PE ?

Bebop

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2019
Location
TN
Anyone decided to get a PE after 10 years of being professionally active ?

I need a new challenge and this one just happened to fall in my lap.

Seems to me this is a lot like college exams and I've been out of these for a while.

Thoughts ?
 
Yes, a prostate exam is very important to do, even if you are very active. Probably depends on what kind of profession though.
The degree of "challenge" is all in how you take it.
 
I was in your same shoes. Decided fawk it. Been too long now.
Sorta regret, not really.

Dont think I could pass today
 
If you are looking at the ME, I would highly recommend Dr. Toms PE prep course. When I took it, his course was a must. It was also a pain, studying 5-6 nights a week for 2 hrs min each night for 22 weeks. I know the format of the test changed a few years ago to be digital, so it may be a little different than when I took it.
 
Thanks, I'll take a look.
Prep courses are expensive, I'd like to make sure I'm not completely out of the game before committing to one.
 
If you have an opportunity that would make it worth it, I'd say go for it. If you're doing it for your own satisfaction and sense of accomplishment, go for it. If you're just generally doing it, and don't have a specific need or drive for it, I would not go through the trouble. If you were a Civil Engineer, it can certainly be worthwhile to have your PE, but as an ME, there aren't a lot of things that require a PE, so in my opinion having it doesn't add much value. I'm a non-PE ME, and while I regret not taking the FE back when I was fresh out of school and remembered a lot of stuff, there's no way I'd do it now with a brain that is full of the fog of life.
 
I got my stamp in 2019 after being out of school for 15 years. I was pretty nervous myself about how long I had been out. Honestly, it’s not required for my job. I had been at Eastman 14 years and moved to a new division. Where I worked before I was told it wasn’t required and basically a waste of time. When I went to the Utilities area I was the only person who didn’t have one. My boss told me I didn’t have to get it, but that he thought I should try just in case I ever wanted to be a manager, which I don’t.

Long story short, I started studying the week of Thanksgiving for about 2 hours a day. My boss let me block my calander for the last hour of the day and i stays an hour over. I took the test in April 2019 and received an email in late May that I had passed.
 
On the FE, we had to take it when I was at Tennessee Tech to graduate. We didn’t have to pass but you had to at least show up and bubble in your name. I am glad that I did now. The PE wasn’t anywhere near as rigorous as the FE, in my opinion anyway. I took a rolling suitcase of books to the PE. I used my PE reference manual and my machist handbook the most. And I used the beam tables in my Mechanics of Materials book a few times.

Honestly, there wasn’t enough time to go digging for info. You either had a good idea from the information in the problem or you didn’t and skipped it.
 
Ron said:
I was in your same shoes. Decided fawk it. Been too long now.
Sorta regret, not really.

Dont think I could pass today
Click to expand...

I am in the same boat as Ron. Passed the FE 15yrs ago... Planned to take the PE, but not sure I have the energy/desire to study enough to pass it. My current job, it would give a minimal pay increase, but not worth the time, to me. In other professions, I can see the draw to do it.
 
Premature Ejaculation?

Wait, what...?
 
Got my PE in Control Systems last year because that job paid more for it. Not quite the same as everyone else, so take my advice how you like. I studied an hour a day for about 6 months as a lot of the material for my discipline I didn't do in my daily job.

FWIW pretty much all exams are online at a testing center now. The only material you get is a calculator and the reference book, nothing personal is allowed. Additionally you can take them anytime of the year now, not just once or twice a year depending on discipline.

So as mentioned before, there isn't much to lose in attempting it if you feel good about the material, short of the $400 registration fee, but having it always helps in negotiating for more money.
 
Bebop said:
Maybe $$$ would make it worth it in fun down the road ?

But I'm noting your point.
Click to expand...
Maybe. I'm currently on vacation contemplating a career change from Design Engineer to river raft guide:lol:. Motivation to further my career is at an all time low right now.
 
I’ve had my PE since 2006, 5 years after graduation. Only thing I’ve ever stamped was a letter of recommendation for someone to take the PE.

If you are motivated enough, then go for it. Even if it doesn’t make you more money, setting a goal and achieving it is a good thing.
 
Will your employer reimburse you or at least foot part of the bill? One great thing is that TN passed legislation to do away with the professional privledge tax on Engineers in 2020, so that saves $400 a year. You still have to pay the every two year renewal though.
 
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