PE Exam (passing scores)??? 6

[bpsmith]

Hey Everyone,

This will make the 2nd time I have took the pe exam (civil) in NC. I currently have around 7.5 yrs experience behind me (rdwy design and traffic eng). Unfortunately, I am starting to feel as if I am pretty 'dumb'!

I took the exam the first time to just get a feel for how the exam was and the type of questions that would be thrown at me. The 2nd time I signed up for a review class and threw lots of $$$ into many reference books outside of Lindenburg based of the first exam. I studied my --- off based off the first exam and even learned my weakest module 'water resources'. After taking the review class and working numerous problems in 'transportation' out of the Lindenburg problem book, I felt as if I was ready to conquer this test. During the am portion of the exam felt as if I did great, the pm portion I ran out of time and ended up guessing alot at the end (there is no way those afternoon problems are 6 mins each).

After the exam I felt as if the least I could have made was a 48 out of 80 HMMM...not so says my NCEES and NCBELS even though my score went up by 10pts from the previous test. This time I scored a 41.56pts.

I have read sites and they have said that the grey area for the exam is between 48 to 56 or 45 to 50 (out of 80 questions).

Regardless of what the passing number is, I'm not getting something obviously...(lol...the right answers)

Could you guys please take a look at my breakdown and give me some good advice on whether I should retake this test again in Apr or wait until Oct to retake it.

am environmental 25%
structures 50%
geotech 50%
transp 63%
water resources 38%

pm traffic analysis 73%
transp plan/const 43%
geometric design 63%
geotech 60%
water resources 56%

Thanks

 

[namdv]

Listen guys: Don't argue with Rick Kitson. He has a P.Eng that means he has Canadian Engineer license (P.Eng exam is only 3hrs). If he come to Texas to work, he would not have to take the FE or PE exam; in Texas everybody now has to write PE exam except if one has: 1/has Ph.D. in Engineering or 2/has Canadian P.Eng license with at least 12 yrs exp.

 

[DaveVikingPE]

Sez HgTX, "Structural is MUCH harder than any of the other four PM exams."

Viking Power! I took Civil PE, Structural PM and passed on the first shot... and I was twelve years out of school... What was toughest for me was Environmental Engineering. Water resources/fluids was quite easy, though, as the equations "stop" at some point. Structural equations, man, there's stuff piled on top of each other. Yet, structural is what I dig, so dig it I must.

Never mind how hard the PE, structural or not, is, consider that it is FUN to study and FUN to take engineering exams. We're not our respective fields 'coz they're expensive hobbies, eh?

bpsmith, the breakdown you gave us indicates to me that you didn't study with the right intensity (or any intensity), but "winged it" relying on your work experience. Yes, you've indicated that you took a prep class and bought a lot of books. But did you do every problem in those books? Was the class a chore or a crutch or what? Did you put aside EVERYTHING other than studying up to exam time?

Even the super-geniuses I know (certainly not myself) took studying for the PE deadly serious. And that meant focusing exclusively on passing the exam - from six months out.

 

[gibfrog]

Bpsmith:

The PE exam was an insult - 80 questions to become a PE. But I am an excellent test taker and I was properly prepared. I took the PE exam 18 years out of college in Civil Engineering - Water Resources (passed 1st try with a high grade) and my degree was in BSChE but my practice is mostly Land Development. Here is how to succeed, but you must WORK hard.

1)

http://www.ppi2pass.com

You must buy the CURRENT Lindberg CERM and the solutions manual. You also should sign up for the online review course (Use to be called the Passing Zone) The online course has a weekly curriculum - follow it like a bible and you may need to buy an additional reference where they take their weekly problems from). TAKE 6 MONTHS TO PREPARE. You must read and TAB the complete Civil Engineer's Refence Manual and solve every problem in 4 out of 5 disclipines. Do not forget the Introduction, the Appendices or the Errata. One discipline will be your sacrifice one, mine was structures - yours will be Environmental or Water Resources. - I recommend to sacrifice Environmental - see CERM or the website for the percentage breakdowns for your PM concentration. The site

http://www.ppi2pass.com

is also a wealth of good info - read the FAQ's.

2) You must buy the NCEES Civil Practice & Principles sample test booklet (~25% of this booklet will be on the test.)

