In order to be eligible to take the PE exam, applicants must meet 2 requirements: Pass the Fundamental of Engineering (FE) exam Have 4 years of post-college work experience in their chosen engineering discipline
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We offer PE Mechanical review courses for the HVAC and Refrigeration exam, Machine Design and Materials exam, and Thermal and Fluid Systems exam.
The PE Mechanical exam includes multiple-choice questions as well as alternative item types (AITs). The NCEES PE Mechanical Reference Handbook is the only reference material that can be used during the exam. You will be provided with an electronic reference handbook during the exam.
When it comes time to take the PE exam, you will need to transport your books, calculators, rulers, and other items into the exam room. Once you get to your table, this crate also doubles as a makeshift bookshelf.
As a mechanical engineer, the most likely situations that require a PE license are if you provide services directly to the public (this may be the case if you are a consultant or run a private practice), or if you work in the HVAC industry.
The best way to prepare for the PE exam is to work through as many practice problems as possible. You have an average of 6 minutes to complete each question, so speed is critical. The way to achieve the required speed is through consistent practice.
10 Tips for Minimizing Stress and Maximizing Success on the PE...Start the application process early. ... Line up your references. ... Investigate your company's policies. ... Pace your studying. ... Use available study resources. ... Do problems. ... Focus on your strengths. ... Don't study the day before your exam.More items...•
Focus on the Syllabus. ... Know what's in the NCEES Electrical and Computer PE: Power Reference Handbook. ... Think Practical & Think in 6 minutes. ... Know the key concepts and skills from these references. ... Know the NEC. ... Know the test format. ... Use your time wisely: Go through the test in 3 Passes.More items...•
We recommend that you study for approximately 100-120 hours. A solid study plan that worked for several of our engineers is to spend approximately one half day each Sunday studying for the three months leading up to the exam, and then study every day for a few hours the week before the exam.
Construction Depth Exam I think this is the most popular PE depth exam that civil engineers take - or want to take, (but is it the easiest PE exam?). It's popular because many civil engineers work in a variety of different fields but don't specialize in one particular area.
Tips for Passing the PE ExamPrepare to Prepare. Make a Realistic Schedule. Be honest with yourself and the people around you. ... Build Your Resources. Budget and Prioritize. ... Take practice exams. Simulate the Exam. ... Trust the Process. The road to and preparation for the PE exam is not a short one.
The traditional paper and pencil PE exam format that has been in place for decades is open book. It allows test takers to bring in their own outside reference material to help answer questions on the PE exam.
The PE exam is not a "tricky" exam. Students manage to fail even when questions are straightforward. The NCEES organization doesn't sit in a room and think of ways to trick you. You will find, however, that they do list answers to questions with very common mistakes made.
The 8-hour long, 80-question PE exam is very difficult. It takes hundreds of hours, dollars, and practice problems to pass the PE exam. I put in the work and still didn't pass until my second try. Pass rates for most PE exams are around 70% for first-time test-takers, with some as low as 55%.
Most of the PE Exams - with the exception of the Structural Depth exams - are 80 multiple choice questions taken over an 8 hour period. To pass the exam and receive your PE License, you need to correctly answer 70% of the questions.
The FE exam is actually harder than the Professional Engineer (PE) exam, simply because it is much more broad. It's best to take it as close to graduation as you can, with all that schooling still fresh in your mind.
80 questionsThe NCEES PE exam is an 8-hour exam with 80 questions, with the exception of the PE Chemical CBT exam and the PE Electrical and Computer CBT exam. See the NCEES website for more details.
The PE exam is not a "tricky" exam. Students manage to fail even when questions are straightforward. The NCEES organization doesn't sit in a room and think of ways to trick you. You will find, however, that they do list answers to questions with very common mistakes made.
Since the exam is now given in CBT format, it is no longer open book. Examinees will only have access to an electronic NCEES PE Civil Reference Handbook and design standards for their depth section.
80 questionsThe NCEES PE exam is an 8-hour exam with 80 questions, with the exception of the PE Chemical CBT exam and the PE Electrical and Computer CBT exam. See the NCEES website for more details.
You must complete four steps to become a licensed Professional Engineer:Graduate from an ABET-accredited engineering program.Pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam.Work as an engineer for four years.Pass the Professional Engineering (PE) exam (you cannot take the PE exam without first passing the FE exam).
This depends on your exam. The topics on the Power, Electronics, and Computer exams do differ. For more information on specifications for your exam...
You will have 9 hours to complete the exam, which contains 80 questions.
