matt267 PE
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Help Support Professional Engineer & PE Exam Forum:
Thanks @radash33 for the up to date exam advice! Very interesting, especially for your comments on the usefulness/uselessness of the new NCEES Enviro PE Reference Manual. I wonder what will happen when the test goes fully CBT and that's all you are allowed to have....
Congratulations from another PE who did not use study courses to pass!
Congratulations from another PE who did not use study courses to pass!
vee043324
White Claw Pusher
I have a question for everyone who has taken some kind of review course and brought their notes to the exam!
how did you organize your class notes for the exam? I'm in PPI right now and theere are soooo many handouts/slides, and while they're useful, I'm trying to figure out how to best organize them. At first I was thinking a binder for each subject would be overkill but now I'm thinking maybe not? Thinking a binder for all water (that will be a big one), another for air, combining EH&S and site remediation, + one misc... is that crazy? anyone else have a good method?
how did you organize your class notes for the exam? I'm in PPI right now and theere are soooo many handouts/slides, and while they're useful, I'm trying to figure out how to best organize them. At first I was thinking a binder for each subject would be overkill but now I'm thinking maybe not? Thinking a binder for all water (that will be a big one), another for air, combining EH&S and site remediation, + one misc... is that crazy? anyone else have a good method?
Hockey Eng
Well-known member
"I still wonder how some of these trivia questions are to be answered accurately without reading every reference completely and having a photographic memory."
I agree. I'm doing the NCEES practice exam and some of the word questions are just so far out it's insane. Did you know that alfalfa and clover are legumes, and therefore should never receive nitrogen under nitrogen loading conditions? What am I, a farmer or an engineer?
I agree. I'm doing the NCEES practice exam and some of the word questions are just so far out it's insane. Did you know that alfalfa and clover are legumes, and therefore should never receive nitrogen under nitrogen loading conditions? What am I, a farmer or an engineer?
Hockey Eng
Well-known member
I did SoPE, I'm taking my notes arranged by class, i.e. Remediation, Waste water, Water Treatment, Air/Solid Waste, and PM (although I'm not doing the PM review, ran out of time and there will likely only be 2-3 questions max on the exam I'm thinking, so I'll take my chances on being able to find the answer in EERM or the notes).
Really I think whatever is most familiar for you and will allow you to find what you need to find the quickest. If I started re-arranging things now I'd probably just confuse myself even more. Keep it simple.
JayKay PE
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Oh god, I shouldn't have gotten so excited about that clover question. As some who lives in farming country/grew up listening to crop cycles and other gardeners I was like, "Clover! That's a cover crop/rejuvenating crop! That adds nitrogen!" I think some of these questions are definitely put on the exam just to throw you off your groove!
I put all of my photocopied fully-worked example problems in a binder. This was the most useful tool that I had...
Hockey Eng
Well-known member
Of course I never posted the actual question... 
(wasn't related to groundwater resources or wetland construction - neither term used in the question).
(wasn't related to groundwater resources or wetland construction - neither term used in the question).
vee043324
White Claw Pusher
Hockey Eng
Well-known member
LOL OK everyone calm down it was a sludge question (#138 of the NCEES Practice Exam AM if you really wanna look it up).
it was a sludge question (#138 of the NCEES Practice Exam AM if you really wanna look it up).MA Maserati
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I took the Environmental PE in April 2018, nearly 40 years after graduating college. I studied for three months, about 200 hours total. I brought in Lindeburg’s PE reference manual and two outdated college textbooks (Wark & Warner; Metcalfe & Eddy).
I did not take a review course
I passed on my first attempt.
A few months later, I sat for and passed the FE Environmental after studying around 250 hours on my own.
The FE was a breeze - even 40 years out of school. The PE AM session was extremely difficult. The PE PM session was fairly easy.
I didn’t need the library of books that some here brought in with them. Frankly, I don’t own many books.
I took both exams with medical conditions that limited my ability to sit.
I prayed and had Christian friends and my wife cover me in prayer during both exams. Normally sitting for an 8 hour test would have been extremely difficult and painful, but I barely felt any pain and did not take pain meds.
I was stunned at how easy the FE was. The PE afternoon portion was also easy.
I’m going to take the CHMM exam and I think that will be harder than the PE.
