How to Study for the PE Exam

Want to know how to study for the PE exam?

The proper way to study for any event, and especially for rigorous professional exams like the FE, PE, bar exam, and the CPA exam is to prepare for the actual event by mimicking the examination in your study and preparation.

This means taking practice exams. Practice by doing the actual thing in which you intend to excel- that is how to study for the PE exam.

PE Exam Book Pages

Take practice PE exam tests mimicking as closely as possible actual exam details. Start setting up your exam practice space at 7:30. This is when doors typically open at NCEES exam sites. Open your practice exam at 8 a.m. Keep the clock running if you need to dash off to the toilet. Take a one hour lunch. Then, begin the afternoon depth practice exam at one.

You should purchase your reference books and two NCEES approved engineering calculators as soon as possible. On exam day, be able to use your manuals and calculators automatically, without any hesitation or halting.Visit the Best PE Exam Materials store to familiarize yourself with the available materials.

How long should you study for the PE Exam? 

Most PE exam prep sites recommend 300 hours. Many of those sites offer full refunds, free second enrollment, or other guarantees. 300 hours increases the percentage of people who pass using their programs. But, this really is how to study for the PE exam if you want to walk into the examination room with a very high probability of passing.

It is possible to pass with fewer than 300 hours. One man in a forum claimed he passed on the first try without any study at all. None. This is not worth considering. There are always heavy outliers in statistical data. And, a small chance exists that this man may have prevaricated his claim. The reality is likely something more like a Bell curve with the median a little less than 300 hours.

I also recommend 300 hours. But, I myself studied less than this. I scheduled 5 full practice exams, and took all of them on schedule. I studied 3 months, one hour per night Monday to Friday, and 4 hours even Saturdays, full exams odd Saturdays. Total, I studied about 250 hours.

Some people start late, and they are good at responding under pressure. For these people, I wrote a Six Week NCEES PE Exam Study Plan.

Another worthwhile article, valid for taking any test, is Test Taking Tips. It shares several secrets that can improve your score. I doubt you have seen these tips before. I highly recommend you read Test Taking Tips.

NCEES sells sample problem books on Amazon.

To use the study method I'm recommending, you need several full practice PE exams. You should purchase three or four books to provide these. One of them should be the NCEES sample problems book for the afternoon topic you registered for.

And, never forget to pray and ask God to bless you in your preparation, exam, and career.

Peace.