# April 2018 Enviro Exam Now 80 Questions!



## JesColorado (Oct 31, 2017)

Did anyone else see that the exam is being reduced from 100 questions to 80?

Just released by NCEES: https://ncees.org/wp-content/uploads/PE-Env-April-2018.pdf


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## Dleg (Oct 31, 2017)

Wow, and no more environmental health stuff like food safety, swimming pools, etc.


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## txjennah PE (Oct 31, 2017)

Aarghhh seriously? Hahaha.  Would have been nice to have it for this round.


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## Maryam (Nov 1, 2017)

JesColorado said:


> Did anyone else see that the exam is being reduced from 100 questions to 80?
> 
> Just released by NCEES: https://ncees.org/wp-content/uploads/PE-Env-April-2018.pdf


That is great!!!


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## JesColorado (Nov 2, 2017)

txjennah said:


> Aarghhh seriously? Hahaha.  Would have been nice to have it for this round.


Seriously! I just took the test last week and I think it would have gone a lot better if it was 20 questions less. Ugh.


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## DCEnvEngPE (Dec 4, 2017)

Do you think the 80 questions will be more difficult though?


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## JesColorado (Dec 4, 2017)

DCEnvEngPE said:


> Do you think the 80 questions will be more difficult though?


The newly released practice exam (by NCEES) for the 80 question exam seemed very similar in difficulty to the previous practice exam for the 100 question exam. But who knows what that means for the actual exam.


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## trackerjacker (Dec 4, 2017)

DCEnvEngPE said:


> Do you think the 80 questions will be more difficult though?


I don't know, but I'm glad I've already taken it.  Once April 2019 comes around, it sounds like they will only allow you to bring the reference handbook in with you!

_*Note—*The PE Environmental exam will transition from pencil-and-paper to computer-based testing (CBT) in *April 2019*. At that time, the __PE Environmental Reference Handbook__ will become the only resource material you may use during the CBT exam. Reviewing it before exam day will help you become familiar with reference information provided. You will not be allowed to bring a copy of the Handbook into the exam room. Instead, the CBT exam will include a PDF version of the Handbook for your use._


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## trackerjacker (Dec 4, 2017)

Er, correction: I guess you don't bring in a copy, but they provide one instead.  But man, I'm not sure I could have passed without all the ish I brought in!


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## DCEnvEngPE (Dec 4, 2017)

I also DON'T like the idea of having to use a PDF during the test.  I heard on the other computer based tests you're not allowed to use CTRL+F to find things.  Being able to flip through the physical pages was much more convenient.  (Granted I feel differently about other things I read.)

It kind of seems cruel that the handbook is the only reference you can use, but you have to purchase a copy from another party.  Or will they supply it with the registration like on the FE?

I also definitely benefited from the references I brought in other than the manual - including handwritten notes and printouts from websites.

Glad I passed this test already! (I just found out today!)


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## trackerjacker (Dec 4, 2017)

DCEnvEngPE said:


> Glad I passed this test already! (I just found out today!)


Awesome, congrats!!!


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## JesColorado (Dec 5, 2017)

DCEnvEngPE said:


> I also DON'T like the idea of having to use a PDF during the test.  I heard on the other computer based tests you're not allowed to use CTRL+F to find things.  Being able to flip through the physical pages was much more convenient.  (Granted I feel differently about other things I read.)
> 
> It kind of seems cruel that the handbook is the only reference you can use, but you have to purchase a copy from another party.  Or will they supply it with the registration like on the FE?
> 
> ...


I have mixed feelings about the new computer based enviro exam - Mainly because if I end up taking it, it means I will have to learn how to take a new test (because I wont have my other books/references with me). However, I took the FE on a computer and really liked it. I don't remember if I could do CTRL+F, but the table of contents was hot linked so I could quickly jump to any section of the reference manual. That was a nice feature, and save a lot of time compared to flipping manually through a book. I know the FE and the PE are two totally different animals, so they cannot be compared...


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## JesColorado (Dec 5, 2017)

DCEnvEngPE said:


> I also DON'T like the idea of having to use a PDF during the test.  I heard on the other computer based tests you're not allowed to use CTRL+F to find things.  Being able to flip through the physical pages was much more convenient.  (Granted I feel differently about other things I read.)
> 
> It kind of seems cruel that the handbook is the only reference you can use, but you have to purchase a copy from another party.  Or will they supply it with the registration like on the FE?
> 
> ...


