Which PE Civil Exam Is the Easiest to Pass?

Almost without fail, the first questions I get from EIT's who are interested in taking the PE Exam is "How hard is it?" or "Which is the easiest to pass?" The latter typically comes from engineers early in their career who are in between professions, or whose profession doesn't perfectly line up with their studies in undergrad/graduate school. Maybe you have degree in civil and did a lot of design type work at the college level, but found yourself in a more application-based field, like construction or fabrication. Or you are working for a design firm that is in a different field than that of your studies in school, i.e., you majored in structural engineering and found yourself working for a mechanical design firm, or in the aerospace industry. You can look up exam pass rates in your jurisdiction, however, that doesn't tell you which exam is easiest. If you majored in civil engineering, focused on geotechnical engineering and foundation design, and are working for a local utility company doing site layout design of their power substations, you likely should be taking the Civil/Geotechnical Exam. I don't need to tell you that. If you majored in civil engineering and now design educational or industrial facilities for a small private design firm, take the Civil/Structural Exam. 

If I'm being honest, when I began seriously looking into signing up for the exam, I had the same question. I majored in structural engineering, focusing on seismic design of civil structures. Out of college I worked for a design firm but soon ended up working for a steel fabrication company who did complex fabrication in the commercial transportation, hydro power, nuclear and marine industries. I wasn't designing buildings or bridges, I was figuring out how to build them. I wasn't doing structural analysis, load take offs, or sizing and spacing rebar in concrete shear walls. I was designing temporary structures and fabrication processes so massive bridge girders or dam bulkheads could be safely and economically constructed. I was doing material take-offs, contract submittals, scheduling and resource planning. When I began researching the different topics, I would need to know for the PE Exam, I realized I fell somewhere between the Civil/Structural Exam and the Civil/Construction Exam. I had a lot of basic design experience in school and was fairly familiar with most of the structural design codes I would need to know for the Civil/Structural Exam. But I also had a lot of practical experience in a construction-like industry that would be required for the Civil/Construction Exam. 

Ultimately, I took the Civil/Structural Exam. I felt I had a bigger base of knowledge of the topics on that exam. I had been exposed to or had a working knowledge of all of the topics on the Structural Exam. There were quite a few topics on the Construction Exam I had never been exposed to and would have to learn from scratch. I determined the Civil/Structural Exam would be easier for me. The exam that is easier for you may be different. Do what I did and look at the list of topics provided on the NCEES website for each exam. If you are reading through the list of topics for a particular exam and are familiar with all or most of them, it is likely the exam for you. If you were not exposed in school, or work specifically in a field related to the topics on an exam, find another exam. 

The reality is that none of the exams are easy. I have never spoken to a licensed Professional Engineer in any field who described their experience taking the exam as easy. However, the amount of preparation needed to pass an exam is completely dependent on your own personal circumstances. Could I take and pass the Civil/Construction, or any of the other exams? Sure. And you can too. But do you have the time to dedicate learning new topics you likely won't use in your career? Or do you already have a foundation of knowledge specific to a certain exam that you have gained through professional experience and schooling? Take that exam. Studying for it will be easier than studying for an exam with unfamiliar topics.

About the Author: Alex Berlin

Mr. Berlin has worked in both the design and fabrication industries for 10 years. He has worked at Vigor (previously OIW) for 9 years. Previous experience includes work in commercial fabrication for the solar renewable energy sector, structural design for the commercial and power sectors and seismic analysis and rehabilitation. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Structural Engineering from The University of California, San Diego. He holds a PE License in the State of Oregon.

Strategies for Passing the PE Civil Exam

The PE Civil Exam really is unlike any other exam you have taken throughout your collegiate and professional career. It is comparable to the FE Exam in that it is an eight hour exam. What is challenging about it is the volume of material and the number of problems to complete in eight hours. Here are some strategies to think about that have helped me and others I know pass the exam. 

Table of Contents

1. Take a review course

2. Buy the PE Civil Exam Review Guide: Breadth (CERG)

3. Use tabs. Or sticky notes

4. Take timed practice exams

5. Use an approved calculator from the start

1. Take a review course. Whether it's in person, virtually, live or Ondemand, it helps by creating the outline for studying and focusing you on the specific material you will need to know. It's one thing to know steel construction because you work in the field, it's another to understand what types of problems will be on the exam and how to use the steel manual to answer them. I personally did virtual on demand classes. It allowed me to do 1-3-hour classes at a time so that I could spread out my studying. There was an option to do twelve live classes each weekend, six weeks prior to the exam, however I was not in a position to dedicate six weekends. However, I have no doubt they would have been just as effective. 

