Fifteen Things You Never Knew About Electric Vehicles: Part 1

Chances are, if you are on the road regularly, you have seen electric cars on the road. A lot of these cars emulate gasoline cars in terms of style and amenities, but electric cars are really a new breed in more ways than one. This two-part blog will touch on some commonly asked questions about electric vehicles. Are you charged and ready to read on? Let's begin!

The blog covers,

1. When was the first electric car made?

2. What was the turning point of this technology?

3. Do electric cars use oil?

4. Do electric cars have transmissions?

5. How long does it take to charge an electric car?

6. How much does it cost to charge an electric car?

7. How long would it take to fully charge some of the leading electric cars on the road?

1. When was the first electric car made?

According to Energy.gov, it's almost impossible to know who individually invented/created electric cars first. However, "the first successful electric car made its debut around 1890 thanks to William Morrison."¹ Since then, electric car popularity has fluctuated based on "oil processes and gasoline shortages."² More recently though, the passage of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendment and the 1992 Energy Policy Act have helped create a renewed interest in electric cars. With gas prices averaging over four dollars currently, it is no surprise that individuals are turning to this technology for some kind of financial relief.

2. What was the turning point of this technology?

Although electric vehicles had existed far before the modern age, it was not until Toyota released the Prius in the United States in 2000 that they started garnering serious attention³. Numerous celebrities, such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz, were spotted driving Priuses in Los Angeles soon after they became available.⁴ This obvious show of commitment to the environment resonated with the American target demographic.

3. Do electric cars use oil?

Some of the expense from car ownership comes from car maintenance. When you drive, your engine needs oil to lubricate its moving pieces. Oil changes are typically based on how many miles have been driven-the more miles you drive, the more often your car will need an oil change.⁵

Electric cars do not use oil in this same manner, as their power comes from an electric motor, not an engine. According to a Cars.com article, however, electric vehicles (EVs) may need other lubricants replaced, like brake fluid. You should be checking and replacing your brake fluid as necessary.

4. Do electric cars have transmissions?

Electric cars do not have "multi-speed transmissions"⁶ due to their electric motors. With internal combustion engines, each gear corresponds to a certain power output. When you accelerate by pressing down on the gas pedal, your car, if an automatic transmission, will switch to a higher gear to maximize efficiency. If you have an electric car, however, power will be delivered instantly when you press the pedal-there is no need to build up torque to switch gears.⁷

5. How long does it take to charge an electric car?

Several different factors can affect how long it takes to charge an electric vehicle, including charging source, charging rate, weather, and battery capacity.

• Charging Source

It may take just 15 minutes to add 200 miles of range with a Tesla Supercharger.⁸ Compare that with a domestic outlet, which will take up to four full days to recharge an empty Tesla car battery.⁹

• Charging Rate

Different charging sources will have different charging rates. For example, the Tesla Wall Connector charges 30-44mph off of a 60A breaker.¹⁰ In contrast, the mobile connector charges just 2-3mph.¹¹ Your vehicle's recommended charging rate will affect the time it takes to reach a full charge.

• Weather

Both cold and hot weather affect electric vehicle charging. When the weather spikes one way or the other, the driver is more likely to use the vehicle's HVAC system.¹² Electric vehicles also feature "onboard thermal management system[s]"¹³ that are designed to "draw energy to warm or cool the vehicle's battery as needed, to ensure it operates in moderate temperatures."¹⁴ These two actions during inclement weather will drain a battery sooner than in moderate weather.

• Battery Capacity

An electric vehicle's range depends on the size of its battery.¹⁵ Energy is measured in kilowatt-hours, or rate power is expended over a period of time. Just like the cars themselves, these batteries vary widely not only between different brands but also different models. For example, some "batteries span from 28.9 kWh... to roughly 200 kWh".¹⁶

6. How much does it cost to charge an electric car?

Electric vehicles' fuel efficiency is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh) per 100 miles.¹⁷ To calculate how much each mile costs, you will need to know the cost of electricity as well as how much electricity the car takes to travel 100 miles. According to the U.S. Department of Energy:

If electricity costs 10.7 per kWh and the vehicle consumes 27 kWh to travel 100 miles, the cost per mile is about $0.03. If electricity costs 10.7 per kilowatt-hour, charging an EV with a 200-mile range (assuming a fully depleted 54 kWh battery) will cost about $6 to reach a full charge.

