Introducing the Reimagined Study Hub from School of PE

We are excited to announce the launch of our redesigned Study Hub that will improve the way engineers prepare for their professional licensure exams. 

When you choose School of PE for your exam preparation, you are choosing 16 years of experience backed by exam pass rates that are higher than the national average. With this expertise, we have revamped our popular Study Hub feature to give students a brand-new study experience that meets all of their needs in one place. 

The new Study Hub combines a sleek new design, engaging video content, detailed course notes, comprehensive practice tests, interactive flash cards, and more all in one location.

Not only are all these features within the Study Hub, but they also sync across all of your devices with access to the internet. For example, if you are studying on your desktop, you can move effortlessly to your laptop, tablet, or smartphone and pick up exactly where you left off.

This synchronization is especially helpful for our new, interactive Flash Cards feature. Simply select the topic and quiz yourself on important definitions whenever, wherever with our Study Hub mobile app (internet access required). 

Another new feature of our reimagined Study Hub is the ability to watch, pause, and resume lecture videos. You can even make timestamped annotations on the lecture videos, and bookmark them to easily review at a later date. 

Along with the new video features, you can also submit questions to the instructor and interact with your classmates in a discussion forum. This gives you the chance to communicate any doubts you may have about the material, receive detailed responses from fellow students and your instructor, and help answer the questions of others. 

Through the Study Hub, students are able to download, review, and annotate the thorough lecture notes that are provided by your instructor, easily access your eBooks, and test your knowledge using different test formats in our Question Bank. 

The Study Hub is included in the cost of your FE or PE exam review course at no additional charge*. Register for a course today to prepare, practice, and pass your exam with confidence! 

*Features may vary due to the uniqueness of each course.

10 Surveying Terms You Need to Know to Pass the CA Surveying Exam

Terms and definitions make up a HUGE part of the material on the exam. My #1 test strategy (OK, maybe #2 after getting a graphing calculator) is to bring a surveying dictionary into the exam. While there are so many terms to know, here are 10 you should memorize: 

Table of Contents

1. Parcel Map

2. Total Station

3. Azimuth

4. Zenith

5. Bearing

6. Traverse

7. Backsight

8. Foresight

9. Easement

10. Datum

1. Parcel Map 

A parcel map is a map that divides a large parcel into four or fewer parcels. Conversely, a subdivision map is a map that divides a large parcel into five or more parcels. 

2. Total Station 

A total station is the current industry standard for surveying equipment. It's classified as an electronic distancing measure (EDM), and it can also measure vertical and horizontal angles and record data. It typically requires two people to operate it, but there is a "robotic" total station that only needs one surveyor. 

3. Azimuth 

An azimuth measures horizontal angles (in 2D) from 0 to 360 degrees in a clockwise motion. 

4. Zenith 

A zenith measures vertical angles from 0 to 360 degrees in a clockwise motion, starting from the 12 o'clock position. 

5. Bearing 

A bearing measures angles, but only from 0 to 90 degrees. It is always relative to the north or south axis and is written in the form of N (or S) X Y' Z" E (or W). A back bearing (of a given bearing) is the opposite: S (or N) X Y' Z'' W (or E). 

6. Traverse 

A traverse is a plan view of the path a surveyor takes. If it starts and ends at the same point, it is considered as a closed traverse. Otherwise, it is an open traverse. 

7. Backsight 

The backsight is the vertical distance measurement from the benchmark to a known elevation during differential leveling. 

8. Foresight 

The foresight is the vertical distance measurement from the benchmark to an unknown location during differential leveling. 

Terms 7 & 8 are related in the following equations: Elevation1 + Backsight - Foresight = Elevation2 

9. Easement 

An easement is technically defined as shared land determined by a legal document, which allows a non-property owner to use the property. You'll see this a lot with utilities. The easement must outline the following: purpose, who the easement is between, the width, the duration, and the location based on a rectangular coordinate system. 

10. Datum 

There are two national datums, which establish horizontal and vertical coordinates. NAD 83 (which was updated from NAD 27) governs horizontal datums. NAVD 88 (which was updated from NGVD 29) governs vertical datums. 

School of PE offers comprehensive exam review courses for the CA Seismic and CA Surveying exams. Visit our website to register for a prep class that best fits your schedule.

PE Civil Exam: Tips for Determining Your Depth Section Subject

When Civil Engineers enter the workforce, their initial goal is to obtain as much experience as possible. Another major objective is to take and pass the PE Civil exam. Many Civil Engineers decide early on, probably before graduation, what their specialty or depth subject will be. This decision is usually guided by their interests, the classes they chose in college, a subject at which they are proficient, where they've gained experience during an internship, or it can be simply where they happen to find full-time employment after graduation. For some Civil Engineers, none of the previously mentioned is very helpful. They still find themselves pondering over which depth subject is best suited for them. 

