was 20 yrs out of school, which didn't help much!

The guy I work with has a BS in Manufacturing Engineering, but is working in construction and took CE transportation. He had to learn most everything from that damn CERM. The HCM is an excellent teaching tool, and the AASHTO green book is packed full of knowlege.

It is an uphill battle DV, but the view is sweet from the summit! :thumbsup:


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## Mike1144 (Jan 4, 2007)

Add another choice, I didn't get a BS, I got a BE. Bachelor in Engineering. I was a mechanical major. And no, it didn't help me on the SE1.


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## DVINNY (Jan 4, 2007)

> Add another choice, I didn't get a BS, I got a BE. Bachelor in Engineering. I was a mechanical major. And no, it didn't help me on the SE1.


Really? Why wouldn't they just call is a Bachelor of Science in Engineering? Is it not science?

I've never heard of that before. :true:


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## jfusilloPE (Jan 4, 2007)

> Also, with my Tech degree, my state board requires that I had the FE and then 6 years of documented experience before allowing me to take the exam. I graduated in '97, took the FE in April of '00, and took the PE for the first time in October '05.


I am in a similar boat as you. I graduated with a 4-year Civil Tech degree (TAC/ABET).

I live in Ohio, but they require 8 years after graduation, with two waiverable (so 6 years internship). So, I jumped the border and took it PA (where they see B.S.E. and B.S.A.S. as the same).

However, it did take me 4 times to pass the damn thing.

I had no problem with the FE, but for some reason the PE was killing me. So, I don't think that it was the difference in degrees.

This last time, I did take a class put on by that other website, and I think that the class had a lot to do with it (just by teaching us how to use the charts in the appendix).


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## Mike1144 (Jan 4, 2007)

> > Add another choice, I didn't get a BS, I got a BE. Bachelor in Engineering. I was a mechanical major. And no, it didn't help me on the SE1.
> 
> 
> Really? Why wouldn't they just call is a Bachelor of Science in Engineering? Is it not science?
> ...


People always think I'm making it up. In their defence, it's not a very common degree.


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## jmquadrunner (Jan 4, 2007)

For me, the FE was not a problem because of all the General Engineering courses I took in college. I have a B.S. in General Engineering with an Emphasis in Civil Engineering (that's a mouthful I know) from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. The PE in my opinion wasn't too bad b/c I do Engineering work all day. For the PE my practical experiance really helped. I can imagine it would have been a nightmare and required a ton of studying had I stayed in my previous job where I did minimal actual engineering. Also, the testmasters course was a real help for the subjects that I do not delve into quite as often. I would recommend their course to anyone.


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## RIP - VTEnviro (Jan 4, 2007)

Technically, mine is a "Master of Engineering". I hadn't heard of it either. I had a choice of what I wanted the degree. I don't know what the difference between an M.S. and an M.Eng. is, but apparently it's nothing significant.

I took the M.Eng. because, well, I'm an engineer .


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## ktulu (Jan 4, 2007)

This is what I have been told, by a colleague: getting a Master of Science over a Master in Engineering lies in what you want to do afterwards. I am in research, involving report writing, etc., etc. So I got a Master of Science for which I had to write a thesis. Academia work, so to speak....

For a Master in Engineering, no thesis is necessary (at least this is the case at Auburn University)

So I guess it depends on each person future goals....

ktulu


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## whitley85 (Jan 4, 2007)

I think the important thing is what you studied in school, not what degree you got. I'm a geotech. My bachlor's is in geological engineering and my masters is in civil-geotechnical. So, I've never once taken a structures class or an environmental class. I've taken one or two classes that were relavent to water resources and the only tranportation classes I took were related to pavement materials. So, although I know geotech pretty well, there's so much stuff on the PE that I've never seen before. But I knew that going in. So I took a review class that went over each area in just a few hours, nothing intense. I took that intro and built on it studying on my own. And I really didn't study geotech too much overall, since I was pretty confident in that. I also started studying way in advance (I was supposed to test in April, but a board snafu pushed me back to Oct). Something worked, since I passed.


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## Bminer (Jan 4, 2007)

I took the mining exam. I have a B.S. in Geological Engineering and Master of Engineering in Mining Engineering - neither of which helped on the exam. It was all practical experience that counted. There is limited study material geared specifically towards this exam, so I relied on a few general mining references, a few colleagues who took the exam five years ago, and eight years in operations and engineering in the aggregates industry. The extra education is great, but on any given day I actually have to solve many of the same types of problems found on the exam.


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## screw (Jan 4, 2007)

I feel like the anomaly here. BS in Industrial Engineering in 1989. Then went technical as a Navy nuke : USA : for 6 years. Then went business with an MBA after that.

The FE, which I took and passed in April 2006, was a real brain-squisher. :brick: It was the Navy discipline :dsgt: that kept me studying material I haven't seen or used in 15+ years. "oldtimer"

The PE, which I took and passed in October 2006, I suprised myself.

Even though I'm not strapped to the calculator like most of you, it was tough.

When I was interviewing for a position after getting my MBA, the interviewer told me he was not at all impressed with the degree itself. He said I would learn everything I need on the job. But he was impressed with the hoops that I had to jump through to get it.

Bottom line, in my opinion, its the discipline :tone: to get the degree (no matter what it is), to get the experience, and to study when there are other things you could be doing....


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## NCcarguy (Jan 4, 2007)

> I feel like the anomaly here. BS in Industrial Engineering in 1989. Then went technical as a Navy nuke : USA : for 6 years. Then went business with an MBA after that.
> The FE, which I took and passed in April 2006, was a real brain-squisher. :brick: It was the Navy discipline :dsgt: that kept me studying material I haven't seen or used in 15+ years. "oldtimer"
> 
> The PE, which I took and passed in April 2006, I suprised myself.
> ...


you might just be correct there! There were obviously times that I bacame distracted, and if I had studied a bit harder (or maybe smarter), I might just NOT be here whining about missing the cut score by one or two questions... :read:


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## kevo_55 (Jan 4, 2007)

I just have a BS in Civil Engineering.

Honestly many people say that they would like to have a master's degree to get ahead, but I believe that a PE license (in the civil/structural word) is just as good.


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## Road Guy (Jan 4, 2007)

yeah me also, I did get an MBA, mainly because at the time I wanted to get out of engineering, but I have to say taking all those finance classes helped with those engineering economic questions on the exam.


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## GCracker (Jan 4, 2007)

MS-Civil/Structural

I think it helped on the the exam. But, using it every day at work helped more.


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## petergibbons (Jan 4, 2007)

> I am trying to decipher if it is just because I took Mechanical in school, and am taking the PE in Civil.


I have a BS in Civil. I couldn't imagine taking the PE in another discipline. Much respect DV!


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## ferryg (Jan 4, 2007)

I actually have an M.S. in Engineering Management...I have to say that a little bit (albeit a very small portion) of that degree was useful on the exam.


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## whitley85 (Jan 4, 2007)

> just have a BS in Civil Engineering.
> Honestly many people say that they would like to have a master's degree to get ahead, but I believe that a PE license (in the civil/structural word) is just as good.


I think you have a point there. I got my masters mainly because I didn't feel like I knew enough to be a good geotech and I wasn't getting any training on the job at the time. I was basically an overpaid secretary. (Some older engineers think women are only good for two things. Secretary was the only one I was willing to do.)

I'm now in the position to hire engineers and I like seeing the masters degree, but without experience, it means very little. I'll take a PE any day.


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## bohnsai78 (Jan 4, 2007)

B.S. in Civil Engineering, Emphasis in Project Management.

University of Wisconsin - Madison

I think the "emphasis" thing for civil engineering was fairly new when I was in school 4 years ago. Obviously to get a civil degree you needed so many "degree" credits (i.e. engineering courses) to graduate.......on top of the gen. ed. courses (i.e. nap-time 101):whatever:

But, if you took a good portion of your elective engineering courses in a certain area, like project managment, structural, environmental, etc, then you would graduate with an "emphasis" in that area. I went for the project management and took courses like Project Scheduling &amp; Estimating, Engineering Law, Engineering Economics, and a few others.

My roommate elected to take steel design I and II, Concrete Design I &amp; II, Wood Design I, and a bunch of other stuff that I would've commited suicide over if I had to take......and he graduated with an "emphasis" in Structural Engineering. :suicide:

Most of the required courses for my degree definately helped me on the exam, along with the Project Scheduling and Engineering Econ class. I couldn't imagine studying for the P.E. without that background knowledge from college. :study :

For some reason they required us to take engineering courses outside of our degree.........and about 3 seconds after I got accepted into the Civil Eng. program I realized that all the hot chicks were in Industrial Engineering.......so you better believe that I took an I.E. course when came time. I don't think I could've past the PE exam without the memory of those blonde twins that sat in front of me every MWF @ 9:55 a.m.

