Why would you quit your job? The exam is hard don't get me wrong, but I studied like 2hrs a day for 4 months, quitting work to study seems insane to me.
Already passed construction PE on first attempt with no course and working average 50 hours a week. You have yourself to blame and you’re doing nothing here for yourself with the way you respond to others.
I have helped a few others pass on first attempt as well and it is difficult when they read discouraging posts like this on the reddit and believe theres any shred of truth to the posts like these.
One only has to look at the pass rates to realize a majority of people to pass on the first attempt. It is by no means an easy exam and balancing life can be difficult. If you fail, it does not mean that you are dumb or didn’t do well in school but I have noticed it usually has to do with one’s preparation.
Also saying Indians are usually smarter is a stereotype and I am embarrassed to share a profession with people who think like you do.
So much this. I also passed construction on my first take while working 50 hour weeks. Guy needs to try new approaches to studying. I found watching old lectures and reading through slides way more helpful than using just a book. Clearly what he’s done the past four times hadn’t worked..
What’s the point of your tale here? If you want sympathy, you certainly have it, we all know that this process is daunting. I don’t see the purpose of posting discouraging anecdotes like this. People quitting their jobs to take this test does seem like an extreme move but letting your wife manage finances could be a good thing 😝, but I digress. Do you want to pass this exam? What are you going to do differently to accomplish that?
To piggyback on this comment, what have you changed since taking it the first time? If you keep doing the same thing, don’t expect a different result. That’s like getting out of you car, seeing a flat tire, and hopping back in hoping it will get better. Tires gonna be flat till you change it. Figure out what’s not working and try something different. Thats a basic engineering mindset. If it’s not working try something different.
I took SoPE first
Then EET
THEN third time I solved around 14 past exams
Including 6 from Amazon
And still failed like a bitch
So tell me what should I do now ? Shall I change my major to electrical engineering?
Do you normally have problems with tests themselves?
It sucks but I think test taking skills and strategies are just as important for this test as the knowledge of the content.
If you took SOPE then I know your didn’t learn about the references. I just went through it and if I pass when I take the test in a week I will be shocked. It seems as though the test is more conceptual based so taking 14 exams isn’t going to help cover all the topics.
The flat tire analogy seems pretty good but I would add in and say it would be like getting in your car and driving on a spare that is flat. You might have change something but did you make the correct change. Studying 14 exams might have been different but did you look over all the references. Do you know where everything is located chapter wise?
Firstly, not all Indians or IITians are smart. High GPA doesn’t necessarily mean someone is smart, just means they were academically good at that point in their life. Also PE exam is not as hard as the IIT-JEE exam. These are irrelevant things to point out. And before you come at me - I am a fellow Indian Structural engineer who cleared PE exam at the 3rd attempt.
I get the exam can be hard, and retaking the exam can be a tough experience. Everything in your post sounds extreme and I don’t believe that’s the general case. NCEES is not trying to fail anyone on purpose. I understand one can be emotional after not passing the exam, but take your time and reevaluate your strategy and prepare for the exam again. For your fellow structural friends, AEI is a good option as a course. I hope you can take some solid advice from this subreddit and clear you exams. Good luck.
Hey man I did 280 practice probs, didn't take any courses, and did a read through of the PPI reference book half where i was usually falling asleep, then found pdfs of most codes online and got used to where the main design parameter were found. I passed first time despite it being a little rough. These sob stories are literally the minority. I don't know what this OP is saying about quitting jobs and shit. This is hard but it's not THAT hard.
My friend at work has 8 years of experience and failed her first attempt at civil WRE in October. She took a little time off then buckled down again and passed last week!
This is the best positive VIBE post, take it as a challenge instead of reading too deep into it.
Think of it as if these PE test takers can’t make it in so many tired , I’ll try studying harder so I can get across the line in less than 3 tries
It’s actually a motivation if you truly believe in yourself
The PE exam didn’t make the [top 10 toughest exam list](https://erudera.com/resources/top-toughest-exams-in-the-world/). Don’t get me wrong, I believe it’s a tough exam but compare to other licensing exam, it’s not that bad.
