# Testmasters vs School of PE



## zjsu (Aug 25, 2009)

am a first time test taker and in the process of registering for a Civil PE review course. I was given two companies by a co-worker, Testmasters and School of PE. Can anybody help me out these two questions:

1. Which one is "better"?

2. Testmasters is onsite class while School of PE is via webcam class. Has anyone had any encounter if webcam class is better or worse?

All inputs are welcome.

Thanks!


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## Road Guy (Aug 31, 2009)

I took testmasters back in the day... It was very well put together..


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## PEPG (Sep 2, 2009)

zjsu said:


> am a first time test taker and in the process of registering for a Civil PE review course. I was given two companies by a co-worker, Testmasters and School of PE. Can anybody help me out these two questions:
> 1. Which one is "better"?
> 
> 2. Testmasters is onsite class while School of PE is via webcam class. Has anyone had any encounter if webcam class is better or worse?
> ...


I took School of PE in NJ - the "live" version in a hotel conference room. Generally, I thought the review was good because it kept me on a study schedule, and exposed me to a lot of problems. There was no magic material that made me pass (as a matter of fact, i did not pass the time I took the coarse - I passed the next round). I think if you really work ANY method, you should do well.


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## Melanie11 (Sep 2, 2009)

I also took the School of PE but in a hotel conference room as well. I agree it helps give you a regimented study schedule but I did still study outside of it.

If the webcam class gives you the opportunity to still ask questions and interact with the professor then it might be similar to being there but if not then the in person class may be better.

I passed on the first try and I think this class helped a lot in that because of the exposure to so many problems and the time it kind of forced you to dedicate to the test. I took the workshop too.

GL!


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## schoolofpe (Jan 7, 2013)

Just to clarify, School of PE onsite and online review are very similar. You do get to interact and ask questions. There is virtually no difference in the two


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## Porkfist (Jan 8, 2013)

I took the school of PE online course and passed on the first go around.

Just know it's not a webcam class, it's a webinar so everyone is in an adobe connect session and it's like watching a presentation where the professor can write on the slides.

It was kind of nice because you didn't need to commute anywhere, so the time you would spend commuting you could spend sleeping or studying. I really liked that I could roll out of bed a half hour before class, eat some breakfast and still be in class with time to spare.

If you go this route make sure you have a dependable computer and a comfortable desk chair. Know that you'll need to print out all the notes they give you, and it's alot. I only mention that because I'm uncertain if they give you the printouts at the in person classes.

The only critique I have of this method is that sometimes it can be a little cumbersome to convey your question over the chat, however the professors are patient and normally stay long after the course is over to answer any lingering questions.

Whether or not School of PE is better than Testmasters, I cannot say. What I can say is that School of PE does a good job, and I highly doubt I would have passed on the first try without taking the course.


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## Duke of PEarl (Jan 10, 2013)

Just like PEPG, I took School of PE for PE Civil &amp; Construction for depth. I studied all their notes and focused mainly on the morning section figuring that if I study intensively on the morning material, I would somehow brush through and come across most of the afternoon materials as well. I did not pass on my first attempt. SoPE offers a free second course as long as you do not have any absences (5 weekends~total of 10 sessions from 10am-6pm EST). I did the whole 2nd round but this time adjusting my study habits and tried Geotechnical for my depth. It donned on me that I should exert the same amount of effort and study time for the depth portion since it is HALF the exam.

I was successful on my 2nd try. The SoPE review material for both AM and PM portion helped a lot. You have to do your due diligence and make sure you understand what they give you. Plus, one great benefit of enrolling with SoPE online class is that at any time during your review and you come upon a stumbling block, you can always shoot an email query to your instructor (complete with attachments if you must) and they would diligently answer your question by emailing back and sometimes with illustrations.

Goodluck!


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## GA PE (Jan 11, 2013)

_I took Dr. James Kamm CD-Romm review course and studied all three afternoon topics and passed. I had to take this due to my work schedule not permitting me to attend all of the classes. As above, I watched course and worked all problems multiple times. I took School of PE for my FE and it was good as well._


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## Deep_Freeze26 (Jan 24, 2013)

ASCE chapters also put on review courses. These can be quite beneficial and have review questions that go along with the lectures just like any of the private review courses. I'd look to see if you know anyone who belongs to ASCE and can set up a group of people for a review course. Cost can be less than School of PE or Testmasters if you can get a large enough group of people together to split the costs.


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