The Department of Energy also offers a Vehicle Cost Calculator with which you can compare fueling costs between different models and makes of car, including electric.

7. How long would it take to fully charge some of the leading electric cars on the road?

Kelley Blue Book has published a comprehensive list of car brands and their required time to reach a full charge "based on a Level 2 power source and charging capacity" and "according to the manufacturers' websites." Here are just a few examples:

• Chevrolet Bolt EV: 7 hours
  
• Nissan Leaf: 8 hours
  
• Tesla Model S (Long Range): Up to 12 hours using Tesla Wall Connector (according to Inside EVs)
  
• Tesla Model 3 (Long Range): Up to 8 hours using Tesla Wall Connector (according to Inside EVs)

Stay tuned for part two of this blog to learn more about electric vehicles' efficiency and affordability! You'll also learn how to prepare your garage for an electric vehicle. Now a question for you-after reading this blog, would you drive an electric car?

References

¹ "The History of the Electric Car." Energy.gov, September 15, 2014. https://www.energy.gov/articles/history-electric-car.

² "The History of the Electric Car."

³ "The History of the Electric Car."

⁴ "Toyota Sells 1 Millionth Hybrid in U.S." History.com. January 27, 2010. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/toyota-sells-1-millionth-hybrid-in-u-s.

⁵ Cotta, Rick. "Do Electric Vehicles Use Oil?" Cars.com. Cars.com, January 30, 2022. https://www.cars.com/articles/do-electric-vehicles-use-oil-446268/.

⁶ "Do Electric Cars Have Transmissions?" Kia. Accessed May 17, 2022. https://www.kia.com/dm/discover-kia/ask/do-electric-cars-have-transmissions.html#:~:text=%E2%80%9CA%20significant%20difference%20between%20conventional,transmission%20regulates%20the%20electric%20motor.%E2%80%9D.

⁷ "Do Electric Cars Have Transmissions?"

⁸ "Supercharger." Tesla. Accessed May 17, 2022. https://www.tesla.com/supercharger.

⁹ Yamauchi, Mia. "Tesla Charging Speed on a 110 Volt Outlet." Plugless Power. Accessed May 17, 2022. https://www.pluglesspower.com/learn/can-tesla-charge-regular-110v-wall-outlet-technically-yes/#:~:text=It%20will%20take%20up%20to,using%20a%20regular%20wall%20outlet.

¹⁰ "Home Charging." Tesla, April 29, 2022. https://www.tesla.com/support/home-charging.

¹¹ "Home Charging.".

¹² Lee, Chanel. "How Long Does It Take to Charge an Electric Car?" Kelley Blue Book, April 1, 2022. https://www.kbb.com/car-advice/how-long-does-take-charge-electric-car/.

¹³ Argue, Charlotte. "How Extreme Cold and Heat Affect EV Range." Fleet Forward, June 3, 2020. https://www.fleetforward.com/359666/how-extreme-cold-and-heat-affect-ev-range.

¹⁴ Argue, Charlotte.

¹⁵ Voelcker, John. "EVs Explained: Battery Capacity, Gross versus Net." Car and Driver, November 29, 2021. https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a36051980/evs-explained-battery-capacity-gross-versus-net/#:~:text=Factors%20such%20as%20speed%20and,the%20rate%20of%20battery%20use.&text=Today's%20EV%20batteries%20span%20from,a%20range%20of%20350%20miles.

¹⁶ Voelcker, John.