My advice is to pace your studying and give yourself 2-3 months; bring in 3-4 books you are familiar with; get a lot of sleep the night before; and do not fret over it.
I passed it four decades after taking college classes, so recent grads should find the FE and PE a manageable challenge.
I did not take a review course
I passed on my first attempt.
A few months later, I sat for and passed the FE Environmental after studying around 250 hours on my own.
The FE was a breeze - even 40 years out of school. The PE AM session was extremely difficult. The PE PM session was fairly easy.
I didn’t need the library of books that some here brought in with them. Frankly, I don’t own many books.
I took both exams with medical conditions that limited my ability to sit.
I prayed and had Christian friends and my wife cover me in prayer during both exams. Normally sitting for an 8 hour test would have been extremely difficult and painful, but I barely felt any pain and did not take pain meds.
I was stunned at how easy the FE was. The PE afternoon portion was also easy.
I’m going to take the CHMM exam and I think that will be harder than the PE.
My advice is to pace your studying and give yourself 2-3 months; bring in 3-4 books you are familiar with; get a lot of sleep the night before; and do not fret over it.
I passed it four decades after taking college classes, so recent grads should find the FE and PE a manageable challenge.
Bobbybuddy
Active member
This thread really helped me so I am paying for my dues. GOOD LUCk for future test takers.
Test you took: PE Environmental Engineering, Paper-Based (Passed in 1st Attempt)
Where you took it: Raleigh NC, Oct 26, 2018
What books you brought with you:
List of reference I carried to the exam. I believe even CBT takers should refer these for the exam
• Lindeberg Environmental Engineering Reference Manual *
• Introduction to Environmental Engineering by Davis and Cornwell *
• Wastewater Engineering by Metcalf & Eddy-
• Hazardous Waste Management 2nd edition by M.D.LaGrega *
• Engineering Unit Conversions- Lindeberg*
• Practical Design Calculations for Groundwater and Soil Remediation, 2nd Edition – Kuo*
• Air Pollution Control, Cooper & Alley*
• Water Supply and Pollution Control 6th ed - Viessman & Hammer
• Basic Environmental Technology, 6th Edition – Nathanson & Schnieder
• Environmental Law Handbook, by Christopher Bell, William Brownell et. all
• RCRA Orientation Manual 2011 –
• EPA sampling methods for water, wastewater, surface water, Air and aerosols etc
• NCEES PE- manual
• NCEES practice test
What books you actually used
• Lindeberg Environmental Engineering Reference Manual *
• Introduction to Environmental Engineering by Davis and Cornwell *
• Hazardous Waste Management 2nd edition by M.D.LaGrega *
• Practical Design Calculations for Groundwater and Soil Remediation, 2nd Edition – Kuo*
• Engineering Unit Conversions- Lindeberg*
What books did you wish you brought: NONE
General impression about exam and format: Format is just like NCEES practice exam. My impression is that the exam was easier than the practice exam. There seemed to be an even split of quantitative and qualitative questions. Qualitative questions are tough either you know the answer or in the references you brought. Expect at least a couple of quantitative questions which you never even heard of and cannot be found in your reference no matter how extensive your references are.
How I prepared for the exam:
Starting to study is the hardest part. I tried jumping right into the EERM, and that discouraged me. So, I started with Davis and Cornwell (a great book ) and then skimmed the ENVRM book and tabbed the relevant sections. I highly recommend this approach for beginners.
I only had 6 weeks to prepare for the exam and I gave my best every day. I studied 3 hours on weekdays and 6 over the weekend. So overall, I dedicated around 120 hours right from the beginning. My graduate coursework covered most of the PE syllabus except remediation and it helped a lot. it’s been only a couple of years since I graduated so I remembered most basics.
I managed to get hands on most of the recommended references by our predecessors. I only purchased Davis, all other references were either borrowed from colleagues, libraries, Scribd (highly recommended) or downloaded off the internet. Try to buy used books rather than purchasing new.
During my preparation, I read every book I had, and it helped me in answering a few qualitative questions without looking up for them. I was also able to find remaining questions in the morning session in my references and I felt morning was easier compared to the PM session. I couldn’t practice more problems because of my time constraints but managed to complete the NCEES practices test and a few others.
I invested a lot of time in tabbing my references which really helped me. Engineering Unit Conversions by Lindeberg is another book one should have for this exam. I packed all of my books into two Staples paper boxes and brought them in with a collapsible handcart. All of my books were stacked spines up, so I could easily pick out any book I needed.
