# Failed FL PE 3 times - what are my options?



## turtle1227

Hi everyone! I was wondering if anyone has had this same experience and can give me some advice. I have failed the Civil PE exam three times in FL and am now required to take 12 credit hours before sitting for the exam again. I have spoken with my local college and found out that my current bachelors degree does not cover many of the prerequisites required for the upper level civil courses that I need to take. I will have to backtrack and take statistics and chem 2 before I could take any civil engineering courses there. I was thinking about taking the exam in another state and applying for reciprocity. Does anyone know if in FL I can get reciprocity after failing three times or will I still need to take the 12 credit hours? Thanks for any advice!


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## Exception Collection

turtle1227 said:


> Hi everyone! I was wondering if anyone has had this same experience and can give me some advice. I have failed the Civil PE exam three times in FL and am now required to take 12 credit hours before sitting for the exam again. I have spoken with my local college and found out that my current bachelors degree does not cover many of the prerequisites required for the upper level civil courses that I need to take. I will have to backtrack and take statistics and chem 2 before I could take any civil engineering courses there. I was thinking about taking the exam in another state and applying for reciprocity. Does anyone know if in FL I can get reciprocity after failing three times or will I still need to take the 12 credit hours? Thanks for any advice!


If you failed three times, what makes you think you'll pass the next? Have you considered that maybe you shouldn't worry about getting licensed?

What sort of degree do you have?

What's your experience in?

You probably won't be able to take the exam out-of-state. I believe the applications on every state I've looked at ask for previous exam information.


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## benbo

> If you failed three times, what makes you think you'll pass the next? Have you considered that maybe you shouldn't worry about getting licensed?


I'm assuming he/she has a good reason to pursue the license or they wouldn't have tried it three times. I know people in my state who have passed after 7 or 8 times.

Half the people in my office took 2 or more times to pass. And these are people with good grades from very reputable universities (I passed first time, and I had mediocre grades at a mediocre school). Some people just don't take to this exam until trying it a few times. The test is sui generis IMO. It's different than school and it's different from work - it's more like an SAT engineering test. I always ace those multiple choicers.


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## turtle1227

Thank you Karen S. P.E. for your response, however your response is exactly why I have never posted on here before. I asked a simple question and was looking for advice from others who may have experienced the same situation. I was not looking for judgement, criticism, or opinions of my career choices. I see that so frequently on here and it is counterproductive. Also, thank you benbo for your reply. I do appreciate the recognition that I am not alone in my struggles.

Not that my background should matter, but I have an ocean engineering degree and I work as a waterfront engineer. There is no PE for my specialty, but civil engineering is the closest. My degree did not cover any environmental, transportation, surveying, or water resource courses. I have been attempting to learn those subjects on my own through review courses and continuing education courses. I do need a PE to continue to be successful in my career path and that is why I continue to work towards passing the exam.

Now, I would greatly appreciate any advice someone may have on my original post. Thank you!


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## MA_PE

From wikipedia



> Sui generis ( /ˌsuː.aɪ ˈdʒɛnərɪs/;[1] Latin: [ˈsʊ.iː ˈɡɛnɛrɪs]) is a Latin expression, literally meaning of its own kind/genus or unique in its characteristics.[2] The expression is often used in analytic philosophy to indicate an idea, an entity, or a reality which cannot be included in a wider concept


C'mon. How many other readers had to look that up?

I learn so much from this board.

OP, do what you want but I'd be kind of surprised if you were able to subvert the FL Board by pulling an end run to get licensed in their state. The regulations state what you need to do re-test. I'd start looking at different schools that would let you take the required course without the prerequisites.

My :2cents:


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## Dark Knight

Karen S. P.E. said:


> turtle1227 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Hi everyone! I was wondering if anyone has had this same experience and can give me some advice. I have failed the Civil PE exam three times in FL and am now required to take 12 credit hours before sitting for the exam again. I have spoken with my local college and found out that my current bachelors degree does not cover many of the prerequisites required for the upper level civil courses that I need to take. I will have to backtrack and take statistics and chem 2 before I could take any civil engineering courses there. I was thinking about taking the exam in another state and applying for reciprocity. Does anyone know if in FL I can get reciprocity after failing three times or will I still need to take the 12 credit hours? Thanks for any advice!
> 
> 
> 
> If you failed three times, what makes you think you'll pass the next? Have you considered that maybe you shouldn't worry about getting licensed?
Click to expand...

