Preparing for the PE exam can be challenging, but it’s also an opportunity to assess your strengths and weaknesses as an engineer. Whether you’re a recent graduate or an experienced professional, this journey allows you to refresh and deepen your technical knowledge. Embracing both your strengths and challenging topics is crucial for becoming a well-rounded engineer. In this post, we’ll discuss how to leverage your strengths, address weaknesses, and develop a balanced approach to mechanical PE exam preparation.
Let go of pre-conceived notions about the mechanical PE exam.
Looking at the PE exam specification, you may get flashbacks to the good, the bad and the ugly from your undergrad years. It is natural to recall that you were strong in one course and struggled in another. However, studying for the mechanical PE exam is your opportunity to get a fresh start.
I recall having a tough time in college fluids even though I did well in thermodynamics and heat transfer. Upon reflection, I realized that my fluids class was held at 8:00am on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Could it be that I was simply more alert for the other classes that were in the late morning or afternoon?
There’s not much to gain by troubleshooting the past. The best way to remain constructive when you are getting started is to recognize that some areas may require more time than others. If a topic didn’t land when you were in college, that’s fine. Some candidates are many years removed from college. Some are taking the experience route and didn’t study mechanical engineering at all! It is quite possible to learn everything from scratch if necessary, so any background knowledge you bring to the study process is helpful for the mechanical PE exam.
Lean into curiosity.
Most candidates have a hard time figuring out when they have studied a topic enough. Not going deep enough could lead to some unpleasant surprises on exam day. Going too deep expends precious time.
The balance lies in exploring the nuances of the core topics that interest you and developing super strengths. Pull the material toward you. Ignore the clock when solving practice problems. Even go as far as searching for supplemental explanations that satisfy your desire to make connections. Your foundation will become truly robust for the mechanical PE exam.
Remind yourself why you became an engineer, and specifically why you are taking the exam for this particular discipline. Gaining intimate knowledge of the core topics listed on the exam specification will become part of your identity. Set a high standard for yourself, and allow plenty of time to work toward it.
Turn gaps into competencies.
For the topic areas that seem new or challenging, especially if they are only supporting topics, relax the high standards and focus instead on incremental progress. If you have never meaningfully studied acoustics, vibrations, or electrical systems in the past, it’s fine to start by simply getting the background. Gaining context is underrated when we are always in a rush to plug and chug for the answer.
Set your sights on being able to understand the given information in a practice problem, identify the key themes, and apply that knowledge to correctly answer basic questions. Basic questions are a stepping stone to harder ones, and the chances are that supporting topics questions will not be the highest level of difficulty.
Fail forward.
Too many candidates I have coached view their results as binary and become frustrated if they are not able to correctly answer questions from the outset of their study journey. To successfully solve a PE problem, several things need to go right. You must correctly understand the situation described, decide what information to use or ignore, and locate and gather additional data from the reference handbook. Then you must select and apply the correct formulas and enter the values into your calculator without error. Finally, you must ensure the final answer selection is in the correct units and answers the question being asked.
Since there are many ways to get off track, candidates should aim to make better mistakes over time. The first time a particular type of problem is encountered, you might not have any idea where to begin. At some later stage, you may have several ideas, perhaps too many. You may have a hard time deciding where to start and end up wasting time. While the correct answer is not determined in either case, the latter scenario is a much better story! Later still, the entire solution may be planned and executed correctly, except a calculator error was made at the end. Of course we need to address and prevent all types of errors on the exam. However, it is also important to recognize major progress toward readiness for the mechanical PE exam.
Become book smart and street smart.
Recent graduates and experienced engineers tend to have different advantages and disadvantages as they embark on their study journeys.
Recent graduates typically have good stamina for studying and strong and flexible critical thinking skills. They have and a nonjudgmental attitude about their current level of knowledge and ability. As recent students, they understand that their limited experience could be a potential weakness. They strive hard to discover as much as possible about practical applications as they are working on practice problems. In short, they are usually book smart.
Experienced engineers who have been working in the field for 10 years or more typically have strong instincts for how to frame a particular engineering problem. These seasoned professionals have good judgment around the form or degree of a solution that would be appropriate. They seem to be able to peer into a problem and stitch things together with pure intuition. They also know much of the theory without realizing it as they obtained their knowledge informally over years. These professionals are street smart.
Becoming a PE is about possessing the strengths of both groups. We want to be grounded deeply in theory and also fluent enough to be able to get most of the way to a solution before grasping for a formula. The process of obtaining professional licensure forces candidates to achieve a balance of the qualities of the academic and the professional for the mechanical PE exam.
Conclusion
Successfully preparing for the PE exam requires a strategic approach that blends curiosity, gradual progress, and a willingness to learn from mistakes. By acknowledging both your strengths and areas for improvement, you can transform challenges into opportunities for growth. Whether you are building on foundational knowledge or mastering new concepts, remember that becoming a licensed professional engineer is about finding the right balance between book smarts and street smarts. With dedication and a growth mindset, you’ll be equipped to conquer the mechanical PE exam and take the next step in your engineering career.