The Civil Engineering Academy Podcast

Failure of tanks that store highly hazardous chemicals can be huge, like the Longview Tank Disaster this year. The problem? The current method used to keep track of the structural integrity of the tanks is from 1967! 😲

There’s another way to spot thinning tank walls before they become a serious problem, and that’s exactly what Travis Keener, PE, jumps back on the show to talk about!

After years working with SPCC plans and tank inspections, he’s been exploring with a brand-new method to measure tank wall thickness that could change the way engineers approach tank inspections forever.

In this episode, he breaks down what this method is, how it works, its limitations, and what it means for the traditional ultrasonic thickness (UT) meters.

Go give this episode a listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the full interview on YouTube. 😉

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• The Longview Tank Disaster: What, How, and Why It Happened

• What Causes the Deterioration of Tank Thickness Over Time

• How Tank Thickness is Evaluated Today (And What's Wrong With it!)

• A Brand-New (and More Effective) Way to Measure Tank Thickness

• How the Standard UT Meters Work

• How Laser Scans Compare to UT Meters

• Do These Laser Scanners Use LiDAR?

• How to Use Laser Scanners in Different Tank Conditions

• The Theoretical Inaccuracy of Laser Scans That Didn't Happen in the Real World

• When Laser Scanners Started Being Used (And What the Future Looks Like for It)

• When Tanks Typically Fail — and Why

• Are There Any Limitations to Using Laser Scanners to Measure Tank Thickness?

• Do Laser Scanners Mean the Death of Traditional Methods?

• The Primary Standards for Tank Safety & Who Sets Them

• The Cost to Use Laser Scanners (And How to Find a Way Around It)

• How to Use Laser Scanners With Floating Roof Tanks

• The Standard Method That Will Be Used 10 Years from Now….With Laser Scanners

• What the Repair of a Corroding Tank Looks Like

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED

What does a career in Structural Engineering look like? 🤔

Most people think it’s only the (demanding) technical side, but that’s not the case — and Structural Engineer Zach Bowden, P.E. is here to prove it. 👇

In this episode, Zach jumps on the show to pull back the curtain on what a career in Structural Engineering looks by diving into his own journey into the field.

From how he got into it to what he learned working on every complex project from seismic design to mass timber...all the way to the need for the PE vs SE license if you want to build a career in structural engineering.

Do you really need the SE? Zach answers that question.

On top of that, there’s another side to Zach’s career that’s just as interesting: Structural Engineering educator.

He also dives into why he started The Structural Engineering Podcast, and how talking with other Structural Engineers from across the industry has helped him in his own career, as well as given back to the next generation of Structural Engineers.

If you’re a Structural Engineer — or thinking about becoming one — this conversation is packed with real-world lessons about building and growing a career in this field.

So, go give this one a listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the full interview with Zach on YouTube. 👍

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• How Road Cycling Got Him into the Civil Engineering World

• What Made Him Pick Structural Engineering Over the Other Civil Disciplines

• The Aspect of Structural Engineering Most People Fear...But That's Why He Went for It

• When Can Structural Engineers Have Only the PE...and When Do They Need the SE?

• His Experience With the SE Exam So Far

• Is Structural Engineering a Good (and Lucrative) Route for a Civil Engineer?

• How The Structural Engineering Podcast (SEP) Got Started

• 2 Big Ways That Doing a Podcast Helped Him Both Professionally and Personally

• What Turns a Good Engineer into a GREAT Engineer?

• Why Engineers Do Make Good Leaders...But Engineering Alone Won't Be Enough

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED

The normal path is getting the FE first and the PE second…but who said you can’t do it the other way around? 🤔 That’s what Angello Murekye did — and he passed both exams just 36 days apart! 😳 👇

Angello is a civil engineer who has practiced, taught, and conducted research in Uganda, Europe, and the United States. He came to the US for a PhD at Virginia Tech and built a career in the pavement segment of transportation. 

At the time, skipping the FE made total sense for his unique situation to get licensed in the US…until it didn’t. 😅

In this episode, he shares the details of this unique journey to get the PE license by passing the FE second (and why!), while not holding back on exam prep tips that worked for him to get this done so soon (and so fast!) either.

Whether you’re working toward your FE or PE, there’s a lot to take away from Angello’s story to apply to your own journey. And if you’re an international engineer, his journey offers even more useful pieces of advice for you on navigating the US path to license to supercharge your career.

