Do Practice Exams Really Make Perfect for FE and PE NCEES Exams?

Everyone knows the saying, "practice makes perfect." From practicing difficult engineering math equations to formulating strategic moves in chess, practice is scientifically proven to be an important factor for success. The act of practicing something seems simple enough, but psychology proves that there is a lot of science behind practicing. Why is practicing effective? And why should you do it? For engineers, why are FE practice exams or PE exam sample questions vital in preparing for NCEES exams? Practicing has been found to be one of the most effective techniques for studying as it improves cognitive functionality and reduces overall exam anxiety. 

Many studies have shown that periodically practicing after studying a specific subject is an effective exam preparation technique. After studying a subject or topic, a great way to test the obtained knowledge is by taking subject-based practice tests. If one struggles with the questions pertaining to the just-reviewed topic, the topic should be revisited until the concept is fully grasped. 

"When you time match people who study information over and over and over, and people who study and then test over and over and over, it's the people who test who come out on top. It's not a matter of how much or how long you study, it's a matter of how you study," Amanda Smith, a psychology graduate student at Tufts University, reported in an informational video about learning habits.ⁱ 

Repetitively repeating something actually alters the physical composition of your brain, according to performance coaches and TED-Ed speakers, Annie Bosler and Don Greene. Practicing something generates a build-up of myelin around the axons of the brain, which improves insulation. It is believed by scientists that the extra insulation increases the functionality of the axons, which makes the electrical signals in your brain move faster and recall information at a more rapid pace.ii

When evaluating practicing effects in accordance to academics and exam taking, practicing reduces anxiety and stress: two feelings that could be detrimental to exam scores. Practicing decreases anxiety both in the learning process and in the actual exam-taking process. Research has shown that anxiety has detrimental effects when it comes to taking exams. When experiencing anxiety, examinees typically have issues retrieving information.ⁱⁱⁱ The reduction of anxiety co-aligns with the idea of self-efficacy; the more one practices, the more information he or she would retain. When individuals see themselves improving, their confidence will rise, and their anxiety will decrease. Stress inoculation theory can also be applied when evaluating practicing problems and exam performance. The theory states that when a person is exposed to small doses of a frightening experience, they eventually experience less fear and anxiety.

For those who are preparing for an FE or PE NCEES exam, practice problems are a great way to increase overall learning initiatives. School of PE has recently launched a new Question Bank for FE review courses and is planning to expand the Question Bank to PE review courses soon. The Question Bank features a bank of practice problems for students to test their knowledge. The practice problems closely mimic NCEES' computer-based test experience. At this time, School of PE students who enroll in our FE Chemical, FE Civil, FE Electrical, FE Environmental, FE Industrial and Systems, FE Mechanical, and FE Other exam review courses are provided the Question Bank for free. Sign up for an exam review course and start practicing today!

Prepare, Practice, Pass

Anytime, Anywhere

It's that easy!

References:

i Thomas, A., & Smith, A. (Researchers). Practice makes perfect: Learning by taking practice tests protects memory against stress [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDIqEui5mpQ

ii Bosler, A., & Greene, D. (Educators). How to Practice Effectively [Video File]. Retrieved from 

https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-to-practice-effectively-for-just-about-anything-annie-bosler-and-don-greene 

iii Nelson, J. M., & Harwood, H. (2011). Learning disabilities and anxiety: A meta-analysis. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 44(1), 3-17. doi:10.1177/0022219409359939

Benefits of Becoming a Professional Engineer While Serving in the Military

The United States Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marines, and Navy have a variety of engineering occupations. For example, a technical engineer conducts construction and geodetic surveys, creates scale models, and carries out various other duties that align with civilian engineering positions.ⁱ Professional licensing is technically not required for engineering jobs within the military, but obtaining a license displays advanced knowledge in various engineering topics. Obtaining a professional license while actively serving can present opportunities for a promotion or an advancement in rank. Salary increases are also a common recognition for becoming licensed. 