¹⁷ "Charging Electric Vehicles at Home." Alternative Fuels Data Center. U.S. Department of Energy. Accessed May 17, 2022. https://afdc.energy.gov/fuels/electricity_charging_home.html#:~:text=Electricity%20Costs%20for%20Charging&text=If%20electricity%20costs%20%240.13%20per%20kilowatt%2Dhour%2C%20charging%20an%20EV,to%20reach%20a%20full%20charge.

About the Author: Martha Hunsucker

Martha Hunsucker is a content writer for EduMind. She received her BA in English from Stetson University and has experience marketing, copywriting, editing, and blogging. In her spare time, she enjoys reading books by Jon Krakauer (her current favorite author), hiking with her two dogs, and sleeping in on weekends.

How to Choose the Best PE Civil Depth Exam for You

The Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) Civil exam consists of both "breadth" and "depth" components. The breadth portion of the exam covers topics from all five areas of practice within civil engineering. For the depth portion of the exam, candidates may choose a specific area of practice to be tested upon. The five areas of practice with their own specialized depth portions of the exam are: construction, geotechnical, structural, transportation, and water resources and environmental. Thus, the candidate is faced with a decision to make as to which depth exam to take. While for some candidates the choice may be obvious, for others, the choice may be less clear for various reasons. This blog post offers some guidance and suggestions for those uncertain as to which depth exam to take.

In this blog,

1. Your Chosen Exam Does NOT Determine Your Career

2. Different Content, Same Style

3. Review NCEES Exam Specifications

4. Go With What You Know

5. Prepare for Future Practice

6. Understanding Your Strengths and Weaknesses

7. Check NCEES Pass Rates

8. Becoming Familiar with References

9. Still Can't Decide?

1. Your Chosen Exam Does NOT Determine Your Career

From a licensing standpoint, it is actually not relevant which version of the PE Civil exam is taken. For example, you could pass the construction depth version of the exam and go on to practice in transportation engineering. When you pass the exam and fulfill all the necessary requirements for licensure from the state which grants the license, you obtain a PE license in which the subcategories of civil engineering practice are not distinguished. From a strategic standpoint, in terms of passing the exam and for other reasons, however, it is worth spending some time to consider which depth exam may be right for you.

2. Different Content, Same Style

The PE Civil exams are offered year-round at NCEES-approved Pearson VUE test centers. There is no difference in the availability of the exams at the testing center locations, so this should not be an influence on the decision. In terms of exam format, each of the exams contains the same number of questions and has the same amount of time allowed for answering them.

3. Review NCEES Exam Specifications

All candidates should take the time to familiarize themselves with the specific topics that are covered on the different versions of the exam. This information is available on the NCEES website, where exam specifications are available for each of the different depth modules. These even include a range of possible numbers of questions covering each of the specific topics covered on the exams. Also included for each depth module is a list of the references the candidate should be familiar with that will be supplied in electronic format during the exam.

4. Go With What You Know

The most obvious and straightforward approach to the decision is to take the exam, which covers the most topics you are already most familiar with, either from work experience or education. Presumably, a candidate would have the greatest head start in their exam studies as he or she would already possess a strong knowledge and experience base to build upon in preparing for the exam. If you have focused on a particular area of practice both during college and for four or more years in a work setting, then your best bet is to stick to the depth exam that most closely aligns with this background. Educational focus and workplace experience may not be the only factors in making the decision, however.

5. Prepare for Future Practice

For some, there is a misalignment between the area of practice in which one has the most experience and the area of practice in which one is currently working or intends to work in the future. If you are going to devote a significant amount of time to study and review, then you might as well use that time to improve or reinforce your knowledge in the area of practice in which you plan to work in the future. Why not use PE exam preparation as an opportunity to develop and reinforce knowledge that you will utilize daily once you have achieved your license? Put your study time to work in contributing to your professional development with an eye beyond the achievement of licensure.

6. Understanding Your Strengths and Weaknesses

For others, there may not be a clear choice in terms of previous experience. Maybe you have worked in the practice areas of transportation as well as construction. An understanding of one's strengths and weaknesses may aid in the decision. Again, a review of the specific topics covered on each version of the exam would be helpful in this regard. What if you are not certain about which area of practice your strength lies? Taking an initial practice exam in each of the two versions under consideration may aid in the decision by showing you which area of practice you may have greater strength.

