Should I try EET or just try it again and focus on the last 3 topics? I think I really need to focus on retaining structures and the seepage portion.

All I used to pass was Petro Booklet, ppi2pass, Quizlet and NCEES practice test. I studied on and off for like a year but really locked in starting April 10th and tested on July 14th. That’s all it takes. Lock in and stay focus and you can do it! So happy to be done.

I’ll be taking the Civil FE Exam tomorrow for the first time, and I’m definitely feeling nervous.

I’m entering my senior year next semester, and I started preparing about a month ago. I began with Mark Mattson’s FE Civil Review playlist, working through each topic one at a time. For every video, I tried solving the problems myself while getting comfortable using the NCEES Reference Handbook before moving on to the next subject.

After finishing the playlist, I went through both the 2017 and 2020 NCEES practice exams multiple times until I was consistently scoring around 90%. Over the last few weeks, I also purchased and completed both of the NCEES interactive practice exams for additional practice.

I know one month is shorter than what many people recommend, but I’m also leaning on what I’ve learned throughout my civil engineering courses. I’ve always tried to stay engaged in class, so I’m hoping that foundation helps.

For those who have already taken the FE, do you have any last-minute advice or things you wish you had known before exam day? Thanks in advance—I really appreciate any tips!

For those who have taken the FE Civil multiple times: did you feel like some attempts were easier or harder than others?
I’m honestly more nervous about my second attempt than my first 😭 What did you study, what resources did you use, and how many hours did you study? And how long after did you schedule another attempt. Any advice for preparing and dealing with exam anxiety would be greatly appreciated!

After 4 months came up short.

I received an FE waiver through the California Board and have already passed the NCEES Civil PE exam. I'm hoping to obtain my first PE license in another state before completing California's Surveying and Seismic exams.

Has anyone had experience obtaining an initial PE license in another state and then applying for comity elsewhere? I don't have a preference for which state.

I initially tried Washington, but they required me to take the FE exam. I'd really like to avoid that since it took nearly a year to get my FE waived through the California Board. Any recommendations for states that accept California's FE waiver for initial licensure?

I passed mid June and did the best I possibly could on writing the engagements and got to technical review 2 weeks after submitting. Crossing my fingers now to get approval by September to take at least the seismic in November.

The alternate would be to wait until 2027 and prepare for a whole other exam. If you passed and from CA, what is your next move?

What a grind! Found out today I passed on my second attempt. To anyone discouraged, hang in there you got this!

Trying to work prep problems that apply the USGS culvert discharge equations. I'm not a drainage guy.

I can't get my head around this problem and solution. The culvert diameter is 4ft, the culvert height D is 3ft, the HW depth is 5.5 ft. This is a circular culvert.

The only way I can see this being possible is if you partially bury the culvert. However, if the culvert is partially buried, the active area (that carries flow) will be less than the full area (i.e. less than ...the 4ft dia area). The solution to this problem uses the 3ft spec for D in the equation, then calculates Ao using 4ft.

Is the solution wrong? Or is there an assumption that the inlet is buried a foot deep but the main length of the culvert is fully open and able to carry flow in the full 4ft dia? I'm reasonably sure this book is at least partially AI slop generated, so unsure whether this is my ignorance of drainage practices or nonsensical specs in the problem itself. What say you?

Studied for one year using Dr Tom’s, then I had Claude write me a 20 day refresher with a huge prompt that focused on dirty jokes to keep things interesting, then I took the NCEES practice exam timed and everything, then had Claude set up a pedagogy profile on my style of learning and had Claude walk me through each missed or guessed problem using the Socratic Method.

I spit roasted that exam like a suckling pig.

I mostly refrained from alcohol and didn’t have more than one drink in a day for two weeks before the exam. I ate lots of blueberries and cod in the days leading up to the exam and got pretty drunk on exactly 10 Amstel Lights the night before (personal method with proof of concept, you do you).

I recommend this study method except the alcohol part.

Did anyone else get drunk before taking the exam?

Hi all, looking to see if anyone has any advice on how better to prepare on these topics. Do you all think I was close or pretty far off from passing?

Huge thank you to everyone in this sub for your advice, kind words, encouragement, and support. Absolutely relieved.

I used EET and cannot recommend their program enough. The lecture videos, practice problems, quizzes, simulation exams, all of it is worth every penny. There’s so much material and it’s well worth it. Nazrul is the absolute best!

I would study after work, on weekends, on vacations, on work trips, in the car, really anywhere I could fit in some good studying. I would clock “in” my hours so I could track how much time I actually put into this. I sacrificed countless dinners, family time, outings, and so much.

The biggest thank you to my husband. He took care of the house, meals, our family, and myself all while I was studying. I couldn’t have done this without him by my side the whole way.

I suppose I worried just the right amount. This forum was actually incredibly helpful. Now for the really fun part: justifying my work experience and gathering references.

Seismic and surveying exam conceptual guides (PDFs) for sale! Created them myself over the course of my studying/preparation during all my attempts. Each one contains important concepts, topic relationships, and are tailored to help you go faster on the exams. DM for more info!

Hi, I am preparing for Refrigeration plant operator B exam. I am looking for PanGlobal Publication books. It’s very difficult to get them from after market. Does anyone have pdf for those books? It would be great help! TIA!

Hi everyone,

I’m taking the FE Civil exam at the end of this week and was hoping to get some advice on how prepared I seem.

So far, I’ve watched all of Mark Mattson’s videos and have worked through the 2017 and 2020 NCEES FE Civil Practice Exams to the point where I’m very comfortable with the problems. I recently took the NCEES Interactive Exam, though, and scored a 64%.

Based on that, does it seem like I’m on track to pass? Also, do you have any last-minute tips or advice that helped you in the days leading up to the exam?

Updated some time yesterday on July 20.

If you’ve taken the test, how is this handled for the ground loads? Are you usually given these or do you have to look at the map? What if your not particularly good at geography?

1.5 weeks out from my exam. Pretty comfortable with a lot of the content on EET. What are some of the must know concepts that often go overlooked that I should be focusing on going into the exam?

What was your experience completing the National Evaluation Series (NES) 304? What did you use to prepare? How long did you study for? Did you pass on your first try?

I am scheduled to take the assessment next month. Any advice or suggestions are appreciated. Thank you!

Hi all, I passed my PE exam and am applying for the Texas PE from outside Texas practice. I already have a Texas EIT based on my master's degree in the USA.

Questions: Do I still need to submit my undergraduate degree transcripts?

Also, do I need to transmit my NCEES records, even if I submit all the documents to the Texas board?

Appreciate your help in advance.