Passing the PE Exam: Advancing Your Career

Riku graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Environmental Engineering, and he has been working at Barghausen for about 3.5 years. He chose to pursue engineering because he has always excelled at problem-solving, and felt that engineering was a field of work that complemented those strengths.

"In preparation for the P.E. Exam, I typically studied 10-20 hours weekly for 3 months. I used the School of P.E. On-Demand classes, and the NCEES practice exam and found it useful. The most challenging aspect of the exam process was trying to maintain a good work/life balance while studying. I made it a goal to study for at least an hour every day from Monday to Thursday and dedicate an entire day to studying on the weekend. If you are planning on taking the P.E. Exam, my advice is to give yourself at least 2-3 months to study. Also, do as many practice tests and problems as possible.

Obtaining my P.E. license allows me to be involved in more advanced projects that help me showcase my skills and how much I have learned and grown since I started working as an engineer. I’m still relatively early in my career, so I want to keep learning from those around me and be involved in as many projects as I can that will help me fine-tune my skills and grow into a stronger engineer. It opens many more opportunities for me to be challenged and grow outside my comfort zone. I think this is critical to me gaining more experience and advancing my talents."

Barry Talkington, P.E. said, "Riku joined Barghausen 3.5 years ago and works on the Residential Development Team. His willingness to learn anything and take on any challenge to meet a deadline is greatly appreciated. What is most impressive is Riku’s unwavering dedication to providing superior service to our clients and team members while studying for the P.E. Exam; which he passed this winter. Having your professional license is a major achievement in an engineer’s career and something that they should be very proud of. Congratulations Riku!"

Teague Aalvik graduated from the University of Washington in 2015 with a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering. He has been working at Barghausen Consulting Engineers, Inc. for over 9 years.

"I live in Kent, WA with my wife and 2 children who are 1 and a half, and 3 years old. My wife is a nurse with King County, and we have been married for 5 years. Originally, I wanted to be an architect when I first applied to schools. My grandpa was an architect who owned his own firm. I grew up looking at his sites and building plans, and he would wrap Christmas gifts in his old redlines. I got into Gonzaga University, and since they did not offer an architectural program, I decided to major in civil engineering to stay in a similar field. It turned out that civil engineering has many of the same concepts that I associated with architects while I grew up.

To prepare for the P.E. Exam, I took an online review course called EET (Engineer Education and Training). This is a very helpful course that provides a ton of practice problems, practice exams in all forms, and a very comprehensive course on all the topics covered in the exam. They are very diligent in updating their material to the latest version of the test and were able to provide the latest version of the test booklet. With 2 kids at home, it was a huge hurdle to find the time to study. My wife was extremely helpful in finding the time for me to study for a full day on the weekends and sometime during the weekdays after work.

If you are planning on taking the P.E. Exam, I would advise setting a consistent schedule for yourself and then signing up for a date to take the exam as soon as you begin studying. Having an end date helped me avoid over-preparing, and gave me a general timeline to study.

My professional goals are to have my name on a project that I can be proud of. I enjoy the work that I do, and having the ability to put my name on what I am working on means a lot to me. this is a major step towards being able to associate myself more with the work that I am doing

Carmen Clinch graduated from the University of Washington in 2021 with a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering. Carmen has worked for Barghausen Consulting Engineers, Inc. for over 3 years.

"I pursued a civil engineering degree because the coursework interested me. I liked the idea of working in design and seeing the designs come to life. To study for the exam, I took a review course from Engineering Education and Training (EET) and created a study schedule for myself. The EET program is very thorough, and I felt confident leaving the exam because of it!

When preparing for the exam, I had to sacrifice quality time with my friends and family. I had to remember that it was just temporary and that if I studied well the first time, I would miss out on less in the future. My advice to anyone who is preparing for the P.E. Exam is to set aside one day on the weekend to study and one day to rest.

In the future, I hope to become a senior-level manager and have a team working under me to continue serving our clients. Having your license can provide numerous advantages, including being able to stamp and sign off on projects. This will help as I continue to grow, and I can eventually use the license to stamp my team's plans directly."

Ashley Han graduated from the University of Washington with a B.S. in Environmental Engineering in 2019. Ashley has worked at Barghausen Consulting Engineers, Inc. for over 4 years.

"As a Korean American civil engineer, I learned to appreciate the value of hard work and the importance of serving the community. Consistent efforts go a long way, and for 2 months, I studied every day after work for a couple of hours. My colleagues and I can't recommend the EET course enough. The course well over prepared us for the exam. During the exam, I flagged all the questions that I spent more than 5 minutes on so I could focus on them last. If you are preparing to take the P.E. Exam, remember that 'slow and steady wins the race.' Give yourself ample time to study for the exam.

In the future, I want to continuously expand my knowledge and continue to commit to teamwork and problem-solving. Obtaining my P.E. license is the stepping stone to achieving many other milestones. I learned a lot about consistent, disciplined efforts in preparing for the P.E. Exam, and it will serve me well in all my personal and professional goals."