PE Exam Advice
What advice do you have for those taking the PE exam that isn’t related to the actual exam?
I’ll share mine for those that need to stay in a hotel the night before: Call ahead to make sure there aren’t any high school sports teams also staying at the hotel.
Erin Gates, P.E.
Scottsdale, AZ
My path to my license was a bit out of the ordinary, as I served 20 years in the military and only started pursuing registration after I left the service. I had a 20 year old BSME and so took an EIT review course at the local state college, taught by one of the engineering faculty and worked hard on what he emphasized. I also used one of the all-encompassing review books to try and get back up to where I was academically 20 years before. I passed on the first try. I then took another review course offered by a prof from another state college and worked through another discipline specific review book. I again passed on the first go-round. Having done so gave me the creds I needed to change companies for what was my dream job.
If I could pass both exams on the first try after being out of school for 20+ years, then anyone who has a decent academic background and the willingness to put in the effort can do it. Best of luck to all you test takers.
James Kelly, P.E.
Los Angeles, CA
As I recall, the hardest part was not tackling the problems, but finding the time each day to really focus on studying. This is particularly true because often young engineers are just starting out their careers and families about the time they are taking the PE. One technique that may work for some people if your boss is supportive is to come into work an hour early (or stay a bit later) and find a quiet spot to study. This helps to avoid the distractions of home and family. As an alternative, consider a stop at a coffee shop on your way in or at a local library on your way home in the evening. A key for me was not having marathon study sessions, but just consistently practicing problems every day.
John Larch III, P.E.
Fayetteville, NC
What advice do you have? Share your ideas in NSPE’s Open Forum at https://community.nspe.org or email them to [email protected].
Don’t Forget About Infrastructure
There have now been three Democratic debates and one town hall. Not a single question was asked regarding infrastructure. As critically important as health care, gun control, Russian intervention, and all the others are, infrastructure should at least be part of the conversation, especially since early on both Democrats and Republicans indicated they could pass infrastructure bills on a bipartisan basis.
It is incumbent upon us as professional engineers to make sure that this important issue does not get forgotten. Perhaps NSPE leadership should send a message to future debate sponsors to include a question on infrastructure to at least make it part of the conversation. Let’s call upon them to do that and make our voices heard on this critical matter.
Stephen Deutsch, P.E.
Cornwall, NY
Volunteering at NSPE is a great opportunity to grow your professional network and connect with other leaders in the field.
The National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) encourages you to explore the resources to cast your vote on election day:
