FE Exam Review Blog

The “Lucky Ones” (and how to start studying for the FE Exam)

You want to start studying for the FE Exam, but…

Your eyes are fixed on those “lucky ones”.

You know, the ones that in your book have it all together.

They are “successful”, or can take the FE Exam without a minute of studying, or have their PE license before the age of 30.

Listen, I don’t prescribe to living a life wishing I was in someone else’s shoes.

I could care less.

But many do – so let’s get some things straight.

There is a common belief that only specially gifted people can do extraordinary things.

And while they live it up, we mere-mortals are slotted into a life of mediocrity.

It’s true that specially gifted people can do extraordinary things, but…

I would disagree that it’s only for a subset of our population.

I believe we are all capable of doing big things.

Things that are beyond our comprehension.

But here’s the hard truth…

Most won’t.

Not because they can’t, but because they will settle for the status quo.

They will fall in line, doing what others tell them to do in the name of “keeping the peace” or “job security.

All while waking up each and every day knowing something is not right.

Look, expecting extraordinary results requires us to swim upstream.

It requires us to get uncomfortable.

And making the move to start studying for the FE Exam is –

Uncomfortable.

We all know this conceptually, but now that we are “adults” we deny its application.

Think about it.

If you were an athlete at any point in your life, what would have happened if you just settled into doing what everyone else was doing?

What would have happened if you stopped doing those extra sessions in the gym.

Running the extra mile?

Pushing the extra rep?

If you just bought into normal programming, you became, well –

Just normal.

The same holds true today.

A normal life isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but…

If your desire to be special is strong enough, then you will find a way to live, work, fight and discover new paths that lead to extraordinary results.

You will take ownership of where you are now and take hard actions to course correct into a life more aligned with your own dreams and aspirations.

Only then, will you be capable of joining those “lucky ones”.

Is it time to start studying for the FE Exam

There seems to be a duality of thoughts that come to mind when one thinks of studying for the FE Exam.

On one side, it is overwhelmingly clear how doing so will help us in our career.

On the other, we have heavy doubts on whether or not we could pull it off.

I get it.

But what would passing the FE Exam mean to you?

If I offered to personally walk you through a program we developed that has helped even the most self-doubting, confidently prepare for and pass the FE Exam, would you take it?

There’s no reason why you should keep putting it off when I am confident that you are able to get it done now. Click here for the details and see just how possible passing is.

The narrative (as you prepare for the FE Exam)

The world does it’s best to feed us a one-line narrative when we move to prepare for the FE Exam.

A narrative that says there is only a single way of doing things, and all too often…

We buy in.

But it’s this buying in that is literally keeping us stuck right where we are.

Let’s get in to it.

When we set out to prepare for the FE Exam, we are hit hard with emotional resistance.

It’s easy enough to absorb the tension at first because the “pain” can be weathered for a moment –

Yet, over time, these once minor intrusions become cumulatively monumental.

Then one day, we wake up and reflect on where we are and realize just how far away we have gotten from what we were once driving for – becoming a professional engineer.

Maybe this is where you are today?

You graduated college with a lot of drive.

You were driven, excited for the new challenges that would come your way each day.

But now you 5, 10, 15+ years in, and find yourself sucked dry of inspiration and aspiration.

Each day you wake up a bit slower.

Commutes have become something you dread.

Look, this isn’t about putting you down.

This about building you up by encouraging self-awareness and accountable for where you are today.

Once we take accountability, we can recapture action on our own accord, aligned to where we want to go –

Not where others want us to go.

I believe you have a spark of genius within.

You have so much value to provide to a world that is yearning –

It’s just waiting to be rediscovered, reignited and fed.

We were never designed to be pawns in a chess game, being moved place to place without much input.

We are the Kings.

We are the Queens.

In our own game, we are strong and capable – it’s about time that we play it for how it is.

This is your time.

I am here to help!

So you want to prepare for the FE Exam, but…

There seems to be a duality of thoughts that come to mind when one thinks of studying for the FE Exam.

On one side, it is overwhelmingly clear how doing so will help us in our career.

On the other, we have heavy doubts on whether or not we could pull it off.

I get it.

But what would passing the FE Exam mean to you?

If I offered to personally walk you through a program we developed that has helped even the most self-doubting, confidently prepare for and pass the FE Exam, would you take it?

There’s no reason why you should keep putting it off when I am confident that you are able to get it done now. Click here for the details and see just how possible passing is.

The battle within (thinking about taking the FE Exam)

For most, a war is waged internally the moment you begin thinking about taking the FE Exam.

A barrage of mental bombs come out of nowhere.

These bombs seek to expose any and all insecurities in an effort to destroy any semblance of hope.

If you are to stand any chance, then this must be addressed.

Let’s get in to it.

For a moment, remove yourself from any judgments you are placing on yourself when thinking about taking the FE Exam.

Right now, let’s be neutral.

In this moment, there is no:

• I have been out of school for too long.
• I wasn’t that good of a student.
• I am bad at taking tests.
• I don’t have the time to study.

Whatever it is for you, seek to expose the narrative you are creating for yourself.

A narrative that hasn’t even played itself out.

Yet with each passing day and subconscious reinforcement, you incrementally add a brick to a wall that must be scaled.

These thoughts, at there core, hold no weight.

They are nothing but unsubstantiated beliefs the mind will contrive in an effort to ease the tension that arises when we consider tackling a major undertaking.

It’s natural.

It’s expected.

Over a decade working with engineers, there aren’t many that have escaped the flurry of limiting beliefs that go to war on us at the onset.

These students, just like you, initially felt the journey was near impossible – and for some…

It was.

For some, the imaginary wall built within became one too massive to scale.

They adopted the false narratives the fed themselves, reinforcing each self-sabotaging belief until it became “truth”.

But it doesn’t need to end this way.

While some succumb to a fortress they erect around themselves, others courageously push forward despite these thoughts, these obstacles, knowing that it is all part of the process.

You can do the same.

But you must first pursue self awareness.

You must remove yourself from any self-imposed identity that doesn’t hold itself up in reality.

Yes, maybe you have been out of school for a long time.

Ya, maybe you weren’t a great student.

Maybe you do have a lot on your plate with limited time to do anything else.

I get it.

Even when we turn to face our limiting beliefs, they can seem like beasts to slay.

But let me just conclude on this one thing:

If there is just one person in this entire world that was in your same shoes and was able to find a way through – then so can you.

Like the students in their 60’s and 70’s (and one even in their 80’s) who have come through Prepineer and successfully passed this exam.

Or the 95% of the engineering undergrads that come in lacking confidence based on how they did in college (me included) but have gone on to becoming a Professional Engineer.

Or the students who are single parents, working a full time job while chauffeuring the family from one end of town to the other, yet, committed and got it done anyways.

What about these stories?

They are real and powerful, and if you just tap in to one as a tool to help you get going, then the sky is the limit.

First belief, then anything is possible.

You got this!

I am thinking about taking the FE Exam and this is where I am at, help!

I get it.

It’s one thing to conceptually understand the path forward.

But it’s another to actually put it in to action when the mental battle is waging.

What would passing the FE Exam mean to you?

If I offered to personally walk you through a program we developed that has helped even the most self-doubting, confidently prepare for and pass the FE Exam, would you take it?

If you need an trusted ally to come alongside you then click here to for the details and see just how possible passing is.

Wanting vs Doing (the tension of preparing for the FE Exam)

If you are reading this, then you are likely one of the thousands who want to start preparing for the FE Exam.

You want to pursue becoming a licensed Professional Engineer – and for that, I applaud you.

But “wanting” won’t get you far.

Folks drop by Prepineer on the daily looking for ways to “hack” preparing for the FE Exam.

Welp, we have the “hack”, but it might not be what you think.

Let’s get in to it.

