If you Failed!

[Predgw]

Your going to switch depth sections after 2 attempts. What field do you work in?

 

[NakedOrangie]

1st time taking all 3 tests and I have just found out I failed surveying and seismic. I'm holding out that by some miracle I pass the 8-hour... But it's looking pretty grim based on my current track record!

 

[envirotex]

1st time taking all 3 tests and I have just found out I failed surveying and seismic. I'm holding out that by some miracle I pass the 8-hour... But it's looking pretty grim based on my current track record!

Three tests at the same time is a lot. Try again... Best of luck with the 8-hour.

 

[iwire]

for retest, don't even waste time on reread most of the materials...gather a formula book and then work on the sample questions, multiple rounds until you understand it

 

[CMKG]

Your going to switch depth sections after 2 attempts. What field do you work in?

I work in water resources but don't have anything to do with wastewater or water quality. I took school of PE review but the depth in the water is very weak and I think that their problems are too easy and don't represent the exam. I feel like I can teach myself transportation depth better that the aquatic toxicity in a fish gill, which was one of the questions on my exam.

 

[KevinA]

Review class and practice problems... Lots of them. When I went into the exam, I breezed through the 1st 10 questions without even cracking a book.

 

[NakedOrangie]

So I am 0 for 3 with the California exams. I have a wedding to attend in October so I'll be splitting my tests, state specific in oct, 8-hour next April.

I'd like some advice on this: I took my test in transportation and did poorly on all areas except geometric design, while the morning was cake (even got all 8 questions correct in geotech). My background at work is transportation but I did my undergrad and masters in structural, did I take the wrong test and should I do structural my next go around? I'm really comfortable with the manuals for structural and less so with transportation.

 

[bbrown323]

Man, it stings. But considering my wife and I had our first child 6 weeks before the exam and I really hand't studied for it and was sleep deprived, it just fuel to study more for next time. Still a bummer that I have to wait another 6 months to retake it.

For a Grand total of 65% correct. (so flipping close!!!)

1 Construct ion 8 7 88

2 Geotechnical 8 6 75
3 Structural 8 6 75
4 Transportation 8 5 63
5 Water Resources & Environmental 8 5 63
6 Hydraulics -- Closed Conduit 6 1 17
7 Hydraulics -- Open Channel 6 4 67
8 Hydrology 6 5 83
9 Groundwater and Well Fields 3 2 67
10 Wastewater Treatment 6 2 33
11 Water Quality 6 4 67
12 Water Treatment 6 4 67
13 Engineering Economics 1 1 100

 

[iwire]

Man, it stings. But considering my wife and I had our first child 6 weeks before the exam and I really hand't studied for it and was sleep deprived, it just fuel to study more for next time. Still a bummer that I have to wait another 6 months to retake it.

For a Grand total of 65% correct. (so flipping close!!!)

1 Construct ion 8 7 88

2 Geotechnical 8 6 75
3 Structural 8 6 75
4 Transportation 8 5 63
5 Water Resources & Environmental 8 5 63
6 Hydraulics -- Closed Conduit 6 1 17
7 Hydraulics -- Open Channel 6 4 67
8 Hydrology 6 5 83
9 Groundwater and Well Fields 3 2 67
10 Wastewater Treatment 6 2 33
11 Water Quality 6 4 67
12 Water Treatment 6 4 67
13 Engineering Economics 1 1 100

you got killed in the item 6!

 

[PEoct]

Man, it stings. But considering my wife and I had our first child 6 weeks before the exam and I really hand't studied for it and was sleep deprived, it just fuel to study more for next time. Still a bummer that I have to wait another 6 months to retake it.

For a Grand total of 65% correct. (so flipping close!!!)

1 Construct ion 8 7 88

2 Geotechnical 8 6 75
3 Structural 8 6 75
4 Transportation 8 5 63
5 Water Resources & Environmental 8 5 63
6 Hydraulics -- Closed Conduit 6 1 17
7 Hydraulics -- Open Channel 6 4 67
8 Hydrology 6 5 83
9 Groundwater and Well Fields 3 2 67
10 Wastewater Treatment 6 2 33
11 Water Quality 6 4 67
12 Water Treatment 6 4 67
13 Engineering Economics 1 1 100

i am in the same boat IT SUCK THINKING U HAVE TO STUDY ANOTHER 6 MONTHS but u know what it will go by blink of an eye , we can DO IT.

 

[Mike M PE]

So I am 0 for 3 with the California exams. I have a wedding to attend in October so I'll be splitting my tests, state specific in oct, 8-hour next April.

I'd like some advice on this: I took my test in transportation and did poorly on all areas except geometric design, while the morning was cake (even got all 8 questions correct in geotech). My background at work is transportation but I did my undergrad and masters in structural, did I take the wrong test and should I do structural my next go around? I'm really comfortable with the manuals for structural and less so with transportation.

If you are comfortable with transportation then go for it! This test is all about getting the letters not the score or even the depth which you take to get it...

 

[Darkness07]

mmcdowell25_PE is correct. However, what do you do for your job NakedOrangie? If you do transportation for your work I recommend testing in this area as it will help you have knowledge where it matters most and you will find more purpose to your studying.

 

[lara123]

I can't pass surveying! What do you guys suggest I do? Only section I do good (proficient) is on calculations, the rest deficient. What materials should I review for the other sections?

