DrZoidberWoop
Member
- Joined
- May 31, 2017
- Messages
- 22
- Reaction score
- 3
The Background
The professional engineering exam is a daunting hurdle standing between EITs and the licensure they, and their employers, desire. The time leading up to the exam is nerve-wracking and filled with uncertainty. It was the second most stressful period in my life, not far behind defending/writing my grad-school thesis. I’m thoroughly convinced that the stress-levels caused by this exam are traumatic and potentially damaging to mental health. In an effort to reduce the suffering of future test-takers, I have developed an overview of the strategies I used to pass the Civil/Structural PE exam on the first try.
The first step is to recognize the enormity of the task ahead. Civil engineering is an “umbrella-field” with numerous varying professional subsets, each requiring unique skillsets based on practical application of math, science, and engineering judgement. Please know, you don’t have the time to accrue the knowledge you need to score an 80/80 on the PE. It would take years of studying to accomplish such a feat. This is why you need to develop a strategy targeting the official NCEES exam specifications for your chosen PM session.
Collection and Consolidation of Resources.
After selecting your PM exam topic, you’ll need to compile the resources required for success (I’ve included the comprehensive list I used to pass the Civil/Structural PE). Having progressed/grown as an EIT, you should feel excited and confident at this stage of your career, but please don’t go crazy with your purchasing of reference material. There are hundreds of reference books, and you’ll be tempted to spend thousands to get your hands on them. You can’t learn the material through osmosis, so default to easily digestible material with a proven record of being useful to your particular exam. I probably spent $500 more than I had to because I wasn’t aware that I should have stopped collecting resources.
For the PE exam, I used the following references (the books I opened during the exam have been starred* and the books I recommend you avoid are double starred**):
Civil Engineering Reference Manual*
CERM Practice Problems*
PPI: Structural Depth Reference Manual for the Civil PE Exam**
PPI: Structural Depth Practice Exams for the Civil PE Exam
PPI: Structural Engineering Solved Problems**
PPI: Six-Minute Solutions for Civil PE Exam Structural
PPI: Concrete Design for the Civil PE and Structural SE Exams
PPI: Timber Design for the Civil and Structural PE Exams
PPI: Steel Design for the Civil PE and Structural SE Exams
Geotechnical textbook – McCarthy: Essentials of Soil Mechanics and Foundations*
Structural steel textbook – McCormac: Structural Steel Design*
Concrete textbook – Wight & MacGregor: Reinforced Concrete Mechanics & Design*
NCEES PE Civil Engineering Exam Structural
NDS timber design materials and supplement information
AISC SCM 14th Ed.*
ACI 318*
ACI 530*
ASCE 7-10*
IBC-2012*
OSHA 1926*
PCI design handbook*
Fanella: Structural Loads 2012 IBC & ASCE/SEI 7-10
It is worth noting that I borrowed 1) ACI 530, 2) PCI handbook, 3) OSHA 1926, and 4) NDS Timber materials because they’re expensive and specialized topics.
Study Strategy
Once your resources are organized, you’re ready to rock and roll. I’d like to note that my first purchase was the PPI structural package on 6/3/2016, and I started studying (half-heartedly) for the April 2017 exam in early August 2016. I had no interest in cramming for three months before the exam. My first attempts at studying were not very successful. I recognized that I wasn’t retaining the information I was going to need to solve text problems. In response to this, I started synthesizing the information from my textbooks, reference books, and other resources into Powerpoint files with easily recognizable color codes and illustrations/flow-charts. Studying went much better after I began creating what would be my best exam resource.
In early November, I transitioned to studying concrete. I created a PPT for concrete, just as I had for steel. On November 11th, I purchased the CERM reference manual and practice problems. I incorporated this into my studying while I finished studying concrete. I studied geotechnics next because concrete foundation design was a good transition. The CERM does a good job outlining geotechnics for the AM session. For the structural PM, I did some supplementary studying on combined foundations (paid off).
Once I had covered structural steel, concrete, and geotechnical engineering, I began moving through the breadth topics in the CERM. I only focused on the sections indicated in the NCEES exam specs. I did not study the environmental engineering or mathematics sections because they weren’t critical to my selected exam. My study path was the following: 1) Project planning, 2) Means and methods, 3) Geotech revisited, 4) Water resources, and 5) Transportation. As I finished a CERM chapter, I would stop and go through the practice problems in the companion book. I did not try to solve the problems. I went right to the solutions and noted the solution strategy in my PPT and special index.