3) You will need only three books to pass the exam. I took four boxes of books but only three were useful. CERM, the NCEES Practice test and the 1" binder that you will make during your studies. The 1" binder cover, you will insert a photo copy of the units conversions from CERM, with important ones highlighted. You will only need to grab the 1" binder and look at the front/rear cover for all units conversions. Inside you will have summaries of the important equations - also various forms of these equations that you used to solve problems (and CERM reference pages noted.) Please note - for Transportation you may need 2 more books - HCM and the AASHTO manual - use the editions that the exam specifies, may not be the current one. However, if you chose to takes these book to the exam, you must use them in your review. You must be intimately familiar with all references or they will just waste your time.

4) Start an exercise routine - like walking and find a mantra to repeat & relax with. Mine was "When in doubt, take the easy way out" because I was always making the problems more difficult than they really were.

5) Do not study for the test that you failed, study to pass the new exam. Most test re-takers are doomed to fail because they study the exam that they failed and the new exam will be different. Use your results as a guide, but they were not good enough to assume that you do not need to review all 5 disciplines. Just because Environmental will be your sacrifice, you should be able to at least get 50% on the am in Environmental. Concepts are important. Remember to ask questions during your online review course. At the end of the course, you will able to ask any question, but during the course you must stay on topic. Basically 2 weeks per discipline.

6) If you took more than 2-3 minutes per problem, you did not know the material well enough. Virtually all problems can be solved in under 3 minutes, if you are well prepared. I was over prepared, but it was important to me to pass the exam on my first try after waiting so long. Be ruthless and confident. Attack the exam and BEAT IT! Save time to review. Pace yourself.

Sincerely yours,





Clifford H Laubstein
FL PE 58662

 

[CDO863]

Hello,
I just had to throw in this comment, since I am sitting for the PR this April:

I work in the land development sector of civil engineering. The disciplines I have to choose from are Structural, Geotech, Water Resources, Transportation, and Environmental. None of these are really comparable with my daily work.

I have decided to take the Transportation PM portion, which includes 65% transportation, 25% water resources and 10% geotech.

Wish me luck!!

 

[proletariat]

bpsmith -

I took the PE in North Carolina. I was working for DOT at the time, and they sponsored an extensive review class in conjunction with NC State. The class takes place on Centennial Campus and is taught by NC State professors and local business people. I'm going to assume you got your undergrad from NC State so you will know who I am talking about. Dr. Hummer does transportation, Dr. Lambe does geotech, and Dr. Nau does structural. There is a guy from the private sector that does water resources and hydraulics, but he is excellent. The only teacher who wasn't excellent was the construction guy, whose name I won't mention.

People other than DOT can take the class, and it is worth it whatever the price. I came from construction and administration, and consider this class integral in my passing the PE.

 

[proletariat]

Additionally...

Focus on three areas. My three were transportation, water, and geotech. I studied little or no structural, construction, and materials. My strategy (as advised by the prep class) was to NAIL three subjects cold and not worry about the others.

 

[BelspringKen]

I am a "repeat taker" too.

Guess you have made your decision by now.

I radically changed my study routine & attack plan.
I have worked types of problems that I did not work before, I made a binder with helpful formulas and conversions, taking a review class, got all the ref. books (Transpo) that are relevant.

 

[queque]

If you take the exam and do or do not pass, you can review the results. They are available from the St. Board of Registration.
All the advice above is excellent. I am a math major and passed the EIT and PE exams with extensive review of the materials mentioned above.

 

[iowaman]

I took in in 1989 and passed the first time. Like I tell all my cohorts in the Sacto area, take Lindbergs Class at a local Junior College, (go to PPI2pass.com). The ones that listened to my advice also passed either the first time or the second time.

Back then, as I believe is still true now, the course was one night per week, went through one subject per week, you do homework (the practice problems....yes all of them) and turn them in the following week. The homework took me anywhere from 10 to 15 hrs per week (I remember sitting down for every Saturday and half a Sunday and religiously working the problems). What I realized after doing all the homework was that there were alot of subjects I originally didn't think I could tackle in an exam, and they ended up being the easy ones, and likewise others which I thought were going to be easy were were difficult.

I also remember the price of the class, it was not cheap. I remember that my previous employer required that I submit proof that I succefully passed the class before I could get reimbursed. That to me served as additional motivation to study hard. Also the thought of having to take that class again, and study for the test a 2nd time was not pleasant.

In summary take an organized approach and study your a$$ off, and approach it with the attitude that you are going to only do it once.

 

[cvg]

my employer required proof that I passed the exam in order to get my fees for taking the exam reimbursed - another motivating factor for passing the first time around...