In this article, we will discuss the different types of PE exam preparation materials that can help you prepare for the PE exam. However, choosing the right preparation material should not be done by looking at the material alone. You should also consider the type of learner you are, your experience, and the PE discipline you are preparing for.
It’s important to note that you can’t really separate these factors from each other. You need to understand all of them together before deciding how to prepare and what type of PE exam preparation material or method you need.
Your Learning Style
This can be a very long and involved subject. For the purpose of this article, it is enough to say that there are 32 different learning styles. However, five of those are more relevant to engineers and engineering students. The other learning styles generally bridge the gap between these.
The five styles are relevant to how you deal with the information that you are about to learn, and they are:
1. Information perceptionÂ
This answers the question: How do you prefer to receive information?
Do you pay close attention to details and prefer information based on facts and specific examples?
2. Information inputÂ
Are you a visual learner, or do you respond better to written information?
3. Information organization
Do you learn better by induction, where you start with individual facts or examples and gradually arrive at a conclusion? Or do you prefer deduction, where you first understand the main principle or conclusion and then work through the details?
4. Information processing
Are you an active learner who likes to apply what you have learned, solve problems, experiment, and possibly work with others? Or are you more of a reflective learner who prefers to think about the information, review the theory, and work through it on your own?
5. Information understanding
Do you prefer to understand information sequentially, by following a logical step-by-step process? Or are you more of a global learner, where you prefer to see the overall picture and make connections between different topics before going into the details?
Understanding your learning style can help you decide how to prepare for the PE exam and, more importantly, what type of PE exam preparation material is most useful for you.
At Petro Publications, we understand that many engineers respond well to visual learning. This is why our civil exams PE preparation materials contain more than 10,000 illustrations, figures, and process diagrams. At the same time, we know that many other engineers pay close attention to details. This is why our civil engineering PE exam questions, PE online practice exams, exam preparation materials, and PE reference guides go into detail and provide extensive references to both required and supporting references.
We also recognize that not every engineer learns in the same way. Our goal is to provide different types of explanations, examples, questions, figures, and references so that the material can support different learning styles.
Your Engineering Discipline
The second factor to consider is the PE discipline you will take. Your choice should be based on your education, engineering experience, and familiarity with the subjects covered by the exam.
Engineers often work across multiple areas. For example, a construction engineer may have experience with drainage, transportation, geotechnical work, utilities, and structural coordination. Therefore, your job title alone should not determine your choice.
Before selecting a PE discipline, consider:
- Which PE exam topics are most familiar to you?
- Which subjects have you studied or used in your engineering work?
- Which types of PE practice problems or PE exam preparation material can you solve or work with more comfortably?
- Which discipline matches your strengths and gives you the best starting point for your preparation?
Your Engineering Experience
Your engineering experience is another important factor when planning your PE exam preparation. The amount of experience you have, and how closely it relates to the subjects covered by your PE discipline, can have a major effect on how much preparation you need.
You should therefore consider:
- How many years of engineering experience do you have?
- How closely does your experience relate to your PE exam topics?
- How recently have you studied the subjects covered by the exam?
- Which topics are already familiar to you, and which ones will require more study?
Your experience should help determine not only what you study, but also how long you should study for the PE exam.
We cover this in more detail in our review of a realistic Civil PE exam study schedule, where we discuss how to determine the appropriate PE exam study time based on your education, engineering experience, and familiarity with the exam topics.
PE Exam Preparation Material
Now that we have discussed your learning style, your engineering discipline, and experience, let’s look at the different types of PE exam preparation materials available. We will discuss the types of materials without focusing on specific exam preparation companies or course providers.
PE Exam Question Booklets Available on Amazon and Other Platforms
PE exam question booklets can be a good option if you already have a good understanding of the subject. They can be particularly useful if you are fresh out of college, have recently completed an engineering course or degree, or have work experience in the discipline you are preparing for.
They can also be useful when combined with a course. If the course does not provide enough practice questions, an additional question booklet can give you more practice. Even if the course already provides questions, another question source can expose you to different types of questions and different approaches to solving problems.
There is, however, an important warning here.
Recently, we have seen a large increase in AI-generated and poorly reviewed preparation material. Some of these books contain questions that have not been checked or reviewed. They may also contain many errors, unclear explanations, or questions that do not properly reflect the level and style of the PE exam.