When the PE exam was 5 weeks away, I started taking practice exams. To avoid burnout and to make my money stretch further, I took “half-exams” every Saturday morning. This allowed me to gauge where I stood with my abilities and how familiar I was with my reference material. I failed the first half-exam, which was the AM portion of the NCEES practice exam. I was frustrated and upset because I made so many small stupid errors. This brings me to the point of reading comprehension. The PE exam is written to be deceptive and force the taker to read the fine print, which requires good time management.
I finalized my PPT collections and studying about a week ahead of the exam. I printed my digital references and bound my loose paper. I went to Staples and bought a TI-36X calculator because it is solar & battery powered, plus I’m a TI guy. I also went to Walmart and bought a cheap mechanical watch (not digital).
What to Do on the Day of the Test
I made a very dumb error on the day of the test. I got to the exam location about an hour ahead of time, but I hadn’t packed my books in a suitcase or box. They were scattered in the back seat of my truck. Luckily a good Samaritan was able to let me borrow a plastic tub to bring my books inside. I’d recommend bringing a large suitcase. Also don’t forget your 2 Redbulls, it’s a long test and you need to be on top of your game.
It’s good to be nervous, but NOT AFRAID.
After the Text
Do not torture yourself after the exam. I couldn’t stop obsessing with the mistakes that I could have made. Would they make or break me? It’s torturous. Just remember, your employer understands that this is a difficult exam and that it’s shrouded in mystery as far as grading goes. It is VERY common to be seated next to someone who has already taken the exam once or twice before. The people who previously failed the exam are likely better engineers than yourself (or at least treat them as such), especially if they are older practitioners, so don’t worry about the judgement of others.
Final Commentary
I can’t express the relief I felt when I saw the “Pass” on my NCEES account. Studying for another 4 months would have been crushing. I implore you to “do the time” up front. It requires tremendous sacrifice and discipline. I took a LOT of extra time to prepare myself and I want to demystify the exam a bit by sharing my thoughts and materials. Please find my compilations below. I've removed the screenshots I took from various published documents because I don't know anything about copyright and want to avoid being removed.
View attachment 3-28-17 PE Special Index (2).pdf
The professional engineering exam is a daunting hurdle standing between EITs and the licensure they, and their employers, desire. The time leading up to the exam is nerve-wracking and filled with uncertainty. It was the second most stressful period in my life, not far behind defending/writing my grad-school thesis. I’m thoroughly convinced that the stress-levels caused by this exam are traumatic and potentially damaging to mental health. In an effort to reduce the suffering of future test-takers, I have developed an overview of the strategies I used to pass the Civil/Structural PE exam on the first try.
The first step is to recognize the enormity of the task ahead. Civil engineering is an “umbrella-field” with numerous varying professional subsets, each requiring unique skillsets based on practical application of math, science, and engineering judgement. Please know, you don’t have the time to accrue the knowledge you need to score an 80/80 on the PE. It would take years of studying to accomplish such a feat. This is why you need to develop a strategy targeting the official NCEES exam specifications for your chosen PM session.
Collection and Consolidation of Resources.
After selecting your PM exam topic, you’ll need to compile the resources required for success (I’ve included the comprehensive list I used to pass the Civil/Structural PE). Having progressed/grown as an EIT, you should feel excited and confident at this stage of your career, but please don’t go crazy with your purchasing of reference material. There are hundreds of reference books, and you’ll be tempted to spend thousands to get your hands on them. You can’t learn the material through osmosis, so default to easily digestible material with a proven record of being useful to your particular exam. I probably spent $500 more than I had to because I wasn’t aware that I should have stopped collecting resources.
For the PE exam, I used the following references (the books I opened during the exam have been starred* and the books I recommend you avoid are double starred**):
Civil Engineering Reference Manual*
CERM Practice Problems*
PPI: Structural Depth Reference Manual for the Civil PE Exam**
PPI: Structural Depth Practice Exams for the Civil PE Exam
PPI: Structural Engineering Solved Problems**
PPI: Six-Minute Solutions for Civil PE Exam Structural
PPI: Concrete Design for the Civil PE and Structural SE Exams
PPI: Timber Design for the Civil and Structural PE Exams
PPI: Steel Design for the Civil PE and Structural SE Exams
Geotechnical textbook – McCarthy: Essentials of Soil Mechanics and Foundations*
Structural steel textbook – McCormac: Structural Steel Design*
Concrete textbook – Wight & MacGregor: Reinforced Concrete Mechanics & Design*
NCEES PE Civil Engineering Exam Structural
NDS timber design materials and supplement information
AISC SCM 14th Ed.*
ACI 318*
ACI 530*
ASCE 7-10*
IBC-2012*
OSHA 1926*
PCI design handbook*
Fanella: Structural Loads 2012 IBC & ASCE/SEI 7-10
It is worth noting that I borrowed 1) ACI 530, 2) PCI handbook, 3) OSHA 1926, and 4) NDS Timber materials because they’re expensive and specialized topics.