7. Check NCEES Pass Rates

An additional factor to consider is the pass rate for each of the different depth exams. These are published on the NCEES website. A review of the pass rates may hint at the relative difficulties of the exams for those taking them or possibly the quality level of the exam questions (i.e., non-ambiguous questions). As of this writing, the highest pass rate, both for first-time takers and repeat takers, was for the Water Resources and Environmental depth exam. The lowest pass rate for first-time takers was for the Construction depth exam. Given the fact that the exams are presumably evaluated from time to time for fairness and quality, one should probably not make too many assumptions about the exams from this data, though it may be useful to have a general sense of the pass rates.

8. Becoming Familiar with References

It should be noted that the number and size of the references with which one should be familiar varies considerably for the different depth exams. The Water Resources and Environmental exam currently has only two design standards to reference; the Construction exam currently has eight; the Transportation exam currently has nine; the structural exam currently has ten; and the Geotechnical exam currently has a total of sixteen. While all of the necessary references are available in electronic format during the exam (no matter which exam you take), there is an added level of study effort involved in becoming familiar with the standards and their use. Depending on your particular strengths and weaknesses in studying and exam-taking, this could potentially impact your decision on which exam to take.

9. Still Can't Decide?

Still can't decide? Another idea is to simply begin one's exam preparations with study for the breadth part of the exam, and then, as one studies the different areas of practice, the answer as to which depth version to take may become apparent. Remember that you don't need to settle on a particular depth exam at the very start of your exam studies. Begin with study for the breadth portion of the exam, then focus in further on a specific area of practice for the depth portion. You may find it easier or more enjoyable to study one area of practice than another. Focusing on an area of practice that you enjoy studying the most is an excellent choice because the greatest danger to failing an exam is often the procrastination which occurs when you dread and consequently avoid studying certain topics.

Conclusion

Once you've made an informed decision as to which Civil depth exam to take, it is best to commit to it until exam day. It would likely be an inefficient use of study time to devote a significant amount of time to studying topics that will not be on the depth part of the exam. It is worth remembering that no matter which depth exam is chosen, you have the ability to pass the exam if you devote the necessary time and effort to your studies.

No matter which PE Civil exam you choose, make sure you partner with School of PE for your exam prep needs! Our subject-matter expert instructors and innovative learning technology provide what you need to succeed on exam day! Register now.

About the Author: Adam Castelli

Adam Castelli is a licensed architect and engineer currently practicing in the Pittsburgh area. He holds a master's degree in architecture from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Villanova University.

What You Should Know about the Types of Equipment Used in Civil Construction

Candidates taking the Civil PE exam should be familiar with the types of equipment commonly used in civil engineering construction projects. This familiarity will aid the designer in understanding the capabilities and limitations of such equipment in particular site contexts. In order to provide accurate construction estimates, it is also essential to understand what equipment will be necessary for the project work.

The blog covers:

1. Figuring Out Which Tasks Need to be Completed

2. Earthwork Operations

3. More Excavating Tools

4. Dump Trucks

5. Clearing Property

6. Compaction Equipment

7. Preparing Trenches

8. Asphalt and Concrete Equipment

9. Installing Concrete

1. Figuring Out Which Tasks Need to be Completed

In exploring the types of equipment used in civil engineering, the discussion can be framed around the major types of tasks that are involved in typical projects. These include earthwork operations, material transport, clearing and grubbing, compaction, asphalt and concrete work, and the installation of utilities and other infrastructural elements. Additionally, there are, of course, the tools and equipment used prior to construction, such as those used for surveying and site measurements or analysis, but we will limit our discussion to the equipment used for construction itself. We will also not discuss equipment used for the general demolition of existing structures or infrastructure, although this too is an area that is often part of civil engineering projects.

