How to Pass the PE Exam

Many licensed professional engineers will tell you that one of the most challenging steps to earning an engineering license is passing the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam. That many fail this test on the first try seems to support this claim. However, although the PE is a difficult exam that requires a lot of planning and preparation, the good news is that it is possible for engineers to pass the first time. The main difference between a positive outcome and a negative one is often a failure to employ effective study methods and preparation procedures before the test. In the following article, we’ll explore five strategies to ensure adequate test preparation so you can improve your chances of passing the exam.

Get the Reference Manual for Your Engineering Discipline

The reference manual for your engineering discipline can be a valuable resource, not only for your PE exam, but potentially as a useful information source to keep on hand as you continue your professional career. The manuals have a lot of information that can help you as you prepare for the exam and can give you quick access to important information during the exam. Relevant details, formulas, and explanations can be at your fingertips with a reference manual at your side. Having the right tools within your reach can give you the confidence you need to handle the technical problems you’ll face on the exam.

Find and Use a Review Book

Review books are, without a doubt, a valuable resource that you should consider in your preparation for the PE exam. Think twice before ignoring these kinds of resources if you are serious about passing your PE exam because the authors are generally registered engineers who have vast experience in preparing students for certification. The primary goal of these books is to prepare you for success in this exam, so that means you will interact with the structure and technical aspects of the exam as well as all the topics you could expect to find in the test. The test material is discussed at length to give students a deeper understanding of the topics.

Do as Many Sample Questions as Possible

Practice makes perfect. And that is exactly what you should do to pass your PE exam. In fact, it may be a critical part of your successful preparation. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to wait for exam day to get acquainted with the types of questions you are going to face. Instead, you should do as many sample problems and practice exams as possible ahead of time to sharpen your mind and to get prepared for what to expect in the exam.

By completing practice exams before the text, you will help to train yourself to work under the pressure of time constraints and within the time allotted for the test. Considering that you will be tackling many questions within a set amount of time, you will need to learn how to manage your time well; a lack of proper time management can be a major source of poor performance on any timed test.

Practice Time Management Skills

So how do you manage your time well when you are sitting for the real exam? One major mistake that many engineers make when taking the PE exam is spending a lot of time tackling the hard questions. This is not a wise move, considering that you have a set amount of time to complete the exam. Rather than taking a lot of time with the difficult questions, skip them and handle the easier ones first. This will increase your chances of passing the exam since you’ll earn credit for questions that you answer correctly, but not necessarily for the ones that you spend a lot of time with.

Make sure you know ahead of time how many questions your discipline’s exam will have and the length of the exam. This way you can figure out ahead of time how much time, on average, you can spend on each question. If you feel like you’re spending more time than that on a question, skip it and move on. You can always come back to it later.

Enroll in a Refresher Course

Sometimes, one of the most valuable things you can do is attend refresher courses to prepare you for the subject material of your exam. The exam can be a hard nut to crack if you fail to prepare well, but luckily, you can enroll in online PE exam preparation courses to help you study and getting ready for the exam. These courses are flexible enough for you to take them at your own convenience, which can be a life saver, especially if you are working or have other commitments. Consider taking these courses to help achieve your goal of moving from engineer to professional engineer.

Completing the PE exam is a major milestone in your career. Passing this exam will elevate you to the level of professional engineer and will give your current and future employers confidence in you as a qualified member of the professional community. The engineering industry requires its professionals to be thoroughly equipped in their respective disciplines; for that reason, we offer online courses that sharpen the knowledge and skills of engineers. As you look to pass your PE exam, our team of highly skilled and experienced professionals can help you to improve your chances of achieving your goal. Consider partnering with us to get the help you need to earn your engineering license and elevate your career to greater heights.