2. Buy the PE Civil Exam Review Guide: Breadth (CERG). Buy the right edition for the exam you are taking. It's about a $240-dollar investment but it is absolutely necessary. It is a concise and essential resource for your morning breadth exam. It has all the information and plenty of examples and problems that will help prepare you for the breadth portion of the exam. You will likely use it in your career after the exam because it is a one stop shop for so many topics and you will become comfortable navigating it. If the price tag scares you (it scared me), see if your company will reimburse you for it. Most companies will pay for at least a portion of professional development training or licensing costs. 

3. Use tabs. Or sticky notes. The PE Exam is open book, which actually makes things much more difficult. The Civil/Structural Exam has nine code books to bring, plus the CERG, plus any other bound reference material you think you'll need. If you are constantly using the indexes or table of contents to find pages with formulas or tables, you are wasting precious time. Tab everything out before sitting for the exam. It's easy to do as you study and as you do practice problems. 

4. Take timed practice exams. Along with doing timed problems as you study, it's important to take a full practice exam or two. I personally did them in four-hour chunks, taking only the morning breadth or afternoon depth exams in a given day. If you have the time and mental bandwidth to do a couple eight hour days, more power to you. What's important is you time yourself and treat it like a real exam. I had my wife time me and come in with 30 minutes remaining, 10 minutes, 5 minutes, and 1 minute. I had all of my reference material available and open. My cell phone was in the other room. The key is to get to a place where 60-75% of the problems you can do comfortably without scouring through reference material to find an answer or a formula. I either could solve the problem quickly, knew the answer instantly, or I knew what table or formula I needed and could flip quickly to the tabbed section of my code books. 

5. Use an approved calculator from the start. Be sure to buy an approved calculator (remember to see if your company will reimburse you) and do practice problems and exams with it. You'd be surprised how awkward it is at first trying to find the square root or exponential function on a new calculator. Make sure you are comfortable prior to sitting for the exam.

About the Author: Alex Berlin

Mr. Berlin has worked in both the design and fabrication industries for 10 years. He has worked at Vigor (previously OIW) for 9 years. Previous experience includes work in commercial fabrication for the solar renewable energy sector, structural design for the commercial and power sectors and seismic analysis and rehabilitation. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Structural Engineering from The University of California, San Diego. He holds a PE License in the State of Oregon.

My Experience in Taking the PE Civil Exam

Taking the PE Civil Exam is a big step in the career of any engineer. The experience will vary for each person depending on their timing, motivation, and experience as an engineer. I will share my experience here in hopes that it helps you prepare for the exam. 

Table of Contents

1. Timing

2. Acquiring the Resources

3. Preparation

4. Final Preparation

5. Taking the Exam

6. Immediate Reactions

7. Passing the Exam

1. Timing

I took the PE Civil Exam in New York State, which requires (I believe) three years of professional experience in addition to a master's degree prior to application. As soon as I was eligible, I started working on the application. I will go into this more in another blog post, but I highly recommend taking the test as soon as you are able, so be sure to find out when that is in the state in which you are seeking licensure. 

2. Acquiring the Resources 

A major step in preparing for the exam is acquiring all the resources you need. This includes both the PE Civil Exam Review Guide: Breadth (CERG) and all the codes you can get your hands on. A list of codes required can be found online. 

3. Preparation 

First things first - make a schedule! I decided to study for the test for three months straight, so I made a schedule that included weekends designated to studying material in the CERM and two nights per week of doing problems on my own. I stuck to my schedule fairly rigidly, but I will say not all topics required the same amount of time studying, so I would adjust topics on each day as needed. 

The three most important things I did were 1) problems, problems, problems. Do as many as you can! 2) tabbing my resources. Make sure all the info you need is handy during the test. 3) stopping studying new material two weeks before the test. This allows for your brain to recover so you can go into the exam feeling rested, and also for you to have time to do timed practice tests. 