The low price of some of these books can make them attractive, but price should not be the only factor when choosing PE preparation material. You should look at the author, publisher, publication history, the authenticity of reviews, and the quality of the sample material before making a decision.
PE Exam Study Guides
Reference books and PE Exam study guides can be useful for self-study. There are many different PE exam guides available, but you should take the time to check the author and publisher before purchasing one.
A good reference PE exam guide should provide reliable technical information and explain the concepts needed for the PE exam. Some are also accompanied by PE practice questions or separate practice books.
Some of the renowned publishers, such as PPI, have traditionally followed this approach by providing detailed reference material together with practice questions.
At Petro Publications, we have taken a somewhat different approach for some of our NCEES civil PE exam resources. Most of our Petro PE exam guides are written in the form of questions (with the exception of the California seismic principles and engineering surveying). The questions are designed to provide comprehensive coverage of all the material in a reference guide style. We make sure to cover all possible exam scenarios, and the solutions explain the concepts and calculations needed to solve them, similar to how a reference guide would.Â
The goal is to make those guides useful not only as a source of practice questions, but also as a study tool. In other words, if you are a learner who prefers to study independently, the guide can provide both the question and the explanation needed to understand the subject.
This approach is different from our California PE exam study guides. Our California publications are structured more traditionally as reference guides, with detailed explanations of the technical content, supported by separate question booklets and practice exams.
Online PE Exams, Questions, and Question Banks
Online PE exams allow you to practice questions in a computer-based environment. These may include full-length practice exams, timed exams, individual questions, or question banks.
You may not find an exact match to the actual PE exam screen or its organization, and that should not necessarily be the main reason for choosing an online resource. The more important factor is the technical content and quality of the questions.
Online resources can be especially useful for self-learners and for engineers who already have other study materials but want additional questions and practice.
They can also help you identify areas where you need more study. For example, after completing several questions in a particular topic, you may find that you are consistently making mistakes. This can tell you that you need to return to your reference material and review that topic before moving forward.
PE Courses on Demand
Courses on demand are pre-recorded lectures or webinars that you can watch at your own pace. They normally include an instructor who walks you through the material and may include quizzes, practice questions, and physical or PDF study materials.
These PE courses can be good PE exam preparation material for self-learners who have been out of school for a long time, especially if you do not have the time or ability to attend a live class.
One of the main advantages is flexibility. You can watch the PE preparation courses when you have time, pause the video, rewind when you do not understand a concept, or move faster through topics that you already know.
Some courses also provide technical support, allowing you to ask questions when you do not understand a particular topic.
The main disadvantage is that the PE course is not interactive. If technical support is not provided, you may have no way to ask the instructor about a difficult question or concept. Even when support is available, it may not be the same as having an instructor available during a live class.
The total duration of pre-recorded courses can vary significantly. Depending on the discipline and the amount of material covered, courses can range from approximately 70 to 150 hours.
At Petro Publications, we are currently designing courses for the different PE disciplines, with courses expected to become available in 2027. Our course design takes into account the different learning styles discussed earlier and combines lectures, questions, visual material, and other study resources.
Webinars and Live Courses
Live courses are more similar to going back to school. They can be particularly useful if you have been out of college for many years and have forgotten much of the technical material, or if you are trying to learn a subject that is relatively new to you.
Live courses provide an opportunity to interact with an instructor and, in some cases, with other engineers preparing for the exam. You can ask questions and get clarification while the class is taking place.
However, this option should be considered carefully. Live courses are generally among the most expensive preparation options, and they also require a significant time commitment.
Another limitation is that the sessions may not always be available at a time that works for you. Some courses also require a minimum number of students before a class can be offered.
Unlike a recorded course, once a live session is over, you may not have the same opportunity to go back and review the exact discussion.
The duration of a live PE exam preparation course can vary from approximately three to six months, depending on the discipline, the number of sessions, and the amount of material covered.
Get Started With Petro Study Guides & Practice Exams
Petro Publications offers Civil PE Exam study guides that are always up to date, along with realistic online practice exams. Get them individually or in study bundles designed so that you build confidence, strengthen your understanding of key concepts, and prepare efficiently for exam day.
