# PASS THAT EXAM DO NOT GIVE UP. NEVER EVER GIVE UP.



## Sparky Bill PE (Mar 22, 2021)

Guys it is Monday morning and I'm FEELING GOOD AND LOOKING GOOD! I want every person that reads this to enjoy their PE, or get HYPED UP AND GO STUDY NOW!!! Had a couple of conversations this morning and nothing feels better than starting with "As a Professional Engineer........"

I noticed after a lot of us has passed the traffic has slowed WAY DOWN. I just want to keep the love and support flowing!

LOVE YOU GUYS HARD WORK ALWAYS PAYS OFF!!!


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## DLD PE (Mar 22, 2021)

@Sparky Bill PE , thank you for the encouragement! Traffic on my part has not slowed down. I continue to look here often, especially when I "re-run" into material that stumps me lol.

I came across a practice exam problem that stumped me for some reason (it was late at night and perhaps I was mentally tired), and when I did a search for it, I found it funny (or not) that I had explained how to solve it over a year ago in an earlier post.


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## Sparky Bill PE (Mar 22, 2021)

DuranDuran said:


> @Sparky Bill PE , thank you for the encouragement! Traffic on my part has not slowed down. I continue to look here often, especially when I "re-run" into material that stumps me lol.
> 
> I came across a practice exam problem that stumped me for some reason (it was late at night and perhaps I was mentally tired), and when I did a search for it, I found it funny (or not) that I had explained how to solve it over a year ago in an earlier post.


Wow, now that is a true drained mind lol! When is your next exam scheduled date? You got this bro. Just remember studying is NEVER a waste of time it just makes us better engineers!!


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## akyip (Mar 22, 2021)

Even though I passed the exam at this point 2 months ago, I still peruse this forum and look back at the notes I took when studying for this exam. My study notes are still quite relevant.


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## Zach Stone P.E. (Mar 22, 2021)

Sparky Bill PE said:


> Guys it is Monday morning and I'm FEELING GOOD AND LOOKING GOOD! I want every person that reads this to enjoy their PE, or get HYPED UP AND GO STUDY NOW!!! Had a couple of conversations this morning and nothing feels better than starting with "As a Professional Engineer........"
> 
> I noticed after a lot of us has passed the traffic has slowed WAY DOWN. I just want to keep the love and support flowing!
> 
> ...


Love the enthusiasm as always @Sparky Bill PE !


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## DarkLegion PE (Mar 22, 2021)

I wonder if traffic is down because the test dates are so versatile now that it is CBT. This forum helped me a lot so I'm gonna keep checking in.

@Sparky Bill PE you're right, the best feeling in the world is when someone approaches me at work and asks for a PE's advice. Been really soaking that moment in lol


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## nishan (Apr 20, 2021)

Hi All, I will be taking my first time NCEES exam on 6 days later. I am Zach student and I just finished Eng Pro practice and I only got about 50%. I still not enough confidence for the exam.

Tomorrow I will try
1) Zach practice test and then
2) NCEES.
3) Then brand new Zach practice 40 questions, and
4) I will refresh last live class 20 questions. Still have time I will go over especially his home work, and quiz.
I studied all Zach pre-requisit notes, live class notes, home work and quiz.

But today, I took eng pro practice test, and looks like I don’t have enough confidence. how is the similarity with CBT exam?

I have cram, eng pro, Zach practice, spin up, and others test but only left 6 days, I think I can’t finish all. Like today, after I finish eng pro, go back and study to all my mistake and learn from there for key concepts. Quite useful.

Any recommend for all practice test. Only left 6 days to go. Please let me know any of your advice. 

Recently, some of the classmate from Zach class, passed the exam and I really got motivation.

Thank you in advance.


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## DLD PE (Apr 20, 2021)

nishan said:


> Hi All, I will be taking my first time NCEES exam on 6 days later. I am Zach student and I just finished Eng Pro practice and I only got about 50%. I still not enough confidence for the exam.
> 
> Tomorrow I will try
> 1) Zach practice test and then
> ...


From someone who will be taking the exam for the 5th time in June (I took the P/P twice and CBT twice):

With 6 days left, you won't learn much more than what you already know between now and the test date. Try to take a step back and keep things in perspective. You've put in whatever amount of time you've put in. I've been a student in both Zach and Justin's classes and taken the exams you mentioned (all except spin up, but I have Complex Imaginary). I wouldn't fret too much about 50% on Justin's exams, although you probably want to be more at 70% to be prepared. 