A military engineering salary for a licensed professional is relatively competitive compared to other military careers. Below are median salaries for military professional engineers per the Bureau of Labor and Statistics:ii

• Civil Engineer: $73,528
• Electrical Engineer: $88,503
• Mechanical Engineer: $69,943

Becoming a professional engineer (PE) while actively serving can increase the chances of acquiring a job after terminating your active status. Veterans who fail to do so often experience difficulties when applying for licensing exams through state boards as some state boards have specific regulations on training experience. If there is a gap between active military engineering training and applying for a licensing exam, many veterans end up participating in duplicate training.iii

Generally, civilian engineering positions often require their employees to be licensed. Even if some industries do not require employees to be licensed, companies in these industries may request that their employees strive for a PE license. When hiring, a majority of civilian companies will choose a licensed professional engineer over a candidate who is not licensed. Those actively serving in the military would greatly benefit from obtaining a PE license as they would have a smoother transition into the civilian workforce after no longer serving in the military. 

School of PE has helped many active military engineers obtain their professional engineering licenses, including students from the U.S. Army Core of Engineers, the Navy, and the Air Force. To thank military men and women for their service, we are happy to provide a $100 military discount on our exam review courses. 

School of PE offers exam review courses for Fundamentals of Engineering, PE, and Structural Engineering courses for licensing exams. 

To receive a military discount for a School of PE review course, register for a review course online or via phone by calling 614-873-7475.

Prepare, Practice, Pass

Anytime, Anywhere

It's that easy!

References

i Technical Engineering Jobs. Retrieved from https://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/career-match/mechanics-engineering/design-develop/12t-technical-engineer.html

ii Bureau of Labor Statistics: Civil, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering Statistics Pages. Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/ 

iii United States Department of Labor. Licensing and Certification for Veterans: State Strategies for Successfully Removing Barriers. Retrieved from https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/VETS/legacy/files/licensingcertfications.pdf

Understanding Which Depth to Take: A Comparison of PE Civil Exam Depth Topics

Two common questions from potential PE Civil students are "which depth should I take?" and "which is the easiest PE Civil depth?" The PE Civil exam is broken up into two sections: the breadth and the depth. The breadth portion is held in the morning and is taken by every examinee, and the depth portion is held in the afternoon and is structured around areas of specialty. Examinees must choose one of the five depth exams to take.

The five depths are construction, geotechnical, structural, transportation, and water resources and environmental. 

If you are struggling to decide which depth to sign up for, we have compiled pass rates, potential job responsibilities, and average salaries for each of the five depths to help you with your decision. 

Table of Contents

1. PE Civil: Construction

2. PE Civil: Geotechnical

3. PE Civil: Structural

4. PE Civil: Transportation

5. PE Civil: Water Resources & Environmental

1. PE Civil: Construction

1. For the October 2017 exam, the pass rates for the construction depth were 59% for first-time takers and 36% for repeat takers 
2. Duties could include residential and commercial side planning and designing/managing infrastructure 
3. Average Annual Pay: $91,370 

2. PE Civil: Geotechnical

1. For the October 2017 exam, the pass rates for the geotechnical depth were 61% for first-time takers and 37% for repeat takers 
2. Duties could include monitoring worksite conditions, foundation construction, and earthwork 
3. Average Annual Pay: $94,240

3. PE Civil: Structural

1. For the October 2017 exam, the pass rates for the structural depth were 69% for first-time takers and 44% for repeat takers 
2. Duties could include designing and managing buildings or bridges. Structural engineering is closely aligned with architectural engineering. 
3. Average Annual Pay: $84,770

4. PE Civil: Transportation

1. For the October 2017 exam, the pass rates for the transportation depth were 69% for first-time takers and 42% for repeat takers 
2. Duties could include planning urban transportation, designing roadways, and operating transportation facilities 
3. Average Annual Pay: $84,770

5. PE Civil: Water Resources & Environmental 

1. For the October 2017 exam, the pass rates for the water resources and environmental depth were 70% for first-time takers and 43% for repeat takers 
2. Duties could include designing and managing human water equipment and implementing air pollution, radiation, and recycling control 
3. Average Annual Pay: $86,800

Another great way to determine which depth you should take is to check out NCEES' PE Civil exam specifications. The exam specifications outline the topics that will be covered on each depth exam. 

