PE Civil Exam: How to Prepare for the Test Day?

PE Civil Exam is a major challenge that every civil engineer wishes to overcome someday. Being titled as a Professional Engineer (PE) is a dream of every budding engineer in the United States. However, to achieve a milestone as big as this, you have to prepare accordingly. Every year, many engineers take the test, but only a few of them clear the exam despite preparing as much as they could, why?

Well, there can be a handful of reasons behind it. But the one that is the most common reason is the quality of preparation they do. Simply being dedicated and running through the courses day after day won’t cut it. Quality preparation is about knowing how to go about the studying process, scheduling the study hours, and managing workload effectively.

Compared to the preparation you do over the months for the test, how you prepare a day before the exam matters the most. Many students spend the last 24 hours before the PE or FE Civil exam buried in books, which is not the ideal thing to do. Then what should you do? Don’t worry, we will guide you through your 24 hours preparation process comprehensively.

How to Prepare 24 Hrs Before the PE Exam?

When a day or less than a day is there for your PE exam, first accept that you can’t study more than you already have. Given that you have started preparing a long time ago, you probably would have covered the subjects and courses you could.

Rest Your Mind: Now is the time to relax your mind. Stressing out won’t do any good, neither before nor during the exam. What you need to do is enter the hall for your PE civil exam with a clearer and calmer mind.

Talk to someone who has taken the PE test before to get insights. You might find out that this exam isn’t that hard or overwhelming after all. Believe in your abilities, know that you have done enough hard work.

You must realize that your 2 hours studying the night before won’t have much of an impact on a test you’ve been preparing for months. Get away from books, give your mind time to reboot, and reenergize so that it is ready to get going in the exam the next day.

Engage in Light Activities: Do not mistake resting your mind with being idle. You still have to keep your brain in that zone. You can busy yourself with small things like preparing your exam kit. Checking the things you will need, what you have, what you need to buy, etc. Your exam Admit form, NCEES-based reference guide, calculator are a few of these necessary items.

In case you love music you can listen to some soft music of your interest. It is a great way to relax not just your mind but your body too. Sit and have light conversations with your family. In conclusion, choose to do whatever makes you feel refreshed without losing your hold on the preparation.

Sleep on Time: Healthy sleep has a vital role to play in your quest for a well-rested mind. Avoid staying up till late hours for no reason. Get in bed on time so that you have a minimum of 7-8 hours of sleep.

You surely wouldn’t want to be sleepy of all things while taking the PE or FE Civil exam. Good sleep is scientifically proven to have health benefits and acts as a productivity booster as well. Schedule your day before the test in a way that you complete everything before your bedtime.

Plan out the Commute: Depending on where you live and where your test center is, plan out the commute beforehand. By doing so, you can eliminate the risk of not reaching the location on time.

If the location is quite far from your place, it is better to rent a hotel room for the night than taking a risk. Besides, it will be less exhausting too, you won’t have to drive for hours to reach the exam center.

Exam Day Preparation Tips

Above, we have covered what you should be doing in the last 24 hours before the test. Here we will discuss your preparation for the morning of the exam.

Go Early: Try to reach the exam center at least 30 mins before the exam to avoid rushing. It will give you enough time to calm your nerves and get rid of any nervous energy you might have.

Eat Healthy Breakfast: Even if you love to drink coffee, limit or eliminate its intake for the day. Coffee tends to enhance your nervous energy. Take a light and brain-boosting meal including food items like nuts, yogurt, etc. Apart from coffee, refined sugar, chocolates are a couple of things you might want to stay clear of.

Make Minimum Interactions: When you are at the center with many others, it is common to indulge in conversations. Although that one conversation can cause more damage than you realize. People can easily psych you out, discussing the study materials, important questions, etc. It is better to spend the time alone, mentally preparing yourself for the test, and building self-confidence.

Rest During the Lunch Break: After the first session, which is the Breadth part of the exam, you will have an hour. Your Depth session will then resume after the lunch break. You cannot study during this 1 hr, since you aren’t allowed to carry your guides outside. You shouldn’t be studying in that 1 hour anyway. You will be already tired after the first session, it is better to relax your mind and body. Eat something light and healthy and just let your mind be ready.

Conclusion

Each individual taking the test is different with their unique ways to spend the day before the PE civil exam. But if you follow the given instructions or even consider them, you might increase your chance to clear the test.

In case, you have only recently applied for the exam, don’t worry about the test day preparation now. Visit Civil Engineering Academy and join their PE review course so that you can be ready for the exam on time. Along with the review courses, they have relevant NCEES-based practice papers as well.