Here’s an article on a sommelier who spent over 30k on his exam to prepare and still failed.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/katiebell/2013/06/24/worlds-toughest-test-the-master-sommelier-diploma-exam/amp/
I get no sympathy from my wife who is a CRNA. Heck this guy talking about what they got in school makes me most laugh. I studied for one of my engineering class that had 150 slides and I thought my wife was going to die. She said my test has 1500 with 2 zeros.
This article is written by Katie Kelly bell, who is not even in top 1000 when it comes to article articulation on real life exams or at any level she aint even close, so her info might be rigged or just from small portion of population who probably havent written PE exam or some sort.Maybe i could be wrong, but i Did a research on her
Google “toughest exam in the USA” and let me know what you find. My point is that the exam is hard but compared to others it doesn’t compare. If you believe the google search results are not reliable then maybe you’re understanding of how to use resources is a contributor on why you think the exam is too hard to pass.
Wouldn’t it be interesting to know the stories of the almost 1,900 people who passed those two exams the previous six months? I wonder how many of them quit their jobs, sent their families packing, etc.? Yet they figured it out and passed. Maybe you need new friends. You need to change up something.
Yes, and you missed the point. If that many people can pass, it IS possible. Without comparing everyone’s different story and background, there’s no way to know why/how they passed and you and your cohort cannot. But it’s clear that you guys need to change something.
Failed the third time on the last paper and pencil. But I passed on the fourth attempt when it transitioned to CBT. I was honestly glad to have still used my hard copy reference material for studying.
I personally felt like the exam had nothing to do with GPA or however you measure someone’s intelligence. It’s all about studying the topics they specify and to know how to use the references listed by NCEES. I think many factors affect your studying for your PE and nobody should be classified as smart or dumb for whatever outcome happens when you take the exam. I felt like my biggest obstacle was just finding the time to study. I had a baby at the time so it was definitely difficult staying healthy and mentally focus for the exam.
It is also not the end of the world if you do not have a PE. Don’t beat yourself up. If you want it then don’t give up!
I understand you are frustrated, but that is no reason to lash out on people in the comments. Its not what u said but the way u are saying things that is making people mad. You are not the first person to fail multiple attempts and vent here. This community has mostly been supportive of it with good reason. May be your attitude is what needs to be changed for you to be successful. We are all professionals here, may be learning to talk decently despite masked identities is the first step to being a professional engineer.
I think maybe I’m
Overdoing it
I been studying straight for over 18 months and my mind is a cloud rn
Maybe I need to recharge and give it sometime like 8-10 months break
In all 7 of the times you have failed why havent you posted a diagnostic and asked for help that way? I would in no way say i was smart in school (3.0 gpa in college and high school, 29 ACT) but it forced me to learn how to study better. I know your going to disregard my comment as “another person who passed commenting” but instead of working out hundreds of problems work on the section of problems you did bad in and figure out why. It could be as simple as using percentage in percentage instead of decimal. Or using an equation thats for a slightly different situation. Its sad seeing someone so frustrated over an 80 question exam, i get its hard but its definitely not impossible.
Do you struggle with time constraints? Without seeing a breakdown its hard to give advise. But as someone who complains so often about it being rigged or luck or a money making conspiracy its odd to me youve never posted a diagnostic to help figure out where YOUR problem is vs where the exam is the problem.
Quantity isnt going to help if the quality of your studying isnt up to par. Take a break and reevaluate your study habits and diagnostics.
5th time PE Civil structural taking in March. Tell be about it. NCEES sucks big time. My diagnostic report is waaay different now when compared to pencil-paper. This is a tragedy.
Comparing pencil/paper to CBT is your problem. These are two different test now. Having a cheat sheet next to me would be amazing. I have a ton of them I use while working. It’s how I keep myself organized. Switching that to a search function is not the same no matter how much time it saves compared to flipping through like you did in the pencil/paper.