4. Final Preparation 

As I mentioned above, in the last two weeks I took it semi-easy. I took a timed practice test two weeks before the test day. I actually went into my office on a Saturday and sat in a conference room and took a full eight-hour exam. I highly recommend doing this! That Sunday I reviewed my test. To be honest, I didn't pass with soaring colors, so if you too struggle on the practice test, don't fret! The experience is still worth it, and you probably learned some things from making those errors. The final weekend before the test, I packed my suitcase (yes, I took a suitcase to the test with all my resources) and got some rest. 

5. Taking the Exam 

The exam in New York City was in a part of Brooklyn that I had never been to before. I've seen several guides say to do a test drive to the exam location, etc. I will be honest, I did not. The morning of the exam I woke up, called an Uber, and headed out. It was raining when I arrived at the test site and the people running the exam room couldn't let us in early, so we all waited outside in the rain with our suitcases of books. Luckily, the rain dried up shortly, and we went in to take the test. 

Now, here comes my horror story. I took the morning part of the exam and all went well. I turned in my answer sheet and left the room about thirty minutes early. I remember reading on the answer sheet to NOT sign the form until the VERY END. The signature validates that you answered everything without cheating or something, so you were supposed to wait. BUT, if you don't sign it, you won't pass. I didn't realize we would get a new answer sheet in the afternoon, so you had to sign it at the end of each session, not just the end of the day. When I went back after lunch, they handed out a new answer sheet and the blood drained out of my face. I was 99% sure that I had not signed that morning one. I called the proctor over and she said she couldn't remember if I had signed it, but she would go check. Next thing I know, someone was telling me that all the answer sheets had been boxed up and shipped to wherever they were going so they couldn't tell me if I had signed it, but assured me that if I didn't, I would fail. I almost threw in the towel right there. Tears formed in my eyes as I thought about the three months of studying I had put in to get to this point. I still to this day don't know if I signed it, but either I did or they made an exception because (spoiler alert) I passed. 

I took the afternoon part of the exam and finished right before they said pencils down. 

6. Immediate Reactions 

After the exam, I met up with a coworker and a grad school friend who had both taken it that day. We decided to take an Uber back to Manhattan together. In the taxi, we all said that was a lot harder than we thought it would be, but that we didn't know how we could have prepared any better to do it again. I say this to let you know that it's ok to find the test really challenging. We all found it difficult and we all passed in the end. 

The next morning, I was off on a plane to take a weeklong vacation in Florida. I worked for a company at the time who graciously gave us two days off for the PE. One day for the exam and one day to either study the day before or to recover the Monday after. I took the time after, and it was much needed after all those months of studying. 

7. Passing the Exam 

The day the results were released there was a buzz around the office. I knew a lot of people who had taken it and amazingly we all passed! I remember checking my results at the desk and FREAKING OUT!! I couldn't believe it! A few coworker friends and I went out for lunch to celebrate. It was such a relief. 

I hope this story was helpful! Taking the PE is a journey I'll never forget.

The Path to Passing PE Civil Exam

The PE exam is one of the most important milestones in an engineer's career. It also usually takes place at least four years after you've been done with school. Because of this, intentional preparation is key to passing the PE exam. 

Your preparation should start at least a year before your desired exam date. Find out when you can apply and what the requirements are for your application. You will need a complete engineering work history between when you earned your Civil Engineering degree and the application submittal date. You will also need contact information for all your current and past supervisors (ideally your supervisors are professional engineers who have had direct responsible charge of you). Start your application early and get your current and past supervisors to complete the reference forms early. Submit the completed application as soon as possible. 

Once your application is approved and you register for your PE exam, look for a review course that fits your schedule and learning style. Many great courses are offered through the School of PE, including virtual Ondemand, virtual live, and in-person courses. With my work schedule and family life I chose a virtual Ondemand course. 

Make a list of all the reference material that is applicable to the exam. Comprehensive lists are available on the exam website but will likely include reference books you may not need. I recommend a general civil engineering reference guide such as the PE Civil Exam Review Guide: Breadth book, but there are many good choices out there. Your review course will also be able to recommend books to take into the exam and may even provide material you can print out and bind to make it authorized to take into the exam. 

As you begin your review course make sure you can study in a quiet place free from the distractions of work and life. Block out enough time each week to get through the course several weeks before the exam date. This will allow you to take practice exams prior to the exam and give you time to go back to your review course and reference material in between practice exams. Use page tabs and highlighters to mark key information in the reference material you will be taking into the exam. This will save you a lot of time. Remember, you will only have a few minutes to answer each question. 