Unfortunately, no. In April 2020, the exam changed to a closed-book, computer-based test (CBT) that is available to take year-round. The exam topic...
The PE Mechanical exam can be difficult. The exam tests your competency in all aspects of mechanical engineering and should not be taken lightly. Y...
The PE Mechanical exam tests for a minimum level of competency in mechanical engineering. You need a minimum of four years of post-college work exp...
The Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam tests for a minimum level of competency in a particular engineering discipline. It is designed for engineers who have gained a minimum of four years’ post-college work experience in their chosen engineering discipline.
The NCEES PE Mechanical Reference Handbook is the only reference material that can be used during the exam. You will be provided with an electronic reference handbook during the exam. For access prior to your exam, you can download a free electronic copy.
NCEES offers a PE Mechanical practice exam to familiarize you with the exam format and content, including alternative item types (AITs). These practice exams contain questions that have been used on past exams and questions written just for study materials to give you extra practice.
A $375 exam fee is payable directly to NCEES. Some licensing boards may require you to file a separate application and pay an application fee as part of the approval process to qualify you for a seat for an NCEES exam. Your licensing board may have additional requirements.
Computer-based exam results are typically available 7–10 days after you take the exam. You will receive an email notification from NCEES with instructions to view your results in your MyNCEES account. Results include information specific to your licensing board regarding how you should proceed based on your performance.
The best way to prepare for the PE exam is to work through as many practice problems as possible. You have an average of 6 minutes to complete each question, so speed is critical. The way to achieve the required speed is through consistent practice .
The primary steps to earning a PE license are: Earn a bachelor's degree from an ABET-accredited program (some states do not require this). Successfully complete the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam. After passing the FE exam, you will be an "engineer-in-training" (EIT).
NCEES (the organization that creates, scores, and administers the PE exam) publishes practice exams for each of the mechanical engineering sections. While the questions in these practice exam are obviously not the same questions you will encounter on the real exam, this is by far the most representative practice exam you will find anywhere. The difficulty and formatting of these problems are very much on par with the problems on the actual exam.
NCEES determines a "cut score" for the actual exam, and this cut score is different for every exam based on the difficulty of the problems. However, a standard rule of thumb when grading your practice exam is to treat 70% as a passing score.
A watch with a built-in stopwatch is an essential when preparing for and taking the PE exam. You also can't count on the exam room having a clock on the wall, which makes bringing a watch to the exam even more of a good idea. The Timex Expedition is dependable and reasonably priced. This model also has an attractive and durable leather band that fits in perfectly in a professional office setting.
The breadth exam will include questions from all three subject areas. There are 40 questions in each section for a total of 80 questions. You have an average of 6 minutes to complete each question. Every question is multiple choice with four possible answers.
The PE exam is an 8 hour test split into a 4 hour "breadth" exam in the morning and a 4 hour "depth" exam in the afternoon. There are 3 different mechanical engineering depth exams to choose from:
We offer PE Mechanical review courses for the HVAC and Refrigeration exam, Machine Design and Materials exam, and Thermal and Fluid Systems exam.
Our reimagined Study Hub was designed with all our past, present, and future students in mind to amplify their studies and help them approach exam day with confidence. PE Civil students can study anytime, anywhere, and on any device. Roll over each icon to learn more about these exciting features:
School of PE has been helping our students pass their exams for more than a decade. Through years of creating and compiling exam review material and reflecting on student feedback, we have gleaned the most important features to include in our exam review courses.
How is working without a PE license holding you back in your career? How many projects and opportunities have you been unable to pursue? Have you tried studying for the PE Exam on your own and gotten frustrated and confused? Are you wasting time trying to figure out what to study rather than actually studying?
This is a great course. It's well thought out. I like the way Dan Molloy teaches. I'm not the brightest student, so I allowed myself the time to go through the complete course a couple times. I felt well prepared, the PE exam was very similar to the practice exam in this course, and I passed on my first attempt. Highly recommend!
Studying for the depth portion is pretty straightforward— you have to study the materials pretty thoroughly and make sure you understand them completely. Not only is this absolutely essential for passing the afternoon session, but it should also help you with your actual job (assuming your work is directly related to your chosen depth topic).
You want to practice with as many sample problems as you can, because doing the problems will help you understand each concept; it will also help you increase your speed in answering questions.
According to NCEES, the national pass rate for the FE Mechanical exam from January to December 2019 was 76%.