2. Earthwork Operations

In terms of earthwork operations, there is equipment used for the operations of cutting (or excavating), filling, moving, and transporting. Some equipment can be used for multiple of these purposes, while others are more limited in capability but more efficient in a particular task. It should be noted that the material being worked in earthwork operations includes not only soil, but also potentially rocks, sand, and other material. Excavators and backhoes are used primarily for the purposes of excavating material, though they can also be utilized for some demo operations, the general loading and unloading of a material, or moving it a short distance. Excavators are the larger of the two types of equipment, and they can rotate 360 degrees, while backhoes typically do not. While excavators and backhoes work by digging or scooping a material, a bulldozer (or more simply, a dozer) is used to push through the uppermost layer of soil and distribute it along as it does so. It lends itself to work where there is a need for alterations on a more continuous or linear basis, while the backhoe might be selected for digging a hole or moving earth from a taller mound. A scraper is another type of equipment which may be used in earth-moving operations. It consists of a cutting element that scrapes the soil, which is then carried into a hopper. The load can then be ejected so that it can be released in areas where fill is required. The scraper is typically pulled or pushed by a tractor or dozer. A grader is a type of equipment that is used to level off the uneven surface of a terrain by means of a blade positioned on the underside of the vehicle.

3. More Excavating Tools

Other types of equipment for excavating operations include power shovels, though these are often used in larger contexts such as mining excavations. Unlike backhoes, they utilize a rope or cable system rather than a hydraulic arm, and the bucket may be forward facing. Larger still is the dragline excavator which utilizes a crane and is also more often used for mining operations or in port construction. A clamshell excavator is a type of equipment that utilizes a two-piece bucket with a middle hinge. This may be attached to a hydraulic arm or a crane with cable system. They are often used for dredging operations.

4. Dump Trucks

Dump trucks are typically used to move or haul materials over a distance. There are various types of dump trucks with the standard (or rear) dump truck being the most common. Other types include side dump trucks and end dump trucks which are sometimes used where more capacity is required. Bottom-type dump trucks have a clamshell bottom so that the material can be released below the carrier.

5. Clearing Property

For clearing and grubbing, the removal of vegetation both above and below ground is necessary for construction - equipment includes hand tools as well as the excavating equipment described above. Other equipment includes mulchers, brush mowers, and grubbers. Mulchers do just as the name implies and turn brush into mulch. Brush mowers are used to clear vegetation above ground, while brush grubbers are used to remove small stumps and roots from below the ground.

6. Compaction Equipment

Compaction equipment for earthwork includes various types of rollers as well as tamping/ramming type compactors. Smooth drum rollers are a common type. These may have a single or double drum. There are also static type and vibration type rollers. The vibration of a drum assists with the compaction and is commonly used with certain types of material such as non-uniformly graded soils. Sheep foot (or pad) type rollers have drums with projecting elements and are commonly used where compaction of clay is necessary. Pneumatic type compactors utilize a vehicle's tires rather than a drum. This is commonly used as final compaction method on asphalt pavements. With tamping (or ramming) type compactors, impact forces are applied to a surface to compact a material. Vibratory plate type compactors are also used and utilize vibration rather than a ramming action for compaction. These non-roller types of compactors are pushed by an individual rather than a vehicle and are often used for smaller areas than might be covered with rollers but are appropriate for certain situations such as preparing an area for a footing or small slab.

7. Preparing Trenches

For the preparation of trenches, the installation of utility lines, or agricultural purposes, trenching equipment is typically used. This type of equipment includes trenchers which can be of the wheel or ladder type. The wheel type utilizes a large wheel at the front of the vehicle with various types of cutting edges and scooping buckets. The ladder type is similar but uses a more elongated apparatus with buckets moving along a chain roller.

