Which PE Exam Should I Take?

Are you done with your engineering degree and intend to attempt the licensing exam? It is indeed a very good idea, but choosing the right PE exam is quite confusing. The choice of the exam determines whether you’ll become a professional engineer or fail the test wasting your time and money. Therefore, it is better to choose wisely.

This article is all about your question, “Which PE exam should I take?”. We will discuss all the aspects related to choice. Therefore, keep reading to get all your queries answered.

 

PE Exam Engineering Disciplines

The “National Council of Examiners conducts PE exam for Engineering and Surveying®” (NCEES). Everyone with a four years engineering degree can take this exam. You can choose the engineering discipline matching your degree from their website. Following are some of the disciplines mentioned on their website:

•   Chemical engineering
•   Mechanical engineering
•   Nuclear engineering
•   Civil engineering
•   Architectural engineering
•   Computer engineering
•   Metallurgical engineering
•   Naval engineering
•   Fire protection
•   Mineral processing
•   Industrial systems

 

Which PE Exam Should You Take?

After clearing the FE exam, a graduate engineer can immediately take a PE exam. As mentioned earlier, the PE exam can be taken in many engineering disciplines. However, choosing the right discipline for your exam is a very important decision to take. This decision will decide the type of your engineering license. Therefore, be vigilant enough and decide considering all the relevant factors.

 

Following two factors are very important to consider;

 

1-Based on your Interest & Professional Background

It highly depends upon your interest in the discipline and whether you will pass the exam or not. Clearly, you will have a sound grip over your subject of interest, and it would be relatively easier to pass. 

Therefore, don’t lose your chances by experimenting with new subjects. For instance, if you enjoy studying chemical engineering, then never go for an electrical one.

The second important thing is your professional background. Your experience matters the most. If you have worked for two years as a nuclear engineer, you would automatically know more about nuclear stations than marine engineers. Thus, choosing the field according to your degree gives you an extra edge.

 

2- Based on PE Exams Difficulty Level and Passing Rates

Another important factor is the difficulty level. Some exams are relatively more difficult than others. For instance, the water resources PE exam is one of the easiest engineering exams, while structural depth is considered the hardest. It may not be right for you, but many students go with this opinion. On the same grounds, you can compare the difficulty levels of other disciplines by asking freshly licensed students.

Passing rates are also different for different disciplines. According to 2021 statistics, the passing ratio for first-time takers was according to this table.

 

Structural discipline

Transportation

Geotechnical

Water resources

           

Does It Matter Which PE Exam You Take?

To answer this question in a single line, we would say, “No, it doesn’t matter”. You can take a PE exam of your choice regardless of your degree. This exam will bring you a license to be recognized as a professional engineer, nothing else. Therefore, choose the discipline matching your interest and take the exam to perform best.

If you could perform well enough to get a license, then it will add value to your resume. Employers will also trust you more and job opportunities will increase. Thus, your only focus should be on performing better, not the type of exam.

 

Which PE Exam is the Easiest?

We can’t say exactly which exam is the easiest as it varies from person to person. The exam that seems easiest to me might be the most difficult for you. However, according to many engineers, the water resources PE exam is the easiest to pass.

As mentioned in the above table, the passing percentage was 71% for the water resources exam. Similarly, transportation PE was 2nd rank (70% pass percentage) and so on. Also, most of the engineers cleared it in the first attempt.

 

Which PE Exam is the Hardest?

According to NCEES stats, the structural depth and geotechnical exams are the hardest of civil PE exams. Only 64% and 55% of students managed to clear it in the first attempt. You will have to consistently study for PE exam for 3 to 6 months to clear it, no matter which exam. But again, it depends on your interest and efforts.

 

Conclusion

This article was a complete guide to your question, “Which PE exam should I take?” We hope you got all your answers and have become better able to compare different exams. It is good to consider statistics, but your interest should be your priority.

 

PE Electrical Exam is the Final Step to Professional Engineer Licensure

Often you will find engineers talking about taking up FE and PE exams! So what do these acronyms stand for? FE is Fundamentals of Engineering Exam and PE is Professional Engineer. Thus it comes as no surprise that engineers aspiring and preparing for professional licensure initially asks “how do I become a licensed engineer?”

PE Electrical Exam preparation requires a lot of patience and hard work. The FE (Fundamentals of Engineering) and PE (Principles and Practice of Engineering) exams are examinations created and administered by the NCEES (National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying). When you pass the FE exam, you are granted the title of EIT (Engineer-in-Training), sometimes known as EI (Engineering Intern). It is possible that in certain areas the FE exam is called the EIT exam.

If you are an engineer passing the PE exam will grant you the title of P.E. (Professional Engineer). If you are ready to put in the hard work and rigorous study hours passing both the FE and PE exams is possible with the right mentor offering you guidelines on studying in the right manner for these professional exams.