Here are a few tips to help you decide if you are unsure about which depth subject to choose: 

The famous quote goes, "If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail." This statement holds true and is extremely applicable when selecting your depth subject. Developing a plan as early as possible is key. If Civil Engineers find themselves leaving college and still being unsure of their specialty as they enter the Engineering field, they should look to gain experience across the various depth areas if they can. For example, taking advantage of job shadowing programs or job rotations within various departments of a company is a good way to get hands-on experience. If this option is not available, Civil Engineers should plan to rotate companies early during their career to discover what their depth interest are. Typically, when an Engineer is unsure of their specialty, they should expect to change companies or job assignments every 3-5 years. 

Another tip for determining your depth subject is to select one based on your interests. Throughout your career, you will be asked many times why you chose to be a Civil Engineer. This question should always guide you to what specific part of Civil Engineering sparked your initial interest and keeps you engaged in continuous practice. Typically, when you are interested in a particular subject, you are motivated to read, research, ask questions, learn, and problem solve. Being engaged and interested in a subject undoubtedly increases your chances of passing the PE Civil exam and ultimately leads you to becoming a subject matter expert. 

Lastly, you should spend time talking to professionals within the industry and let them help you set career goals and decide which depth subject and career path is best for you. You should also spend your own time reading and researching to better understand your capability and level of commitment to a specific depth subject. 

School of PE offers comprehensive exam review courses for PE Civil. Our classes include instruction on the breadth portion of the exam, along with the depth subject of your choosing. For more information email info@schoolofpe.com or call 614-873-7475.

About the Author: Sidney May

Sidney May is a multi-state licensed Civil Engineer with over 15 years of work experience in Civil and Environmental Engineering. She holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering. Her expertise includes public works processes; managing capital improvements projects; developing project scopes and budgets; preparing design drawings; developing project specifications; and managing construction projects. Sidney develops course content; teaches refresher courses; and has co-authored the Civil Exam Transportation Depth Review Guide for the School of PE. Her civic duties include volunteering with S.T.E.A.M programs; serving as a professional mentor for the University of Alabama civil engineering students; and serving in leadership roles within the ASCE.

Six Tips to Pass the Civil PE Exam Breadth Section

The breadth section of the PE Civil exam is taken in the morning and, typically, sets the tone for the afternoon depth section. If you weren't successful, didn't feel confident, or struggled through the breadth section, your performance on the depth section may mirror that. It is extremely important to begin the breadth section of the exam with confidence, knowledge, vigor, fortitude, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills that are necessary for success on the exam. 

Test-taking experts say that being well rested is the key to success on exams. I tend to believe this is a true statement. Preparing, performing on, and passing the PE Civil exam is equivalent to training and running a marathon. Marathon runners incorporate the proper rest and relaxation techniques that are necessary for strength and endurance on the day of the run. Similar techniques should be incorporated when preparing for the PE Civil exam. Exam candidates should not study 2-3 days before the exam. This gives candidates a mental break, especially if they've followed an exam study schedule several weeks or months before the exam. This puts exam candidates at ease and reduces test anxiety. 

It also goes without saying that examinees must practice. Several weeks or months before the exam, candidates should practice problems and become familiar with specific exam concepts. Before studying and practicing problems, exam candidates should read through the PE Civil Exam Specifications from the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). The breadth portion of the exam tests general knowledge including Project Planning, Means and Methods, Soil Mechanics, Structural Mechanics, Hydraulics and Hydrology, Geometrics, Materials, and Site Development. Each of the previously mentioned subjects has a detailed list of the concepts within the subject matter that the candidate will be tested on along with the number of questions. 

Candidates should perform self-assessments to determine what subjects they are most comfortable with and if there are any deficiencies. A study schedule should be developed accordingly to reflect more time being spent on subjects with which candidates aren't as comfortable. The study material should include relevant breadth manuals, School of PE refresher notes that are tabbed, and any textbook or publication that can help supplement the subject matter. 

Another useful tool is having a Professional Mentor. Entry-level to Junior Engineers and beyond should always find a Professional Mentor. Professional Mentors are not only useful for hands-on experience, but they can also provide oversight and guidance when preparing for the breadth portion of the PE Civil exam. This is especially true for subjects with which candidates are not as familiar. If Professional Mentors are not available, exam candidates should seek the help of tutors. 

Candidates should read the entire PE Civil breadth portion thoroughly and solve the problems in order of level of difficulty as opposed to chronologically during the exam. Exam candidates should plan to arrive at the facility early and be prepared for success! 

School of PE offers comprehensive exam review courses for PE Civil. Our classes include instruction on the breadth portion of the exam, along with the depth subject of your choosing. For more information email info@schoolofpe.com or call 614-873-7475.

About the Author: Sidney May

Sidney May is a multi-state licensed Civil Engineer with over 15 years of work experience in Civil and Environmental Engineering. She holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering. Her expertise includes public works processes; managing capital improvements projects; developing project scopes and budgets; preparing design drawings; developing project specifications; and managing construction projects. Sidney develops course content; teaches refresher courses; and has co-authored the Civil Exam Transportation Depth Review Guide for the School of PE. Her civic duties include volunteering with S.T.E.A.M programs; serving as a professional mentor for the University of Alabama civil engineering students; and serving in leadership roles within the ASCE.