Failed the PE Again...Any Other Job Ideas For an EIT? 16

[joestar3]

Hello,

Well, results for the PE Exam were posted yesterday (for Texas anyway), and I've failed it for the fourth time in a row (by one question, same as the last time I took it). I blame myself for not studying enough (although our heavy workload has been at least partly to blame, and the lack of pure design work that gets sent my way).

But now I'm pretty much screwed, since the next time I can take it is in October 2011, and I'll have to take the new 16 hour exam. Meanwhile, at least one of my coworkers will be taking the exam and will most likely pass, further marginalizing my standing in the office.

Anyway, getting to the point; between this and other factors (such as the potential liability vs. salary issue) I'm getting disillusioned and bitter about my job, and I'm wondering if I'm just not cut out for this. I guess my question is whether anyone has any ideas about jobs that people with engineering training could do, or jobs that you've heard of that are conducive to a switch from engineering. I appreciate any input; thank you!

 

[BJC]

joestar3
Have you considered a political career?

 

[SNORGY]

I agree with all posters above who chalk the failure up to problems associated with taking exams versus problems associated with technical competence.

I have the Mechanical FE study materials (for my own interest...I have a perfectly good career in Canada), and I can honestly state that without *at least* several months of studying, at this stage in my life (30 years out of school), there is little chance that I would pass it with flying colours. I just don't solve problems *quickly* enough. Doesn't mean I'm a bad engineer...just means I'd have trouble passing an exam of that nature now.

Keep at it...study and sit the next one. Use the time lag to your advantage. Don't wait thirty years...

Regards,

SNORGY.

 

[joestar3]

I actually appreciate B16A2's and SpecialEddie's posts, despite the fact that they need to work on their bedside manner.

I attribute my failure to different things, which include the fact that I didn't study enough. I could make up excuses about my work week or the fact that I'm out of town at least half of the week, but I won't, because it's my fault for not coming up with a way to study around it.

I did quite well on topics that were related to things that actually come up in work, which is why it's no surprise I had trouble with AASHTO, as I do not design bridges and will probably never do so. So the problem is figuring out how to study those topics effectively.

Just out of curiosity though, how did you get the idea that I was taking the Civil Structural exam?

Anyway, thanks again to all posters/cheerleaders/detractors.

 

[B16A2]

I design buildings as well. Here's a thought...Buy the AASHTO, pretend you're designing a few bridges (you obviously know what types of questions NCEES will ask since you took the test 4 times) and tab the heck out of it as you solve the problems. Then when you pass the test you sell it back on ebay. Thanks for the jab.

 

[joestar3]

Well, make a snarky post, get a snarky answer . Sound advice though, despite the riposte.

I suppose the biggest challenge is dealing with the organizational nightmare that is the most recent AASHTO code (at least, compared to other codes). No excuses though.

 

[HgTX]

joestar3--if you're not even doing much direct design work, and you're in Texas, which has neither separate SE licensing nor seismic design requirements, then the Civil exam (perhaps with the Structural afternoon portion) may be more suited to your job.

As I recall, most of the design engineers working for the state DOT have taken the Civil exam (those who are young enough not to have been grandfathered in from pre-exam days, that is). And the state DOT has some pretty good bridge designers. I wouldn't sneer at any of them for not having taken the Structural exam.

Even the structural afternoon portion of the Civil exam can be a challenge for someone whose normal job duties don't really involve much design.

I do think it's legitimate to ask yourself if you're cut out for it--but doesn't your normal job performance, rather than an artificial test, give you a more realistic answer to that question?


Me, I took the Civil exam but I'm thinking about taking the Structural exam sometime in the future. I, too, do not do much in the way of direct design work in my job, and I am going to be entirely dependent on study materials rather than experience to pass the test--and there really isn't that much out there in the way of exam prep material for the bridge side. Especially the bridge side for the upcoming new format.

Hg

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[msquared48]

SpecialEddie:

I have to disagree with you in part here that "The work place not elementary school."

I, for one, would not have passed the tests that I did without the constant mentoring of senior engineers. If they are not mentoring their juniors, as far as I am concerned, they are not doing their job. That is what I constantly tgry to do here to the best of my ability, and I commend the OP for coming to this forum for advice. Never stop asking questions...