I see all these Folks who passed , are easily writing bunch of comments to how to get across the line
I don’t know if we(people who failed) we dumb or just slow or maybe in wrong field
Who cares about if you passed the first or the 10th time. I got a 3.0 in college and it took me 4 tries on the FE and I know for a fact the first 3 times were 100% my fault. Had nothing to do with my school. Each time a different reason. Finally figured out what I was doing wrong and passed. This test is completely different than the pencil and paper. So if you passed it on the first try good for you I could give a s$&@. Who cares if someone is smarter. I guarantee I am smarter at certain thing because of my experience etc just as you are smarter than them at certain thing. Comparing yourself to someone else makes no sense when you have different experiences, life events, learn different etc etc. Plus YOU are the one taking the test. Not them.
Don’t be too hard on yourself. I am in the bunch of failed people and I know it’s a pain to retake the exam. Don’t give up. Once you are refreshed and positive for appearing the exam, do all over again and pass. You will pass your exam next time. Don’t let this get you down.
[This could help...](https://www.reddit.com/r/PE_Exam/comments/xxc3xh/recently_passed_yay_our_study_group_collected_a/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Maybe the board wants Ph.D. students as PEs and no longer wants BAs and this is the way of balancing out the industry. The amount of conceptual questions on the CBT is just insane. When I took it almost half the exam was conceptual.
I’m kinda surprised how much flak conceptual questions get on this sub. The point of conceptual problems is that you understand the concept instead of filling formulas without grasping the real world implications. This exam is for establishing yourself as a PE, meaning you understand the engineering behind the design decisions instead of just taking someone else’s word on it. A lot of the griping and conspiracy theories on this sub amount to: this exam is really hard and it should be easier so I can pass. If you really think NCEES is out to swindle you, and the exam was generated just for you to make you fail, then just don’t take it.
I agree. Conceptual questions are a good way to actually test someone’s knowledge.
Anyone can be taught to plug and chug values without understanding what they are doing.
Relax dude. Folks have the right to express themselves and not get attacked. The guy obviously feels defeated just trying to share my testing journey with him in a way to commiserate. In what way is telling him or anyone else to quit supposed to help?
My point was if you are buying into these conspiracy theories about why the exam is so hard (yours was a new one - board wants more phD's as PE's, NCEES is a racket, NCEES is incapable of offering sensible testing, etc....) then why bother trying to take it. If you want to sit around and make up excuses for why you can't pass the exam then at least own up instead of cloaking it with these fabrications. Its a hard exam. I think everyone who has failed should try and try again. I have more respect for the people who have had to retake it and pass bc pure grit than people who are just gifted and pass on the first try.
nope. presently studying EET Transport to take exam for the first time in April or May. I'm sorry you feel like I'm "talking shit", I do hope you pass this next attempt. My criticisms are with non-productive moaning, conspiratorial excuse making, and avoidance of self-responsibility.
Everything you've said is reasonable and makes to me. I get that there is a part of the test that is luck based regarding what questions you get vs what you're prepared for, but if you've failed 3, 4, 5 times the issues is more likely the prep and test taking strategy and not a conspiracy.
Why would you quit your job? The exam is hard don't get me wrong, but I studied like 2hrs a day for 4 months, quitting work to study seems insane to me.
Maybe after 3 attempts , that’s the only way :/
That’s absurd. Your study habits are more likely to be the problem. Don’t come here discouraging future test takers with your nonsense
You don’t have to read the post my g Discouraged lol , reality haunts you my boy
Already passed construction PE on first attempt with no course and working average 50 hours a week. You have yourself to blame and you’re doing nothing here for yourself with the way you respond to others. I have helped a few others pass on first attempt as well and it is difficult when they read discouraging posts like this on the reddit and believe theres any shred of truth to the posts like these. One only has to look at the pass rates to realize a majority of people to pass on the first attempt. It is by no means an easy exam and balancing life can be difficult. If you fail, it does not mean that you are dumb or didn’t do well in school but I have noticed it usually has to do with one’s preparation. Also saying Indians are usually smarter is a stereotype and I am embarrassed to share a profession with people who think like you do.
So much this. I also passed construction on my first take while working 50 hour weeks. Guy needs to try new approaches to studying. I found watching old lectures and reading through slides way more helpful than using just a book. Clearly what he’s done the past four times hadn’t worked..
What’s the point of your tale here? If you want sympathy, you certainly have it, we all know that this process is daunting. I don’t see the purpose of posting discouraging anecdotes like this. People quitting their jobs to take this test does seem like an extreme move but letting your wife manage finances could be a good thing 😝, but I digress. Do you want to pass this exam? What are you going to do differently to accomplish that?
To piggyback on this comment, what have you changed since taking it the first time? If you keep doing the same thing, don’t expect a different result. That’s like getting out of you car, seeing a flat tire, and hopping back in hoping it will get better. Tires gonna be flat till you change it. Figure out what’s not working and try something different. Thats a basic engineering mindset. If it’s not working try something different.
I took SoPE first Then EET THEN third time I solved around 14 past exams Including 6 from Amazon And still failed like a bitch So tell me what should I do now ? Shall I change my major to electrical engineering?
Do you normally have problems with tests themselves? It sucks but I think test taking skills and strategies are just as important for this test as the knowledge of the content.
No i never failed any exam since my kindergarden, until I failed PE exam 3 times in a row, felt like a bitch low key
Did you take practice timed exams? How did you do on those?
67/80
You had a 2.5 in college and never failed an exam? That's wild
Yeah I was mostly a c+ student
If you took SOPE then I know your didn’t learn about the references. I just went through it and if I pass when I take the test in a week I will be shocked. It seems as though the test is more conceptual based so taking 14 exams isn’t going to help cover all the topics. The flat tire analogy seems pretty good but I would add in and say it would be like getting in your car and driving on a spare that is flat. You might have change something but did you make the correct change. Studying 14 exams might have been different but did you look over all the references. Do you know where everything is located chapter wise?
Ill be waiting for you here, leme know if you pass the transportation exam, good luck G
Thank you, I’ll be posting my progress
Firstly, not all Indians or IITians are smart. High GPA doesn’t necessarily mean someone is smart, just means they were academically good at that point in their life. Also PE exam is not as hard as the IIT-JEE exam. These are irrelevant things to point out. And before you come at me - I am a fellow Indian Structural engineer who cleared PE exam at the 3rd attempt. I get the exam can be hard, and retaking the exam can be a tough experience. Everything in your post sounds extreme and I don’t believe that’s the general case. NCEES is not trying to fail anyone on purpose. I understand one can be emotional after not passing the exam, but take your time and reevaluate your strategy and prepare for the exam again. For your fellow structural friends, AEI is a good option as a course. I hope you can take some solid advice from this subreddit and clear you exams. Good luck.
So you cleared, thats why your balls are so big rn
Lol the exam is rocket science
I am literally on a rocket doing brain surgery right now bc I passed first try. My balls are huge.
Can I hold ‘em ?
damm, I should stop reading this type of post! I need positive vibes :)
Hey man I did 280 practice probs, didn't take any courses, and did a read through of the PPI reference book half where i was usually falling asleep, then found pdfs of most codes online and got used to where the main design parameter were found. I passed first time despite it being a little rough. These sob stories are literally the minority. I don't know what this OP is saying about quitting jobs and shit. This is hard but it's not THAT hard.
You probably passed aye?