All in all, though, I left the hall with confidence but later I lost my hope. I thought I answered around 35 in the morning and 30 in the afternoon. Rest of them were just educational guess. While most of the problems seemed pretty straightforward, very similar to sample NCEES exam, but there seemed to be more questions that did not involve more calculations than the sample exam. Waiting for the results is the hardest part for me compared to the preparation and taking the exam.
Advice for future test takers:
Things will be different from here on, Environmental PE is becoming CBT from April 2019. My best advice would be to start studying at least 3-4 months before and work through as many practice problems as you can.
Familiarizing yourself with the NCEES manual and the CBT testing procedure. Learning to locate quickly in your manual should be among your highest priorities while studying. I believe you can make a quick search using the keywords like in the FE exam. Read every reference you can get your hands on. Do not neglect any subject. I believe CBT will still be tough but not as broad as the paper-based.
As of today, NCEES is selling the same practice test for the CBT. So, Keep an eye for an updated exam as per CBT. NCEES states
“The current book contains the same great questions published in previous versions of this book along with exam specifications effective in 2019 when the exam becomes computer-based”.
You will need to work fast on the test and keep track of the time. Skip questions that are time-consuming and come back. Read each question very carefully. In fact, read each question very carefully again. Understand what the question is asking. Cross-out the information you don't need.
Get to the testing site early at least 15 minutes before the official start of the test and use the restroom before you go into the testing room. I reached the location little late, so I had no time to use the restroom and I was the first one who took the break. Bring your lunch so that you can relax for a while after the morning session. Bring some ibuprofen you might need for the afternoon session.
I am so relieved to have passed the exam in my first attempt. Thanks to EVERYONE for your advice that you've left over the years. So glad to be done!! GOOD LUCK
Test you took: PE Environmental Engineering, Paper-Based (Passed in 1st Attempt)
Where you took it: Raleigh NC, Oct 26, 2018
What books you brought with you:
List of reference I carried to the exam. I believe even CBT takers should refer these for the exam
• Lindeberg Environmental Engineering Reference Manual *
• Introduction to Environmental Engineering by Davis and Cornwell *
• Wastewater Engineering by Metcalf & Eddy-
• Hazardous Waste Management 2nd edition by M.D.LaGrega *
• Engineering Unit Conversions- Lindeberg*
• Practical Design Calculations for Groundwater and Soil Remediation, 2nd Edition – Kuo*
• Air Pollution Control, Cooper & Alley*
• Water Supply and Pollution Control 6th ed - Viessman & Hammer
• Basic Environmental Technology, 6th Edition – Nathanson & Schnieder
• Environmental Law Handbook, by Christopher Bell, William Brownell et. all
• RCRA Orientation Manual 2011 –
• EPA sampling methods for water, wastewater, surface water, Air and aerosols etc
• NCEES PE- manual
• NCEES practice test
What books you actually used
• Lindeberg Environmental Engineering Reference Manual *
• Introduction to Environmental Engineering by Davis and Cornwell *
• Hazardous Waste Management 2nd edition by M.D.LaGrega *
• Practical Design Calculations for Groundwater and Soil Remediation, 2nd Edition – Kuo*
• Engineering Unit Conversions- Lindeberg*
What books did you wish you brought: NONE
General impression about exam and format: Format is just like NCEES practice exam. My impression is that the exam was easier than the practice exam. There seemed to be an even split of quantitative and qualitative questions. Qualitative questions are tough either you know the answer or in the references you brought. Expect at least a couple of quantitative questions which you never even heard of and cannot be found in your reference no matter how extensive your references are.
How I prepared for the exam:
Starting to study is the hardest part. I tried jumping right into the EERM, and that discouraged me. So, I started with Davis and Cornwell (a great book ) and then skimmed the ENVRM book and tabbed the relevant sections. I highly recommend this approach for beginners.
I only had 6 weeks to prepare for the exam and I gave my best every day. I studied 3 hours on weekdays and 6 over the weekend. So overall, I dedicated around 120 hours right from the beginning. My graduate coursework covered most of the PE syllabus except remediation and it helped a lot. it’s been only a couple of years since I graduated so I remembered most basics.