As you take practice exams, find a quiet place that is as much like the real test environment as possible. I found a quiet conference room with a single table. I only took into the practice exam what I would have with me for the PE exam: my reference books, an approved watch, two approved calculators, scratch paper, and a pencil (the exam proctors will provide scratch paper and pencils). Treat the practice exams as if they were the real exam. Score your practice exam and use the results to figure out what topics need more study. 

As the exam date gets closer, gather all of the things you plan to take into the exam in one place. This should include all the reference material (and could be anywhere from 2 or 3 books to 10 or 20 books), two approved calculators (you don't want to have a calculator not work on exam day and be without a backup), an approved watch (you may not be able to see a clock during the exam), ear plugs (when I took the exam it was a windy day and the large room we were in had a lot of noise from the environment), a water bottle, your exam registration if required, approved identification, and a way to get all this to the table where you'll sit for the day. I had over 12 reference books for my PE exam and used a hand cart with milk crates strapped to it to move everything.

Many people take the exam in a location that is several hours away from where they live. Because the exam starts early and you will need to arrive well before the exam begins, you may want to find a hotel room near the exam site for the night before. This will allow you to (hopefully) get a good night's sleep and not be distracted by work or family. If at all possible, don't work or study the day before! You have already spent months preparing for the exam so studying the day before won't be beneficial and may just add stress. Also, you don't want to be thinking about all the tasks you have waiting for you at work. 

Wake up early on the morning of the exam. Make sure you know when you need to check in and get to the exam site even earlier. Hopefully, you've had time for a cup of coffee as you probably can't bring any in with you. Get to the exam site in plenty of time to find the site, find a parking spot, and walk everything to the test site. I remember getting up more than two hours before check-in time, getting to the test site at least an hour before check-in, and having to walk my books across a gravel parking lot. Plan accordingly! 

Follow this advice, take advantage of your learning style when studying, and plan out your journey to earning your PE license. When you sit down to take the exam, feel confident. You have worked hard to earn it and you are prepared.

Five Tips for Passing the PE Civil Exam

Table of Contents

1. Apply for the exam as soon as you can

2. Make a Thoughtful Study Schedule

3. Use tabs to access information quickly

4. Take a timed practice test two weekends before the exam

5. Take some time off the weekend before the exam

1 - Apply for the exam as soon as you can 

I firmly believe that the closer you take the exam to your undergrad/grad school education the more bearable it will be. You'll not only remember more from that one fluid dynamics class you took junior year and never used again, but you're also more trained to study for exams at that stage in your life. You likely have less commitments to kids, spouses, etc. and maybe less responsibility at work. Finally, you may be holding yourself back from higher pay and more responsibility at work if you hesitate to take the exam. Preparing and taking the exam will never be easy but it's worth starting the process as early as you can. 

2 - Make a Thoughtful Study Schedule 

Make a study schedule that includes time for reading and taking notes on CERGPE Civil Exam Review Guide: Breadth (CERG) and PE Civil Exam Review Guide Depth and also spending time doing practice problems, taking a practice test (or two), and enjoying some intentional down time! A weekend off here or there can be great for mental health or the realistic possibility that you may not stick to the schedule as much as you should. For me this looked like studying for 3 months, with 1 weekend off each month. On the weekends, I would study and take notes from the CERG, and I dedicated two weeknights per week to practice problems. This really helped me to get it all done, while not burning myself out. Doing problems is so very important, so don't skimp on that part! 

3 - Use tabs to access information quickly 

Use tabs on your notes, codes, and CERG (or whatever references you have). The exam is really broad (not to mention long), so you're not going to memorize everything. You need to be able to find info you need quickly and the best way I've found to do this is to use tabs. Some people print out the index of the CERG so that you're not flipping back and forth a ton, but I found tabs to be the most effective tool for me. 

4 - Take a timed practice test two weekends before the exam 

I highly recommend doing this. It's a great way to check where you are with the material, while still giving you a few weeks to study areas you may discover you struggle with. It also helps you make sure you have all the resources you want to have and simulates the test environment. I went into my office and sat in a conference room for an entire Saturday before I took the exam. It was helpful to be out of my apartment and only use my phone as a timer. 

