I remember how it felt when I finally passed the PE Exam and got my license. To say that it was exciting would be an understatement! I was so busy in the process of applying, though, that I hardly thought about how to maintain my license, let alone how many PDH I would need to keep my PE. I’ve since figured it out, and in this article, I’ll explain it all to you. Most state licensing boards require you to get about 30 Professional Development Hours, also called PDH, every two years to maintain your Professional Engineer (PE) license. You will need to check with your individual state board’s we ..read more

When I began considering Civil Engineering as a career I had a lot of questions. Among those was how many years it would be until I could call myself an engineer. Today I’ve been a Civil Engineer for a few years and in this article, I’m going to explain all you need to know about how long it takes to become a Civil Engineer. It takes about 8-9 years to become a licensed Civil Engineer. To complete a degree and begin working in Civil Engineering takes 4-5 years. After an additional 4 years of work experience under a Professional Engineer (PE), and passing the FE and PE exams, you can become a l ..read more

So, you want to become a PE? Well, you’re in the right place! As a licensed Professional Engineer, I can explain the whole process in detail and what to expect along the way. The road is long and sometimes difficult but it’s also enjoyable and definitely worth it. There are 5 steps to becoming a PE (Professional Engineer): Get an engineering degree from an ABET-Accredited university Work at least 4 years under a licensed Professional Engineer Pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam Pass the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) Exam Apply for a license with your state’s licensing ..read more

So, you got a degree in a field other than engineering or have no degree at all and want to become a Professional Engineer (PE)? Well, you may be in luck, because you might be able to make it happen. It just depends on which state you’re in. Some states allow you to become a Professional Engineer without a degree as long as you pass the FE and PE Exams and fulfill some additional requirements. In most cases, this means having many additional years of work experience, but it depends on the rules of your state engineering board. In other words, the states that will let you get a PE license witho ..read more

If you’re studying for the PE exam then you’ve almost certainly come across ppi2pass at some point. It’s got the most practice problems and material of any resource out there and is the most professional of all the PE review courses. But is it worth it? In this review of ppi2pass I’m going to dive into all of the details for you to help you decide if this course is for you. I’ve even received special access to the course so that you can see what’s inside! More on that later. For now, here’s the simple, one-paragraph version of my ppi2pass review: ppi2pass is a great option to help you prepare ..read more

Before I took the PE exam I remember having a ton of questions about it. One of the biggest was when I should start studying for it. After my own experience passing the PE I can tell you what worked for me. But I’ve also done some research to find out what other engineers say to get an average you can go by. Most engineers begin studying for the PE exam 2-6 months before they take it. You will need about 200-300 hours of study time to pass, which comes out to an average of 2 hours every day for 4 months. If you study 2 hours every weekday and 8 hours each weekend then you can be ready in about ..read more

So you’re studying for the PE exam and as you get started you begin to feel overwhelmed with it all. What’s on the exam? Where can you find the best practice problems? How should you make a study plan? If you try to answer these questions on your own, you might end up like I did on my first attempt at the PE exam and be staring at that awful red “FAIL” on your exam results.  Contrast that confusion, frustration, and overwhelm with the feeling you’d have if you opened your test results to find a green “PASS” next to the PE Exam. It’s an amazing thing and I’ve felt it myself because that’s ..read more

In the spring of 2019 I dropped almost $1500 for School of PE’s review course for the Civil PE exam after finding out I had failed the PE exam on my first attempt. It felt like a lot of money at first, but then I realized I was making a smart investment in myself and my future.  It’s paid for itself 10x over because of how much sooner I passed the PE exam. But more on that later. Let’s get right into answering your question of how much the School of PE costs. Before we begin just note that these are for the Civil PE and FE exam review courses but other disciplines are similarly priced. Al ..read more

When I was getting ready to take the FE Exam I was curious to know how many times I could take it if I failed once or more. Although the answer is a little tough to dig up, I was able to find it and have shared it here so you don’t have to go searching for it! You can take the FE exam once within each 3-month time window and only 3 attempts are allowed every 12 months. Those windows are Jan-Mar, Apr-Jun, Jul-Sept, and Oct-Dec. You will also need to reach out to your state board to ask how many times they will approve you to sit for the exam. This information comes from the NCEES Examinee Guide ..read more

Passing the PE Exam isn’t easy. But you can do it if you know exactly how to prepare and are willing to put in the work. That can be tough to do on your own, though, which is why a lot of engineers fail the PE Exam at least once. In this article, I’m going to teach you my #1 best strategy for passing the PE Exam on your first or next try. The simplest and quickest way to pass the PE exam is to take a course like School of PE. If you do, your chance of passing jumps from about 70% to over 90%! By taking a course you don’t have to guess what’s on the test or what to study. You’ll prepare perfect ..read more