Billion dollar industries are built around peoples desire to want some hack for getting whatever they want in life.

How about I completely circumvent the billion dollar industry altogether and give you what I know to be the hack of all hacks.

It’s actually quit simple.

Not easy.

Simple.

Put in the work.

You want to get in to shape?

Great.

Eat the right stuff, and work out –

Everyday.

You want to find success on the FE Exam?

Great.

Get the right materials, and hit the books.

Everyday.

That’s it – that’s the hack.

It’s so simple, but you’ve got to put in the work every day.

You’ve got to go against your human nature every day.

The only hack that matters when it comes to preparing for the FE Exam is that their is a difference between wanting and doing.

Maybe you are one experiencing this tension right now?

You see, when we set out to get after a major goal of ours, there is a natural tendency (especially post academia) to fall in to a mode of seeking comfort through information overload.

It’s uncomfortable seeing the NCEES specifications for the first time.

It’s uncomfortable to think about how long you have been out of school.

It’s uncomfortable thinking about fitting in studying with your already jam packed schedule.

I get it.

Discomfort manifests doubts, and naturally, these doubts manifest a feeling of needing to “know more” as a remedy to the heaviness.

But it’s not.

The reality is, this is the emotional yin and yang that will keep you on the hamster wheel of going nowhere –

Fast.

When we are looking to start something, getting information isn’t the hard part – knowledge comes easy – it’s the execution that is hard.

It’s 100% normal to feel heavy doubts when it comes to taking the FE Exam.

It doesn’t matter if you are fresh out of the university or have been out for 30+ years –

Doubt when it comes to preparing the FE Exam is just one of those guaranteed parts of the process.

But the resolution isn’t in needing to know more, or feeling comfortable.

It’s having the courage to take a first step despite all of the noise.

I find that the most successful students I work with don’t circumvent the doubts by looking for hacks.

Instead, they use them as a gauge for knowing that they are on the right track to succeed.

Take a moment to reflect back on your own life.

I am confident in saying that your greatest growth has come from those uncertain moments.

Those moments when you doubted, hurt, were stretched to the edge of your abilities and didn’t think you could go any further.

But you did.

Nothing worth having comes easy – it’s through the obstacles that stretch us to our limits that we see the greatest opportunities for growth.

But its also at these limits that dreams go to die.

Your task is to recognize when you are at this point of tension, lean in to the discomfort and move anyways.

No one ever got anywhere without taking a first step.

You got this.

So how does this help with the tension of preparing for the FE Exam

When we realize that our growth, and consequently, our value, lies directly with our own actions, then we can take ownership.

We take accountability and full responsibility with where we are and move to better our position.

Sadly though, passing the FE Exam remains a mystery for many engineers.

And because of that, they aren’t taking action, and in turn, giving up on themselves and their careers.

I don’t want that to be you.

If I offered to personally walk you through a program that has helped those with the deepest of doubts prepare for and pass the FE Exam, would you take it?

If so, click here to for the details and see just how possible passing can be for you too.

You are the asset (and how this mindset changes everything on the FE Exam)

If there was one thought of value that could change everything on the FE Exam for you, it’s this:

You are the asset.

It has nothing to do with taking the exam at all – this is deeper.

This is about principle.

Let’s get in to it.

You are the asset.

This has nothing to do with taking the FE Exam.

But it will change everything.

This is all about mindset and how we view ourselves within a corporate structure.

So many of us leave college, land a job, and at some point –

Transition from driving our own growth to letting others drive it for us.

HR, supervisors, peers, media.

They all suggest we do this or do that – and we slowly die to our own desires in lieu of fitting in to the uniform agenda.

And that is where the problems lies – in the uniformity of it all.

Uniformity has no place for outliers.

It has no place for individuals like you that feed off being creative and pushing the boundary of what can be done.

In this world, too many of us have become the “boiling frog“.

We’ve exchanged our own powerfully unique identity for one that fits in to a system of economical output.

Look, I get it, when we land a job, we want to keep it – after all, it pays the bills.