5 - Take some time off the weekend before the exam 

The test is challenging in itself but one of the most overlooked challenges is the endurance and energy it takes to get through an eight-hour engineering exam. If you've followed the tips above, my #1 pre-exam tip is to go in well rested. Eat good food the week before, get good night sleeps the week before, and rest assured that you don't need to cram. You got this!

What Is Structural Engineering and What Do Structural Engineers Do?

According to the Structural Engineering Association of California (SEAOC), "structural engineers create drawings and specifications, perform calculations, review the work of other engineers, write reports and evaluations, and observe construction sites." That's a long explanation and, to me, it means that there are a lot of opportunities within this specialized field. 

Structural Engineering is typical considered to be a subset of civil engineering, with a focus on structures. Structures can be buildings or bridges, but they can also be a little more out-of-the-box, so to speak. Many sculptures, monuments, billboards, and rollercoasters need to be structural engineered! 

It's easier to understand the many paths of structural engineering if you consider the lifecycle of a structure. For the case of this blog post, I'll use buildings as our primary structures of discussion. 

Table of Contents

1. New Design

2. Renewal/Retrofit/Restoration

3. Forensics

1. New Design 

Every new building (with the exception of small family homes in most states...) needs to be structurally engineered. Typically, the owner hires an architect, and the architect will begin to set up his team. He'll need a structural engineer to produce structural drawings and calculations to give to the city for approval and then the contractor for construction. The freedom of the engineer in this role varies widely, but typically the architect will supply the structural engineer with architectural drawings and the engineer will design a structural system that works within the bounds set by the architect. This doesn't always move smoothly, so be prepared for many conversations discussing options and solutions! If you are a good problem solver, this is an ideal role. There is a lot of creativity in devising these solutions. 

2. Renewal/Retrofit/Restoration

During the lifespan of a building, it's likely that the building will change hands and the new owner will want to upgrade some systems. Or the original owner may just want to bring the building up to current code, potentially for seismic safety, but for many other reasons too. A structural engineer is commonly involved in these situations. These upgrades can be as small as installing new roof mechanical units and making sure the current roof can support the new load, or it may involve adding or removing existing elements of the structural system. Working with existing buildings also will appeal to problem solvers since you are frequently working within a strict set of existing conditions. 

3. Forensics

And then, there are times when buildings don't work as they should. The media programs us to automatically think of building collapses, but this type of work ranges from bouncy floor systems that make tenants uncomfortable to, yep, building collapses. This type of work requires a lot of out-of-the-box thinking because you typically go into the assignment with limited information and will need to use your detective skills to figure out what went wrong. This work is typically performed for lawyers or insurance companies who are seeking to understand the allocation of compensation for the damage. This type of work is good for those who are interested in putting all the pieces together. It typically requires a person who is willing to respond quickly to emergencies and potentially travel to the sites of the failure. 

As you can see there are many paths to take in structural engineering and they all involve problem solving, creativity, strong technical abilities, and communication skills. It can be a very fulfilling career for the right candidate! I've certainly enjoyed my career so far in this field.

Are you ready to pass the Civil PE Exam? Here's what it takes

If you are reading this, you are probably starting to think about the next steps in your career and if becoming a licensed Professional Engineer is a pursuit worth endeavoring. If this is you, I'm sure you know the basic pre-requisites that you can find on the NCEES website: you essentially need to be a working Engineer In Training (EIT) having passed the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam (FE) with four years of experience under a Professional Engineer (PE). But these are just boxes to check on your application and just because you meet the basic pre-requisites, does not mean you are ready to pass the exam. 

First, you need to understand that passing the exam and becoming licensed are two separate steps. You must first pass the exam, then apply for license in your state. In some states, you are able to take the exam prior to having four years of experience, but then would need to wait until you meet your state's experience requirements on your application. I know people who have done this for one simple reason. The PE exam is a multiple-choice exam. For me, preparing for and taking it felt like I was back in college. You need to know the material, yes, but you also need to know how to take an exam. The average time to solve each problem is six minutes, which means there will be some slam dunk thirty-second problems and there will be one or two, ten-minute problems. There will be at least a few questions you have to flat out guess on, but with strategy, can eliminate at least one, possibly two answers. Exam time management and strategy is a skill that you get really good at in college but start to lose as you get into the professional working world. If you don't have a good feel for testing exam management, maybe exploring the option of taking the exam early is for you so you do not further deteriorate those skills learned in college. 

Being ready to pass the exam, regardless of whether or not you wait to have four years of experience, also depends on your preparation. The morning breadth exam will undoubtedly have topics you have either never been exposed to in your work, or barely touched in an early undergraduate class. You likely will not be proficient in all topics. You need to study these topics and become proficient for the exam. For your afternoon depth exam (for me it was Structural), you need to be proficient in your code books. I knew steel, concrete and masonry, as well as ASCE 7 design codes. But I had never worked with NDS Timber Code or AASHTO. I had to study these and gain proficiency. I took a guided review course and studied three nights a week for four months. It helped me organize and schedule out my time. I was working full time and had a new baby at home so I had to spread it out. I did "homework" that was assigned out of the review courses which were problems representative of what I would see on the exam. I began timing myself on each problem. If I couldn't solve it, I would at least take an educated guess at the answer before looking at the solution. I took two FULL practice exams (yes the full eight hours) when I was three and two weeks out. What I did may not work perfectly for you, but you have to get immersed in the material in some way. Maybe you cram a few weeks out. Maybe you spread it out like me. Maybe you don't have a strenuous work schedule or kids and can casually study throughout the day. Whatever it is, if you want to pass this exam the first time, you have to take your preparation seriously. You have to understand which topics you are already comfortable with and which ones you aren't and study accordingly. You have to be comfortable in your code books, even if it's just knowing the chapters so you can look information up on the fly. If it sounds daunting, plan ahead and create a schedule that is manageable. You can do this if you prepare.

About the Author: Alex Berlin

Mr. Berlin has worked in both the design and fabrication industries for 10 years. He has worked at Vigor (previously OIW) for 9 years. Previous experience includes work in commercial fabrication for the solar renewable energy sector, structural design for the commercial and power sectors and seismic analysis and rehabilitation. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Structural Engineering from The University of California, San Diego. He holds a PE License in the State of Oregon.

Why You Shouldn't Hesitate to Take the P.E?

If you are reading this and considering taking the P.E., the best time to get started is NOW! While the amount of engineering experience you will need in each state varies, if you have hit the marker in the state you are applying to be licensed in, I strongly urge you not to hesitate on taking the exam. 

I hear from a lot of young engineers that there's "no point" because, if you work at a large engineering company, you will not be stamping your own drawings for at least ten years, maybe ever. While that may be true, here are some of the reasons you should not hesitate to take the exam as soon as you are eligible: 

1. You will remember more from the general engineering courses you took in undergrad that don't apply to your professional job 

The P.E. exam is an extremely broad exam - covering things from all areas of engineering. There are thermodynamics, transportation engineering, fluid dynamics, and structural questions as well. Just to name a few. My point here is that while you may not have studied all these topics in undergrad, you probably studied some and that general recall you still have from undergrad will help you during the exam. Trust me, it is a much better feeling to say to yourself, "oh, I remember Bernoulli's equation!", than "oh gosh, I haven't thought about that in ten, fifteen, twenty years." 

2. The closer you are to school, the better your study skills are 

This is something you may currently take for granted, but if you have made it this far through an engineering program, you have some good study skills. The way we focus and succeed into our professional work is so different than how we focused and succeeded in school. It is more collaborative and a whole lot less focused. When you are stuck on something at work, you can immediately ask a coworker for help. And how many times, when you are working through something at work, do you check your email or phone or get a call from a client? The more we get into our professional lives, the further we stray from those study skills. Can you get them back? 100%, but it will be a lot more frustrating and annoying as you get started and realize you have not studied for anything in a long time. 

3. You (may) have fewer other commitments 

Kids, spouses, and other responsibilities can take up a lot of time and energy as we get older! As full as your life may be at this moment, it is almost certainly going to become fuller as you get older. You may also have more responsibilities at work as you get older and may not have all of your nights and weekends available for studying due to project demands. Whatever it is, the best time to do it is now. Then, in the future, you can take on whatever you want without needing to schedule in night/weekend study time. 😊 

4. You may be holding yourself back from higher pay and more responsibilities 

Immediate benefits from passing the P.E. vary, but it is unquestionable that you will have more opportunities for raises and promotions if you pass the P.E. I have heard of some people immediately getting a bonus and a promotion, but even if this does not happen to you, trust that your bosses are noticing the initiative it took the prepare for and pass this exam, and the skills that it implies you have. Don't hold yourself back from those opportunities!