You are to appear for both these exams which are eight hours long and are split into two four-hour sessions, one in the morning, and one in the afternoon (with a 60 minute lunch break in between). PE Electrical Exam is the second exam and the first of the two is the FE exam which is designed for students who are close to completing their undergraduate educations. During these morning session Fundamentals of Engineering exam, you are tested for your knowledge of general engineering principles and practices. Usually this exam is where you will see topics from general engineering courses, like statistics, circuits, fluid dynamics, statics, and chemistry and many more.

During the afternoon session the exam will test your knowledge of the material more specific to your chosen field such as PE Electrical Exam. The PE exam is the second step in receiving a Professional Engineering license, and it's designed to test competence in a specific engineering field. In order to take PE electrical exam you must have passed the FE exam and worked in the industry for at least four years.

After reaching the final stage of your professional engineering licensing quest, if you are finding it difficult to study for the PE Power exam, Study for FE is the right place to find a structured and well-planned learning resource. This course is designed to prepare for PE Power exam based on latest NCEES PE Power CBT exam specification and it will allow you the flexibility to learn anytime, from anywhere, and at your own pace by learning from 100+ lectures and quizzes. The theoretical explanations, example solutions and quizzes will streamline your efforts towards the goal.

Benefits of FE Electrical Exam Preparation for Excellent Results

Among the many engineering students in college most of them have a vague idea about taking the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam. Known in short as the FE Exam, actually this exam proves as the first step toward becoming a licensed professional engineer better known as PE. It is tough to take up FE electrical exam preparation all by yourself. Since for becoming a PE the credential of FE is a prerequisite, it is a great idea to hire the services of a professional to guide you in your FE preparation. PE can greatly add to your engineering career.

 

Did you know that engineering graduates consider FE Electrical Exam Preparation much seriously because they believe that it is much like going to graduate school or getting a certification, in fact, it is a tool that certainly succeeds to enhance your career in both technical and management fields? Yes indeed there are ample reasons to get FE and subsequently PE certification by clearing both the exams in flying colours.

 

How to prepare for FE exam is often a dilemma faced by interested candidates. There are many laws that govern the Fundamentals of Engineering aspirants similar to other highly skilled professions such as those in medicine or legal affairs. Countless engineering professions call for a professional engineering license as it is the recognition required to legally practice and provide engineering services. This is mainly because only a professional engineer is authorized to sign and seal official engineering documents for public and private clients. Official engineering documents include computer aided drawing designs, structural analysis reports, or project proposals.

 

With the realization that many employers will require a master's degree or higher before employing you in a lead engineer position, there are ample numbers of aspirants taking up FE exam. Subsequent to completion of your degree you can take up the licensing process which is a three part process. During the course of your master's degree you can complete the first requirement which is to take and pass the preliminary Fundamentals of Engineering exam. As you qualify as an engineer in training, you have to hold this position for no less than two years during which you will gain on the job knowledge which prepares you for your final licensing exam.

 

Study for FE offers you FE Electrical Exam Preparation course known as - Electrical and Computer Engineering. It has 150+ lectures, 70+ quizzes, 10+ mini-exams covering all exam sections as per the latest NCEES® FE Electrical & Computer specification BONUS and full-length CBT practice exam. They offer streamlined exam preparation, comprehensive coverage, step-by-step guidance and much more.

Here Are Some Effective Tips to Pass FE Exam

Taking the FE test and having been out of school for a few years or more can be quite scary, as can studying for and taking the FE exam. Do not give up on your goal of becoming a licensed professional engineer because you haven't had to prepare for examinations in a long time or because you can't recall all you studied about engineering in college. NCEES recommends that students who haven't studied engineering in quite a while take our test-prep guide to help them prepare for it and pass the NCEES FE exam.

 

Time is the essence

During your first trip through the exam, do not attempt to answer any questions that you may be unsure of. Every second matters when it comes to passing the FE test. As a result, on your first attempt at the exam, only respond to questions about which you are certain. Don't answer questions that you're unsure of, and come back to it later if you're confident in your answers.

There is no time to spend, so you must get as many questions right as possible. It doesn't matter how tough a question is or how much you know about the subject matter; many individuals just go through it. As long as you spend 10 minutes on one problem and then get it incorrect, you may not be able to answer other questions which you might easily get correct because of a lack of time. To prevent this error, focus on the easier tasks first and then tackle the more difficult ones afterwards.

 

Make Sure You're Up to Date on Your Math: 

Any Fundamentals of Engineering assessment, such as the Civil Engineering exam, will assess your proficiency in mathematics. The principles encompass analytic geometry, the roots of equations, the calculus of differential calculus as well as a probability density function as well as regression. It is also possible to use Casio FX-115 calculators, HP 33/35 models, and TI-30X/36X calculators as well. So, purchase one of these calculators & devote some time to learning how to use it. This will save you a lot of time during the exam.