Although work is not "elementary" school, the teaching is an inherent part of professional growth, and an investment in the furure of the firm and the indivicual. There is no better place to get an education through experience than in the workplace. After all, remember that we all "practice" engineering. We ALL are always learning. Never forget that.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
Motto: KISS
Motivation: Don't ask

 

[ash060]

joestar3 - I feel your pain. I took the PE Exam a couple of years back but it feels like yesterday. Luckily I only had to take it once.

I had the same problem with AASHTO. I never have designed bridges or do I ever care to do so. But my strategy during the test was to ignore the bridge problems and just focus on the building problems. During each part of the test I would have about an hour left after solving the building problems. I would use that last hour to scour the AASHTO code for the answers, and it still didn't seem like enough time but I got some right because I was able to spend about 10-12 minutes per problem.

I hope this helps.

 

[HgTX]

New exam, for what it's worth, will let you pick building vs. bridge and only do one. (Which is more than I can say for the structural PM component of the Civil exam, which seemed to require that you know bridge AND building AND steel AND masonry AND wood...)

Hg

Eng-Tips policies: faq731-376

 

[SpecialEddie]

Hi Mike,

That is not at all what I meant. I agree that mentoring is a very valuable experience for those of us that are able to receive it. And I do agree with many others that our younger engineers are not mentored as they should be, if at all... It seems now the trend is to throw young engineers into the deep end of the pool and leave them to sink or swim. Unfortunately, many are drowning.

What I meant by that statement was to address atleng's position that "...When a young engineer says "I'm not cut out for this" that tells me his boss isn't encouraging to you. Shame on him." All the encouragement and mentoring in the world is not going to help any engineer pass the PE exam if they aren't going to take it upon themselves and study. And I mean really study. If you have to take the PE exam 5 times -- you are not studying! I don't care what anybody says. What I meant is that young engineers have to take it upon themselves to study and no one can force them to do that. If the flunkee is not studying, then why "shame on him [the employer]?" That is what I meant when I said that his opinion was ridiculous.

The OP needs to find time to study, period. My response was meant in no way to disrespect the OP. It was just to point out to that as mentors we can provide all the teaching, guidance, and, yes, encouragement. But if our young engineers are not even motivated enough to sit down and really study and apply themselves to sufficiently prepare for the PE exam, that tells me they lack motivation. If you lack motivation, that usually indicates that you lack passion. And if you lack passion, then well, maybe you really aren't in the business you are supposed to be in.

That's all I meant...

Best of luck to you Joestar, really.

Regards,
Eddie

 

[slickdeals]

I don't agree completely with ash060. Since you have already taken the PE exam a few times, you should know by now as to how important the AASHTO code is for the exam.

I recommend spending time familiarizing yourself with the important chapters such as Ch 3,4,5 and 6. Make sure you look at the Table of Contents and Indexes to familiarize yourself.

You may find that getting 2-4 AASHTO questions right (which may be as simple as a code lookup) will mean the difference between passing and failing.

Test taking is all about the confidence you go in with. You cannot go into an exam confidently if you know that in the back of your head you have not touched AASHTO. Why take the chance when you don't have to?

This is my $0.02 having taken and passed the SE-1 in the first attempt last April. I must tell you that I had a good chunk of bridge.

Download this design aid for reference. It is super useful

http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/esc/techpubs/manual/bridgemanuals/bridge-design-aids/page/bda_9_1.pdf

Good luck.

 

[steellion]

Slickdeals, that is terrific. I'm taking the Structural I in October. Any other handy design aids to help pare down the massive AASHTO manual?

 

[HgTX]

The OP may consider taking time off work to study (in addition to the study patterns already established in the last few attempts). I was supposed to be given time to study during work hours, but it wasn't happening--after making that promise, they kept giving me new assignments to work on. So finally I just took some vacation time to get in some long uninterrupted study hours. (This is more feasible, of course, if you have decent vacation time.)

Hg

Eng-Tips policies: faq731-376

 

[slickdeals]

I second that HgTX. I took 5 days off work during March and the week off before the exam. It is just better to take your mind off work, email and that stress.

 

[slickdeals]

I am not sure of how useful this will be in the exam, but does not hurt to have it.

http://www.aisc.org/assets/0/1209478/1209480/d66f4277-db3f-4660-b036-4388dc9e54f2.pdf

Also I found these snow load examples published by SEAW useful since I have never ever designed for Snow Loads

http://www.seaw.org/documents/SEAW Snow Load Manual Supplemental Examples 2008.pdf

 

[beej67]

You could look at it as a blessing in disguise.

Go into banking. I hear when they screw up they get a bailout instead of a lawsuit.

Seriously.



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