The PE Exam - It's Not Hard; It's Just Different

*Please note, this guest blog is the opinion and experience of one professional preparing for the exam in the state of Texas. Anyone taking the exam in other states will want to ensure they abide by their Board's rules and regulations. The tips and pointers generously shared by this young alum are simply that. 

What do you want to be when you grow up? If you were to have asked me at 13 years old, I would have answered with “Marine Biologist”. Did you know that dolphins sleep with one eye opened and one eye closed? I lived for marine fun facts (and still do!). One afternoon, my Dad rained on my parade. He broke the news that I would have to swim with sharks. In my head, I only wanted to swim with dolphins. Realistic, right?

Nearly fourteen years later, I traded the vast ocean for a neon vest and a hard hat. I graduated from the University of Oklahoma in May 2013 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. In my profession, I am not yet considered an engineer (although I have my degree). To be considered an engineer, one must complete a series of tasks: the first of which is passing the Professional Engineering exam. I know what you are thinking. I thought it too. Just because you are out of school doesn’t mean you are done with exams. That’s the cold, hard truth.

After months of establishing myself as a regular at Starbucks, I am proud to say that I did it! I passed the PE exam. Although the initial excitement has settled down over the past few weeks, part of me remains shocked. I wish I could tell you that there is a secret to passing, but I would be lying. Everyone is different, and the exam is ever evolving. However, I found that there are some things that I wish I would have known from the start:

1.     Preparation:

¨  Enroll in a course. The easiest way to prepare for this exam is to take a class designed to help you pass.

¨  When choosing a course, find one that comes with a guarantee of passing. No, this isn’t magic. You won’t pass the exam just because you enrolled in this class. You need to study. A guarantee ensures that you may take the class again (for free) if you do not pass the exam.

¨  Do not schedule a class the month before the exam. Give yourself enough time to take several practice exams before the big day.

2.     References:

¨  Start obtaining your references early. Do your research; what will you need for the exam? 
      Your course will help tremendously with this 
      as they provide most of the references for you.

¨  Find an easy way to transport your references. Personally, I used a mobile filing cart. You 
      may find this at Office Depot for approximately $25. Listed below are a few more ideas:

·  Wagons

·  Crates

·  Boxes

·  Coolers (my personal favorite!)

3.     Day of the exam:

¨  Leave your cell phone in your car. Once you are in the exam room, you cannot leave without permission. If you do have your cell phone, the best advice I could give would be to hand it over to an exam proctor. If you keep your cell phone and it rings or buzzes during the exam, your test may become void and you could get evicted. All that hard work would have been for nothing.

¨  Bring a water bottle. Yes, you may bring a water bottle into the exam. Drink enough to stay content during the exam, but don’t drink too much as you will be wasting valuable time in the restroom.

¨  Pack your lunch the day before. Unless you have a YETI cooler (or something similar), pack more dry goods. After sitting in the Texas heat for hours, my sandwich became inedible.

¨  Bring earbuds. I wore earbuds during the exam as we were notified in advance of the construction in rooms next to ours.

¨  Wear a watch. Odds are you will find yourself in a room with no clock or a room so big that you will not be able to see the clock.

4.     After the exam:

¨  Do not share information about the exam. It is illegal to discuss specific questions. Do your part and honor the system.

¨  Celebrate the end of the exam by planning something fun. This is the MOST important advice I have for you today. Doing this creates something that you can work towards. For instance, I planned a trip to Yellowstone. I wanted to be ‘off the grid’ after months of being so connected. My friend traveled to France after the exam. Other ideas could include skydiving, splurging on a pair of cowboy boots, etc. No matter how you felt about the exam, spoil yourself. Have fun. Do something you have always wanted to do.

During this process, I received a ton of advice (even if I didn’t ask for it). For instance, I was told that the exam is easier than the practice exams. However, I found that the actual exam was much harder than the practice exams. Lesson learned: ask for advice but understand that your experience may differ from those who took it before you.

It’s not hard; it’s just different. This is one of the infamous lessons my Dad taught me at a young age. Little did he know back then that I would apply this to how I approached the Professional Engineering exam. Hopefully, this will help you too. Good luck!

Author: Ceara Parks, Civil Engineering '13

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