8. Asphalt and Concrete Equipment

Lastly in our discussion, we will touch upon the types of equipment used in work related to asphalt and concrete. A miller is a type of equipment that is used to mill the exposed surface of an existing layer of asphalt. This allows for a rough grooved and slip-resistant surface upon which a new layer of asphalt can then be added. Sweeping vehicles, or sweepers, are often used after the milling equipment is used in order to clear the surface of rocks and other debris. The actual paving operations for new asphalt material are accomplished with asphalt pavers. The hot mix asphalt deposited from the equipment is leveled out by means of a screed component. This screed also allows the thickness and profile of the asphalt layer to be controlled. Finally, compacting equipment, such as the pneumatic type compactor mentioned above, is typically utilized to ensure the proper compaction of the asphalt.

9. Installing Concrete

Common equipment for concrete work includes mixers, vibrators, pavers, conveyors, boom placers, and pumps. Mixers blend the components of concrete mix together, and there are two broad categories of mixer types, batch and continuous. Batch mixers include varieties of the drum type and the pan type. With the drum type, the components are mixed through the rotation of a drum. In contrast, the pan type utilizes a rotating set of blades within a container to accomplish the mixing. Mixing trucks allow for the mixing to occur during transport from a plant. Concrete vibrators are used to reduce the presence of air bubbles within a volume of placed concrete. Concrete pavers are used commonly in the construction of concrete roadways, with the most typical type for this application being the slipform type. With the slipform type paver, once the machine places the concrete, it is then spread evenly with augurs before being smoothed off by means of a strike off plate. It should be noted that there are also more specialized concrete pavers for the creation of concrete curbs and gutters. A concrete conveyor is a means of moving concrete material from a mixer to another location where it can then be poured into place. Concrete can also be moved and placed by means of a boom placer. These utilize concrete pumps to convey the liquid concrete to the end of the placing boom.

Conclusion

The equipment described above is by no means an exhaustive list of equipment used in the construction of civil engineering projects. These are just some of the more commonly used types of equipment with which the civil engineer should be familiar. Understanding how such equipment is utilized by contractors can provide for a better understanding of the construction process and consequently result in more successful civil engineering projects.

Are you looking to "construct" a career in civil engineering? Look no further than School of PE's exam review courses to help you pass your PE Civil exam! Register now to access early registration discounts on Live Online classes.

About the Author: Adam Castelli

Adam Castelli is a licensed architect and engineer currently practicing in the Pittsburgh area. He holds a master's degree in architecture from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Villanova University.

What You Need to Know to Ace the Statics Section of the Mechanical FE Exam

So, you've signed up for the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Mechanical test, and you are starting to think about studying - great! The FE is an important step in getting your professional engineering license, and for many schools, it is a requirement that you at least attempt the FE before graduating. Of course, you want to pass on the first try and avoid paying for the exam a second time! This post will share some of the tactics that I used when I studied for and passed the FE Mechanical exam.

The Blog Covers:

1. Background

2. Statics Sections

3. Study and Preparation Ideas

4. Resources for Exam Preparation

5. Test Day Tips

1. Background

Statics is the first of the "meaty" topics in the FE Mechanical exam and was likely one of your first real engineering classes. This is a good thing because statics has been fundamental to all your studies! However, this can be a bit daunting too since it has probably been a while since you took the class.

The exam specification from the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) shows us that the exam will have 9-14 statics questions¹. Given that the test is 110 questions in total, statics will likely be around 10% of the total material you will face on exam day. Personally, I think it feels like more than 10% once you include any statics involved in problems for other sections like Mechanics of Materials. Since many mechanical engineering classes build statics right into the subject matter, this will be a good section to score some quality points!

2. Statics Sections

NCEES says that the statics portion of the test is broken into the following subtopics:

A. Resultants of force systems

B. Concurrent force systems

C. Equilibrium of rigid bodies

D. Frames and trusses

E. Centroids and moments of inertia

F. Static friction

I thought that it was helpful to categorize my study questions as I was preparing. This kept me from over-studying one subtopic and neglecting another. If you happen to know that you are proficient with calculating moments of inertia or concurrent force systems, focus on the subtopics that are harder for you. The goal is to go into test day with an overall comfort with statics, not mastery of just a couple subtopics.

