December 2020 Results

[as_botd]

for anyone who has passed surveying, please tell me how you did it. I have failed 3 times now

Just found out I passed surveying. I studied with EET, and I think I've seen you post about using it as well. I think it was good about being complete, but didn't do a good job about presenting information and the course was not very polished. Sort of haphazardly put together, but it did have everything. I also did learn how to write programs into my TI89, which made certain problems (but not many) a bit trivial.

Anyway I feel like surveying came down more to being a collected test taker and having strong trig/algebra and unit conversions. Survey specific terminology and processes made the EET class valuable but I honestly feel like most of my prior math experience was doing all the heavy lifting in prep and sitting for the exam.

My testing strategy was to not skip problems as quickly as many classes recommend. I honestly work through >85% of the exam problem by problem and only skip if I know a problem will take forever or I get a way off answer that I know will take a long time to figure out what went wrong. I of course did some time checks at quarterly intervals and recall telling myself to kick things into gear around the halfway point. Ultimately, I had ~20 minutes left to go back and do the 4-5 I skipped or had a bad answer. That's how I like to do things, so take it with a grain of salt. I know some people skip problems frequently and go back to finish and that works for them.

Anyway I'm sorry to hear you didn't pass, I've seen your other posts and it sounds like you've put a ton of time in and know how to do everything. It's probably getting old to hear but maybe it's just a state of mind thing at this point. You might just need to go in there, maintain calm, and hit the problems you're strong in at a pace where you don't make small mistakes.

 

[dauwerda]

Passed both! I received forwarded emails to my correct address noting that I need to update my email address with the board (which is hopefully really taken care of now).

for anyone who has passed surveying, please tell me how you did it. I have failed 3 times now

I also took the EET surveying course as it is not something I do in my day-to-day. I thought they certainly covered everything needed for the exam and it was nice to have one reference that contained everything needed for the exam.

One of my strategies while taking the tests was to keep an eye out for what would be a very common mistake for the problem statement (such as providing an answer as strength level rather than service level for the seismic exam, or providing a top of pipe elevation rather than the invert elevation for the surveying exam). Then rather than actually work the problem out, just compare answers and find the 2 that are related by this common error, identify which result the problem statement is actually asking for and that's your answer (without ever actually working the problem). Even if you do work the problem, I often use this strategy as a general check - can I apply a common error and get one of the other answers. Obviously, this doesn't work for every problem, but it has been one of my strategies for all of PE/SE multiple choice tests I have taken. It is always reassuring when you purposefully apply a common error or oversite and see that answer as well.

 

[Water_engineer]

Just found out I passed surveying. I studied with EET, and I think I've seen you post about using it as well. I think it was good about being complete, but didn't do a good job about presenting information and the course was not very polished. Sort of haphazardly put together, but it did have everything. I also did learn how to write programs into my TI89, which made certain problems (but not many) a bit trivial.

Anyway I feel like surveying came down more to being a collected test taker and having strong trig/algebra and unit conversions. Survey specific terminology and processes made the EET class valuable but I honestly feel like most of my prior math experience was doing all the heavy lifting in prep and sitting for the exam.

My testing strategy was to not skip problems as quickly as many classes recommend. I honestly work through >85% of the exam problem by problem and only skip if I know a problem will take forever or I get a way off answer that I know will take a long time to figure out what went wrong. I of course did some time checks at quarterly intervals and recall telling myself to kick things into gear around the halfway point. Ultimately, I had ~20 minutes left to go back and do the 4-5 I skipped or had a bad answer. That's how I like to do things, so take it with a grain of salt. I know some people skip problems frequently and go back to finish and that works for them.

Anyway I'm sorry to hear you didn't pass, I've seen your other posts and it sounds like you've put a ton of time in and know how to do everything. It's probably getting old to hear but maybe it's just a state of mind thing at this point. You might just need to go in there, maintain calm, and hit the problems you're strong in at a pace where you don't make small mistakes.

Hey Thank you so much, Really appreciate the write-up! I think you're right as I have historically been really bad at geometry, so a lot of what you say makes sense. I did what I thought was well on the EET practice exam, but when talking to the EET people they told me I should pretty much master everything in the exams and practice problems as the actual exam will be more difficult. I am redoing all of EET, focusing on the practice exams and doing Reza's problems as well. I think I have wasted too much time watching 2-3 hour lecture videos, and need to do more and more problems.

 

[Water_engineer]

Passed both! I received forwarded emails to my correct address noting that I need to update my email address with the board (which is hopefully really taken care of now).

I also took the EET surveying course as it is not something I do in my day-to-day. I thought they certainly covered everything needed for the exam and it was nice to have one reference that contained everything needed for the exam.