I managed to get hands on most of the recommended references by our predecessors. I only purchased Davis, all other references were either borrowed from colleagues, libraries, Scribd (highly recommended) or downloaded off the internet. Try to buy used books rather than purchasing new.
During my preparation, I read every book I had, and it helped me in answering a few qualitative questions without looking up for them. I was also able to find remaining questions in the morning session in my references and I felt morning was easier compared to the PM session. I couldn’t practice more problems because of my time constraints but managed to complete the NCEES practices test and a few others.
I invested a lot of time in tabbing my references which really helped me. Engineering Unit Conversions by Lindeberg is another book one should have for this exam. I packed all of my books into two Staples paper boxes and brought them in with a collapsible handcart. All of my books were stacked spines up, so I could easily pick out any book I needed.
All in all, though, I left the hall with confidence but later I lost my hope. I thought I answered around 35 in the morning and 30 in the afternoon. Rest of them were just educational guess. While most of the problems seemed pretty straightforward, very similar to sample NCEES exam, but there seemed to be more questions that did not involve more calculations than the sample exam. Waiting for the results is the hardest part for me compared to the preparation and taking the exam.
Advice for future test takers:
Things will be different from here on, Environmental PE is becoming CBT from April 2019. My best advice would be to start studying at least 3-4 months before and work through as many practice problems as you can.
Familiarizing yourself with the NCEES manual and the CBT testing procedure. Learning to locate quickly in your manual should be among your highest priorities while studying. I believe you can make a quick search using the keywords like in the FE exam. Read every reference you can get your hands on. Do not neglect any subject. I believe CBT will still be tough but not as broad as the paper-based.
As of today, NCEES is selling the same practice test for the CBT. So, Keep an eye for an updated exam as per CBT. NCEES states
“The current book contains the same great questions published in previous versions of this book along with exam specifications effective in 2019 when the exam becomes computer-based”.
You will need to work fast on the test and keep track of the time. Skip questions that are time-consuming and come back. Read each question very carefully. In fact, read each question very carefully again. Understand what the question is asking. Cross-out the information you don't need.
Get to the testing site early at least 15 minutes before the official start of the test and use the restroom before you go into the testing room. I reached the location little late, so I had no time to use the restroom and I was the first one who took the break. Bring your lunch so that you can relax for a while after the morning session. Bring some ibuprofen you might need for the afternoon session.
I am so relieved to have passed the exam in my first attempt. Thanks to EVERYONE for your advice that you've left over the years. So glad to be done!! GOOD LUCK
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engineer123
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@Bobbybuddythank you so much for your detailed study plan + advice! Will definitely refer back to this thread when I am ready to start preparing.
Although I am wondering if the Unit Conversion book you mentioned should be used when studying for the cbt. I would assume I'd need to memorize conversions rather than relying on a book. I cant remember if the ncees reference manual had unit conversions?
Although I am wondering if the Unit Conversion book you mentioned should be used when studying for the cbt. I would assume I'd need to memorize conversions rather than relying on a book. I cant remember if the ncees reference manual had unit conversions?
The NCEES reference manual has a short section on conversion (Page 195 and 196 - the last two pages). It might be better to try to work out problems just with the manual but study with as many references as possible.
JayKay PE
Lower Intestine Aficionado
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Ah! I forgot about this! I will update this tonight in between baking. I had a couple of opinions on the NCEES ref and the exam itself (I had to take a CBT for the GRE for grad school, so I kinda had to use similar things for the upcoming CBT).
Test you took: PE Environmental Engineering, Paper-Based (Passed in 1st Attempt)
Where you took it: Houston TX, Oct 26, 2018
What books you brought with you:
List of reference I carried to the exam.
General impression about exam and format: The test was more similar to the NCEES practice exams than the ones that go with the EERM - I wish there were more. I felt like the morning and afternoon sessions were just as evenly split between the topics. I was also pretty bummed that a lot of questions I was super prepared for weren't on the test.
How I prepared for the exam:
I have a degree in Civil Engineering but my work has been more on the Environmental side - which is why I took this test - but also why I was nervous that it would be too much to cover between April and October. I started by trying to read the EERM cover to cover, but by the time I got about halfway through, I realized that it is meant to be a reference, and I focused on learning the topics as they came up in the practice problems.
I basically just worked every single problem between all of the EERM and related books and then saved the NCEES exam questions for the very last part of my review so that I would be comfortable with the format.