That was a tough reply, your highness.


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## Exception Collection

benbo said:


> If you failed three times, what makes you think you'll pass the next? Have you considered that maybe you shouldn't worry about getting licensed?
> 
> 
> 
> I'm assuming he/she has a good reason to pursue the license or they wouldn't have tried it three times. I know people in my state who have passed after 7 or 8 times.
> 
> Half the people in my office took 2 or more times to pass. And these are people with good grades from very reputable universities (I passed first time, and I had mediocre grades at a mediocre school). Some people just don't take to this exam until trying it a few times. The test is sui generis IMO. It's different than school and it's different from work - it's more like an SAT engineering test. I always ace those multiple choicers.
Click to expand...

Fair enough, and I've always tested well as well - but still. It didn't seem to me to be a difficult test, and to me repeated failure is indicative of lacking understanding of the underlying material - well, either that or just plain freezing during the exam. Taking it over and over and over again without that required understanding just seems to me to be like throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping some sticks.

Please note that I'm not against taking it twice, or even 4 times. If the OP wants to take the exam again *and feels ready for it*, more power to him/her. I just want to make sure that turtle's considered that perhaps trying over and over to get a license isn't really in the best interest of the public. "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again" doesn't work very well when you're talking about a discipline that places the lives of others into your hands.

Though, if it's just a matter of freezing - that's different.


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## benbo

Karen S. P.E. said:


> Please note that I'm not against taking it twice, or even 4 times. If the OP wants to take the exam again *and feels ready for it*, more power to him/her. I just want to make sure that turtle's considered that perhaps trying over and over to get a license isn't really in the best interest of the public. "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again" doesn't work very well when you're talking about a discipline that places the lives of others into your hands.
> Though, if it's just a matter of freezing - that's different.


Yeah, I've debated this notion before. It goes something like this.

I assume the examinee already has the required experience, education and recommendations to take the exam, and has passed the EIT. To me, all of those are far more important indicators of competency than the test but that's only a matter of opinion I suppose.

But what is true is that since the test is merely pass/fail you really can't tell much from a passing grade verses a failing score. Let's assume I pass the test and this person didn't. Assume the passing score is 50, all that really means is I got at least 50 and he/she got 49 or less.

Now that could happen several times, for whatever reason.

Now suppose this person really kicks it into gear, and scores 100%. Who is more competent? Me, because I got 50 right out of the gate, or someone who ultimately got everything right?

BTW - I know that is sort of far fetched, but it is possible.


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## James3AE

> Not that my background should matter, but I have an ocean engineering degree and I work as a waterfront engineer. There is no PE for my specialty, but civil engineering is the closest. My degree did not cover any environmental, transportation, surveying, or water resource courses. I have been attempting to learn those subjects on my own through review courses and continuing education courses. I do need a PE to continue to be successful in my career path and that is why I continue to work towards passing the exam.


Might the Naval Architecture/Marine Engineering PE Exam be a better choice than Civil?

My degree is in Marine Engineering, which translates very well to Mechanical/HVAC which is what I do for a living, but I can't imagine trying to take a civil exam with my background. I guess it depends what you do on a day to day basis, but I would think you might have an easier time with something more in line with your educational background.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do, wish I could offer more advice.


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## benbo

> C'mon. How many other readers had to look that up? I learn so much from this board.


You don't participate in enough pointless internet arguments. That's where I get my best material.


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## kevo_55

opcorn:


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## turtle1227

James3AE said:


> Might the Naval Architecture/Marine Engineering PE Exam be a better choice than Civil?


Thanks for the thought! I did research that exam, but I haven't done anything in the mechanical/marine engineering field since college. My days are spent doing structural and geotechnical engineering for overwater structures. I am going to continue looking into other options for taking the 12 credit hours that may not require the prerequisites as suggested by MA PE.