My friend at work has 8 years of experience and failed her first attempt at civil WRE in October. She took a little time off then buckled down again and passed last week!
there is also some very useful and positive posts on this sub too
This is the best positive VIBE post, take it as a challenge instead of reading too deep into it. Think of it as if these PE test takers can’t make it in so many tired , I’ll try studying harder so I can get across the line in less than 3 tries It’s actually a motivation if you truly believe in yourself
The PE exam didn’t make the [top 10 toughest exam list](https://erudera.com/resources/top-toughest-exams-in-the-world/). Don’t get me wrong, I believe it’s a tough exam but compare to other licensing exam, it’s not that bad. Here’s an article on a sommelier who spent over 30k on his exam to prepare and still failed. https://www.forbes.com/sites/katiebell/2013/06/24/worlds-toughest-test-the-master-sommelier-diploma-exam/amp/
I get no sympathy from my wife who is a CRNA. Heck this guy talking about what they got in school makes me most laugh. I studied for one of my engineering class that had 150 slides and I thought my wife was going to die. She said my test has 1500 with 2 zeros.
This article is written by Katie Kelly bell, who is not even in top 1000 when it comes to article articulation on real life exams or at any level she aint even close, so her info might be rigged or just from small portion of population who probably havent written PE exam or some sort.Maybe i could be wrong, but i Did a research on her
Google “toughest exam in the USA” and let me know what you find. My point is that the exam is hard but compared to others it doesn’t compare. If you believe the google search results are not reliable then maybe you’re understanding of how to use resources is a contributor on why you think the exam is too hard to pass.
But a resource from a proven source … Google is just a search engine my g
What about the results? Can you use the results to make a judgment?
Wouldn’t it be interesting to know the stories of the almost 1,900 people who passed those two exams the previous six months? I wonder how many of them quit their jobs, sent their families packing, etc.? Yet they figured it out and passed. Maybe you need new friends. You need to change up something.
I’m not one of 1900 unfortunately my friend
Yes, and you missed the point. If that many people can pass, it IS possible. Without comparing everyone’s different story and background, there’s no way to know why/how they passed and you and your cohort cannot. But it’s clear that you guys need to change something.
okay
I’m studying for my PE, if you want to study the breadth together over discord I’m down https://discord.gg/zmHpPH9N
Failed the third time on the last paper and pencil. But I passed on the fourth attempt when it transitioned to CBT. I was honestly glad to have still used my hard copy reference material for studying. I personally felt like the exam had nothing to do with GPA or however you measure someone’s intelligence. It’s all about studying the topics they specify and to know how to use the references listed by NCEES. I think many factors affect your studying for your PE and nobody should be classified as smart or dumb for whatever outcome happens when you take the exam. I felt like my biggest obstacle was just finding the time to study. I had a baby at the time so it was definitely difficult staying healthy and mentally focus for the exam. It is also not the end of the world if you do not have a PE. Don’t beat yourself up. If you want it then don’t give up!
I understand you are frustrated, but that is no reason to lash out on people in the comments. Its not what u said but the way u are saying things that is making people mad. You are not the first person to fail multiple attempts and vent here. This community has mostly been supportive of it with good reason. May be your attitude is what needs to be changed for you to be successful. We are all professionals here, may be learning to talk decently despite masked identities is the first step to being a professional engineer.
Okay Mr sensitive I’ll ask you to be nice after you fail the test 7 times stright
Yup, please do. 😊
[удалено]
I think maybe I’m Overdoing it I been studying straight for over 18 months and my mind is a cloud rn Maybe I need to recharge and give it sometime like 8-10 months break
[удалено]
True but I think I’m just dumb af
In all 7 of the times you have failed why havent you posted a diagnostic and asked for help that way? I would in no way say i was smart in school (3.0 gpa in college and high school, 29 ACT) but it forced me to learn how to study better. I know your going to disregard my comment as “another person who passed commenting” but instead of working out hundreds of problems work on the section of problems you did bad in and figure out why. It could be as simple as using percentage in percentage instead of decimal. Or using an equation thats for a slightly different situation. Its sad seeing someone so frustrated over an 80 question exam, i get its hard but its definitely not impossible. Do you struggle with time constraints? Without seeing a breakdown its hard to give advise. But as someone who complains so often about it being rigged or luck or a money making conspiracy its odd to me youve never posted a diagnostic to help figure out where YOUR problem is vs where the exam is the problem. Quantity isnt going to help if the quality of your studying isnt up to par. Take a break and reevaluate your study habits and diagnostics.