Depending on the requirements in your state, you can probably take the CBT, fail, and re-take it very soon after the first time, so if you're not too tight on funds, think of the $375 fee as a sort of "trial run" since this is your first attempt. One big advantage of the CBT is we don't have to wait 6 months between re-takes. Currently there is no practice exam which closely mimics the real CBT exam. 

Try to relax and get your confidence up. I would tell yourself, "Ok I'm going to just do the best I can, but if worst comes to worst, I can just re-take it in a month or two and I'll have a better idea of what to expect." Also, try not to do anything exam related the day before the exam. Take a day off if you need to and just relax and give your brain a rest. You will need that energy on exam day.

If I were you, I would work mostly Spin-Up problems (or any "drill" type problems) between now and the exam, and then if you have any topics you're struggling with, just work a few of Zach or Justin's problems.

My take on the practice exams: 

1. NCEES - Most closely represents the wording on the actual exam, but this was more true on the P/P exam. The CBT problems are starting to change a little on the content and wording, and it's getting a bit further away from the NCEES practice exam, as if there are new authors writing the CBT. Still, the NCEES is a fairly close example of how the actual exam is worded. Difficulty level is similar to the CBT.
2. @Zach Stone P.E. 's practice exam: Very challenging exam and his problems are lengthy and complicated, sometimes with plenty of red herrings to throw you off. These problems are great for learning the concepts, and often you can find 2-3 short problems combined into one of his. The CBT problems are simpler (fewer steps), but I highly recommend Zach's practice exam/quizzes to learn the concepts.
3. @justin-hawaii 's practice exams: I could almost say the exact same thing as Zach's.
4. Complex Imaginary - Highly useful. Some argue these are too easy, but I disagree. These are simpler (in other words, take less time) than other practice exams, but they closely mimic the amount of time it takes to solve as the typical CBT problems. They're a decent mix of math vs conceptual problems, which you'll need since the CBT is starting to lean more toward conceptual type problems vs some of the longer math related problems on the P/P exam.
5. Cram for Exam - I love these. Challenging, but a very balance mix of difficulty, and most are concise and can be solved in 5 minutes or less. I think these are a bit more difficult than the actual CBT, but the style and wording are a bit closer to the actual exam than Zach or Justin's.

There are other practice exams which are good for "drill" type problems, but I mentioned the ones above since they seem to be the most popular among examinees. Also, for those reading this, there is no single practice exam that is "above all" the best one. I think it's best to consume a healthy mix of complex, simple, easy and difficult problems to help you prepare. I think the 5 mentioned above are a good mix. Now if I can only digest and retain all the above and finally knock this thing out in June!


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## Zach Stone P.E. (Apr 20, 2021)

nishan said:


> Hi All, I will be taking my first time NCEES exam on 6 days later. I am Zach student and I just finished Eng Pro practice and I only got about 50%. I still not enough confidence for the exam.
> 
> Tomorrow I will try
> 1) Zach practice test and then
> ...


Keep up the hard work @nishan, you can do it!


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## akyip (Apr 20, 2021)

As a friendly FYI, I noticed an email that @Zach Stone P.E. now has a random practice exam generator on his Electrical PE Review website. This random exam generator generates various quantities (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 40) of random questions from his bank of over 400 problems.


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## mnsee (Oct 8, 2021)

Glad I came across this thread- I'm taking mine on the 28th, been studying a long time- but these last few weeks have been stressful for me and my family: my grandfather passed the end of last month, daughter entered terrible 3s and is driving mom insane, work is brutal and been operating on 6 hours a sleep at best on week days. 

That being said- I want this license and I've wanted it a long time. I've prepped for it, prayed for it, and I'm ready to take this on. Its encouraging I'm not alone in this experience.


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## akyip (Oct 13, 2021)

mnsee said:


> Glad I came across this thread- I'm taking mine on the 28th, been studying a long time- but these last few weeks have been stressful for me and my family: my grandfather passed the end of last month, daughter entered terrible 3s and is driving mom insane, work is brutal and been operating on 6 hours a sleep at best on week days.
> 
> That being said- I want this license and I've wanted it a long time. I've prepped for it, prayed for it, and I'm ready to take this on. Its encouraging I'm not alone in this experience.


Sorry to hear about these issues you're facing. Best of luck in your exam! Do what you can to persevere and stay strong.