The FE Mechanical exam consists of 110 exam questions that cover a variety of mechanical engineering topics. The exam is a Computer-Based test and examinees have six hours to complete the exam. For reference, participants may use the FE Reference Handbook to help guide them during the exam.
Examinees who take the FE Mechanical exam typically are striving to become professional mechanical engineers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Mechanical engineers design, develop, build, and test mechanical and thermal sensors and devices, including tools, engines, and machines.”.
Topics Covered in the Course 1 Mathematics 2 Probability and Statistics 3 Ethics and Professional Practice 4 Engineering Economics 5 Electricity and Magnetism 6 Statics 7 Dynamics, Kinematics, and Vibrations 8 Mechanics of Materials 9 Material Properties and Processing 10 Fluid Mechanics 11 Thermodynamics 12 Heat Transfer 13 Measurements, Instrumentation, and Controls 14 Mechanical Design and Analysis
The Ultimate Civil PE Review comes with 10 modules that cover 8 topics found on the civil PE breadth exam. It’s a very focused course that is continuously updated to meet specifications. In addition to the Introduction and Conclusion module, their review course will cover:
To create more opportunities and grow your engineering career, a Professional Engineer (PE) license is the answer. This means you’ll need to study and review to pass the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam, otherwise known as the PE exam.
They work to combine the fundamentals of the subject matter and problem-solving techniques to fully equip people for exams.
Another fantastic resource for students preparing to take the PE exam comes from Capstone. This company offers a wide range of study materials geared specifically toward future engineers, so you can rest assured this topic fits securely in their wheelhouse.
However, if you don’t succeed the first time, TestMasters allows you to retake the course again for free. TestMasters comes with a variety of course materials, including 72 hours of instruction that are focused on helping you pass. But the unfortunate truth is that TestMasters doesn’t offer courses for every PE exam.
Keep in mind that unlike the other review courses on this list, TestMasters does not come with any practice exams. So if this is a resource you need to pass, you may want to choose another review site. Still, the excellent reference notes and enticing guarantee make this an option well worth your consideration.
Unfortunately, you will be limited to online courses for most disciplines . Despite it’s name, School of PE is primari ly web-based and has limited onsite instruction.
The National Society of Professional Engineers explains that in order to become a licensed PE, you must: 1 Earn a four-year degree in engineering from an accredited engineering program 2 Pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam 3 Complete four years of progressive engineering experience under a PE, and 4 Pass the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam
Most PE exams are offered in April and October, although a few exams are offered only once a year (check here to see which exams are offered only in April or October). Choose your state, then select “PE” as your test before entering your discipline.
The breadth and depth exam has two parts: the morning breadth section that covers a broader range of topics, and the afternoon depth test which is more specific. Civil and mechanical engineers are most likely to take this type of test.
Typically, the exam costs between $350-$375, plus any additional fees your state board requires.
PE Exam results are graded pass/fail and are released 8-10 weeks after the paper and pencil exam (or 7-10 days after a computer-based exam). You’ll receive your results via email notification from NCEES with instructions on how to view them in your account or through your state licensing board.
The depth exam is, not surprisingly, much more specific, with questions that go into much more specialized detail. All other PE exams besides civil or mechanical are in this category.
The best way to increase your odds of passing is to create an exam study schedule and stick to it. Your detailed study guide should outline all test topics and the amount of time you will dedicate to each topic on the exam.
Test takers with 4 years of professional experience tend to pass at a higher rate, than those with less experience. If you plan to take the PE exam soon, make sure you do everything you can to pass on the first try. Free and paid resources are available for you to prepare for the PE exam.
According to nspe.org, approximately 25,000 engineers take the PE Exam each year, with an aggregate pass rate of 50 percent. To give you perspective, this is about the same percentage of students who are accepted to dental school after taking the DAT, so it is a pretty difficult test to pass.
That makes the PE exam, unlike other standardized tests which are uniform for all those who take it. As you can see in the graphic, the Architectural and Industrial & Systems tests have the highest first-time pass rates of 76 percent, whereas the Structural discipline has the lowest first-time pass rate of 43 percent.
The Principles and Practice of Engineering Exam, otherwise known at the PE Exam, which stands for Professional Engineer, is an 8-hour long examination that is offered twice a year and determines whether or not you can be classified as a professional engineer.
Remember, only 50 percent of engineers become licensed, Professional Engineers, which means 50 percent don’t. It’s not like you will be unemployed if you don’t pass the exam, or that you’ll be guaranteed a higher paycheck if you do pass it. Either scenario may open doors to different job opportunities.