We Don't Need to be Perfect to Pass the P.E. Exam

Joe Meyer, PE | Fire Protection Engineer at MeyerFire
 
We’re a few weeks out from the P.E. Exam. I’ve been studying – not exactly as much as I would like, but I’ve been trying.

My scores aren’t exactly where I would want them to be. I don’t feel ready. Should I even take this exam?

THAT FEELING
If you’re taking the P.E. Exam (or have taken it), you know the feeling.

It feels like there’s a lot at stake.

Why? The exam is only once a year. It matters for my future career. For options, flexibility, pay, and recognition. Prep costs a lot. The exam itself isn’t free. I really don’t want to take it again.

If you know someone preparing for the P.E. Exam, give them a figurative bear hug.
​The few weeks before exam day feel the toughest.

Having been on both sides of the exam – the feelings are real – and they’re common too.

At some point before exam day, everyone hits that moment of doubt. We all do.

Almost nobody feels 100% confident going into the exam. Even the strongest performers don’t feel 100% confident.

Why? Because everyone taking the exam is trying to pass for the first time.

We shouldn’t be aiming for 100% confidence; we should aim to be prepared.

CONFIDENT VS. PREPARED
Prepared for the common questions. Routine questions. Plug and play questions.

Prepared for poorly-worded questions. For confusing questions.

Prepared to see a handful of questions completely out of left field that nobody expects.
 
The goal isn’t bravado. It’s to be as prepared as we reasonably can. Why? Because this is not a test for mastery. It's a threshold for competency. 

Our goal for this exam is simple: get as many questions right as possible. That’s it.
 
Do you know the difference between getting a 74% and a 98% on the P.E. Exam? Nothing. Literally no difference. Both scores result in a ‘Pass,’ and we aren’t even given our scores back anyway.

That’s the way the exam is set up. Easy questions count just as much as hard ones.

% TO PASS: IT'S NOT A GRADE
On MeyerFire University, we show a “% to Pass” on your dashboard. It’s easy to think of it as a letter grade. It’s not.

The % to Pass is the likelihood that, if you walked into the exam today based on performance so far, you would pass.

The % to Pass score is NOT a grade; Passing the exam is very realistic once we cross the 50% threshold.

So a 60% to Pass means you’re already more likely to pass than not. And that’s if you took the exam today.

It feels worse than it actually is because we’re wired to think a 60% is a D grade, but that’s not what that number represents. If you want to read more about the background data, we have a write-up on it here.

​If you’ve crossed the 50% threshold, you’re already in a position where passing is very realistic. That’s a great place to be. Keep at it.

ADVICE #1: IMPROVE ON IMPORTANT WEAK TOPICS
I have two tips as you round out your prep.

First, focus your effort on identifying weak areas and practice medium/easy problems in those areas.

We want to get as many answers correct as possible, so that’s usually the biggest ROI area. If you’re on MeyerFire University, you can see which areas have the most impact and room for improvement.

ADVICE #2: SKIP & COME BACK TO HARD QUESTIONS
Second is the most important exam strategy that we preach again and again and again.

Time is our most limited resource. Over-investing our time in one exam question is a losing strategy.

In our practice and on exam day, do only the easy questions first.

Practice skimming and doing multiple passes.

If a question isn’t a “oh, easy got this!” then skip it and come back on your next pass. Don’t get stuck for 20 minutes on one question. They’re all worth the same anyway.

It’s too easy to have an ego and say, “Oh, but I know I can solve it” and then spend 20+ minutes on that question. Don’t do that! Save it for last, when you have extra time. Multiple passes will help you get as many questions right as possible.

FINISH STRONG, YOU CAN DO IT!
Let’s end studying strongly. You’ve put in the work – you don’t need to be perfect.

​Let’s work to be ready enough and go give it our best shot.