:true:


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## grover (Jan 4, 2007)

> Bottom line, in my opinion, its the discipline :tone: to get the degree (no matter what it is), to get the experience, and to study when there are other things you could be doing....


It's my heartfelt opinion that the first part of the PE exam, perhaps the toughest part, is simply getting all the paperwork and references and everything else together in time to sit for the exam! I mean, lets face it, getting 2-5 engineers to not only agree to send in the reference form, but actually do it RIGHT and IN TIME is a freaking miracle of science right there.


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## kevo_55 (Jan 4, 2007)

> It's my heartfelt opinion that the first part of the PE exam, perhaps the toughest part, is simply getting all the paperwork and references and everything else together in time to sit for the exam! I mean, lets face it, getting 2-5 engineers to not only agree to send in the reference form, but actually do it RIGHT and IN TIME is a freaking miracle of science right there.


:claps: Right on brother. :claps:


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## Dleg (Jan 4, 2007)

> I realized that all the hot chicks were in Industrial Engineering.......


:lmao:

You are kidding, right?

I have a BS in Mechanical (1990), and none of the coursework directly helped me study for the PE exam (enviro). Even if I could remember it now. Heck, it didn't even help me the first day on my first job out of college. What DID help me was "learning how to learn" - which was kind of what I thought was the biggest thing I got out of my undergraduate work. I went in to college unable to pick up a book and really "know" it, to being able to do exactly that. And that is what has gotten me through every job since then, the PE studying, and even a few things in regular old life (thank God for those "what to expect when you're expecting" books)

I was hoping to be able to draw from my work experience for much of the PE exam, but unfortunately the exam doesn't cover most of what I do (stormwater, septic systems, and state regulation writing). So I had to learn from the ENVRM, and when that wasn't enough, $1,400 of new textbooks. Being able to read a new chapter, step back from it and see/understand the underlying concepts behind the subject is the biggest thing I got out of school, and I think that is crucial to learning or studying anything.

And if I learn that I have failed the exam, I will return and delete every word I have just written!


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## bohnsai78 (Jan 4, 2007)

I kid you not brother.......the female:male ratio in every other engineering discipline at my school was negligible......but in Industrial Engineering, for whatever reason, it had to be about 40:60. And there was a group of about 6 girls that would all study together at the library......we called them "The Barbies". Every one of them had blonde hair, tanned (in Wisconsin), and looked like they spent more time doing their makeup and nails than studying. A couple of them could've rivaled those chicks in the "Houston Chearleaders" thread.


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## Guest (Jan 4, 2007)

> What DID help me was "learning how to learn" - which was kind of what I thought was the biggest thing I got out of my undergraduate work.  I went in to college unable to pick up a book and really "know" it, to being able to do exactly that.  And that is what has gotten me through every job since then, the PE studying, and even a few things in regular old life (thank God for those "what to expect when you're expecting" books)
> I was hoping to be able to draw from my work experience for much of the  PE exam, but unfortunately the exam doesn't cover most of what I do (stormwater, septic systems, and state regulation writing).  So I had to learn from the ENVRM, and when that wasn't enough, $1,400 of new textbooks.  Being able to read a new chapter, step back from it and see/understand the underlying concepts behind the subject is the biggest thing I got out of school, and I think that is crucial to learning or studying anything.............
> 
> And if I learn that I have failed the exam, I will return and delete every word I have just written!


I have to agree that the 'subjects' of my study were not as important as the process by which you learn and analyze problems. That was the most significant aspect of my education.

I have a greater appreciation for that now that I have taken engineering coursework in two different colleges. My undergrad work was strongly oriented towards problem solving and synthesis of knowledge across numerous fields - not just Env Eng. My graduate work has been more topical - nuts and bolts of engineering. Then again, my earlier education may have already compensated for graduate work. I cannot really say.

Okay, I am rambling.

Point ---&gt; I think BS helps in the sense that it lays out an approach to solving problems. Being an engineer isn't about how much knowledge you have retained - it is about knowing where to find the 'answer' and what do with it once you have it.