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## Exception Collection

James3AE said:


> Not that my background should matter, but I have an ocean engineering degree and I work as a waterfront engineer. There is no PE for my specialty, but civil engineering is the closest. My degree did not cover any environmental, transportation, surveying, or water resource courses. I have been attempting to learn those subjects on my own through review courses and continuing education courses. I do need a PE to continue to be successful in my career path and that is why I continue to work towards passing the exam.
> 
> 
> 
> Might the Naval Architecture/Marine Engineering PE Exam be a better choice than Civil?
> 
> My degree is in Marine Engineering, which translates very well to Mechanical/HVAC which is what I do for a living, but I can't imagine trying to take a civil exam with my background. I guess it depends what you do on a day to day basis, but I would think you might have an easier time with something more in line with your educational background.
> 
> Good luck with whatever you decide to do, wish I could offer more advice.
Click to expand...

This kind of thing is why I was asking about turtle's background. And I really wasn't trying to come across as extremely judgemental; I have enough people looking at me oddly for my license that I don't like that idea. I was actually thinking of a coworker of mine that failed the exam 3 times and decided to move to another business in the same field, one that didn't require licensure. He's currently doing pretty well, better than he ever did here; certainly better than I am.

You might also consider asking the school if you can audit the courses; I don't know if schools let you do that without prereqs though.

Incidentally, I am in a similar boat in some ways - I would have needed most of a year of math before being able to take most of the courses I would need. I ended up deciding it just wasn't worth it.


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## dmparri3

turtle1227 said:


> Hi everyone! I was wondering if anyone has had this same experience and can give me some advice. I have failed the Civil PE exam three times in FL and am now required to take 12 credit hours before sitting for the exam again. I have spoken with my local college and found out that my current bachelors degree does not cover many of the prerequisites required for the upper level civil courses that I need to take. I will have to backtrack and take statistics and chem 2 before I could take any civil engineering courses there. I was thinking about taking the exam in another state and applying for reciprocity. Does anyone know if in FL I can get reciprocity after failing three times or will I still need to take the 12 credit hours? Thanks for any advice!



You might want to check out getting a masters certificate. I know that the University of South Florida offers them and I believe you can do the coursework online. Most require somewhere around 12 credit hours for the certificate and don't have the prerequisites for a full master's degree. I don't know if this is what you are looking for but here is the web address.

http://gradcerts.usf.edu/onlinecerts.asp

Other state universities may have a similar program but I don't know specifics. A former coworker of mine did one of these (I think the transportation systems analysis certificate) after failing 3 times.


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## darius

Karen S. P.E. said:


> turtle1227 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Hi everyone! I was wondering if anyone has had this same experience and can give me some advice. I have failed the Civil PE exam three times in FL and am now required to take 12 credit hours before sitting for the exam again. I have spoken with my local college and found out that my current bachelors degree does not cover many of the prerequisites required for the upper level civil courses that I need to take. I will have to backtrack and take statistics and chem 2 before I could take any civil engineering courses there. I was thinking about taking the exam in another state and applying for reciprocity. Does anyone know if in FL I can get reciprocity after failing three times or will I still need to take the 12 credit hours? Thanks for any advice!
> 
> 
> 
> If you failed three times, what makes you think you'll pass the next? Have you considered that maybe you shouldn't worry about getting licensed?
> 
> What sort of degree do you have?
> 
> What's your experience in?
> 
> You probably won't be able to take the exam out-of-state. I believe the applications on every state I've looked at ask for previous exam information.
Click to expand...

Turtle...dont give up. No metter what you have to do, keep doing it and you will accomplish what you want. I don't know what you have to do in your specific case, i can't advise, but i know for sure that you will pass if you stay in track. DONT give up and dont even listen to loosers and gelous people like karen. I bet that guy has no life and trying to advise others for having tha same miserable life. KEEP UP AND GOOD LUCK TO YOU AND ANYONE TRYING TO GET HIS PE !!!!


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## Exception Collection

darius said:


> Turtle...dont give up. No metter what you have to do, keep doing it and you will accomplish what you want. I don't know what you have to do in your specific case, i can't advise, but i know for sure that you will pass if you stay in track. DONT give up and dont even listen to loosers and gelous people like karen. I bet that guy has no life and trying to advise others for having tha same miserable life. KEEP UP AND GOOD LUCK TO YOU AND ANYONE TRYING TO GET HIS PE !!!!