Just like @Bobbybuddy, I definitely recommend tabbing the books, especially for formulas that you use over and over again. Everything I printed fit in two binders and those plus all of the books fit easily in my backpack and still left room for a light pullover and my lunch.
On both sections I did a first pass, looking for qualitative problems that I could look up as well as quantitative problems in familiar formats. Then I went back and did a second pass, with a third near the 30-minutes-left mark to try and identify educated guesses. I was pretty surprised by how many questions had relatively simple answers. But that's why Lindeburg writes that the test isn't designed to trick you - if you are confident that you understand how to set up the problems, its basically just plug and play with the equations. I did get nervous that the questions were too easy and that i made stupid mistakes, but it looks like i did just enough to squeak through.
Advice for future test takers:
Work as many problems as you can. The more you use a formula, the more familiar you will be with each of its variables and units and things like that. I definitely learned that units can be your friend, because they can guide you on what to do.
Definitely pace yourself, but try not to get hung up on a single question. You have a lot of time, and you want to make sure that you get your eyes on every question with a reasonable amount of time to attempt it.
Just relax and remember that you have spent a lot of time learning how to use various formulas and solve problems and that (most likely) you won't see very many topics that you haven't seen before.
Where you took it: Houston TX, Oct 26, 2018
What books you brought with you:
List of reference I carried to the exam.
- Lindeberg Environmental Engineering Reference Manual
- Engineering Unit Conversions - Lindeberg
- NCEES PE- manual
- NCEES practice test
- "Environmental Laws: Summaries of Major Statutes Administered by the Environmental Protection Agency" - Congressional Research Service
- "RCRA Orientation Manual"
- NIOSH Occupational Safety and Health Guidance Manual for Hazardous Waste Site Activities
- Lindeberg Environmental Engineering Reference Manual
- Engineering Unit Conversions - Lindeberg
- "Environmental Laws: Summaries of Major Statutes Administered by the Environmental Protection Agency" - Congressional Research Service
- "RCRA Orientation Manual"
- NIOSH Occupational Safety and Health Guidance Manual for Hazardous Waste Site Activities
- NCEES PE- manual
- NCEES practice test
General impression about exam and format: The test was more similar to the NCEES practice exams than the ones that go with the EERM - I wish there were more. I felt like the morning and afternoon sessions were just as evenly split between the topics. I was also pretty bummed that a lot of questions I was super prepared for weren't on the test.
How I prepared for the exam:
I have a degree in Civil Engineering but my work has been more on the Environmental side - which is why I took this test - but also why I was nervous that it would be too much to cover between April and October. I started by trying to read the EERM cover to cover, but by the time I got about halfway through, I realized that it is meant to be a reference, and I focused on learning the topics as they came up in the practice problems.
I basically just worked every single problem between all of the EERM and related books and then saved the NCEES exam questions for the very last part of my review so that I would be comfortable with the format.
Just like @Bobbybuddy, I definitely recommend tabbing the books, especially for formulas that you use over and over again. Everything I printed fit in two binders and those plus all of the books fit easily in my backpack and still left room for a light pullover and my lunch.
On both sections I did a first pass, looking for qualitative problems that I could look up as well as quantitative problems in familiar formats. Then I went back and did a second pass, with a third near the 30-minutes-left mark to try and identify educated guesses. I was pretty surprised by how many questions had relatively simple answers. But that's why Lindeburg writes that the test isn't designed to trick you - if you are confident that you understand how to set up the problems, its basically just plug and play with the equations. I did get nervous that the questions were too easy and that i made stupid mistakes, but it looks like i did just enough to squeak through.
Advice for future test takers:
Work as many problems as you can. The more you use a formula, the more familiar you will be with each of its variables and units and things like that. I definitely learned that units can be your friend, because they can guide you on what to do.
Definitely pace yourself, but try not to get hung up on a single question. You have a lot of time, and you want to make sure that you get your eyes on every question with a reasonable amount of time to attempt it.
Just relax and remember that you have spent a lot of time learning how to use various formulas and solve problems and that (most likely) you won't see very many topics that you haven't seen before.
Last edited by a moderator:
Princess Mononoke
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Thoughts on School of PE vs. PPI Environmental Review Course? PPI course costs more money and I'm thinking of just buying their books and taking the SoPE course.
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