'.02'

JR


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## Kipper (Jan 4, 2007)

> I kid you not brother.......the female:male ratio in every other engineering discipline at my school was negligible......but in Industrial Engineering, for whatever reason, it had to be about 40:60. And there was a group of about 6 girls that would all study together at the library......we called them "The Barbies". Every one of them had blonde hair, tanned (in Wisconsin), and looked like they spent more time doing their makeup and nails than studying. A couple of them could've rivaled those chicks in the "Houston Chearleaders" thread.


Dude! B) We are trying to put together an Engineer Babe calendar. We need

names and numbers.

Or, :GotPics:


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## tmckeon_PE (Jan 4, 2007)

Go to Engineer Boards Calendar to put your votes in for the calendar. This thread shouldn't be hijacked.


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## ARJ (Jan 4, 2007)

I have to agree with point that it's the discipline to get the degree that matters. I have a Bachelors in Mathematics from the University of California at Riverside--in 1994. Was going to teach but changed my mnd. Got a entry level position in structural design instead. Found out about the EIT exam. Studied for it for a couple of months and passed it. Had to wait to take the PE because none my education counted toward my experience. So had too accumulate enough work experience to qualify. When I finally was unexpectedly approved, I hadn't studied a lick. But I sat for it anyway (California). Of course I failed. So when I actually studied for it, the information was all new to me from a scholastic stand point. I had never taken any classes in any of the PE subjects. Since Calfornia requires passing the seismic, surveying and Civil PE exam in order to become a PE, I decided the best course of action for me was to study for one at a time. First, I passed the seismic, then the Civil PE exam and now I am waiting on the results of the surveying. So I guess you need to add another categories to the poll above--"Non-ABET degree"--I guess?

Was it harder this way? Yes. Courses would have made it easier. But there is a certain pleasure that comes from studying the material on your own, just because you want too and not having to meet the demands of a classroom setting.


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## tmckeon_PE (Jan 5, 2007)

Have to say that the BSCE that I got helped in several ways.

First, I got it with mostly structural concrete, construction management, and systems design (mostly wastewater).

Second, my work experience was mostly in WR and inspection.

I was able to benefit from both the school standpoint and the work experience for the exam.

Thank God I passed. I really don't want to have to do that again!

:true:


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## WR/ENV_Instructor (Jan 5, 2007)

Have advanced degree in Ocean Engineering. Do not have a civil B.S. or M.S., so studying for WR Civil Exam will be challenge b/c never had hydraulics, environmental or transportation class in my life. Count your lucky stars, where most of you are reviewing, I am teaching myself these subjects. FYI, Plan to take the exam next spring.


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## Guest (Jan 5, 2007)

> Have advanced degree in Ocean Engineering.  Do not have a civil B.S. or M.S., so studying for WR Civil Exam will be challenge b/c never had hydraulics, environmental or transportation class in my life.  Count your lucky stars, where most of you are reviewing, I am teaching myself these subjects.  FYI, Plan to take the exam next spring.


I am just curious - what does Ocean Engineering entail ?? Is that similar to coastal engineering ?

JR


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## JRO (Jan 5, 2007)

I received a BS ChE in 1988, and passed the E.I.T. exam in the Spring of '88. Since then I have spent approximately 16 years in the environmental field (wastewater treatment mostly). Recently pass the October '06 Enviro PE exam. Most of my experience has been on-the-job training and work experience. However, I feel the most of what I do is basically applied chemical engineering. I think my degree helped with passing the PE, but my work experience was why I chose the Enviro exam over the ChE exam.


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## cjd97 (Jan 5, 2007)

BSCE (specialization in structures)

Illinois Institute of Technology

Passed FE Senior Year.

Just passed October 2006 PE, I took the structural PM.

I don't believe the degree makes much of a difference. I feel I could have passed it right out of college. Structural problems on the PE are pretty simplistic.

We'll see how the SE goes in April..............


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## teda (Jan 5, 2007)

I just passed Oct. 2006 PE exam.

I have BSCE and MSCE both on Structural Engineering. I do believe what I learned in college helped me for structural and geotechnical parts.

Advanced topics learned in college are not in PE exam this time. However they do give me more confidence, like prestressed concrete, advanced concrete, bridge engineering.................

But for WR, ENVIRO, and Trans, I totally rely on CERM book.