 

[jbhay]

Failed on 2nd attempt on VA PE Civil-Structural.

Took School of PE before Oct 2013 exam and learned it allowed me to ace the AM portion, but not so much the PM portion, thus I spent January through March working mostly Structural problems and focusing less on the AM (did not re-take School of PE)...my diagnostics show that I improved on both AM/PM in April (overall 65% - so close! I feel the pain of a previous commenter above...) I did better and/or the same in more sections than I did worse, so that's great.

Frustrated for sure, and my first thoughts were, "Should I even do Structures in PM again?" Honestly, I wouldn't want to prepare for a completely new PM topic for the next exam - would rather utilize all the hours spent pouring through structural design and material codes and problems to try for that "third time's a charm". I remember specific "simple" mistakes I made on a few AM questions and definitely 2-3 PM "freebies" on questions whose solution was a simple look up in the PCI manual or AASHTO specs (which I had decided NOT to bring that second time around...)...meaning I was very close to passing.

Will probably approach studying very similar, understand the problems vs. studying the solutions, and be more prepared for the next time. Wasn't planning on taking it in October, but here we go again!

 

[calidude2000]

Hang in there! I took the FE three times and PE twice. Personal issues kept coming up. The thing to do is to stay focused and don't loose track. I was ready to rethink my options if I didn't pass it this time around. Study Study Study! Cannot stress taking an hour or two each day and maybe a few on the weekends. I sacrificed lots of free time with the family I and they knew it was for the best. At the end it was worth it.

Good luck to all of you. Stay focused on your goal! Never Give Up!

 

[NakedOrangie]

So I am 0 for 3 with the California exams. I have a wedding to attend in October so I'll be splitting my tests, state specific in oct, 8-hour next April.

I'd like some advice on this: I took my test in transportation and did poorly on all areas except geometric design, while the morning was cake (even got all 8 questions correct in geotech). My background at work is transportation but I did my undergrad and masters in structural, did I take the wrong test and should I do structural my next go around? I'm really comfortable with the manuals for structural and less so with transportation.

If you are comfortable with transportation then go for it! This test is all about getting the letters not the score or even the depth which you take to get it...

mmcdowell25_PE is correct. However, what do you do for your job NakedOrangie? If you do transportation for your work I recommend testing in this area as it will help you have knowledge where it matters most and you will find more purpose to your studying.

Thanks for the feedback! I am currently working on highway design while my previous job was based in DSDC (design services during construction) for our local rail agency. As I have only been in highway design for a short time (8 months), I feel like I am at a disadvantage for the afternoon transportation section. It seems like I will be sticking with transportation for work so I might as well stick with transportation for the PE. Here's to the next exam cycles (October and April)! As an aside: the cost of these CA exams are going to bankrupt me if I don't pass them soon.

I decided that I need to invest in some review courses, so I'm going to break out the purse strings and pay for the seismic and surveying review courses as I was extremely unprepared for both. I'm also considering taking a national review course but I would need to find one that focuses on the transportation depth (which I will ask about in the transportation sub-forum as my exam approaches next April).

 

[happy_sparr]

Thanks Road Guy. I plan to start studying again next week. I need to pass in Oct, it's my last chance.

You should take an on-line review course. I did the School of PE and I really liked it. I did the option of every night, except Fridays and it was three hours a night. It forced me to be diligent. GOOD LUCK! Study hard and give it all you got.

 

[happy_sparr]

Thanks Road Guy. I plan to start studying again next week. I need to pass in Oct, it's my last chance.

You should take an on-line review course. I did the School of PE and I really liked it. I did the option of every night, except Fridays and it was three hours a night. It forced me to be diligent. GOOD LUCK! Study hard and give it all you got.

I also did 5-8 hours of studying on Saturdays and 4-6 hours on Sunday.

 

[SNAPE/SMOTT PE]

Thanks Road Guy. I plan to start studying again next week. I need to pass in Oct, it's my last chance.

You should take an on-line review course. I did the School of PE and I really liked it. I did the option of every night, except Fridays and it was three hours a night. It forced me to be diligent. GOOD LUCK! Study hard and give it all you got.

I also did 5-8 hours of studying on Saturdays and 4-6 hours on Sunday.

Thanks! I'm actually going to do Dr. Tom's course for mechanical TFS. I really like how he explains things in his free videos. I think a review course is exactly what I need.

 

[happy_sparr]

Thanks Road Guy. I plan to start studying again next week. I need to pass in Oct, it's my last chance.

You should take an on-line review course. I did the School of PE and I really liked it. I did the option of every night, except Fridays and it was three hours a night. It forced me to be diligent. GOOD LUCK! Study hard and give it all you got.

I also did 5-8 hours of studying on Saturdays and 4-6 hours on Sunday.

Thanks! I'm actually going to do Dr. Tom's course for mechanical TFS. I really like how he explains things in his free videos. I think a review course is exactly what I need.

I think because you have one last time before you have to jump through more hoops, it is best to just dish out for the course. You can do it!!! One thing that helped me was creating a table of contents for my practice problems. That way I could quick reference problems. Skipping the first problem. A lot of different professors in my School of PE class said to do that. Hummm, what else..... conversions. I had a lot of conversions. A table with short cut for conversions is helpful. One that is easier to handle than the big huge reference manual. Just study and study and go in giving it all that you have. Dig deep!!! Good luck!