PE afternoon test?

[jas76]

HI:

I am going to take PE test next year. I don't which part to take for the afternoon test. I got my degree in Structural Engineering. But I cannot find a job in this field. Now, I am working in Landdevelopment field. Most of work relate to grading, stormwater and permitting. Maybe, I am going to take exam in water resource engineering. But, I still feel very comfortabel with structural engineering. Is there anyone has similar experience or someone can give me some idea?

Thanks

 

[jadyn137]

Take what you are most comfortable with. Be warned. GO REALLY REALLY FAST. Its not anything to do with skill. Its more about speed.

 

[SlideRuleEra]

Take a look at this thread, comments from HgTX may be of help to you: thread194-105600

 

[Ron]

jadyn137....if you don't get the right answer, it doesn't matter how fast you work the problems.

 

[jadyn137]

Ron... Ron, Ron, Ron, Ron. When I get the right answer. I don't have enough of them. Its one or the other. Put yourself in the position of the customer. Would you rather have a skillful engineer and wait 10 weeks for your project to be delivered, or have a quick one who is not skillful, and get it in eight weeks? You decide.

 

[BobPE]

LOL jadyn137....Bad advice, the test is all about skill....have you taken it before?

jas76:

Take the component you think you will feel most comfortable with. I have a friend that was trained in civil/structural who took the structural exam..he had a heck of a time with it and his career focused on building structural design so it was not for lack of structural experience. Pick up some practice exams and look them over for the various disiplines, I think you will find what you are comfortable with.

let us know how you make out...

BobPE

 

[jadyn137]

Bob.. I have taken the test four times. I passed the survey portion the first time and the 8 hour on the third. (once missing by about three questions) I have the skill, just not the blazing speed that is required. How is fifty problems in two hours based on skill?

 

[jadyn137]

Bob, I should have also stated that I was speaking of the California Seismic portion of the PE Exam. The 8 hour.. yeah.. more skill than speed, but you still need to boogie at a pretty good pace.

 

[BobPE]

jadyn137:

I know where you are coming from, I think the 8 hour test is about 6 minutes per question when you figure it out. The CA earthquake seems ever more crazy at 2.4 minutes per question from what you stated.

I wasn't busting on you, it is just really important that even though it is relatively anonymous here, our advice may be taken to heart and impact a lot of people, or just plain scare the hell out of them....

take care...

BobPE

 

[HgTX]

Without repeating too much of what I said in the other thread (even though it was all absolutely brilliant of course), I will say that it is worth your while, once you've done the overall review for the morning session, to flip through the sample questions for all 5 afternoon components. You might be surprised at which component(s) seem doable.

Hg

 

[BobPE]

LOL HgTX....

engineering is so much fun mostly because we are all BRILLIANT!!!! and it is so much fun to toy with those that are not...LOL

I did read that thread, it is good btw....

BobPE

 

[LHA]

I am a Water Resources guy, but I believe my strategy would work for any Civil. Our field is too broad for any one genius to master all in. So...

I believe by the time you study for the PE, you are already far more of an expert than the test requires in your field (Water Resources, for me). You are also already probably proficient enough in your other major related fields (Env. for me), OR can get there with just a good general review reference (Transport and Geo for me). You probably also are darned near clueless in fields which you don't practice (the dreaded Structural for me).

To your question, HgTX has the right idea for your case. Look at them all. But only for a moment!

Take your old text books to the exam, although I really didn't use them. Get intimately familiar with a good general civil ref...I am a Lindberg devotee. Lindberg has a Quick Ref which parallels the Review Manual. THAT is all I used for most of the test, because I had studied and sketched notes in it.

Don't even bother to study areas you don't work in. There is no time to falter around with textbook solutions, etc. You will do fine, if you master your areas of strength.

Peace, Love and Out (PLO)
--Steve

 

[HgTX]

I still have to disagree with "don't bother to study areas you don't work in". You need them all for the morning portion. You don't have to study them that hard (I just went through the CD-ROM), but you have to study them.

Hg

 

[chicopee]

Stick to your educational background, ie, structural engineering.