Worried about the national pass rates? Taking a review course is a proven way to raise scores. Below is a comparison between national pass rates and School of PE's pass rates for each of the PE Civil depths. 

Regardless of the PE Civil depth that you choose, School of PE's exam review courses will help you prepare and pass your exam! 

Job Descriptions and Salaries obtained from Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/home.htm

PE Tips for Passing the PE Exam

Passing an NCEES PE exam is an essential step in an engineer's career, as people cannot legally refer to themselves as an engineer until they pass the exam. Taking a licensing exam, such as the PE exam, can be overwhelming. Many PE examinees have reported studying up to 300 hours for the difficult exam. To help reduce stress and the amount of time used to study, we have created a list of PE tips to help you get the most out of studying and to help you pass the PE exam. 

Table of Contents

1. Look over the PE Exam Requirements and Specifications

2. Create a PE Exam Study Schedule

3. Practice, Practice, Practice

4. Create a Reference Binder

5. Attend a Review Course

1. Look over the PE Exam Requirements and Specifications 

Don't be that person who goes to the exam and forgets to bring an ID. Make sure to fully read all exam-day requirements including registration time, required documents, and accepted calculators. Also, read over your exam's specifications before beginning to study, as the specifications lay out the ratio of subjects that will be covered on an exam. NCEES' PE exam specifications and resources can be found here. 

2. Create a PE Exam Study Schedule 

Creating a study schedule is essential when preparing for the PE exam. Decide how long you want to spend studying each day and when you are going to review specific topics. If you think a certain topic will take longer to grasp than other subjects, dedicate more time toward that subject when making a schedule. 

3. Practice, Practice, Practice 

How do you know when you've fully grasped a subject? By practicing! After studying a subject, test your knowledge by practicing 10-15 problems in that subject area. If you can answer the practice problems correctly, you can confirm that you are prepared for that given subject. If you struggle with the practice problems, consider setting some extra time aside to revisit the subject. 

4. Create a Reference Binder 

If you are taking a pen and paper PE exam, making an organized binder with notes and other reference materials is a great strategy when preparing for the PE exam. In your binder, add color-coded tabs for different subjects, compose your own notes on subjects you think you may struggle with, and even add a section with step-by-step instructions on how to solve difficult problems. Even the process of making the binder is a great way to refresh your memory on exam topics. Make sure your reference binder is fully bound and does not contain any loose materials. NCEES requires reference materials to be bound with ring binders, brads, plastic snaps, screw posts, or spirals. 

5. Attend a Review Course 

Registering for an exam review course is another helpful way to prepare for the PE exam. School of PE offers PE Architectural, PE Chemical, PE Civil, PE Control Systems, PE Electrical, PE Environmental, PE Industrial and Systems, PE Mechanical, and PE Petroleum review courses. Because of School of PE's Prepare, Practice, Pass initiative, student pass rates continue to be much higher than the national rates. School of PE provides comprehensive lectures, practice problem sessions, and organized refresher notes that are perfect to include in your reference binder. School of PE also designs its courses around NCEES' exam specifications. 

We hope these PE tips will help take the stress out of studying and will help you pass the PE exam. Even though the PE exam is a difficult exam, studying for it shouldn't be.

Why Structural Engineering Licenses are on the Rise

As an engineering exam review course provider, we often get asked about structural engineering vs. civil engineering. It can be difficult to understand the differences between Structural Engineering (SE) and Professional Engineering (PE) Civil with the structural depth, but apart from the exam specifications and general licensing differences, the main differences primarily involve state board jurisdictions and career goals. 

