I recently finished reading Cal Newport’s book Slow Productivity and felt inspired to share how his insights apply to preparing for the PE Exam. Slow studying for faster results is a concept that can be beneficial for this preparation.
Cal observes that many of us feel overwhelmed by work and struggle to prioritize. Instead of focusing, we try to tackle everything and hope to make progress. Years of knowledge work in offices have taught us how to look busy, but we often falter when it’s time to block distractions and focus. Cal’s three “rules,” adapted from the book, aim to help us direct cognitive effort and turn time and energy into lasting value. For PE candidates, this means building the knowledge and skills to pass the PE exam and demonstrate professional competence in a specific engineering discipline.
Rule #1: Do Fewer Things
“Strive to reduce your obligations to the point where you can easily imagine accomplishing them with time to spare. Leverage this reduced load to more fully embrace and advance the small number of projects that matter most.” –Cal Newport
In a world where it’s “crazy at work,” Cal challenges us to be creative—even radical—in selecting and organizing tasks. This involves prioritizing projects that grant autonomy and productivity while minimizing time spent on meetings and emails. Administrative burdens, often understated, can significantly drain the time and energy needed for deep work.
If pursuing your PE is a priority, it deserves your full attention. Serious exam prep doesn’t thrive on sporadic or half-hearted effort. Unlike joining another Zoom call or scanning emails, preparing for the PE exam requires consistent focus. If too many critical projects currently occupy your schedule, it’s okay to defer the exam until you have more bandwidth. On the other hand, if a lighter workload seems unlikely anytime soon, consider how you might free up capacity with a strategy of slow studying for faster results. Otherwise, you risk deferring the PE indefinitely. Many engineers 15, 20, or even 25+ years into their careers regret not earning their PE earlier. While it’s never too late, starting earlier is easier.
Rule #2: Study At a Natural Pace
“Allow your work to unfold along a sustainable timeline, with variations in intensity, in settings conducive to brilliance.” –Cal Newport
My former triathlon coach often cited an old Navy Seal motto: “Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast.” While the goal of a race is speed, he emphasized that slowing down during training builds efficiency. By mastering efficient movements, athletes naturally become faster. Instead of expending frantic energy, focus on smooth, deliberate actions. Speed emerges as a byproduct of refinement.
Consider a Rubik’s cube. If I handed you one and challenged you to solve it without prior experience, would you randomly twist the pieces in hopes of solving it? Of course not. Even the world’s fastest solvers began by learning the fundamentals. Only after mastering techniques did they incrementally improve speed through practice. This method of slow studying for faster results applies well here.
Similarly, PE candidates should prioritize mastering problem-solving techniques before worrying about speed. Some insist on solving problems within six minutes, mirroring exam conditions. However, this approach often leads to frustration because they lack the foundational skills to solve those problems. Unrealistic expectations stem from ignoring Rule #1 (Do Fewer Things), leaving candidates short on time and overly focused on hitting targets prematurely.
Learning is a cognitive process that thrives in a natural rhythm. As Cal notes, “The grand achievement is built on the steady accumulation of modest results over time. This path is long. Pace yourself for slow studying to yield faster results.”
Rule #3: Obsess Over Quality
“Quality demands that you slow down.” –Cal Newport
Slowing down often feels counterproductive, as though we’re wasting time. For example, you might hesitate to spend extra time solving a single problem because you’re focused on ‘banking time’ for tougher problems. Similarly, during study sessions, you may feel compelled to tackle as many problems or topics as possible. However, the focus required for meaningful improvement isn’t compatible with busyness.
Tackle a small amount of quality work daily, and you’ll see more satisfying and meaningful results over time. Patience and faith in the process are crucial. Using organized and well-sequenced study resources can ease this journey. When approached with an obsession for quality, studying can even become enjoyable. Slow studying for faster results can make the process more rewarding. Creating your own questions and solving them fosters a sense of discovery and achievement. This is the way forward.
That said, balance your obsession with practicality. Avoid letting quality turn into perfectionism. There’s no need to aim for mastery when “good enough” will help you pass the exam confidently. Progress matters more than perfection.
In Summary
Slow studying for faster results can paradoxically help you become a Professional Engineer faster and with greater certainty. Cal Newport’s approach—(1) Doing Fewer Things, (2) Studying at a Natural Pace, and (3) Obsessing Over Quality—provides a framework for an efficient and satisfying study experience.
This article only scratches the surface of the many valuable ideas in Slow Productivity by Cal Newport. I highly recommend exploring the book for inspiring stories and actionable tactics.
If you found this article helpful, I’d be honored to support your journey toward professional licensure. To learn more about the process and our programs, contact [email protected].