# 3 months to prepare for the P.E.



## Ronin (Aug 4, 2010)

Hello all,

I am planning to take the PE this October and just got started. Some unforeseen events put me in this circumstance.

Do you think three months' preparation is worth considering?

I have read about people not so confident even after 6 mo.s preparation and I don't know if I should risk my self esteem and confidence (incase I flunk this time), not to mention, the vacation days I'm planning to take off to study.

I've started using ppi's refresher course on DVD and reference material and clocked about 20 hours of study last week. But I feel there's a lot to cover.

I would like all your input on if my expectations are practical or if I should take the exam in April instead.

Thank you for your advice.


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## snickerd3 (Aug 4, 2010)

3 months can be plenty of time to prepare, if you put the effort in. I didn't really start studying until 3 months before and did just fine. But for me that meant, studying during my breaks and lunch at work (~1.25hr) each day, then another 2-3 hrs each night when I got home.


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## Ship Wreck PE (Aug 4, 2010)

Ronin said:


> Hello all,I am planning to take the PE this October and just got started. Some unforeseen events put me in this circumstance.
> 
> Do you think three months' preparation is worth considering?
> 
> ...


I have been out of school for 8 years, so I am shooting for April.


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## MechGuy (Aug 4, 2010)

You can do it if you put in the effort. If you can still get in about 300 hours of good solid studying and practice problems between now and October, then you can do it.

Good luck!


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## gaidox (Aug 4, 2010)

All above reply are right. 3 months is a lot of time. The only question is if you have time based on your work schedule, family, activities, etc on the next 3 months. Many friends of mine who failed the exam thought they have time but in the course of their review they have'nt and skipped a lot of review time. You need the time to finish the whole study/review course + practice solving problems (approx. 200-300+ hours depending on what you know or recall now). Plan ahead in a blank calendar and check your possible study hours everyday. Divide the hours to topics depending on your strength, weakness, know how, etc. Then, try to stick with the plan during your study so that you know that before exam day you covered all of it and have solved a lot of practice problems.

You can do it man! go for it.


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## Angstrom (Aug 6, 2010)

Three months is what I had, and it was just enough time, but I studied just about every day.


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## solomonb (Aug 8, 2010)

Take the review course and put in 3 hours per day and 15 hours on each of the weekends. You have to be highly focused and highly organized, however, you can certainly do this. DO NOT THINK about failing-- you are NOT going to fail. Now, I mean 3 hard, concentrated hours every day and fcoused work on every weekend. There is no reason to take this test 5 times-- take it once and be done with it. Recall, this is a baccalaureate level examination, you obviously did this to get your degree, assuming that you have an earned ABET accredited engineering degree. Depending upon family status, you may have to have some great help from your spouse during these next couple of months, however, assuming that they are "on the team", you can celebrate passing when you get the notice in December/January. Depending upon where you live, might be worth a few days away!!!!! There is enough review material available, as well as the NCEES web site to show you the breakdown of the material tested on the examination. Look at that carefully-- blow off NOTHING-- your expectation should be to get 95% on each of the areas. I am not one to try and figure the minimum passing score, number needed to get right, etc. Just plan on acing all of it, if you miss a couple, no problem.

I took the PE test after being out of school 35 years and having worked in senior corporate executive management for the bulk of that time. NSPE advises to take a good review course and then work the most problems that you are able to do-- and continuing doing so until you have the concepts firmly implanted in your brain. Remember, this test is to determine minimal competency--you are obviously "minimally competent"or your company would not retain you. Granted, I had gone on to graduate school and have several graduate degrees, however, not all in engineering. My point is that you can do this-- put your shoulder to the wheel and push-- this is not the big ugly monster that many make it out to be. HOWEVER, you really need to study and make damn sure that you have a deep understanding of the subject matter. However, remember, this is a bachelor's level examination-- you can do this.


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## Ronin (Aug 11, 2010)

These responses are very encouraging.

I appreciate all for taking time to write in such detail.

I plan to post a copy of your responses in my study area to keep me motivated.

Thank you.


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## MikeHansen (Aug 13, 2010)

I like to put fingers in my ears!


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## HokieGirl (Aug 19, 2010)

I really only studied for 3 months and I made it, although I claim to have started studying much earlier. 3 months is when I buckled down and got to it. Yes, it's a lot of material to cover in 3 months, but on the plus side, you only have to put the information in that bucket of your brain that can hold on to it for 3 months. I would tell you it will be difficult, but as long as you can dedicate yourself to it for 3 months, go hard and strong and push through the pain. WHEN you pass, you will have only lost 3 months of your life to studying, not 6 or 9!

Do it! When it gets hard, move on to another topic and come back. Just keep making progress every day.


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## navyasw02 (Aug 19, 2010)

HokieGirl said:


> I really only studied for 3 months and I made it, although I claim to have started studying much earlier. 3 months is when I buckled down and got to it. Yes, it's a lot of material to cover in 3 months, but on the plus side, you only have to put the information in that bucket of your brain that can hold on to it for 3 months. I would tell you it will be difficult, but as long as you can dedicate yourself to it for 3 months, go hard and strong and push through the pain. WHEN you pass, you will have only lost 3 months of your life to studying, not 6 or 9!
> Do it! When it gets hard, move on to another topic and come back. Just keep making progress every day.


I'm just starting my studying (only about 2.5 months out), but I'm finishing up grad school so half this stuff isnt all that rusty. Lets hope that extra half month isnt going to hurt that much.


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## cdcengineer (Aug 19, 2010)

275 hours over 3.5 months..

Take the day before off from work and don't try to study that day. Take it easy and prepare to pass. Get the box packed and check your batteries.