 

Practice is everything

When studying for the FE test, do as many problems as possible. You'll be able to tell which topics you've mastered as well as which ones you really have to review more thoroughly by solving challenges. To prepare for theFE exam, which is a computer-based test, students should work on issues that are comparable to those on the exam (CBT). Keep in mind that CBTs feature multiple-choice questions in addition to other item categories, such as a drag-and-drop or fill in the blank.

 

9 Tips To Make A PE Study Schedule For Maximum Productivity

You have passed your FE exam, become an EIT, earned a valuable experience of four years under a licensed PE, registered for the PE exam, and are all set to take the PE exam.

Now what?

The one thing that is left which you need the most for successfully passing the PE exam is a PE study schedule.

This article will tell you the importance of having a PE exam study schedule and tips about making a study schedule for PE by yourself.

So let’s get started.

Why Do You Need a PE Study Schedule

The PE Exam is well-known for being difficult, but let me tell you, that’s not the case. The exam is not that hard to pass if you are well prepared.

But:

Preparing for the PE exam without the PE study schedule is like sailing a ship without a rudder – you don’t know where you are heading towards! 

Therefore:

Creating a study schedule for the PE exam is the key.

Otherwise:

Your chances of getting failed might increase.

Because:

Finding time to study for PE exam along with your other routine activities is a hard nut to crack. That’s why you need a proper PE study schedule to maintain a balance between both your personal life and academic life.  

9 Tips for Perfectly Scheduling Study Time for PE Test Preparation

We have garnered nine tips for creating a perfect PE exam custom study schedulethat will help you better prepare for the PE test. Here they are:

1. Examine Your Existing Time Management and Schedule

The first step to creating a PE exam studyschedule is to analyze your ongoing pattern of schedule and how much time you put into your daily activities. You have to manage your time for studying by limiting or getting rid of those things in your life that aren’t productive and favorable to getting to your ultimate goal. 

For example:

You can temporarily delete your social media applications, or at least limit their usage, as they consume a lot portion of your day.   

2. Divide Your Free Time During the Week into PE Study Sessions

Take out your free time during the week and avail yourself of it by dividing it into PE study sessions. Plan to make a PE study schedule that dedicates at least 5-8 hours for studying each week. 

You can also download our free PE Exam Planner, which will help you schedule your study time more effectively. 

3. Plan Enough Time To Study Each Topic

List down all the several important topics of the PE exam on paper or in a document file. Then, plan about what you need to study from those topics and commit enough time to learn each one of them.

4. Prioritize Your List

After creatinga PE study schedule that summarizes all the main topics of the exam, start prioritizing your list.

It means:

You need to classify the topics by importance, determine which topics you must study on a priority, and which one requires more time to focus than others. 

5. Keep Well-organised Notes on Each Topic

Make well-organized hand-written notes for each topic. Writing things down will help you to memorize the information more quickly.

Your notes must contain:   

• Tables and charts
• Formulas and equations
• Practice problems and their solutions 

6. Make Room for a Weekly Study Review

Your PE study schedule should have enough room so that you can do a quick study review every week. The weekly study review will help you better understand what you studied the whole week, what areas need more focus on, and what topics you are strong in. It will also help you figure out how much time you had dedicated to each topic and whether or not you achieved your weekly target.

7. Also, Leave Some Room For Flexibility in Your Schedule

While strictly following the study schedule for the PE exam, keep in mind that you have other things in life that you have to reserve time for. So make sure to leave some room for flexibility in your PE study schedule so that you can give time to your closed ones and other leisure activities. Take out time for those events that can’t be rescheduled, like wedding ceremonies, birthdays, appointments, etc. 

Furthermore:

Don’t forget to devote time to your body. Take a good amount of sleep, and set aside time for exercise. It is a must-have for your body to function correctly!

8. Stick to Your PE Study Schedule

The most crucial thing is to stick by your PE study schedule. Otherwise, what’s the point of making the schedule, right?

Stick to your PE exam study schedule for a minimum of three weeks consistently. Then, you will become habitual to following that schedule because scientific studies demonstrate that it requires at least 21 days to make something a habit.

9. Take Short Breaks and Stick to Them

Studying constantly without any pause will not help you out, as it will cause extreme stress and burnout. Therefore, make sure to take short breaks of at least 15 minutes after every one hour of studying. 

How An Online Course Helps You Save a Lot of Time for the PE Preparation

An online course, such as our PE exam preparation course, could turn out to be a savior when it comes to saving time for the PE exam preparation. 

Because our online PE exam prep course:

• Allows flexibility – you can learn at any time and from any place
• Offers 100+ quizzes and lectures
• Teaches about how to solve problems quickly
• Keeps you stick to the study plan 

You save a lot of your time by enrolling in online PE courses as they only focus on essential topics that will appear in the PE exam.

Wrapping-Up

The PE exam is not a hurdle that you can’t overcome. You can easily pass the PE exam if you have a proper PE study schedule, as it will give you a clear vision about what topics need to be focused on and will keep you motivated to get your target.