Do I Have a Prayer of Passing?

[MntnrMark]

OK, I need some legitimate and very honest, even if brutal, opinions here. I've been a Project Manager since 1989 and, thus, away from day-to-day, nuts-and-bolts engineering for 20 years. I was promoted from engineering into project management very quickly (compared to many of my peers) and then went into the industrial manufacturing industry for several years before recently returning to the A/E world. I never took the Mechanical P. E. exam and I've been out of school since 1984. My company was recently bought and I'm being told to get my P. E. license. It's not an "or else" proposition, but the new ownership wants 100 percent of the management licensed. At age 50 and being out so long and away from day-to-day engineering practice for so long I'm a bit overwhelmed thinking about the daunting task of trying to prepare for this exam. Do I have a prayer of pulling this off? Do I need, like, 10 times the preparation a person four or five years off of a college campus would normally need to pass the exam? H - E - L - P !

 

[ktulu]

I believe that it is very doable if you apply enough dedication to your preparation. I would also suggest looking into some sort of organized review course. They are very good at stripping away all the lower probablility topics and concentrate on topics that have the greatest chance of being seen on the exam.

I would do some research and see what available to you.

Are you on a time table?

ktulu

 

[MntnrMark]

I believe that it is very doable if you apply enough dedication to your preparation. I would also suggest looking into some sort of organized review course. They are very good at stripping away all the lower probablility topics and concentrate on topics that have the greatest chance of being seen on the exam.
I would do some research and see what available to you.

Are you on a time table?

ktulu

Not yet. I just got Michael Lindeburg's book from a friend and plan to see what formal review courses might be available. I live in a college town with an engineering school, so maybe they have something on campus for their alums. I have no timetable, but am a single parent and have to tend to my child's needs, too, so I will have to manage my time carefully. I can see many early mornings and late nights in my future! I've just been away from it so long I'm just wondering how hard it will be to essentially re-learn much of the stuff all over again after such a long hiatus.

 

[heman]

All you have to do is decide to do it..... I was out 32 years before even taking the FE (passed) then took two attempts to pass the PE. I was fed up with the prospect of being treated as a "non-engineer" so I just decided to show myself that I could do it. I did have to study, but it was actually not so bad. I actually think that I put in more study time in the 18 month period from when I decided to pursue the license to when I received that certificate than I did in all my years of HS and college.

I'm glad that I did it, now I am 55 with 25 years with one company. The prospects for early retirement and contract employment are lucrative. Those two little letters make all the difference. Buy the books and get focused.

 

[maryannette]

Do I have a prayer of pulling this off?

Not only do you have a prayer, you have my prayer. My story is very much like yours, except that I never finished my degree. Three years in civil engineering degree program and left school for "a year". I planned to return and finish my degree, but it never happened. I worked in civil for a few years and started pursuing my license - passed the EIT on 2nd attempt. Meanwhile, I moved into mechanical design and when it was time to take PE, I sat for the ME. I failed 3 times. Waited about 15 years and switched back to studying for civil exam (still working in mechanical design project management then). I passed the civil exam in 2007. (I just turned to look at my certificate. ) It opened up opportunities that I didn't have before.

When I decided to go for it again, I took a review course and I would definitely recommend that. I was afraid I would be the oldest one in the class (49 at the time). I wasn't. It was a mix. The younger people didn't seem as dedicated. And, I'll be honest; I think it took more effort for me because of my situation. But it is DEFINITELY doable. I will pray for you, cheer for you, be here for you. Welcome to EB.com.

 

[MonteBiker]

I think it is entirely possible. Even for those of us that have been out for less years, there are some of us who have not seen this material since we learned it in class. Also, the codes are regularly changing, so what we learned in school is not necessarily what we are being tested on. I think that if you set up a regular study schedule, you can find that it does not have to effect your other daily goings on... I woke up an extra hour and a half early every morning for a few months and did my studying while my wife was asleep so I didn't actually miss out on any of my normal family time. Use your lunch hour productively (for studying... not working extra). You would be surprised at how much time you can find to work in reading a subchapter from the CERM here or there or just working a problem or two. I think that the trickiest part of the exam is just reading the problems to find out what they are asking. You can look up formulas in a book if you know what you are supposed to be looking for.

Good luck and use your time wisely! Make sure that you have fun with your child. Treat this as a learning experience for the child. Teach him/her strong study skills. Set up father/child study time where they are working on homework and you are studying. They can see that learning and studying is something you do life long.

 

[snickerd3]

It's very possible. I would say the same as what has already been said. Don't forget you will have a whole support team here at EB.com.

Good luck on your adventure!

 

[Dleg]

Very possible - I took the PE 16 years out of college, in a different field than my degree.

 

[madsrvyr]

I passed the EIT, the 8-hour civil and CA seismic without ever having taken an engineering course, so it is totally possible. I had to put more time into studying, but the material was not that bad.

 

[Stokey]

Absolutely, you can pass. You need to be dedicated to a study schedule and practice a lot of problems and you will do great. Preparing is about reviewing material you have probably not thought about in a while, but you have seen it before. It is also about retraining the brain to solve small problems and about remembering how to drive a calculator again. The biggest challenge is being able to dedicate the time to studying. My background is not a traditional engineering background. I got a BS in sciences and took coursework to get into a MS program for water resources engineering. Based the path I was on professionally, I could see the value of having a PE license and decided to pursue it. It has been some work but well worth the effort. I took the FE exam 4 years out of graduate school and passed on my first try even though there were several courses I had never taken (statics, dynamics, thermodynamics...). I just had to study harder than most. Then I had to wait until I had 8 years of experience working as an engineer before I could take the PE exam in Massachusetts (since I did not have a BS in engineering). I took the environmental PE exam last April but did not pass. I am taking it again in 12 days (!). I have been dedicated to studying since January. I do a little bit every day (review class definitely helps) and then study for a good chunk of time over the weekend (all told maybe 20 hours a week, including reading up on topics and doing lots of problems). Although I will never feel completely ready, I feel ready enough and am looking forward to giving it another shot. If I can get here you can too!

 

[maryannette]

Good luck, Stokey.

MntnrMark, go for it!

 

[GulfCoastCivil]

I've always believed that you can do anything if you put your mind to it and want it bad enough.

 

[cmcneil]

Just found this board today.

Man, am I glad to see this post and the excellent replies. I am in a similar situation and will also take the advice given to hart.

Good luck to you!

 

[maryannette]

I'm glad you found it, too. I didn't find it until I was waiting for results when I passes PE 2 years ago. It is a great site with nearly every kind of support you need in the quest for a PE and beyond.