If you live far from the test site, get a hotel room. Do a preliminary drive-by of the site maybe the weekend before. Make your list and check it twice..

Good luck.!!


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## MSEE_PE (Aug 20, 2010)

Ronin said:


> Hello all,I am planning to take the PE this October and just got started. Some unforeseen events put me in this circumstance.
> 
> Do you think three months' preparation is worth considering?
> 
> ...



I believe that 3 months is enough...However, it all depends on your job. If you are working in a consultancy, you'll find that you deal with most of those problems on a weekly basis. It all depends on what you do in your every day job. However, I still believe 3 months is more than enough if you invest your time wisely and efficiently.


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## Sharon (Aug 26, 2010)

solomonb said:


> Take the review course and put in 3 hours per day and 15 hours on each of the weekends. You have to be highly focused and highly organized, however, you can certainly do this. DO NOT THINK about failing-- you are NOT going to fail. Now, I mean 3 hard, concentrated hours every day and fcoused work on every weekend. There is no reason to take this test 5 times-- take it once and be done with it. Recall, this is a baccalaureate level examination, you obviously did this to get your degree, assuming that you have an earned ABET accredited engineering degree. Depending upon family status, you may have to have some great help from your spouse during these next couple of months, however, assuming that they are "on the team", you can celebrate passing when you get the notice in December/January. Depending upon where you live, might be worth a few days away!!!!! There is enough review material available, as well as the NCEES web site to show you the breakdown of the material tested on the examination. Look at that carefully-- blow off NOTHING-- your expectation should be to get 95% on each of the areas. I am not one to try and figure the minimum passing score, number needed to get right, etc. Just plan on acing all of it, if you miss a couple, no problem.
> I took the PE test after being out of school 35 years and having worked in senior corporate executive management for the bulk of that time. NSPE advises to take a good review course and then work the most problems that you are able to do-- and continuing doing so until you have the concepts firmly implanted in your brain. Remember, this test is to determine minimal competency--you are obviously "minimally competent"or your company would not retain you. Granted, I had gone on to graduate school and have several graduate degrees, however, not all in engineering. My point is that you can do this-- put your shoulder to the wheel and push-- this is not the big ugly monster that many make it out to be. HOWEVER, you really need to study and make damn sure that you have a deep understanding of the subject matter. However, remember, this is a bachelor's level examination-- you can do this.





> Solomonb,
> 
> Thanks for your words of encouragement. I have been out of school for 25 years and am taking the Power exam. I studied electrical/computer engineering so I didn't have all the power courses. It has been a learning experience and I have been studying a great deal. This is my second attempt as I did take the April 2010 exam. I used to work for IBM, but was laid off. Now I work in the utility industry and felt the PE would help me gain credibility. Any other advice??
> 
> Thank You....Sharon


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## bta15 (Aug 26, 2010)

Ronin said:


> Hello all,I am planning to take the PE this October and just got started. Some unforeseen events put me in this circumstance.
> 
> Do you think three months' preparation is worth considering?
> 
> ...


You've already started 2.5 months before I started studying and studied 4 more hours than I studied total.

In short, you're gonna make it. The way I saw it is my time is work $35/hr. If I studied 200 hours that cost me $7000. If I passed my raise was gonna be roughly $8000 per year. So if I didn't pass, studied 0 hours and lost $4000 additional salary (6 months) I was still $3000(7000-4000) ahead of where I would have been had I studied 200 hours and passed the test. Instead I studied roughly 16 hours and passed. Had I failed I would have considered studying more for the next test.

Sound logic?

bta15


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## Sschell (Aug 26, 2010)

^damned engineers!


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## solomonb (Aug 26, 2010)

Sharon-- You can DO THIS! NO NEGATIVE THOUGHTS-- NONE! Put your shoulder to the wheel and PUSH HARD! Remember, this is a BS level examination-- OK, you busted it once and have been out of school for 25 years-- you can do this. FOCUS on what the NCEES says are the topical areas on the examination. Know that material cold! Your goal is to get a 98% on every section-- you can do this.

I remain committed to 3 hours a day and 15 hours on the weekend. Have your spouse take care of the children and other duties. You may have to have a family conference and explain why you are working so hard on this-- however, focus hard and just do it. YOU WILL BE SUCCESSFUL. Now, I mean really study-- make this time count-- just don't put the clock time in and think that it will happen-- that it will not. However, you are NOT A BONEHEAD. You are a competent engineer, witnessed by your previous positions-- you can do this-- just go for it. Do not think that this is a practice session and you can do it again in the spring-- not only is it expensive and time consuming-- you will never get there. This is the time-- work hard, you can get the power part down. Talk to a colleague if you need assistance-- one of your colleagues will be willing to address questions as they arise. However, if you focus and work hard, there is more than enough time and you will be very successful.

Solomon B


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## Bean PE (Sep 10, 2010)

Three months is plenty of time. I started about 3.5 months before the test, and dragged the MERM with me (almost) everywhere I went. Lots of reading, didn't solve too many problems, and felt way over-prepared come test day. Also, the last few weeks my motivation went to roughly nil and I didn't really study a whole lot then.


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## Bman (Sep 10, 2010)

Bean PE said:


> Three months is plenty of time. I started about 3.5 months before the test, and dragged the MERM with me (almost) everywhere I went. Lots of reading, didn't solve too many problems, and felt way over-prepared come test day. Also, the last few weeks my motivation went to roughly nil and I didn't really study a whole lot then.


I think I was kinda opposite of your approach Bean. I spent about 3.5 months too, but spent the most time in the last 6 weeks and just crunched until test time. Either way, 3 months is plenty of time!


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