A Guide to Passing the P.E. Exam

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The P.E. Exam

In the engineering field, earning a Professional Engineer (P.E.) license is one of the most significant achievements. This certification reflects an engineer's expertise, dedication, and commitment to upholding the profession's highest standards. The exam, which is computer-based and is available year-round. Engineers can choose from various P.E. exams based on their area of specialization, such as Civil: Construction, Civil: Geotechnical, Civil: Structural, Civil: Transportation, and Civil: Water Resources and Environmental. Passing the exam enables engineers to apply for licensure, allowing them to stamp civil engineering plans in the state where they are licensed.

Kaleb Mapstead, P.E.

Project Engineer at Barghausen Consulting Engineers, Inc.

"My name is Kaleb Mapstead, and I got into civil engineering because I pulled it out of a hat when I was trying to figure out what major to choose before enrolling in college. Really, it was just the luck of the draw, and I figured “Sure I could do that” and usually once I decide on something I stick with it.

I purchased an online course administered by EET to get up to speed as well as several other question banks of varying difficulty to prepare from. I found that obtaining material from different sources was very helpful as the NCEES practice exam covers only surface-level concepts. There is a lot more that can be asked during the exam.

The major challenges I encountered largely involved the academic nature of the study and the impracticality of some of the material. I found myself repeating “We’d never actually do it this way in the real world” or “I’d just solve this in CAD instead of by hand”. It took a bit to get out of that headspace, instead focusing those frustrations on taking the exam once and being done with it.

The biggest help was developing a schedule to study against and sticking to it, I planned for 5 months of studying nearly every day. Other key advice is to practice and solve as many problems from different study materials as possible using only the allowed references and the NCEES handbook. I ended up somewhere between 700-1000 problems solved and even then, I still had some difficulty with subjects/concepts during the exam. You won’t know all of it, instead, focus on developing the skills necessary to read a problem and know what it is asking and a general idea of where to find the sections needed to answer the question.

After obtaining my P.E. license, I am focusing on supporting my wife in her studies to obtain her LSIT. She cared for almost everything in our life for 5 months while I studied.

Right now, obtaining my P.E. license doesn't change much for me, but I am sure it’ll come in handy down the road. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with individuals who expect my work to be at or above the level of a P.E. long before I passed the test."

Nazariy Nazarchuk

Design Engineer at Barghausen Consulting Engineers, Inc.

"I’ve always been fascinated by city infrastructure, development, and systems that make our modern life function. This interest led me to pursue a career in civil engineering. I’m particularly interested to learn more about land development and play an active role in our community.

I began preparing three months before the PE exam. I set aside time each week to study for the exam. First, I familiarized myself with the relevant codes and standards. Then, I refreshed the topics from my previous coursework and learned new concepts I was as familiar with. I found practice problems and practice exams especially helpful.

My biggest challenge was retaining what I studied while managing exam-day nerves. To stay focused, I took deep breaths and approached each question methodically while pacing myself within the time limits.

My advice is to spend time focusing on understanding the ‘why’ and ‘how’ behind topics and questions. Simply knowing how to solve specific problems is limiting. Grasping underlying principles boosts your ability to tackle more complex and unfamiliar questions.

A key goal for my engineering career is to make a positive, lasting impact on people – both within my workplace and through the projects I contribute to.

Obtaining my PE license will equip me with valuable qualifications, allowing me to be a key contributor to projects within the AEC industry."

Resources

Learn more about the P.E. Exam here: PE Exam | NCEES

Check out the NCEES P.E. Exam Reference Handbook: PE Exam Reference Handbook