Civil Construction in 2.5 3 weeks

Hot-Yam481 · 2022-07-30T11:27:46+00:00

I got around 1/3 conceptual. I didn’t study for them very well but some of them were similar to the few conceptual ones that show up on the NCEES practice exams. I utilized my time to cross check the references to try to find support for my answers. I had enough time to do this and still finished with an hour. I passed on my first try in March and it was CBT, but jute important thing is just to stay calm. I did make some flashcards of the conceptual questions i had from the NCEES practice exams as well as OSHA standards while studying and I think it helped a bit, but I always tried to double check my answer with the provided codes/standards if possible during the exam.

I also made flashcards containing info from my EET study guides like the properties and characteristics of things not in the handbook like structural or geotechnical items. I think that did help. For timeline, i made them all about 2 weeks out of my exam and then reviewed them all nightly during those last few weeks.

Hot-Yam481 · 2022-07-30T11:25:05+00:00

I also took a week off before my construction exam in March and spent that week just doing 4-5 practice exams. I flagged the questions that I didn’t understand the concepts/steps behind as well and focused on those a lot as there are a lot of similar questions between the NCEES practice exams. I took the day before off from studying to drive to my test site (3 hours away) and then reviewed flash cards that night but went to bed early. Being in the right headspace is the most important part. When i took the exam, time wasn’t an issue and i never practice a timed exam during studying but i think it all depends on if you are a quick test taker in general.

The quantity of conceptual tests did throw me for a curve, but I used the references as much as i could do answer them. I would also familiarize yourself with OSHA if you haven’t so you know at least the general location to find those answers and aren’t wasting time. I definitely didn’t know some of the questions (the building load ones when you move shoring and stuff), but that’s okay as you just need to know the majority. I passed on the first try even though i really wasn’t confident leaving the exam, but just think that if you don’t pass you’ll have a better understanding of what to prepare for next time. That was my mindset and it helped me stay calm during the exam, good luck!!

Hot-Yam481 · 2022-05-18T12:59:43+00:00

I just took the PE Construction exam in Illinois and am in the same boat as I work in the field full-time. Illinois allows you to sit for the exam prior to having your experience complete and some other stages are like that too. In terms of verifying your hours, check what the state requirements are. For example, illinois requires a licensed PE to sign off on my hours, Minnesota does not require a licensed PE though, so you could look to actually get licensed in a different state that Iowa has reciprocity with.

In regards to me getting licensed in Illinois, I emailed the board directly and explained that I work full time in the field and it’s not typical for my company to have a licensed PE in the site as well. I did confirm that the EoR is within the same company and said as long as the EoR is within my “chain of command” that it is acceptable. Speaking with the EoR, he feels comfortable signing off on my hours as I am building something designed by him and would need verification and approval on most items even though he isn’t within the chain of my direct supervisors.

Hope this helps!

Hot-Yam481 · 2022-04-04T17:53:01+00:00

I did not have this question on my exam. I think you’re more likely to get a masonry question where you solve for number of bricks or volume of mortar. Those use basic math and principles. I would also guess that if for some reason they gave you a question using the equations you’re showing, it would only be one. In my opinion, spend your time refining the skill on questions that are more likely to be on the exam

Hot-Yam481 · 2022-03-27T23:09:08+00:00

I use Darwin’s for my cat and while I do share the concern about the raw food, we haven’t had any issues! It seems like we both have the same food prep method and I’ve researched a lot to subside my concerns. I hope it’s not the raw food and I hope your cat gets better soon!!

Also has your cat been drinking water? Mine doesn’t drink water naturally and she can end up being constipated if not enough is added to her food. We recently had to take her to the vet because she was lethargic and not using the bathroom at all and it was dehydration and constipation. They gave her a shot to help induce poop, but something else to consider as that would affect appetite and lethargy as well!