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## DrFranz (Jan 6, 2007)

> > just have a BS in Civil Engineering.
> > Honestly many people say that they would like to have a master's degree to get ahead, but I believe that a PE license (in the civil/structural word) is just as good.
> 
> 
> ...


Completely agree, a PE is rater way higher than a MS or ME.

I have what is called a Civil Engineer`s degree (not ABET acredited) and it is a professional degree in Eng. (much like a MD or a JD). I also have a couple MS, an MBA and a PhD, which did not help at all in the PE, only my C.E. degree was sufficient to pass the PE and I feel I could have passed it right out of school without the need for experience. btw I do geotech and I passed the PE first time approx. 10 years out of the CE degree and the FE (also firt time) 9 years out of school... I found the FE a bit more challenging than the PE... maybe because I haven`t thought of those subjects for a while??


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## gatormech_e (Jan 8, 2007)

&lt;-- Master's degree, Mechanical Engineering, University of Florida, 2001 (GO GATORS!!!)

i passed the FE on my first attempt in April 2006; am studying for the PE (ME, Machine Design) for April 2007.

i keep hearing the guys at work (who took the old 'essay format' of the exam) that the FE is waaaaaay harder than the PE. i don't know if i agree. i was always a good 'generalist' so a review class and MERM got me through the FE with only a bit of discomfort.  a little brute force and problem drills goes a long way. 

i am cautiously optimistic that i can pass the PE exam, but that reference to the difficulty of the FE concerns me.


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## DVINNY (Jan 8, 2007)

I passed the FE first time. Not the case on the PE. To me there is no comparison. The FE was easier for me.


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## MetroRAFB (Jan 8, 2007)

> &lt;-- Master's degree, Mechanical Engineering, University of Florida, 2001 (GO GATORS!!!)
> i passed the FE on my first attempt in April 2006; am studying for the PE (ME, Machine Design) for April 2007.
> 
> i keep hearing the guys at work (who took the old 'essay format' of the exam) that the FE is waaaaaay harder than the PE. i don't know if i agree. i was always a good 'generalist' so a review class and MERM got me through the FE with only a bit of discomfort.  a little brute force and problem drills goes a long way.
> ...


I thought the PE was on par with the FE in terms of difficulty. I took the FE in 1994, I'm not sure if that 's the same format that it is now or not. I know that I did not have a choice for the afternoon session, the FE was the same for everybody that took it. The material covered in the FE differed from the PE pretty substantially, but in terms of overall difficulty and format, it was very similar in my opinion.

I suspect you'll do fine on the PE, just assume it's going to be the most excruciatingly difficult thing you could ever put yourself through and prepare accordingly. It's way better in my opinion to overprepare and think it was easy than the other way around. I put an honest 200hrs into my prep (Passing Zone :banhim: ) and after the exam I wish I'd spent another 50+ hours. I made it, but it could have gone either way. I'd also say that I thought the PE was more difficult than the NCEES practice exam. I took that exam 3wks before the real thing and did OK on it, and that gave me a false sense of security.

'.02'


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## gatormech_e (Jan 8, 2007)

@ Metro: Thanks for the advice, I plan to put in around 250 hours (give or take) but worry that this won't be enough. I don't want to obsess and psych myself out, but I do want to be overprepared.

I am willing to put in the work; I pray that it's enough.


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## 3gorgesdam (Jan 8, 2007)

> I passed the FE first time.? Not the case on the PE.? To me there is no comparison.? The FE was easier for me.


DVINNY, how many attempts have you made to pass PE so far? How many years between your EIT and PE? To me it has been 9 years. I passed PE (Structure afternoon) this October first attmept. I can't seem benefit much from passing EIT. Basically, I started all over again as far as the review materials concerned. What afternoon module do you take? By the way, I put in about 150 hours total. Did you put in at least that many hours? I don't recommend anything less than that. My job is related to Structure portion. If one's job isn't related to at least one subject, 150 hours may not be enough.

I am just curious about your experience and try to be helpful as I can tell you are a big contributor to this board. :girl: I personally benefit a lot from visiting here :true: .


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## DVINNY (Jan 8, 2007)

3g,

I took the FE in Apr. 00, and PE, I have taken it 3 times (PE), the

first time, Oct. 05 I took Structure PM, had 0 hrs studying. I know. score=39

2nd time, Apr. 06 I took WR, had about 25-35 hrs. studying

3rd time, Oct. 06 I took Transpo, had about 75-80 hrs. studying.