The other thing to keep in mind is that statics problems are generally among the more simple and straightforward problems on the test. The advantage to this is twofold. Firstly, it makes it easier to practice a wide variety of problems in less time. If you are confident going into the test, you will be able to quickly solve at least a few of the statics problems. This is important because it can free up time for you on the back end of the test when the topics are more specific and take a little longer to solve.

3. Study & Preparation Ideas

I used a few different ideas to keep me on task and organized when studying for my FE. Hopefully these can also help you!

The first piece of advice is to get familiar with the FE Handbook, which is available free from NCEES once you have an account. The handbook has all the information and equations you will need to solve FE problems. The book is going to be your best friend when studying and during the test. At the time of this writing, the statics section of the handbook is only seven pages long. You will want to know how to get to these pages quickly using the search pdf function, which you will have access to on test day. You will also want to practice identifying which category your practice problems fall into and navigating quickly to the right section. This will help you for any section of the FE, not just statics.

The statics section of the handbook has information to find areas and centroids, moments of inertia, and other geometrical properties for a variety of shapes. Some of this information can even be useful in other sections of the exam like Mechanics of Materials. You will also see information for solving systems with trusses, friction problems, and force resolution into x and y components. Most of these topics only have a handful of equations associated with them, which will make life easier for you under the pressure of the exam. Remember to identify which section in the handbook applies to your practice problems. On test day, you will know exactly where to look for information!

The second method that helped me study for the statics section was something that may or may not work for you. I like to see as many problems as possible before an exam, and I am confident in my arithmetic skills. With this in mind, I will sometimes practice problems until my equation only has one variable left. At this point, you know that it is all just algebra and arithmetic to solve for your answer. In order to save time and get more practice, I will often move on to the next problem at this point. Not everybody likes this method, but it is something that I have used judiciously in the past. Give it a try if you feel comfortable with your algebra and arithmetic skills!

The final piece of advice for studying is time management. I would recommend signing up for the FE well ahead of the test day if possible. This will put it on your schedule and force you to start thinking about the test. You will be more likely to be motivated for studying if you are registered. The other aspect of time management is how you handle time during the test. Timing yourself is a great way to simulate a little pressure like on test day. It also helps you see which problems you struggle with and which ones are easy - plus you can notice improvement over time. Not all your studying needs to be timed, but I like to mix in some timed problems. The final tip for time management is to be sure to set aside a fixed time to study in advance. It takes discipline, but studying 1-2 hours a week for two months will yield better results than 8 hours of study the day before the test.

4. Resources for Exam Preparation

The number one resource for preparing for the test is the FE Handbook. It is the one thing you will be guaranteed to see during the test! Again, I recommend becoming very familiar with the handbook layout and using it during all of your practice. For practice problems, NCEES sells a practice booklet, which can be useful and shared among a group of friends to make it more cost effective. School of PE offers many resources that can be useful for your preparation too. Overall, it is a good thing to gather up a pool of practice problems and resources from several different sources. Many universities also offer FE review sessions or tutoring, which can be a great way to get more one-on-one assistance.

5. Test Day Tips

So, you have studied hard and are headed to the testing center - time to put all your practice to use! When I took my exam, I did some "light" review beforehand. I looked over solutions to several problems that I had worked out but did not attempt any new ones. It is a long exam, so make sure to eat ahead of time and bring a snack for your mid-exam break. Try to stick to your normal routine and activities. It can also help to plan a fun activity for after the exam as extra motivation. You should be able to relax when you see the statics questions pop up on the exam - you know exactly where to find equations and are well prepared!

Prepare for your FE Mechanical exam with School of PE! We offer numerous course options like Live Online and Ondemand to best fit our students' busy schedules and learning preferences. Sign up today!

Reference

¹ https://ncees.org/wp-content/uploads/FE-Mechanical-CBT-specs.pdf

About the Author: Michael Wise

Michael Wise is an electrical engineer currently working in the power industry. He holds a master's degree in electrical engineering and a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering.