It's Never Too Late to Study for the PE Exam

My Journey to Becoming a PE

The statement "It's Never Too Late to Study for the PE exam!" certainly is true! I did not start studying for the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE)exam until a few months before my exam day. There were some different events leading up to my shortened study path. My undergraduate degree was in Chemical Engineering (BS, June 2014), and I started grad school a little over a year later (August 2015). I was enrolled in a Master of Business Administration (MBA) program, so for the next few years, my schooling was removed from the engineering field. When I completed my business graduate school (May 2018), I briefly thought about leaving the engineering industry to focus on becoming a business professional. I had even applied for a financial position within my company to transition from an engineering role. The position was granted to another individual, so as Summer 2018 was approaching, I found myself looking for my next goal.

The Application Process

That was when the PE exam came about. I was not sure about completing my application at first, because I only had the bare minimum four (4) years of practical working experience. I passed the PE exam in Pennsylvania (PA), and I thought that I may not have been qualified by Board standards (State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists); my understanding was the application review process was like the college application process. The Board can approve you to sit for the PE exam (analogous to college "Acceptance"), the Board may request more information (analogous to college "Waiting List"), or the Board may deem that you are not eligible to sit for the PE exam at this time (analogous to college "Rejection"). Remember too, the PE exam application process is more involved than the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam application; while it is never too late to start studying, I would certainly recommend tracking your major engineering projects as well as keeping your PE references fresh so you are better prepared when completing your PE exam application. After some consideration, I decided to move ahead with the application process and see where I stood with the Board standards. But I was a little concerned that my background check and other items would not be completed in time for the July 1 Submission Due Date. In this case, I would have needed to wait until April 2019 to apply for the PE Mechanical exam in the Spring.

Compiling Work Experience and References

And as it turned out, it was not too late for me to start my application! I compiled my work experience and references before the July 1 deadline and received notification of my approval to sit for the exam just a couple weeks later. I was also encouraged by the fact that there is no real penalty for not passing the PE exam; there is not an additional timeframe where you must wait two years (or some other duration) before you are eligible to retake the exam. At the time, the PE Mechanical exam: Thermal and Fluid Systems was not computer-based testing (CBT) and was only offered bi-annually (April/October). I certainly remember from exam day needing to quickly (but still carefully!) bubble my answer choices on the Scantron sheet for grading by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). All PE Mechanical exams (HVAC and Refrigeration, Machine Design and Materials, and Thermal and Fluid Systems) are now offered year-round, so I will say again, "it's never too late to study for the PE exam!"

Previous Education at Drexel University

I was fortunate to have a good undergrad curriculum at my alma mater, Drexel University, so I only needed minimal studying for the FE exam to earn my Engineer-In-Training (EIT) designation (it should be noted that the EIT is a "designation" whereas the PE is the true professional license). However, the PE exam is a different beast, since it is a more practical exam that involves solving actual engineering scenarios compared to the more undergraduate theory that you would see on the FE exam. I began studying for the PE exam in July 2018, but only had a limited window for studying since I registered for the October 2018 exam. I cleared the first step of obtaining Board approval but now only had a few months to prepare and organize my reference materials for exam day. My engineering position in the natural gas industry was more related to the mechanical discipline, despite being a chemical engineering undergraduate. I originally considered the PE Chemical and even PE Petroleum exams, but after reviewing those exam topics and some discussion with my References, I decided on the PE Mechanical: Thermal and Fluid Systems exam. Both natural gas and utilities overlap amongst the chemical, mechanical, civil, and petroleum fields, so I would recommend discussing with your references to gain their input on the most appropriate exam when completing your registration. There is no true requirement on which exam you must take since the PE License is recognized by all disciplines (does not discriminate by specific subject), but the ethics aspect of being a Professional Engineer is about choosing your most appropriate field when stamping/signing associated drawings and documents.

Feelings of Intimidation

This all was a little daunting to me at first. I only had a limited window for studying and was not sure where to begin as I was now switching over from chemical to mechanical with new topics. There were a few overlapping topics, but I would mostly need to self-teach some of the new subject matter. I referred to a few undergraduate textbooks and a couple reference manuals but found myself largely overwhelmed in the beginning stages. The turning point was when I enrolled in a School of PE online review course.

Partnering with School of PE

A friend of mine had passed his PE Civil exam thanks to the School of PE, so he recommended that I try their course materials. School of PE provided excellent study material and was instrumental in helping me pass the PE exam on the first try. I would certainly recommend you sign-up for an online review course with School of PE, whether you are taking the FE or PE exam. School of PE review courses are aligned with the NCEES exam specifications, including topics such as fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and thermodynamics, so the reviews fit well with my preparation. This also helped expedite my learning on the shortened timeframe, since I needed an efficient way to study so I could learn quickly and have good reference materials available for exam day.

Before the Exam

I sat for the PE exam in October 2018, and at the time, you were also directed to bring your own reference materials (rather than be solely provided with the NCEES PE Reference Handbook for today's PE exam). With my School of PE Course Notes, I was well-prepared, especially considering that I had only started studying a few months before the PE exam date and was also balancing workplace commitments. I also found that studying for the PE exam helped to increase my practical knowledge, not just for passing the PE exam but also to help me better understand the engineering industry. Remember, the PE exam is more practical, so exam questions tend to draw on industry relevance that you would encounter in an actual scenario. And since the PE exam is timed, you must be decisive in your actions to resolve an issue in an actual situation before it could become a damaging incident.

Exam Day

On exam day, I already felt successful; I knew that even if I had not passed the PE exam that day, the expedited studying was worthwhile due to how much I had learned leading up to exam day. And it was thanks to the School of PE that I was able to learn so much in so little time. So again, it's never too late to start studying for the PE exam. Once you pass the exam, you will have the opportunity to further your knowledge and expertise through continuing education classes. Most states within the United States of America only require approximately 24 credit hours; these credit hours can also be completed by attending different industry conferences and seminars. There is no limit to how much you can learn and continue to grow, so it truly is never too late to start studying for the PE exam. Since NCEES is transitioning to year-round exam offerings, you also do not need to worry about delaying your application process for the next bi-annual exam date either. I would recommend you start pursuing your Professional Engineering License today!

School of PE has been offering engineering exam prep courses since 2004. If you are interested in becoming a professional engineer, a partnership with School of PE might be just what you need to help you prepare for your PE exam. Sign up for a course today!

About the Author: Gregory Nicosia

Gregory Nicosia, PE is an engineer who has been practicing in the industry for eight years. His background includes natural gas, utilities, mechanical, and civil engineering. He earned his chemical engineering undergraduate degree at Drexel University (2014) and master's in business administration (MBA) from Penn State Harrisburg (2018). He received his EIT designation in 2014 and PE license in 2018. Mr. Nicosia firmly believes in continuing to grow his skillset to become a more well-rounded engineer and adapt to an ever-changing world.