Episode 131 – The PE Exam Isn’t Hard; Your Approach Is.

The Impactful Engineer Project - Mentorship, Career Growth, and Personal & Professional Excellence for Aspiring Engineers

Passing the PE exam isn’t about being the smartest engineer in the room—it’s about having a strategy. In this episode, Jake breaks down the exact system he used to pass the Power PE while working full-time, raising a family, and refusing to waste months in overbuilt study courses. This isn’t theory—this is practical, tactical advice for engineers who want to get licensed without burning out.

Key Topics Covered

• Why your PE prep starts on Day 1 of your engineering career, not 4 years later • How to track every project so your PE application basically writes itself • The two categories of project documentation engineers ignore—and why both matter • What PE reviewers actually look for in your experience narrative • How to record decision-making, trade-offs, and technical judgment that prove growth • A simple, repeatable process to build your personal “experience database” • The study approach that saves you months: identify weaknesses before studying • A practical, momentum-first test-day strategy that reduces stress and boosts accuracy • How to categorize exam questions into easy/medium/hard, lookup vs. math • Why building judgment around order-of-magnitude checks can save you on tough questions

Actionable Steps

• Start documenting every project today—scope, dates, fees, cost, square footage, systems • Capture factual statements (“designed X,” “calculated Y”) after each project • Capture decision-making—trade-offs, constraints, who you coordinated with, and why • Keep a running list of supervising PEs and which projects you completed under each • During PE prep, spend the first 1–2 weeks only on problems to find your weak areas • Build a ranked study list based on where you struggle—not what a course tells you • Create your own “fundamentals card” of the few core equations you actually need • On exam day, scan all questions and label them: easy / medium / hard + lookup / math • Complete all easy questions first to build momentum, then tackle medium, then hard • If stuck, set a cutoff time, eliminate obvious wrong answers, choose the most logical option, and move on

Who This Episode Is For

• Engineers preparing for the PE exam (any discipline) • Early-career AEC engineers who want a roadmap before they start studying • Engineers overwhelmed by the application process or unsure how to track experience • Busy professionals balancing PE prep with work, kids, and life • Anyone who wants a clear, proven, no-BS strategy instead of anxiety and guesswork

Why It Matters

Your PE license isn’t just a test score—it’s a signal that you can think clearly, make sound decisions, and document real engineering judgment. When you build the right system—project tracking, strategic study, and a test-day plan—you remove the guesswork and take control of your career. The result? More credibility, more opportunity, and more leverage in every role you take on.

Where to Listen

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