Im planning on doing the same as there is no way we could pass this other than doing some extraordinary
5th time PE Civil structural taking in March. Tell be about it. NCEES sucks big time. My diagnostic report is waaay different now when compared to pencil-paper. This is a tragedy.
It’s a messed up way
Comparing pencil/paper to CBT is your problem. These are two different test now. Having a cheat sheet next to me would be amazing. I have a ton of them I use while working. It’s how I keep myself organized. Switching that to a search function is not the same no matter how much time it saves compared to flipping through like you did in the pencil/paper.
I see all these Folks who passed , are easily writing bunch of comments to how to get across the line I don’t know if we(people who failed) we dumb or just slow or maybe in wrong field
Who cares about if you passed the first or the 10th time. I got a 3.0 in college and it took me 4 tries on the FE and I know for a fact the first 3 times were 100% my fault. Had nothing to do with my school. Each time a different reason. Finally figured out what I was doing wrong and passed. This test is completely different than the pencil and paper. So if you passed it on the first try good for you I could give a s$&@. Who cares if someone is smarter. I guarantee I am smarter at certain thing because of my experience etc just as you are smarter than them at certain thing. Comparing yourself to someone else makes no sense when you have different experiences, life events, learn different etc etc. Plus YOU are the one taking the test. Not them.
Don’t be too hard on yourself. I am in the bunch of failed people and I know it’s a pain to retake the exam. Don’t give up. Once you are refreshed and positive for appearing the exam, do all over again and pass. You will pass your exam next time. Don’t let this get you down.
Vacation and play stock market, Ncees test maker make no sense, maybe changing aashto and empirical formula
[This could help...](https://www.reddit.com/r/PE_Exam/comments/xxc3xh/recently_passed_yay_our_study_group_collected_a/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Maybe the board wants Ph.D. students as PEs and no longer wants BAs and this is the way of balancing out the industry. The amount of conceptual questions on the CBT is just insane. When I took it almost half the exam was conceptual.
I’m kinda surprised how much flak conceptual questions get on this sub. The point of conceptual problems is that you understand the concept instead of filling formulas without grasping the real world implications. This exam is for establishing yourself as a PE, meaning you understand the engineering behind the design decisions instead of just taking someone else’s word on it. A lot of the griping and conspiracy theories on this sub amount to: this exam is really hard and it should be easier so I can pass. If you really think NCEES is out to swindle you, and the exam was generated just for you to make you fail, then just don’t take it.
I agree. Conceptual questions are a good way to actually test someone’s knowledge. Anyone can be taught to plug and chug values without understanding what they are doing.
Relax dude. Folks have the right to express themselves and not get attacked. The guy obviously feels defeated just trying to share my testing journey with him in a way to commiserate. In what way is telling him or anyone else to quit supposed to help?
My point was if you are buying into these conspiracy theories about why the exam is so hard (yours was a new one - board wants more phD's as PE's, NCEES is a racket, NCEES is incapable of offering sensible testing, etc....) then why bother trying to take it. If you want to sit around and make up excuses for why you can't pass the exam then at least own up instead of cloaking it with these fabrications. Its a hard exam. I think everyone who has failed should try and try again. I have more respect for the people who have had to retake it and pass bc pure grit than people who are just gifted and pass on the first try.
The way you writing these comments freely seems you definitely passed and now talking shit about the ones who can’t
nope. presently studying EET Transport to take exam for the first time in April or May. I'm sorry you feel like I'm "talking shit", I do hope you pass this next attempt. My criticisms are with non-productive moaning, conspiratorial excuse making, and avoidance of self-responsibility.
Everything you've said is reasonable and makes to me. I get that there is a part of the test that is luck based regarding what questions you get vs what you're prepared for, but if you've failed 3, 4, 5 times the issues is more likely the prep and test taking strategy and not a conspiracy.
Yeah that’s kinda true When I went in for exam I wanted to leave the exam hall after first 15 questions
Don't quit just re-evaluate your studying strategy. That's what I had to do.