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## BebeshKing PE (Oct 20, 2021)




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## Farmerchic (Oct 22, 2021)

So....I studied but there were 5 or more questions using log/e/on and powers I was not prepared for. It's just not something I use in the real world and was uncomfortable with those questions. Frustrating, because none of the more complex topics I studied based on all the review materials were on there. Ugh. Feels like. Waste of time


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## tmntjmc (Jan 4, 2022)

Farmerchic said:


> So....I studied but there were 5 or more questions using log/e/on and powers I was not prepared for. It's just not something I use in the real world and was uncomfortable with those questions. Frustrating, because none of the more complex topics I studied based on all the review materials were on there. Ugh. Feels like. Waste of time


I know the feeling all too well. I did the most thorough studying I had ever done early last year and when I got the exam, there was so much of it that was completely out of left field that I asked several other people who had passed how to figure it out and they were stumped.. I've come to realize now that I've taken it a few times that there is a big element of luck that everyone seems to overlook as you "not preparing enough" or "not putting in the time". I did put in the time and took a bunch of practice exams and courses, sometimes it's just not meant to be and that's ok. I will give it another shot soon.


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## Farmerchic (Jan 4, 2022)

tmntjmc said:


> I know the feeling all too well. I did the most thorough studying I had ever done early last year and when I got the exam, there was so much of it that was completely out of left field that I asked several other people who had passed how to figure it out and they were stumped.. I've come to realize now that I've taken it a few times that there is a big element of luck that everyone seems to overlook as you "not preparing enough" or "not putting in the time". I did put in the time and took a bunch of practice exams and courses, sometimes it's just not meant to be and that's ok. I will give it another shot soon.


Well, it turns out I passed!!!
Now, I have to take the soil science exam here in Tennessee so I can do septic tanks (but thanks to the PE, I can also do vertical curves, eyeroll) Its a lot like the PE with an experience and board reviewed application, then a national test like the FE, then a 8 hr PE like exam. 
And in Colorado, I could just do one test. eye roll again.


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## MagicSmoke (Jan 11, 2022)

I appreciate the encouragement. My test attempt #2 is the day after tomorrow. I studied way more than I did last time I took it (pre-Covid, so this is my first time with the CBT). This time around on top of my studying I was able to do while working, I took off of work for about the past two weeks, closed myself in my office away from the family and just ran through videos in the Electrical PE Review course, took notes and quizes, and ran through problems from sun up to bed time pretty much every day. I was feeling pretty good after taking two of the Complex Imaginary practice exams, and the one out of the back of Graffeo book, but I was in for a gut check when I took the Electrical PE Review practice test and pretty much bombed it. That has me not feeling super confident, but I can at least say I gave it my all this time around. I really want to be done with spinning this particular plate over my head on top of work and family, but I'm not so sure that's in the cards. Even if I don't pass, I'm at least better off than I was and am that much closer to passing. This time around I don't have to wait months for results and the chance to try again, so at least I have that going for me. I'm planning on a half day of working through some problems and reviewing some concepts tomorrow, then relax and get to bed early.


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## Zach Stone P.E. (Jan 13, 2022)

MagicSmoke said:


> I appreciate the encouragement. My test attempt #2 is the day after tomorrow. I studied way more than I did last time I took it (pre-Covid, so this is my first time with the CBT). This time around on top of my studying I was able to do while working, I took off of work for about the past two weeks, closed myself in my office away from the family and just ran through videos in the Electrical PE Review course, took notes and quizes, and ran through problems from sun up to bed time pretty much every day. I was feeling pretty good after taking two of the Complex Imaginary practice exams, and the one out of the back of Graffeo book, but I was in for a gut check when I took the Electrical PE Review practice test and pretty much bombed it. That has me not feeling super confident, but I can at least say I gave it my all this time around. I really want to be done with spinning this particular plate over my head on top of work and family, but I'm not so sure that's in the cards. Even if I don't pass, I'm at least better off than I was and am that much closer to passing. This time around I don't have to wait months for results and the chance to try again, so at least I have that going for me. I'm planning on a half day of working through some problems and reviewing some concepts tomorrow, then relax and get to bed early.



Don't let our practice exam scare you, it is intended to be used as a learning tool instead of a diagnostic tool. Keep your head up, breathe, and trust what you've learned to get you past the exam. Please email me directly when your results come in so I can follow up with additional information.

Go get 'em!