One of my strategies while taking the tests was to keep an eye out for what would be a very common mistake for the problem statement (such as providing an answer as strength level rather than service level for the seismic exam, or providing a top of pipe elevation rather than the invert elevation for the surveying exam). Then rather than actually work the problem out, just compare answers and find the 2 that are related by this common error, identify which result the problem statement is actually asking for and that's your answer (without ever actually working the problem). Even if you do work the problem, I often use this strategy as a general check - can I apply a common error and get one of the other answers. Obviously, this doesn't work for every problem, but it has been one of my strategies for all of PE/SE multiple choice tests I have taken. It is always reassuring when you purposefully apply a common error or oversite and see that answer as well.

I see what you mean, like the actual answers are usually a trick and they make it close, I think i fell for this many times, because I was able to get an actual answer choice during the exam most of the time which is why I felt confident..

 

[as_botd]

Hey Thank you so much, Really appreciate the write-up! I think you're right as I have historically been really bad at geometry, so a lot of what you say makes sense. I did what I thought was well on the EET practice exam, but when talking to the EET people they told me I should pretty much master everything in the exams and practice problems as the actual exam will be more difficult. I am redoing all of EET, focusing on the practice exams and doing Reza's problems as well. I think I have wasted too much time watching 2-3 hour lecture videos, and need to do more and more problems.

It's interesting they said that, I felt like a lot the homework problems were harder than what was on the exam. Especially in Samir's chapters. I actually didn't do the practice exams and just did my own focused studying at that point. I did feel like the workshop videos were more valuable than the regular lectures because they seemed more focused on tricky stuff that has been seen on the exam versus the regular lectures that were sort of drawn out.

One thing that stuck out to me from the AEI seismic class was how Ibrahim our goal point is to get the right answer, not necessarily do the problem. I think that's really valuable in these exams, and I carried that over into surveying.

But yeah man I feel like the trig skills really pay off in this exam. I even wrote at the top of my scratch paper to just start drawing similar triangles or see if the law of sines or cosines apply anywhere if I got stuck. That usually seemed to be the key to a lot of the harder homework problems.

 

[as_botd]

The drawback of feeling like the results came out fairly speedily is that it's feeling like an eternity to get the license number/confirmation

 

[Hanger930]

The drawback of feeling like the results came out fairly speedily is that it's feeling like an eternity to get the license number/confirmation

Any ideas on when license number/confirmation will be sent for people who passed their December exams?

 

[as_botd]

Any ideas on when license number/confirmation will be sent for people who passed their December exams?

It looks like people that passed in November were notified around the 21st of December. So guessing a similar timeframe

 

[tall tree engineering inc]

Has anyone received their license numbers yet?

 

[Almost Engineer]

Has anyone received their license numbers yet?

Not yet. Been eager to see it show up. Wondering how much longer till we receive notice.

 

[as_botd]

Has anyone received their license numbers yet?

Not yet. Been eager to see it show up. Wondering how much longer till we receive notice.

Same here. They added four licenses I think just over a week ago, and nothing since.

 

[VT_eng]

I called the board today to check on licenses and she said by next Tuesday it should be posted. Assuming things were delayed with MLK holiday. My buddy who passed in November said the license didnt post till later at night (~7 pm) so I'm hoping we don't have to wait another week.

 

[Almost Engineer]

My license was posted to DCA last night! I haven't received an email about my license from the state but it's definitely up for me now. One thing is it says my license expires June 2021, in 5 months. I thought our license would be good for 2 years upon issuance. Anyone else's license say it's expiring that quickly?

 

[Hanger930]

My license was posted to DCA last night! I haven't received an email about my license from the state but it's definitely up for me now. One thing is it says my license expires June 2021, in 5 months. I thought our license would be good for 2 years upon issuance. Anyone else's license say it's expiring that quickly?

Mine posted as well although no email. It also expires June, 2021, which I was surprised to learn we have to renew after only 4-5 months. Any idea how long the certificate takes to arrive?

From License Renewal Information - Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists :

First-time Licensure for Engineers and Land Surveyors: The application fee includes licensure through the first renewal quarter after the license is issued. Approximately one (1) to two (2) months after being notified of licensure, first-time licensees will receive a renewal notice for payment of the full renewal fee. Once renewed, the license will be valid for an additional two (2) years. The renewal month and day will remain the same until the license is retired, canceled, or revoked.

 

[CPslo]

My license was posted to DCA last night! I haven't received an email about my license from the state but it's definitely up for me now. One thing is it says my license expires June 2021, in 5 months. I thought our license would be good for 2 years upon issuance. Anyone else's license say it's expiring that quickly?

I just checked and mine was posted as well! No email but it also says it expires June 2021.

 

[as_botd]

Finally got the congratulatory email!

 

[Almost Engineer]

Finally got the congratulatory email!

Got mine too! Congrats!

 

[PinoyEngineer]

My license was posted to DCA last night! I haven't received an email about my license from the state but it's definitely up for me now. One thing is it says my license expires June 2021, in 5 months. I thought our license would be good for 2 years upon issuance. Anyone else's license say it's expiring that quickly?

What time your license number was posted to the DCA site? I'm anxiously waiting for mine to show up today