But just because we are getting paid, doesn’t mean we must exchange the autonomy of driving our own growth.

Just because we are getting paid doesn’t mean we lie down as a sacrifice for “job security”.

I am not suggesting that the corporations are evil in any way, but let’s be real…

Corporations are in the business of making a profit – and rightfully so.

And to make profit, they need to increase the spread between what they pay their assets versus the return on those assets.

No one in their right mind would invest in a losing asset or not want as much as they could possibly get out of a sitting asset, that’s just smart economics.

So naturally, corporations are in the business of paying you the least that they can to make sure you are content and performing.

We will always feel like we should be paid more, while at the same time, corporations will feel like they are always paying too much.

This synergy of tension will always exist.

It’s not a bad thing, we just need to realize the game that is being played and commit to never giving up on growing in to better, more valuable assets of offering to the industry as a whole.

So today I ask you to adopt the mindset of being the asset.

Realize that the more value you bring the company you work for, the more that company can get in return in the real market.

And I will leave you with this.

A licensed engineer is much more valuable to the corporation then one who is not.

And with being more valuable, the corporation can bid the work out at a higher rate, increasing that asset-return spread – and this is where you as the asset steps in:

If you are more valuable, you rightfully deserve to see some of that economic value back your way.

That’s called a win-win.

A solid collaboration.

A fair trade.

All of the above.

So how does this change everything on the FE Exam?

When we realize that our growth, and consequently, our value, lies directly with our own actions, it changes everything.

Instead of passively floating along, we actively invest in ourselves as a long term play.

We view our employers as an avenue, and not the means, to getting us to where we want to be.

We take accountability and full responsibility with where we are and move to better our position.

Sadly though, passing the FE Exam remains a mystery for many engineers.

And because of that, they aren’t taking action, and in turn, giving up on themselves and their careers.

I don’t want that to be you.

If I offered to personally walk you through a program that has helped those with the deepest of doubts prepare for and pass the FE Exam, would you take it?

If so, click here to for the details and see just how possible passing can be for you too.

Humility (and finding success on the FE Exam)

Humility.

It’s meta, but after a decade working with engineers at all stages of life, I have seen it as one of the most consistent traits of those who have found success on the FE Exam.

Admittedly, it’s a double edged sword with real benefits in one sense –

And imaginary, yet paralyzing, downsides on the other.

Let’s get in to it.

As engineers, it’s in our DNA to “figure it out”.

Often times, just the thought of asking for help cripples us with fear that others are going to realize we actually don’t have it all figured out.

But let’s be real…

No one does.

Despite what it may seem like on the surface, everyone is trying to make the best out of the cards they were dealt.

Often times, we are operating at the edge of chaos and uncertainty.

We are trying to align the pieces the best we are able while hiding behind a facade of “I’m doing just fine”.

Reality is, most aren’t – and that’s OK.

For better or worse, humility can facilitate growth…

Or it can debilitate progress.

It can energize us to push forward towards loftier goals…

Or it could sap our energy and leave us in a gray state of mediocrity.

So what’s this have to do with success on the FE Exam?

Everything.

We are constantly bouncing up against the threshold of what humility will do for us.

On one side we recede, defining humility as a weakness –

Doubt, self-deprecation, and anxiety manifest and increasingly establish themselves in such dense ways that we end up living a life of “what if”.

On the other side we receive, basking in the positive attributes of accepting reinforcement.

Humbling ourselves in seeking guidance from others isn’t a weakness.

It’s a move that shows that we aren’t only passionate about our dreams and aspirations, but that we are humble enough to admit we need support along the way.

With a heart of humility, we open our lives up to the benefits of wisdom.

We open our lives up to the lessons learned from those that have gone before us.

Society wants to condition us to believe that living with humility is weak.

Even more so, society wants us to believe that humility is a vulnerability that will only expose us to the evil ways of others.

That’s nonsense.

Living in a cocoon will get us nowhere fast.