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## DLD PE (Jan 13, 2022)

Zach Stone P.E. said:


> Don't let our practice exam scare you, it is intended to be used as a learning tool instead of a diagnostic tool. Keep your head up, breathe, and trust what you've learned to get you past the exam. Please email me directly when your results come in so I can follow up with additional information.
> 
> Go get 'em!


By the way this is your former student (MEtoEE, DuranDuran):

I still have your practice exam in my office. I tell people who want to take the the electrical power PE exam, "If you can get more than half of these right, you're in decent shape!" I passed in June, but pretty sure I wouldn't have been in the 70-70% range if it had been your exam lol.


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## Zach Stone P.E. (Jan 13, 2022)

DLD PE said:


> By the way this is your former student (MEtoEE, DuranDuran):
> 
> I still have your practice exam in my office. I tell people who want to take the the electrical power PE exam, "If you can get more than half of these right, you're in decent shape!" I passed in June, but pretty sure I wouldn't have been in the 70-70% range if it had been your exam lol.



Good to hear from you Duran! Your post count is impressive 

Shoot me an email if you'd like to be put on the list for a complimentary advanced copy of our new AIT practice exam that should be coming out in a month or two.


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## MagicSmoke (Jan 19, 2022)

Welp, test attempt #2 failed. It's disheartening and frustrating with all the time I put into studying this time around to still have failed. That being said, I did do better than I did the first time. All I can do is get back up and try try again and improve more, hopefully this time to passing standard. There's no point in a pity party. I'll keep studying starting this weekend; I'm signed up for attempt #3 in April.


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## Marshall13 (Jan 20, 2022)

MagicSmoke said:


> Welp, test attempt #2 failed. It's disheartening and frustrating with all the time I put into studying this time around to still have failed. That being said, I did do better than I did the first time. All I can do is get back up and try try again and improve more, hopefully this time to passing standard. There's no point in a pity party. I'll keep studying starting this weekend; I'm signed up for attempt #3 in April.


All you can do is keep trying. I remember when it took me 4 times to pass the FE exam. The last time I took it I put a lot more effort into studying. But also had challenges. My mom at the time was fighting stage 4 ovarian cancer. So between trying to help her, be there for my 6 year old son, work and studying. It really takes a toll on you. But as long as you keep fighting you will reach your goal.

This same mind set is how I studied for my PE exam. Once again I had my challenges. Both my grandmother and father died right before covid hit. So I had to deal with both of their estates. I was working 60+ hours a week, had my son at home distant learning. Challenges just kept coming. Thank god for my wife being there to help pick up the pieces. And my exam was cancelled twice because of covid. But through it all I passed and I am now proud to be an electrical PE. 

So don't give up. I spent a great deal of time going over plenty of questions, but also spent time going over theory. The wonderful thing about the internet is that there are plenty of articles to look up and surprising Youtube had plenty of videos on theory.

I wish you luck!


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## DLD PE (Jan 20, 2022)

MagicSmoke said:


> Welp, test attempt #2 failed. It's disheartening and frustrating with all the time I put into studying this time around to still have failed. That being said, I did do better than I did the first time. All I can do is get back up and try try again and improve more, hopefully this time to passing standard. There's no point in a pity party. I'll keep studying starting this weekend; I'm signed up for attempt #3 in April.


I know that hurts, but keep at it! I applaud you for getting right back in it! I've been there, trust me!


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## DLD PE (Jan 20, 2022)

Marshall13 said:


> All you can do is keep trying. I remember when it took me 4 times to pass the FE exam. The last time I took it I put a lot more effort into studying. But also had challenges. My mom at the time was fighting stage 4 ovarian cancer. So between trying to help her, be there for my 6 year old son, work and studying. It really takes a toll on you. But as long as you keep fighting you will reach your goal.
> 
> This same mind set is how I studied for my PE exam. Once again I had my challenges. Both my grandmother and father died right before covid hit. So I had to deal with both of their estates. I was working 60+ hours a week, had my son at home distant learning. Challenges just kept coming. Thank god for my wife being there to help pick up the pieces. And my exam was cancelled twice because of covid. But through it all I passed and I am now proud to be an electrical PE.
> 
> ...


Congrats on passing the PE exam!


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## heretopass (Jul 11, 2022)

nishan said:


> Hi All, I will be taking my first time NCEES exam on 6 days later. I am Zach student and I just finished Eng Pro practice and I only got about 50%. I still not enough confidence for the exam.
> 
> Tomorrow I will try
> 1) Zach practice test and then
> ...


How did you end up doing on the exam?


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