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## 3gorgesdam (Jan 8, 2007)

> 3g,
> I took the FE in Apr. 00, and PE, I have taken it 3 times (PE), the
> 
> first time, Oct. 05 I took Structure PM, had 0 hrs studying. I know. score=39
> ...


So okay, you didn't put in enough hours. I personally don't think the difficulty levels of EIT and PE are compariable. The focus is different. You can pass as long as you put in enough hours. Nothing is difficult to get to know, just a matter of spending the time to get to know it or not. Good luck next time round. :study


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## DVINNY (Jan 8, 2007)

I took the FE 2.5 yrs out of college, and studied about 10 hrs going into it.

I took the attitude "I'll see what it's like"

My luck has run out since then


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## 3gorgesdam (Jan 8, 2007)

> I took the FE 2.5 yrs out of college, and studied about 10 hrs going into it.?
> I took the attitude "I'll see what it's like"
> 
> My luck has run out since then


I hate to waste money. That is my motivation to pass in one time. :true:


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## benbo (Jan 8, 2007)

3gorges-

First of all, I do not know if this applies to you or not but ..

If English is not your first language I suspect the FE may be very hard. The reason is because there are so many problems and you have to read them so quickly. Non-native speakers are at a disadvantage. If you can pass the structural exam, which is very tough I hear, then the problem is not likely technical ability.

I've got no solution, just a possible reason. But maybe you are a native, in which case never mind.


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## MetroRAFB (Jan 8, 2007)

> @ Metro: Thanks for the advice, I plan to put in around 250 hours (give or take) but worry that this won't be enough. I don't want to obsess and psych myself out, but I do want to be overprepared.
> I am willing to put in the work; I pray that it's enough.


250 should be plenty. 200 worked for me but I was sweating it for 2 months after the exam. Just take it seriously, don't procrastinate and don't play the odds that certain things won't be on the exam. I felt like they beat certain things to death in the exam and asked several questions on the same subject. If one of those subjects is something you gambled wouldn't be on the exam, you're toast. Many subjects and/or problem types on the NCEES practice exam that I thought were easy weren't even on the real exam. If you understand everything in the MERM, you're golden in the morning. I can't speak to the difficulty/content of the Machine Design afternoon session, but the MERM was lacking pretty seriously for the HVAC afternoon module. Of course, "the other board" even tells you that their materials are geared more toward the morning as opposed to the afternoon modules.


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## 3gorgesdam (Jan 8, 2007)

> 3gorges-First of all, I do not know if this applies to you or not but ..
> 
> If English is not your first language I suspect the FE may be very hard.  The reason is because there are so many problems and you have to read them so quickly.  Non-native speakers are at a disadvantage.  If you can pass the structural exam, which is very tough I hear, then the problem is not likely technical ability.
> 
> I've got no solution, just a possible reason.  But maybe you are a native, in which case never mind.


benbo: English is my second language. But EIT was very easy to me. My difficulty was to translate everything into English on my own. That took me a while since I received my undergraduate education in Chinese from a small college in China. But there was no technical challenge at all in EIT. PE is to test general knowlege not deep understanding. So I think as long as enough hours put in, one has great chance to pass. Remeber I dont speak English and I could pass PE (Structure PM), then anyone could do it.


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## benbo (Jan 8, 2007)

3gorges-

My mistake! There is somebody who posts here who passed the PE but is having trouble with the FE. I mixed that person up with you. Obviously it was someone else.


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## WR/ENV_Instructor (Jan 9, 2007)

An Ocean Engineer could be one of three things: Naval arch. engr., Offshore structures engr. or Coastal engr. I am the later, basically I put sand back on the beach. I design how much sand, where to put it, how to shape it and where it comes from. It's a major challenge b/c the environment is always changing: winds, waves, tides, storms, etc. The is no clean cut, cookie cutter design - it takes historical knowledge and lots of hands-on experience to be an effective coastal engineer IMO.


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## gmw9726 (Jan 9, 2007)

> An Ocean Engineer could be one of three things: Naval arch. engr., Offshore structures engr. or Coastal engr. I am the later, basically I put sand back on the beach. I design how much sand, where to put it, how to shape it and where it comes from. It's a major challenge b/c the environment is always changing: winds, waves, tides, storms, etc. The is no clean cut, cookie cutter design - it takes historical knowledge and lots of hands-on experience to be an effective coastal engineer IMO.