Gah. First - not a guy, thanks. Second - not jealous or a loser, thanks. Finally - I wasn't intending to tear turtle down at all. I simply put things poorly. Without knowing more than the fact that turtle had to take some classes just to take some engineering courses, I thought I'd ask for clarification - just did it much meaner than I'd intended it to come across.


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## palvarez83

Karen S. P.E. said:


> darius said:
> 
> 
> 
> Turtle...dont give up. No metter what you have to do, keep doing it and you will accomplish what you want. I don't know what you have to do in your specific case, i can't advise, but i know for sure that you will pass if you stay in track. DONT give up and dont even listen to loosers and gelous people like karen. I bet that guy has no life and trying to advise others for having tha same miserable life. KEEP UP AND GOOD LUCK TO YOU AND ANYONE TRYING TO GET HIS PE !!!!
> 
> 
> 
> Gah. First - not a guy, thanks. Second - not jealous or a loser, thanks. Finally - I wasn't intending to tear turtle down at all. I simply put things poorly. Without knowing more than the fact that turtle had to take some classes just to take some engineering courses, I thought I'd ask for clarification - just did it much meaner than I'd intended it to come across.
Click to expand...

Some of us are good test takers and others are not. Some of us can pass an exam without studying (rare for the PE), while others require lots and lots of work. Some of us can afford to study, others cannot due do other obligations. There's a coworker at my office who has failed the EIT 5 times and keeps taking it... and brags about how he doesn't study. What's wrong with that picture? He's just throwing money away and hoping he guesses right. My point is, that is not an easy exam, if you don't prepare. Everyone's case is different. -Best of luck Turtle.


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## ptatohed

As interesting as the subsequent posts are, I still can't get past the first post. Is it really true that, in FL, if you fail 3 times you have to take 12 units of college engineering courses?? Crazy.


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## SpacedOut31416

Being an electrical engineer, I can't offer good advice on which PE exam to take (i.e., which discipline).

However, persistence is a virtue. I think it takes a lot of fortitude and courage to keep trying - especially when you are discouraged.

Somebody else on this board quoted Calving Coolidge. So, I am re-posting this quote because it is one of the best quotes I've ever read outside of the Bible.

_"Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race."_

Calvin Coolidge

30th president of US (1872 - 1933)


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## va_gator

ptatohed said:


> As interesting as the subsequent posts are, I still can't get past the first post. Is it really true that, in FL, if you fail 3 times you have to take 12 units of college engineering courses?? Crazy.


Not just for the PE, its the same for the FE.

Most people who are over the 3 attempts just apply to another stAte and then get registered in FL. The application for comity doesnt go into how many attempts you took for the exam iirc.


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## jeb6294

Turtle, not sure if you can do it since it was quite a while ago, but one of the guys I worked with at the time ran out of chances in Florida so he signed up to take it in Georgia and eventually passed it there. He still works for USACE so the state didn't really make a difference job-wise. Of course, I'm not sure where you are, but this was when I was in Jacksonville so going to Georgia wasn't too bad a trip.

BTW, Florida Tech grad? Another OE here, although I have been doing primarily civil work since I left Florida about 10 years ago.


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## jbeteta

The endorsement application for FL PE does ask the State where you passed the exam to specify the number of times you took the exam. I don't know what they do with that information though. I just sent them my application and I took the exam just one time, so I can't tell you if FBPE might reject you if you took the exam more than 3 times or if they might require you to take those 12 credits anyway before they give you a license.


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## roadwreck

jeb6294 said:


> Turtle, not sure if you can do it since it was quite a while ago, but one of the guys I worked with at the time ran out of chances in Florida so he signed up to take it in Georgia and eventually passed it there. He still works for USACE so the state didn't really make a difference job-wise. Of course, I'm not sure where you are, but this was when I was in Jacksonville so going to Georgia wasn't too bad a trip.
> BTW, Florida Tech grad? Another OE here, although I have been doing primarily civil work since I left Florida about 10 years ago.


If you were to register for the exam after failing three times in Florida would you get a clean slate in Georgia? I only ask b/c if not you'd only get one more chance to take it in Georgia. They allow you to take the exam four times before requiring additional coursework. Your post seemed to imply that your co-worker may have taken it several times in Georgia after not passing in Florida.


