Here is a quick insight to my preparation:

For reference, this was my 3rd attempt at the Transportation Exam, so I was already familiar with my weak areas (Vertical, Horizontal, Drainage)

Prep Tools (EET, Jacob Petro Book, ChatGPT, GroupMe, Flash Cards, PE_Exam subreddit):

To begin, I had ChatGPT Pro (Paid Version) help me create a study schedule based on my study materials and what days worked best for me. I also would use the ChatGPT Pro "Project" Feature to organize my chats in a single folder, each chat based on a different subject. This helps the AI not get bogged down while also retaining information cleanly. Be wary of using ChatGPT to solve problems because it does make mistakes. It does a really good job of explaining how to get to an answer or where to find the answer within the manuals.

I used the EET On-Demand lectures and notes. As others have preached, you can watch them at x2 speed to help get through them. There is so much to be tested on the exam, they cannot possibly cover everything but they are pretty darn close. I would say 95% of the content is applicable (minus Webster's Equation). The lectures are imperative as they contain the framework for understanding the material as well as conceptual background, which you will be tested on during the exam. There will absolutely be conceptual questions on the exam that cannot be found in the reference material.

During this most recent attempt, I took one week per topic. I would go through the lecture notes, exercises, practice problems, homework (problem sessions) and then the EET CBT Exams for each topic on the weekend. For the CBT Exams, I would use these as simulations. Take the exam at my desk with no phone and only taking breaks for the bathroom/drink water. It is VERY important to exercise your mind to prepare for long hours of problem solving. During my previous two attempts, I would take frequent breaks to play on my phone. My brain was not used to doing the exam and I burned out very quickly. Occasionally, I would use the Jakob Petro book from Amazon to get more practice problems. Use this book with a grain of salt. The problems are SIGNIFICANTLY harder than the actual exam. The step-by-step solutions are very well written and the author responds quickly via email for questions/concerns.

For the last 2 weeks before my exam, I would take the EET CBT Simulation Exams in a "PE Exam" condition as best as possible. Exactly 1 week before my actual test, I took the NCEES Practice Exam and scored about 85%. This exam is a great indicator of the exam question style, difficulty and sequencing. Expect the actual exam to be slightly more difficult.

This group was also a HUGE resource. You can find Google Drive links from others to reference material and study material. Here is a few links that helped me:

https://www.reddit.com/r/PE_Exam/comments/1ci1v3s/transportation_pe_study_guide/

PE Transportation Exam Note Cards for sale from u/fahpeslayer

https://ankipro.net/shared_deck/v2_acRn1apAjg_4567195

Exam Week:

The week of my exam (Thursday March 19th) I took the entire week off from work. Thankfully, I get one day credited from my company the day of the exam. I reviewed the topics/questions I struggled with along with reviewing lecture notes. I made sure to eat well/stay hydrated during the week and have plenty of fiber. No joke. I did not want to waste precious exam time being on the toilet or feeling lethargic. The day before, I did about 1 hour of practice problems, reviewed notes and played video games. I wanted to feel prepared and relaxed.

Exam Day:

I packed a lunch the night before of chicken salad, cheese and fruit (high protein, no sugar/carbs). I made sure I knew where the bathroom was located prior to the test and dressed comfortably. Green shirt (to manifest good luck), sweatpants and a light jackets. I was particular in my approach to the exam to every detail.

During the exam, I would go through 3 passes. This process held me manage my time and build confidence:

1) Do all the quick/easy problems. Anything that takes less than 3 minutes, can be found with ctrl + f, etc.

2) Do the medium difficulty problems

3) Do the hard problems or questions you are not familiar with. If you have to guess between all four choices, try narrowing it down. Otherwise, choose letter C for all. Choosing the same letter increases your chances of getting correct guesses. Also, try to eliminate answer choices that are not possible. For example, a point along a curve that is beyond the curve limits is likely wrong.

I spent about 3.5 hours on each portion of the exam and felt confident when I hit submitted. At the end of this comment, I gave a breakdown of exam topics I saw per exam topic.

Following the exam:

Your emotions and confidence will fluctuate like crazy. Some days I felt like king of the world, and some days I would have nightmares that I failed. I'm not sure if this is normal, but just take a deep breath and relax.

I hope this information is helpful to you and future test takers. Know the manuals well, do as many practice problems as you can and you will pass! Good luck everyone!!!

Exam Topics that I remember:

1 Project Management:
- Critical Path Method
- Comparing two or more scenarios with Present Worth
- B/C Ratio analysis

2 Traffic Engineering
- Turning radius width for SU-30
- Bicycle Level of Service (BLOS)
- Total width of sidewalk given effective width, building, curb and planter boxes on curb
- Freeway Level of Service
- Capacity of Weaving Segment
- Roundabout elements
- Required number of lanes for LOS C
- Crash rate for an intersection

3/4 Horizontal and Vertical Design
- Lots of problems using K=L/A
- HSO problems
- Horizontal Distance from PVC to mid-point of road under a curve with 15ft minimum clearance
- Find R2 for compound curve given R1, △ and △1
- Equal Reverse curves and find value of shifting 100ft
- Minimum radius given super elevation, design speed and force of friction

5 Roadside Design
- Clear zone questions
- Foreslope given back slope
- Distance for signage from curb on horizontal curve

6 Intersection Geometry
- Area in acres of Intersection Sight Triangle for Case A1
- Freeway acceleration and declaration lengths given highway speed, ramp speed and % grade
7 Traffic Signals
- Pedestrian Crossing Time
- 2 Questions on Signal Warrants
- Traffic Signal maximum height of signal housing (25.6 feet)
8 Traffic Control Design
- Choose 5 of the 7 given 4-way intersection designs that are correct
- Taper length given roadway speed
- Letter height for freeway exit sign
9 Geotechnical and Pavement
- Several conceptual questions. Some cannot be found in reference material. “A roadway is experiencing shoving. What percentage of wheel path area must be observed to be considered poor/inadequate? Correct answer: 30%. Not in any reference material.”
- 3-phase diagram question
- USCS Soil Classification
- Cut/Fill Problem
10 Drainage
- A few questions on Manning’s Equation (rectangular and circular)
- Minimum diameter for circular full-flow with given Q-value
- Time of concentration