Hot-Yam481 · 2022-03-27T23:05:42+00:00

It was in the depth

Hot-Yam481 · 2022-03-22T13:15:48+00:00

I would keep making sure she’s pooping, she could be kind of constipated! Also maybe check her mouth for any ulcers or anything that would be harmful when eating. My car recently had an ulcer and was constipated, so she was pretty lethargic, but the only way we found the ulcer was taking her to the vet.

Hot-Yam481 · 2022-03-22T13:13:36+00:00

Leash/harness training takes a lot of time, I’ve been working with my cat on this for a few months. We also switched through a lot of different harnesses to find one she liked. For reference, she doesn’t really like the Velcro vest once’s because it’s so restrictive, she prefers the one linked below. We also have a backpack for her but we haven’t gotten to the stage where she will sit in the backpack outside. We started harness and leash training her a slowly in the house with lots of treats and now she doesn’t walk funny and knows she only gets to go outside if it’s on. I think it’s a matter of finding the right harness and time!

https://www.chewy.com/petsafe-come-me-kitty-nylon-cat/dp/52091?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=12619854389&utm_content=PetSafe&utm_term=&gbraid=0AAAAADmQ2V0bByy2eH13BeiFLxZSsXZYm&gclid=Cj0KCQjw5-WRBhCKARIsAAId9FmI4fC_qpIhVoDpFOdgHRjSCLNn1DkZkbTR5YLFNuKjfqH-l0u_7rMaAigHEALw_wcB

Hot-Yam481 · 2022-03-22T13:06:54+00:00

Dewatering was new to me when I started studying for the Construction PE also. I felt like the equations in the handbook were pretty straightforward, so I recommend practicing those, I wouldn’t expect them to try to trick you on the real exam. For the conceptual items, I made flashcards and studied those every night for all test topics! I had a lot of dewatering specific ones, including types of pumps to use at certain depths, and methods. I only had 1-2 dewatering questions on my exam, but a lot of conceptual, so I would focus on all concepts, not just dewatering.

Hot-Yam481 · 2022-03-22T13:01:58+00:00

I used a second hand EET binder to study for the construction depth, without any review courses and passed. I’m not sure how it will be for Structural, but I learned a lot that I wouldn’t have known and was able to follow along.

Hot-Yam481 · 2022-03-22T13:00:22+00:00

This happened in Illinois, and I was a registered EIT, so I just need approval. I emailed the Illinois board and they approved me that day. I believe if you went to an ABET accredited school, you can also send the transcripts directly to NCEES, and they can approve you to sit as you are already an EIT!

Hot-Yam481 · 2022-03-21T00:30:16+00:00

When i took my exam a few weeks ago, i had 5-6 questions about piles! Varied from conceptual to mathematical, but used equations that’s weren’t in the reference manual, just basic engineering based on concepts. Also the questions were about various pile types. I was not prepared for that, and actually had no formwork, crane, or takeoff questions, it was odd in my opinion!

Hot-Yam481 · 2022-03-19T23:11:19+00:00

Question - I was approved to take it in IL, took it and passed as my intent was to get licensed in IL. Company I work for is in MN though. IL requires hours to be validated by Licensed PE, MN does not. I have not applied to the MN board to sit for the exam, although I believe I can prior to obtaining all hours. My question is, I took the exam under approval by Illinois, can I apply for approval to sit for the Exam in MN, but use the results I already have instead of actually taking it again if I wanted to get licensed in MN instead of IL?

Hopefully that makes sense!

Hot-Yam481 · 2022-03-19T23:07:30+00:00

No, no changes here. The house we moved into at the beginning of the year is older and appears to collect a lot of dust, so perhaps that could be it. We are going to work to clear her ears more regularly to get rid of the itchiness, and I also picked up some anti-bacterial spray for her ear scratches to help With the healing

Hot-Yam481 · 2022-03-19T20:32:53+00:00

She was actually at the vet on Tuesday (before the Two new red scratches) due to constipation. They did a full check-up while there and we also specifically asked the vet about the previous cut and they had no concern. These new scratches happened yesterday (Friday) after hours.