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## knight1fox3

SpacedOut31416 said:


> Being an electrical engineer, I can't offer good advice on which PE exam to take (i.e., which discipline).
> However, persistence is a virtue. I think it takes a lot of fortitude and courage to keep trying - especially when you are discouraged.
> 
> Somebody else on this board quoted Calving Coolidge. So, I am re-posting this quote because it is one of the best quotes I've ever read outside of the Bible.
> 
> _"Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race."_
> 
> Calvin Coolidge
> 
> 30th president of US (1872 - 1933)


Love that quote. Also one of my favorites.


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## Road Guy

I do know people that failed 4 times in Georgia (Their requirement is 12 college hours and TWO YEARS) I do know people that have failed 4 times in GA, taken the exam in Alabama and then applied for reciprocity in GA- but they waited out the 2 year requirement just to avoid the paperwork part.

What afternoon part are you taking and what do you do (transportation, site design, water, etc)

I failed the 1st time. and My strategy the 2nd go round was to shoot to get 30+ correct in the AM session and then get as many as possible in the PM.

The AM section questions IMO are more about bringing the right reference manuals and knowing where to find the info quickly. For example I build roads, so I dont know (or care) jack shit about environmental. I think I got 1/8 correct for the ENV part in the AM. The 2nd go round I secured several references to be able to look up those plug &amp; chug problems. I dont know how many I got right but I passed and didnt stumble on many in the AM.

If you dont do transportation I wouldnt take that PM section, lots of peopel think its the easiest but the HCM and such can be very confusing if you havent used it at some point in your carrer..

Good Luck and hang around, there LOTS of people here who didnt pass it the 1st time...


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## XOXOXO

My advice is to find an online civil engineering certificate satisfying the credit criteria.

As for bridge coursework to get you into the program, well I applied to a Master's program, and was told I had to take three bridge courses to register. I got accepted into the program with these "suggested required" courses as a prerequisite...then I called my advisor directly and just registered for classes. I never took the additional prereq courses...I completed my master's with no problems whatsoever...sometimes you just have to forge ahead and hope they don't notice 

A typical civil handbook/CERM will give you much of the background reading for the AM exam. The PM exam will require a formal course be taken, and many hours of self study because it will be outside your area of expertise.

Good luck...


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## nostradumbass

Karen S. P.E. said:


> turtle1227 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Hi everyone! I was wondering if anyone has had this same experience and can give me some advice. I have failed the Civil PE exam three times in FL and am now required to take 12 credit hours before sitting for the exam again. I have spoken with my local college and found out that my current bachelors degree does not cover many of the prerequisites required for the upper level civil courses that I need to take. I will have to backtrack and take statistics and chem 2 before I could take any civil engineering courses there. I was thinking about taking the exam in another state and applying for reciprocity. Does anyone know if in FL I can get reciprocity after failing three times or will I still need to take the 12 credit hours? Thanks for any advice!
> 
> 
> 
> If you failed three times, what makes you think you'll pass the next? Have you considered that maybe you shouldn't worry about getting licensed?
> 
> What sort of degree do you have?
> 
> What's your experience in?
> 
> You probably won't be able to take the exam out-of-state. I believe the applications on every state I've looked at ask for previous exam information.
Click to expand...

wow. a woman who gets right to the point and is not afraid of hurting someones feelings...

i think im in love


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## jeb6294

roadwreck said:


> jeb6294 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Turtle, not sure if you can do it since it was quite a while ago, but one of the guys I worked with at the time ran out of chances in Florida so he signed up to take it in Georgia and eventually passed it there. He still works for USACE so the state didn't really make a difference job-wise. Of course, I'm not sure where you are, but this was when I was in Jacksonville so going to Georgia wasn't too bad a trip.
> BTW, Florida Tech grad? Another OE here, although I have been doing primarily civil work since I left Florida about 10 years ago.
> 
> 
> 
> If you were to register for the exam after failing three times in Florida would you get a clean slate in Georgia? I only ask b/c if not you'd only get one more chance to take it in Georgia. They allow you to take the exam four times before requiring additional coursework. Your post seemed to imply that your co-worker may have taken it several times in Georgia after not passing in Florida.
Click to expand...