Oh also - You don't have to purchase the handbook - It is free on the NCEES website. The FE one has been available free for years, so has the Chemistry handbook, and the Enviro. was just made available last month and is also free.


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## In/PE/Out (Dec 5, 2017)

JesColorado said:


> Oh also - You don't have to purchase the handbook - It is free on the NCEES website. The FE one has been available free for years, so has the Chemistry handbook, and the Enviro. was just made available last month and is also free.


This. I took the exam October 2017. When I found out the Environmental exam is going CBT in2019, I downloaded and printed a copy of the reference manual. If i don’t pass, I can use the Enviro reference manual from NCEES as a starting point to prepare for the exam...and as a reference to use during the 80 question version of the exam.


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## Dleg (Dec 5, 2017)

How do you get the free reference manual? I looked all around the NCEES site but keep going in a circle and never finding it. Do you have to register for the exam to be able to download it? I'm already a PE but I would like to get a copy, if someone has one - might be useful?

My thoughts: The "old" PE exam tested you as a system - your skills plus the completeness of your reference library. I think that was a pretty useful thing, especially considering all the obscure enviro stuff that could come up on the old exam. If you, using your own references, were able to pass the exam, then I think there was pretty good assurance that you could be trusted as a PE in the public realm to be able to deal with most of what might be thrown at you.  Now with this reference manual, I don't know. I can't imagine it would be any more detailed than a simple formula and constants reference, in which case they can't test you at all on the interesting stuff, like what the most likely contaminant would be on the grounds of a widget factory, or the proper procedures in case of a chemical attack using hexamethyldeath.


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## Dleg (Dec 5, 2017)

Found it:

https://account.ncees.org/reference-handbooks/

Actually looks pretty useful.


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## Maryam (Dec 5, 2017)

JesColorado said:


> The newly released practice exam (by NCEES) for the 80 question exam seemed very similar in difficulty to the previous practice exam for the 100 question exam. But who knows what that means for the actual exam.


Is the new practice exam have the same questions in the previous book or different?


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## In/PE/Out (Dec 5, 2017)

Maryam said:


> Is the new practice exam have the same questions in the previous book or different?


From the free preview NCEES offers, it looks like there’s different questions. 

You can access the free sample through your NCEES account


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## Maryam (Dec 5, 2017)

In/PE/Out said:


> From the free preview NCEES offers, it looks like there’s different questions.
> 
> You can access the free sample through your NCEES account


Thank you.It looks the same, I think they just change the format according to the new specifications( water+Air for the morning section).


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## JesColorado (Dec 6, 2017)

In/PE/Out said:


> From the free preview NCEES offers, it looks like there’s different questions.
> 
> You can access the free sample through your NCEES account






Maryam said:


> Thank you.It looks the same, I think they just change the format according to the new specifications( water+Air for the morning section).


From what I saw they were basically the same questions - Just formatted as Maryam said. I am not sure if NCEES will issue a new practice exam for the computer based exams after the last paper and pencil exam in Fall 2018.


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## trackerjacker (Dec 7, 2017)

Dleg said:


> My thoughts: The "old" PE exam tested you as a system - your skills plus the completeness of your reference library. I think that was a pretty useful thing, especially considering all the obscure enviro stuff that could come up on the old exam. If you, using your own references, were able to pass the exam, then I think there was pretty good assurance that you could be trusted as a PE in the public realm to be able to deal with most of what might be thrown at you.  Now with this reference manual, I don't know. I can't imagine it would be any more detailed than a simple formula and constants reference, in which case they can't test you at all on the interesting stuff, like what the most likely contaminant would be on the grounds of a widget factory, or the proper procedures in case of a chemical attack using hexamethyldeath.


This sounds right.  Does anyone know why they begin only allowing their reference manual when the test goes computer-based?  I think this is also what happened when they changed the ChE PE exam to CBT.

If the test isn't changing as far as types of problems, level of difficulty, or level of knowledge needed to pass, it seems pretty unfair to those taking it in the future.  I mean, we were allowed to take in worked problems, practice exams with solutions, etc.  Not saying that's the only reason people have passed, but it can help for sure.


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## leggo PE (Dec 7, 2017)

Dleg said:


> Found it:
> 
> https://account.ncees.org/reference-handbooks/
> 
> Actually looks pretty useful.


It's only 200 pages! Wowza.


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## Andy24041978 (May 22, 2019)

Has anyone taken the CBT PE Environmental yet?


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## txjennah PE (May 22, 2019)

Andy24041978 said:


> Has anyone taken the CBT PE Environmental yet?


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