According to the National Council of Structural Engineers Association, the concept of structural engineering was derived from civil engineering as a whole. "Originally engineering was a military activity. As time passed, the benefit of engineering in non-military activities was recognized and engineering subsequently divided into two disciplines: Military Engineering and Civil Engineering. Soon other disciplines-Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Structural Engineer, Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, and others-developed from Civil Engineering." i

The SE license from NCEES has become increasingly popular as state boards are beginning to require the license for certain structural engineering projects. Within the last decade, there has been a nationwide initiative to create safer and sturdier structures, which therefore encourages state boards to take action to require a structural engineering license before one can practice structural engineering. For instance, the I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis, Minnesota resulted in extra precautions and a reevaluation of design standards for future structural bridge projects. 

California, Hawaii, Illinois, and Nevada are some states that specifically require engineers to have their SE license for certain projects. Hawaii and Illinois require a structural engineering license for any structural engineering jobs; California and Nevada have more specific regulations. In California, a SE license is required for educational buildings and hospitals, while an engineer with a PE license can practice structural engineering on any other structures. Nevada requires a SE license for structures that are taller than 100 feet and for buildings taller than 45 feet or three stories.ⁱⁱ As time progresses, the need for a structural engineering license seems to be getting greater with state engineering boards.

Those interested in structural engineering are encouraged to check with their state engineering boards for practicing regulations. For those that reside in a state that does require a structural engineering license, SE courses that include SE exam practice problems are a great way to prepare for the SE exam.

References

i National Council of Structural Engineers Association. A Day in the Life. Retrieved from 

http://www.ncsea.com/ downloads/files /about/ a_day_in_the_life_of_se.pdf

ii Structural Engineer (SE) Licensure Explained. Retrieved from 

https://www.engineering. com/Library/ArticlesPage /tabid /85/ArticleID/1808/ Structural-Engineer SE-Licensure-Explained.aspx

Architectural Engineering: The Field of Multiple Trades

Why is architecture so difficult yet such a rewarding field to get into? Architectural engineering is a vast and diverse field that requires knowledge of various other field-specific engineering subjects. Those who go into the field of architectural engineering utilize both technology and science to design buildings to improve overall living conditions, accessibility, and quality of life.

When comparing architectural engineers to other professional engineers in differing specialties, architects really do stand out considering the amount of knowledge that is needed to become licensed. For instance, the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) Professional Engineering (PE) Architectural license exam includes multiple subjects that can be found on other professional engineering exams. 

Below are the architecture engineering subjects that are found on NCEES' architectural licensing exam:

1. Building Systems Integration
2. Electrical Systems
3. Mechanical Systems
4. Structural Systems 
5. Project Management and Construction Administration

NCEES administers individual exams for a majority of the subjects above. For example, PE Civil, PE Mechanical, PE Electrical, and Structural Engineering (SE) exams are offered as licensing exams through the organization.

Why do architectural engineers need to master so many subjects? The answer is relatively simple. When designing a building, it is necessary to consider not only the structure but also the mechanical and electrical aspects of the building. 

If you have an interest in designing buildings and love a challenge, obtaining a PE Architectural license may be right for you. As a professional architectural engineer, you will have bragging rights to say that you are knowledgeable in multiple trades.

Engineering Review Courses During Work: How Lunch and Learns Can Increase Career Development, Morale

Career development through education is often thought to be difficult for working professionals with a full-time 9-5 job. Whether a working professional wishes to take college classes or a discipline-specific exam review course, there is a common misconception that any educational activity must be done in the evenings after work. 

Lunch and learns have become a popular solution for educating full-time working professionals. Lunch and learns are typically organized by a company to help further increase employees' skills and career development and can even increase employee morale by creating an atmosphere promoting employee appreciation. 

Career development is perhaps the biggest reason working professionals participate in lunch and learn programs. A Harvard Business Review article analyzed career development opportunities by examining more than 1,200 professionals. 

"Workers reported that companies generally satisfy their needs for on-the-job development and that they value these opportunities, which include high-visibility positions and significant increases in responsibility," reported Jie Cao, Monika Hamori, and Burak Koyuncu, the article's authors. ⁱ 

Working professionals often wish to advance into more challenging job roles the longer they work for a company, and with the correct training tools, they can typically progress into higher positions at a desirable rate. 