That's why I'm not sure if this would still work or not. This was actually about 15 years ago...it was right when Florida started limiting the number of tries...so it may have just been that Georgia didn't have any restrictions at the time. I'm not sure how many times it took him to pass because I left right as he was coming up with the idea to take the exam in Georgia. I only know he passed at some point because he's listed on their webpage.


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## solomonb

Turtle-- Several members have shared several different ideas. I am unwilling to comment on the merits of any of them, however, let's see if we can develop a gameplan for you to become a licensed PE.

I think that you will find that many states will require additional coursework if you fail the PE examination 3 or more times. I think that 3 failures requires you to demonstrate to the board that you took additional coursework in the specific discipline that you tested in to give you additional academic preparation for sitting for the examination. You are going to waste more time screwing around trying to find a "way out" of this then just taking the 12 hours plus whatever additional stem work you need for the 12 hours. I do not expect that the board will "forget" or "not see" that you did not have the additional 12 hours, especially since your original degree is NOT in civil engineering. So, point one is to take the stem work and then the 12 hours of additional work-- this may mean 18-24 additional hours of course work. However, by your own admission, you do not have a civil engineering degree, so you probably need the additional course work to have a greater understanding of the principles of the civil discipline, if that is where you elect to sit for the examination.

Point 2 is to review the examination specifications for the appropriate civil examinations to see where your background best fits. It may be that the examination section that you sat for was the best fit for your experience and academic preparation, but you were unable to "self teach" yourself the material needed to demonstrate minimal competency in the examination.

In my mind, there is no reason to continue to spend money and time trying to "force fit" something that probably requires additional preparation. When I moved to my current state of residence, I had to sit for the examination, even though I was currently registered in Texas, had been for many years, but because of graduate school degrees, did not have to sit for the PE exam in Texas. This was several years ago-- the rules have all changed and now, irregardless of degree, to include the PhD, you have to sit for the examination. In the end, it was far easier to take the test and pass it then continue to try and find away around the rules established. I do recall a colleague who appeared before the Texas Board of PE's to petition for an academic waiver (he was an adjunct professor) who owned a business. He was denied the academic waiver and one of the board members, a CPA pointed out that CPA's try the same thing, i.e., try and get a waiver instead of taking the test and demonstrating proficiency. My colleague has NOT, TO THIS DAY taken the PE examination in his discipline. I suspect that he will never do it-- even though he could probably pass if he put his mind toward it.

I do agree with previous commenters-- persistance is a wonderful trait and you should not give up on any of that. However, let's get the necessary preparation you require, take a good prep course, work 20000000 problems, take the exam one time and be done with it. I know, at this point, this looks very daunting. However, it is not as daunting as it appears. Get the course work you need, study the material they recommend you to take, take a review course, take the PE exam and be done with it. In the end, this is the best solution for you.

Good Luck.


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## solomonb

ptatohed said:


> As interesting as the subsequent posts are, I still can't get past the first post. Is it really true that, in FL, if you fail 3 times you have to take 12 units of college engineering courses?? Crazy.



This is true in many states-- if you fail the PE exam 3 or more times, you are required to take 12-15 hours of additional course work to demonstrate to the board that you have achieved minimal academic competency so as to sit for the examination. This rule is not unique to Florida.

Actually think that this is a good rule-- if you fail 3 times, you probably need to have more course work to manifest minimal competency. Remember, the PE examination is designed to demonstrate that a license holder is "minimally competent" in his/her specific discipline. OK, I'll concede that there is some "testmanship" involved, however, this is an examination that most folks need to study for and not go in and hope that the right answer appears.


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## frecoder78

turtle1227 said:


> Hi everyone! I was wondering if anyone has had this same experience and can give me some advice. I have failed the Civil PE exam three times in FL and am now required to take 12 credit hours before sitting for the exam again. I have spoken with my local college and found out that my current bachelors degree does not cover many of the prerequisites required for the upper level civil courses that I need to take. I will have to backtrack and take statistics and chem 2 before I could take any civil engineering courses there. I was thinking about taking the exam in another state and applying for reciprocity. Does anyone know if in FL I can get reciprocity after failing three times or will I still need to take the 12 credit hours? Thanks for any advice!