I am an Ocean Engineer as well. I do offshore structures and I just passed the PE in civil/structural PM in OCT 2006 first try. Just studied on my own. No classes just these boards.

I had to teach myself all the stuff you are about to go through. You can get through it man. It just takes time and effort.

This is what it was like for me.

Civil AM

water resources - pretty easy

transportation - doesnt take long to learn the basics

geotech - my job helped me alot

structural - my job helped me alot

environmental - this one really sucked.

Structural PM

Took alot of studying just because offshore doesnt deal with alot of types that is on the test.

I also heard that Naval Arch. PE isnt too bad for Ocean Engineers. You can look into that.

Let me know if I can offer any advice and I will try and help.


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## DrFranz (Jan 10, 2007)

> > 3g,
> > I took the FE in Apr. 00, and PE, I have taken it 3 times (PE), the
> >
> > first time, Oct. 05 I took Structure PM, had 0 hrs studying.  I know. score=39
> ...


I am not sure that is is about the amount of hours you put into studying or not...

For me the EI seemed a bit more challenging... and I studied a max of 120 hrs. for the EI spread over some 2.5 months... I got a 91 score. I studied only 4 days (the 4 days before the test) for the PE but in a more intense way (8hrs/day = 32 hrs total), unfortunately the did not report the score, but the PE seemed way too easy... '.02'


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## 3gorgesdam (Jan 10, 2007)

> > > 3g,
> > > I took the FE in Apr. 00, and PE, I have taken it 3 times (PE), the
> > >
> > > first time, Oct. 05 I took Structure PM, had 0 hrs studying.? I know. score=39
> ...


What PE exam did you take? What do you do? Are you in academic insitute? I can see if you teach most of the courses, then you don't even need the reference book. Otherwise I dont think I can even :study flip through Dr. Limdeburg's review book for PE in 4 days without going into details. Good luck to you. It is interesting story.


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## DVINNY (Jan 10, 2007)

DrFranz already passed last time around.


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## 3gorgesdam (Jan 10, 2007)

> DrFranz already passed last time around.


:rotfl:


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## Guest (Jan 10, 2007)

> @ Metro:  Thanks for the advice, I plan to put in around 250 hours (give or take) but worry that this won't be enough.  I don't want to obsess and psych myself out, but I do want to be overprepared.
> I am willing to put in the work; I pray that it's enough.


That's a good plan !! :+1: You definitely want to be overprepared. If anything, think of that time spent as ASSURANCE that you have minimized the time spent pouring through books :study and agonizing over how long it takes to receive results






JR


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## DVINNY (Jan 10, 2007)

I agree. Be overprepared. I've been just barely under-prepared this last time, and now I have to do it all again. Overprepared would have prevented this.


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## RIP - VTEnviro (Jan 10, 2007)

I'd rather 50 extra hours of overprepared studying, than 2+ months of uncertainty, 4 more months of studying, then 2+ more months waiting again.


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## DrFranz (Jan 10, 2007)

> > > > 3g,
> > > > I took the FE in Apr. 00, and PE, I have taken it 3 times (PE), the
> > > >
> > > > first time, Oct. 05 I took Structure PM, had 0 hrs studying.? I know. score=39
> ...


I am a geotech engineer... I teach on the side but an unrelated topic: management.

I only used lindeburg for the morning part... and only the charts for the water sections and to try to find some of the environmental questions... in my 4 days I mainly foccused on getting to know where to find the info I needed to solve unfamiliar problems... so I tabbed my refferences. In the afternoon, I used a formula sheet I put together... several pages, including charts, in a 3 ring binder.


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## lovelandtx (Feb 13, 2007)

Studied 260 hrs for Chemical PE test...passed 1st time!


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## lovelandtx (Feb 13, 2007)

Had 3 ring binder with all notes, worked problems, and study sheets...best reference material was CERM, Crane &amp; GPSA for Chemical PE test...


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## NCcarguy (Feb 15, 2007)

VTEnviro said:


> I'd rather 50 extra hours of overprepared studying, than 2+ months of uncertainty, 4 more months of studying, then 2+ more months waiting again.



Not to mention, $200-300 more in application fees! Think of how many of those dang pencils DVINNY and myself have purchased so far???? :wacko:


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## DVINNY (Feb 15, 2007)

Amen to that brother!!!!!!


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