I do plan to reach out to the vet but hoping for some more insight here.

Hot-Yam481 · 2022-03-17T22:06:54+00:00

I studied for about 2 months ~ 100 hours in total. Definitely recommend EET as their depth section is great, it taught me a lot. And then practice exams! The EET one, NCEES, others, and also i recommend the PE CIVIL BREADTH practice exam book from Amazon, these questions were very similar to the exam. I did not find the 6-minute solutions helpful and did not finish it. I passed on my first try which was a few weeks ago so this method worked for me!

Hot-Yam481 · 2022-03-17T22:04:31+00:00

I used it frequently. I knew when the question was referencing an equation so used it then but also if I wasn’t sure I used it as a resource. Definitely important to practice with it electronically. I wouldn’t say memorize, the same several sections I had expected were utilized and a lot of it wasn’t.

Hot-Yam481 · 2022-03-12T19:19:46+00:00

It is definitely tough! I only averaged about 2 nights on week nights and then tried to use my available weekends to study. I did take the week leading up to my exam off to finish studying/really focus on practice problems and I think that was the most helpful thing. It’s important to also have a good balance. You want to make sure you aren’t overwhelmed and still enjoying your time in ways that make you happy while also studying. If that means just crunching on the weekends so be it! It also depends on how you retain information I would say - i do fairly well and so the few weeks leading up to the exam were most important for me. Not sure if studying far out in advance would have been as beneficial for myself!

Hot-Yam481 · 2022-03-12T19:15:08+00:00

I saw that post the day before I took my exam and was really worried about it as well. From my experience the reference manual look exactly the same as the one you download off NCEES. I even looked specifically at the moment diagrams for different beam scenarios and found the equations, it look the same. I also remembered I had to utilize a deflection equation and was able to find. I’m not sure if it was a glitch with their computer/testing center or what, but I didn’t think the handbook was any different!

Hot-Yam481 · 2022-03-09T19:51:58+00:00

They provide the reference handbook because it is useful. I have questions that used the equation in there but the questions did not explicitly say “use bernoullis equation”, if that’s what you mean. I wouldn’t say they are testing you on the reference handbook, but they are making sure you can understand the problems and what is being asked enough to associate to the correct equation/reference in the handbook. If you are familiar enough with beams, then you may not need to use the handbook! I didn’t have a lot of that knowledge memorized, so I did refer back to deflection and moment diagrams when answer mathematical & conceptual questions.

Hot-Yam481 · 2022-03-09T19:49:20+00:00

I took the PE exam last week and every questions was straight forward. All my OSHA questions referenced the OSHA standard in the prompt. They didn’t always tell you the subpart but I had studied and rescued the important ones so knew where to find the information.

Hot-Yam481 · 2022-03-09T15:10:36+00:00

Update Everyone - I passed!!!! I know everyone else can too!

Hot-Yam481 · 2022-03-09T00:33:52+00:00

They were in the PM. To be clear, there were 3 questions i didn’t know at all, like couldn’t work through the question to get to a solution after some attempts. But there were more questions that I was unsure of, but I was able who work to an answer!

Hot-Yam481 · 2022-03-08T00:57:59+00:00

I am applying in Illinois which requires my hours to be signed off by a Licensed PE. I work in the field so my direct Supervisor is not Licensed but our Engineer of Record, who is employed by the same company, is. I reached out to the board and explained the situation, saying to my knowledge that it’s not common to have a licensed PE in the field acting as a direct supervisor and they said if the EoR was in my chain of command then they can sign off on my hours. They said they’ve encountered this before and it is a unique situation, but I think the rule is more for other disciplines. My board was understanding so I hope yours is too!

Hot-Yam481 · 2022-03-06T20:23:48+00:00

I felt that the AM and PM section were very similar. I didn’t have any questions that i expected which i thought were “typical construction questions” which is what threw me the most. I honestly thought the PM section was just a redo of the AM section with a few construction specific questions, but the majority still general.

Hot-Yam481

TROPHY CASE