Have you heard of testmasters? I took their EE class a year ago in Texas and took the test in CA. I had already taken the test once and the first time I took PPI (which was useless in my opinion). They offer Civil courses as well. I seriously can't say enough about this course. They tell you exactly what you need to know. Dont listen to other skeptics that enjoy going around on forums and boast about how well they test. Furthermore DON'T GIVE UP! Hope this helps!


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## shahab

I would also recommend you to go to Testmasters as they prepare you good for the morning session. If you do good in morning and moderate in afternoon, you will pass for sure.


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## Peele1

turtle1227 said:


> Not that my background should matter, but I have an ocean engineering degree and I work as a waterfront engineer. There is no PE for my specialty, but civil engineering is the closest. My degree did not cover any environmental, transportation, surveying, or water resource courses. I have been attempting to learn those subjects on my own through review courses and continuing education courses. I do need a PE to continue to be successful in my career path and that is why I continue to work towards passing the exam.


I have a recommendation when you get re-approved.

*The test is a test of the the test. * Maybe Civil: Water Resources and Environmental, Environmental, Industrial, Naval Architecture and Marine or maybe for some reason, you happen to know Computer Engineering. My BS degree was nearly 20 years ago, prior to the concentrations of PE, so I knew a little about a lot. I changed my mind 3 times about which test to take. Eventually, I settled, and studied and prepared _several hundred hours_ for the exam. I passed the PE first try.

*Pick an exam, and study your ass off, then study some more. *


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## ALBin517

None of the civil specialties fit what I do at work. So there was a lot of material I did not know but I passed on my first try.

I started through the review books and at first, all I would do would be read the question and then the solution.

When the solution cited a value from a reference page, I would review the page and tab it for future reference.

Eventually I got to the point where I knew when I could go to each table for a value. Then it was usually "plug and chug" from there.


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## Exception Collection

ALBin517 said:


> None of the civil specialties fit what I do at work. So there was a lot of material I did not know but I passed on my first try.
> I started through the review books and at first, all I would do would be read the question and then the solution.
> 
> When the solution cited a value from a reference page, I would review the page and tab it for future reference.
> 
> Eventually I got to the point where I knew when I could go to each table for a value. Then it was usually "plug and chug" from there.


And that, in my opinion, is what the PE does best - it doesn't make sure you know everything, it makes sure you understand the codes and engineering in general well enough to apply the necessary concepts and requirements correctly.


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## Road Guy

Peele1 said:


> turtle1227 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Not that my background should matter, but I have an ocean engineering degree and I work as a waterfront engineer. There is no PE for my specialty, but civil engineering is the closest. My degree did not cover any environmental, transportation, surveying, or water resource courses. I have been attempting to learn those subjects on my own through review courses and continuing education courses. I do need a PE to continue to be successful in my career path and that is why I continue to work towards passing the exam.
> 
> 
> 
> I have a recommendation when you get re-approved.
> 
> *The test is a test of the the test. * Maybe Civil: Water Resources and Environmental, Environmental, Industrial, Naval Architecture and Marine or maybe for some reason, you happen to know Computer Engineering. My BS degree was nearly 20 years ago, prior to the concentrations of PE, so I knew a little about a lot. I changed my mind 3 times about which test to take. Eventually, I settled, and studied and prepared _several hundred hours_ for the exam. I passed the PE first try.
> 
> *Pick an exam, and study your ass off, then study some more. *
Click to expand...


Testmasters X3 - I didnt notice before that you didnt have transpo, surveying, or WR in college, thats 80% of AM exam..


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## IlPadrino

Road Guy said:


> Testmasters X3 - I didnt notice before that you didnt have transpo, surveying, or WR in college, thats 80% of AM exam..


Yeah... what he said. It's the best $1500 you'll even spend if getting your PE is important.


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## MGX

Could you take some civil courses? It seems to me that without soils/water resources/transpo you would probably be sunk on the civil exam as these things are rather unique to civil engineering and probably not easily picked up by studying alone.


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## IlPadrino

MGX said:


> Could you take some civil courses? It seems to me that without soils/water resources/transpo you would probably be sunk on the civil exam as these things are rather unique to civil engineering and probably not easily picked up by studying alone.


I disagree. My undergraduate degree is in Computer and Systems Engineering and my graduate degree is in Information Technology Management - and I had no trouble learning enough geotech, WR, enviro, and transportation.


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