Employees love when companies provide extra benefits, such as company outings or career development opportunities. By offering different perks to employees, companies can build a more trusting management-employee relationship, which therefore increases overall employee morale and decreases turnover. According to a LinkedIn article, "[E]xtra fringe benefits can improve morale. [Lunch and Learns] create an atmosphere of appreciation, kindness and caring for employees." ⁱⁱ 

In the engineering field, continual career development is essential for success. Technically, by law, one cannot refer to themselves as an engineer without being properly licensed. To become licensed, people typically have to take and pass both the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam and the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE). These exams are considered rigorous and have been reported to require approximately 200 hours of preparation for each. After becoming licensed, many engineering state boards require licensed engineers to participate in continuing education courses by earing professional development hours. 

For engineering companies or for individuals who wish to take an exam review course during the day, School of PE offers a PE Civil Live Online exam review course during weekday afternoons. This time slot is perfect for corporate training. 

Corporations, what are you waiting for? Let School of PE help your employees prepare for and pass the PE Civil exam! 

References 

i Why Top Young Managers Are in a Nonstop Job Hunt. Retrieved from https://hbr.org /2012/07/why-top-young-managers-are in-a-nonstop-job-hunt 

ii Lunch and Learn Benefits. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com /pulse/lunch-learn-benefits wendy-rose/

Petroleum Engineering: An Exploration of Job and Industry Trends

Petroleum is an essential aspect to everyday life with oil being sourced to transportation, industrial and residential sectors. Even with renewable energy emerging and becoming more prominent in today's society, the oil industry is expected to grow. Petroleum continues to be the most widely used energy source in the United States. In 2017, 36.2 quadrillion Btu of petroleum were used, followed by 28 quadrillion Btu of natural gas, 13.9 quadrillion Btu of coal, 11 quadrillion Btu of renewable energy (biofuels), and 8.4 quadrillion Btu of nuclear electric power.i

The increase of petroleum popularity may be because new renewable energy technology has not advanced enough to provide adequate energy for an ever-growing population and city infrastructure. For example, the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that the global demand of oil will significantly increase by 2040. In 2010, the global demand per day was averaged at 86 million barrels. IEA forecasts an average of 105 million barrels of oil per day being used in 2040, which is a 22% increase in 30 years.ⁱⁱ 

The growth of the petroleum industry is evident when evaluating petroleum engineering jobs as well as a higher demand of licensed professional petroleum engineers. In fact, the number of petroleum engineering jobs are expected to increase 15% by 2026, which is much greater than the average job growth in other industries.ⁱⁱⁱ 

The number of examinees who have taken NCEES' PE Petroleum exam has significantly increased over the years. Only 17 examinees took the licensing exam in 2001, and 187 examinees took the exam in 2017. With the consistent increase of petroleum engineering jobs, the PE Petroleum exam may soon reach the popularity level of the PE Control Systems and the PE Chemical exams.^iv

To accommodate the increasing popularity of the PE Petroleum licensing exam, School of PE offers a PE Petroleum exam review course for those who are interested in pursuing a career in the industry. The course provides 60 hours of lectures as well as practice problems. 

Pursuing a career in a rapidly growing industry has many perks, such as job security, career advancements, and salary. Secure a career in petroleum engineering by getting licensed. With School of PE, you can prepare, practice, and pass. It's that easy!

References

ⁱ U.S. primary energy consumption by source and sector, 2017. Retrieved from
https://www.eia.gov/ totalenergy/data/monthly/

ⁱⁱ  A World in Transformation: World Energy Outlook 2017. Retrieved from

https://www.iea.org

ⁱⁱⁱ Occupational Outlook Handbook: Petroleum Engineers. Retrieved from

https://www.bls.gov

^iv PE and SE Exam Results. Retrieved from

https://pels.texas.gov/exam_passfail.htm