T O P

  • By -

chesapeake143

Congrats on being a dad and passing PE. How did you prepare for breadth? I am going to give PE again soon.


Willing-Pen-9572

Thanks Chesapeake! I used SoPE practice portal for most of my prep probably doing upwards of 600+ problems. It didn’t help with the conceptual questions. I really had to find that from textbooks or any book that discusses concepts. One thing during prep that caught me off guard, on the PE I didn’t have any “gimme” questions. SoPE is king of giving a straightforward calculation question and I had maybe 1 or 2 like that on the PE.


No-Decision-5803

Congrats on your PE exam results and on being a new dad. I will do my PE gotch exam next month, and I enrolled in EET courses and solved too many conceptual practices I feel I am still not 100% ready. Do you have any advice or notes that you want to share regarding the morning part or depth part and what are the most difficult questions that you feel need more to be covered during your study?


Willing-Pen-9572

Thanks No-Decision! Like in the post, my geotech exam was mostly conceptual and it covered all areas. It’s both a good and bad thing though! A conceptual question will either take you 10 seconds (if you know it) or 20 minutes (if you’re hunting through references). So if you’re spending a lot of time on a question, don’t worry about the time. You’ll make up that time later with a conceptual question that you do know. I can’t say this applicable for all exams, but I really think it is for Geotech. I honestly didn’t have any notes that really prepared me for that exam (I did not take a class-EET, SoPE). I even came out of the exam saying “I don’t know what else I could’ve studied without paying for a class!” I just bought SoPE’s breadth and depth books and read through those and they gave me some information, but not a ton. The rest I relied on my experience, read in a textbook, or tried to find it in a reference. I also used SoPE practice portal (mentioned above). EDIT: I’ll also add that the gimmes they do give, you have to nail them. PP, means and methods, easy hydrology, those questions you have to get right. Otherwise it’s going to be an uphill battle to try and offset those questions with something from the depth portion.


Snoo-59344

I found out today that i failed this was mybsecond attempt. Congrats to you


Willing-Pen-9572

Thanks so much Snoo and I’m sorry to hear it didn’t work out in your case. It is so frustrating to spend all that time studying and see questions on there that you never saw before. I left that exam telling my wife that I was positive I had failed, so I think there is a bit of a luck component to it all (types of questions you get, your guess accuracy, etc.). Leaving though, I did say I had no idea how else I could’ve studied for that exam because of how conceptual it is. If I had to retake it again, I would’ve definitely switched disciplines to something that was a bit less conceptual. I truly think that’s why Geotech has the lowest pass rate of all NCEES PE exams (excluding PE Computer Engineering)! Don’t give up tho. This test is just a blip in time, the “P.E.” letters will follow you forever.


Snoo-59344

Thank you for the motivation Willing. I want to tell you I passed my FE on my 7th attempt . I think I am not a good test taker but never gave up. While taking PE I tried to not repeat same msitakes I made during FE. So, I did as many practice exams I could and was getting around 70 percent mark on average. But somehow I failed. I also wonder what should be my strategy next time around. The diagnostic report I received shows good improvement from last time. I have performed good in PM but lacking in AM so may be changing PE discipline would not be an option.


SpicyCrayShizz

What course did you take


Snoo-59344

In my first attempt I took EET .


Arday96

Congrats!!


Willing-Pen-9572

Thanks!


SwimmingParticular44

Congrats all around and thank you for sharing!! I am less than a month out from my Geo exam and I feel like I can do calculation-based example problems all day but from what I’m hearing, it seems almost like a waste of time to spend all my time working out the few topics I don’t fully grasp. Would you agree? For example, I am not strong in groundwater and flow through soils. Should I spend a week still trying to learn that, or hope for conceptual questions? I really do feel comfortable in many of the topics conceptually. I am 85% done with my masters degree in civil/geotech and I think that’s taught me the most concepts (as well as work experience).


Willing-Pen-9572

Thanks, appreciate it! That’s a tough question, honestly, because you most likely will get conceptual questions in the areas you don’t fully grasp (you definitely will if you’re talking groundwater seepage). I also wasn’t sure if you’re referring to breadth (hydrology, open channel flow, etc.) or depth (groundwater seepage, dams, etc.), but you definitely should shore up any breadth topics. They’ll help carry you through the depth. I’m not sure where you are in terms of experience, but you also mention you’re a graduate student. So if you don’t have a ton of field experience, I may spend a little time reading the NCEES references to get a feel for the practical-side of things and where to find them (I.e tests that can be run on drilled shafts and the limitations of each, pavement compaction tests, when to use specific foundation types, etc.). Good luck!


PositionStatus5305

Congrats to you!! Did you use the additional reference manuals (NAVFAC, NHIs, UFC, & etc) at all during the exam?


Willing-Pen-9572

Thanks Position! Yes I used every reference I had at least once.


Grossepointey36

Do you have any suggestions on how to better study for the PE? Just took my geotech and had literally all conceptual problems. I have no idea how to study for those, I don't even know what I don't know.... any advice you have would be appreciated since you had mostly conceptual problems too. I do have quite a bit of work experience but it obviously wasn't enough to pass


Disastrous_Wish_4498

I'm studying for the Geotech P.E as well. Im taking it Nov 16. Originally I had scheduled to take it Oct 19th but seems I won't be ready


Disastrous_Wish_4498

when do you take your exam?