Study Strategy
Once your resources are organized, you’re ready to rock and roll. I’d like to note that my first purchase was the PPI structural package on 6/3/2016, and I started studying (half-heartedly) for the April 2017 exam in early August 2016. I had no interest in cramming for three months before the exam. My first attempts at studying were not very successful. I recognized that I wasn’t retaining the information I was going to need to solve text problems. In response to this, I started synthesizing the information from my textbooks, reference books, and other resources into Powerpoint files with easily recognizable color codes and illustrations/flow-charts. Studying went much better after I began creating what would be my best exam resource.
In early November, I transitioned to studying concrete. I created a PPT for concrete, just as I had for steel. On November 11th, I purchased the CERM reference manual and practice problems. I incorporated this into my studying while I finished studying concrete. I studied geotechnics next because concrete foundation design was a good transition. The CERM does a good job outlining geotechnics for the AM session. For the structural PM, I did some supplementary studying on combined foundations (paid off).
Once I had covered structural steel, concrete, and geotechnical engineering, I began moving through the breadth topics in the CERM. I only focused on the sections indicated in the NCEES exam specs. I did not study the environmental engineering or mathematics sections because they weren’t critical to my selected exam. My study path was the following: 1) Project planning, 2) Means and methods, 3) Geotech revisited, 4) Water resources, and 5) Transportation. As I finished a CERM chapter, I would stop and go through the practice problems in the companion book. I did not try to solve the problems. I went right to the solutions and noted the solution strategy in my PPT and special index.
When the PE exam was 5 weeks away, I started taking practice exams. To avoid burnout and to make my money stretch further, I took “half-exams” every Saturday morning. This allowed me to gauge where I stood with my abilities and how familiar I was with my reference material. I failed the first half-exam, which was the AM portion of the NCEES practice exam. I was frustrated and upset because I made so many small stupid errors. This brings me to the point of reading comprehension. The PE exam is written to be deceptive and force the taker to read the fine print, which requires good time management.
I finalized my PPT collections and studying about a week ahead of the exam. I printed my digital references and bound my loose paper. I went to Staples and bought a TI-36X calculator because it is solar & battery powered, plus I’m a TI guy. I also went to Walmart and bought a cheap mechanical watch (not digital).
What to Do on the Day of the Test
I made a very dumb error on the day of the test. I got to the exam location about an hour ahead of time, but I hadn’t packed my books in a suitcase or box. They were scattered in the back seat of my truck. Luckily a good Samaritan was able to let me borrow a plastic tub to bring my books inside. I’d recommend bringing a large suitcase. Also don’t forget your 2 Redbulls, it’s a long test and you need to be on top of your game.
It’s good to be nervous, but NOT AFRAID.
After the Text
Do not torture yourself after the exam. I couldn’t stop obsessing with the mistakes that I could have made. Would they make or break me? It’s torturous. Just remember, your employer understands that this is a difficult exam and that it’s shrouded in mystery as far as grading goes. It is VERY common to be seated next to someone who has already taken the exam once or twice before. The people who previously failed the exam are likely better engineers than yourself (or at least treat them as such), especially if they are older practitioners, so don’t worry about the judgement of others.
Final Commentary
I can’t express the relief I felt when I saw the “Pass” on my NCEES account. Studying for another 4 months would have been crushing. I implore you to “do the time” up front. It requires tremendous sacrifice and discipline. I took a LOT of extra time to prepare myself and I want to demystify the exam a bit by sharing my thoughts and materials. Please find my compilations below. I've removed the screenshots I took from various published documents because I don't know anything about copyright and want to avoid being removed.
View attachment 3-28-17 PE Special Index (2).pdf
If you'd like, you can send me your compilations files and I can reduce their file size and either send back to you to post or post them for you. PM if interested. 