So today I ask you to do just one thing:

Be more gracious with yourself.

Understand our natural bend is to escape humility, to put up a front that we’ve got it all handled.

Open yourself up.

Be OK with not knowing everything right now and look to others who are willing and ready to make your dreams a reality.

You work hard.

You deserve it.

Is this the year you pass the FE Exam?

It can be – but the action lies with you.

If I offered to personally walk you through a program we developed that has helped even those with the deepest of doubts prepare for and pass the FE Exam, would you take it?

If so, click here to start your 7 day trial with Prepineer and see just how possible passing can be for you too.

Calm or Chaos (the “forks” of the FE Exam)

Over the last decade, I have been blessed to work with some of the most talented engineers around the world as they take on passing of the fe exam.

Over this time, I have observed countless stories of personal struggle lead to life changing growth.

These stories of transformation have been the lifeblood for much of my inspiration in doing what I do.

But as much as I have enjoyed guiding these individuals…

One of my deepest passions has been in identifying and understanding those deep traits that allow opportunities for success to manifest.

Let’s get in to it.

Uncovering the connections I find in students that succeed versus those that hit a brick wall as they are preparing to take the FE Exam is something I take seriously.

As a coach and mentor, it is my duty to share my observations to help unleash the potential in each and every one of my students.

These deep traits tend to surface at each “fork in the road” –

One such fork is that of “not feeling like I am making enough progress”.

As individuals, we want to always feel as if we are getting better each and every day.

If we aren’t getting better, if we don’t feel like we are moving closer to our goals, we tend to settle in to a narrative of being stuck.

Whether this is true or not, as each day goes by, it becomes more and more true to us.

One guarantee of the FE Exam

I find that success doesn’t lie in whether or not one hits this “fork”…

All will at some point.

Only difference is, one allows it to define them, while the other leans against it as a moment in time and continues forward regardless.

For some students, they are able to silence the noise of feeling defeated in the moment, knowing that it is all just part of the growth process.

For others, the constant barrage of feeling defeated studying for the FE Exam turns their focus outwardly to others, assuming no one else is feeling what they are feeling.

Paralyzing them in their pursuit.

Listen, without a doubt you are going to hit many points in this journey that leave you feeling defeated.

There will be times that you feel their is no light on the other side.

These thoughts in and of themselves are not bad…

It’s when you allow them to take the wheel and define your journey that they become disastrous.

Our drive to always want to be progressing is unique and powerful – it’s gotten us to the point we are in life.

But allowing a narrative that along the road their won’t be any forks to contend with, we are slowly handing over the control of our overall progress to happenstance.

It’s at this point the chaos prevails.

We can’t allow that, we won’t allow that –

Let calm prevail and be confident that these forks are all part of the process.

You got this.

Is this the year you pass the FE Exam?

It can be – but the action lies with you.

If I offered to personally walk you through a program we developed that has helped even those with the deepest of doubts prepare for and pass the FE Exam, would you take it?

If so, click here to start your 7 day trial with Prepineer and see just how possible passing can be for you too.

The real reason you don’t follow through (and can’t pass the FE Exam)

With a new year comes new aspirations reinforced by a reinvigorated spirit to get after an opportunity that comes from the chaos of a years past.

But, last year, it all started the same way – what happened?

Why are we still in the same position, with “taking the FE Exam.” still at the top of the list of things we need to get done?

I will suggest there a number of issues here –

Let’s get in to it.

Right now, we are on fire – inspired by each waking day, propelled by a vigor we likely haven’t felt in a while.

We are clear in what we want to do.

We are confident in the steps we need to take, but…

As it is with most new years resolutions, the action will either never happen or quickly fade.

Why is this?

It’s no doubt that we want to make progress in our careers and in our lives.

But we find ourselves stuck in a perpetual state of doing absolutely nothing about it.

Listen, I am preaching to myself as much as I am anyone else.

I think it’s important to slow down and analyze why it is we are constantly looking for progress that seems to be ever-fleeting.

When I reflect on my own experiences with this, I see many issues that have led to me being in the same exact position 365 days later.

These past two years, Covid hit us all straight in the face –

So we can chalk that one up in the “didn’t see that coming” category.

But what about all the other years.

Work responsibilities, starting a family, socializing, amongst other things I prioritized for whatever reason above the one thing I wanted to do.

There are many reasons for this inaction, but let’s hit on one that seems to be the primary instigator for them all.

We are horrible at managing our own energy.

That’s just real talk.

When I am talking with new students coming in to Prepineer, we dive deep in to their past experiences with the FE Exam.

Most all are quick to call out their inability to properly prepare, but they aren’t so much inclined to being able to pinpoint the underlying “why” of those unproductive efforts.

People love to fluff Will Power as if it in itself is the reason for not seeing through their deepest aspirations – but it’s not.

Yes, Will Power is a thing, in the free-will sense, but it’s really the level of energy we have to go to battle when we are pushing up against that threshold of “go or no go”.

Let’s look at it this way, we are limited in the amount of energy we can output each and every day.

Every waking second there are things we can say yes to and things we can say no to.

Just as it is with the gas in the tank of our car, every mile we go, every decision we make, we etch away at the reserves we have.

This is the concept of decision fatigue.

As an individual studying for the FE Exam, or pursuing goals in any area of life, we must be proactive in the way we are living each day.

We’ve got to recognize and turn away from the more obvious gas-consuming activities while making intentional efforts in replenishing our energy tank with net positive recovery including how we are taking care of ourselves both physically (including nutrition) and mentally (including sleep).

For most, considerations of why they are struggling to make progress in life fail to extend outside the basic stance of Will Power.

In doing so, they are just led down the road of self-doubt and a distorted picture of what they are actually capable of achieving.

This is where the cycle of letting go of your dreams and aspirations begins.

Rarely does society talk openly about the importance of mental health when it comes to achieving your goals

Because of this, we fail to recognize the patterns of daily life that are leading to us slowly letting go.

We enter a world of conflicting ideas where we are passionate in one sense while questioning our ability to stay enthusiastic in the midst of the pursuit.

Your headspace and why its making you feel like you can’t pass the FE Exam

Let’s get meta and call out headspaces and how they effect our overall progress towards our life goals.

Biologically, your thoughts, moods, daily interactions and stress responses are the primary consumers of your tank.

You are the vehicle in your own life and having a blind spot as to what is consuming your level of reserves to low before you even make a move in attempting the FE Exam or getting out for workout, or whatever, is the real problem.

Oscar Wilde put it like this:

Most just let life cruise by without a thought of why they are doing this or doing that.

There is often no accountability to ourselves in the decisions we are making and we let others drive our agenda.

And this, my friends, is what needs to change – today.

Uncovering and accepting the parallels between the effects of physical and mental stressors on your ability to execute can provide a new, yet familiar lens to begin exploring your overall progress in life.

Realizing how adept you are at monitoring where you are spending your energy reserves, on what decisions, can give you the confidence needed to redirect your efforts to uncover the impact that a lack of energy has had on you achieving your goals in the past.

So today we take our first step.

Our first step to achieving more of what is important to us and to stop telling ourselves that we can’t pass the FE Exam

For the next seven days, be intentional in auditing what decisions you are making.

Identify where you are hitting the threshold of “go or no go”, the decision points, and where you are compromising your own desires in lieu at another persons request, agenda.

These decision points are subtle, but cumulative in nature, and if we are able to get to a point where we start limiting how many inconsequential decisions we make, we can then begin pivoting our decision-making for times when we feel most alert.

And that is where real progress is made.

Is this the year you pass the FE Exam?

It can be, but the action lies with you.

If I offered to personally walk you through a program we developed that has helped even those with the deepest of doubts prepare for and pass the FE Exam, would you take it?

If so, click here to start your 7 day trial and see just how possible passing can be for you too.