So, go give this episode a listen wherever you get your podcasts and go hear how Angello managed to pass both PE and FE just 36 days apart — and the lessons he picked along the way.

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• How a Civil Degree in His Country is Regarded Differently from That in the US

• The Big Challenge Civil Engineering Students Face in Europe...Like He Did

• Why He Made It a Goal to Get His PhD

• What International Civil Engineers Need to Do as Soon as They Get to the US

• His (Unique) Situation of Sitting for the PE Exam Before the FE — and Why

• How He Found Civil Engineering Academy

• One Aspect of CEA That He Liked Even Before He Signed up

• 3 Things He Enjoyed the Most About the Course That Made Him Pass

• How His Exam Prep Went in Terms of Time

• How Much He Scored on Practice Exams to Feel Ready for the Real Deal

• The 3 Non-Studying Aspects That Help You Pass the PE Faster (and More Easily)

• A Feature of the CEA PE Review Course He Thinks Helped Him a Lot

• How the PE License Immediately Helped Him in His Career

• The Most Honest Non-Studying Tip He Has for Anyone Gearing up for the PE

• 3 Proven Study Tips for Anyone Prepping for the FE and PE Exam

• What Getting the PE Meant for Him as an International Engineer in the US

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED

Picture this: you’re a stay-home dad taking care of three kids while preparing for your exam. Interesting? That’s exactly how today’s guest started his journey toward becoming a PE in the US! In this episode, Jonathan Espiritu dives into the steps he took to get licensed in the US as a Filipino engineer, and dives into the tips fellow Filipinos and international engineers alike can use to crush their NCEES exams and do the same! 😉

Tune in to Learn:

• His journey from the Philippines to oil & gas in Saudi Arabia to a civil engineer in the US
• The main differences between the Philippines and the US in the civil engineering field
• His FE exam prep as a stay-home dad with 3 kids (yes, you read that right!)
• A time management technique he used to find study time he didn't think he had
• How he found Civil Engineering Academy — and why it was crucial to his success
• How a career opportunity led him to change his depth exam
• 3 tips for those taking the Civil PE Exam
• The astonishing difference in difficulty between breadth and depth questions
• Why you already have what it takes to crush theory problems on the PE
• Tips for Filipinos interested in becoming licensed PEs in the US
• What is the NCEES approval process like for international applicants?

Our Partner:

Transportation is changing fast. From sustainability concerns to climate resiliency to EVs, the systems we use today will look very different very soon. That’s what Christy Mihyeon Jeon joins us to talk about. 👇

After 24 years in transportation planning and engineering, working on everything from major highway projects to electrification of transportation systems, as well as being named one of the “100 Most Influential Women in Engineering,” she’s someone everyone in the industry should listen to. 

In this episode, she pulls back the curtain on what transportation planning actually is and how it differs from the other niches within transportation engineering — like traffic operations.

But what about where the industry headed? 🤔

Way ahead of you!

She also dives into what that future will likely look like. From EVs all the way to autonomous vehicles, the future of transportation systems and infrastructure will be very different — and getting there means overcoming some really complex challenges she also talks about here.

Whether you already work in transportation or you're thinking about jumping into the field, this conversation can help you see the bigger picture for what’s currently going on in the profession…and what’s still to come.

So, hit play to give this one a listen and hear what Christy has to say about the present and future of transportation engineering. 😉

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• Her Traffic Jams Got Her into the Transportation Engineering World

• Which of Her Credentials Had the Biggest Impact on Her Career

• How She Managed to Skip the FE and Go Straight for the PE (+ How Difficult It Was)

• The Story Behind How She Became a PE in a State That Requires the FE First

• How "Sustainability" in Engineering Has Changed Over Time...And What It Means Today

• What Transportation Planning Really is

• The Biggest Challenge She's Had to Overcome in Her Career (And How It Impacts You)

• What the Concept of "Resiliency" Means (And How Differs From One State to Another)

• The Impact of Electrification on Transportation Infrastructure and Planning

• The 3 Big Components of the Future of Our Transportation Systems

• The Biggest Concern Before the Full Adoption of Autonomous Vehicles is Possible

• Her Top Piece of Advice for Women to Thrive in Engineering

• How Joining Professional Organizations Can Supercharge Your Career (And Life)

• The Only Skill You Need to Be a Successful Engineer That Takes a Long Time to Learn

  
  

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED

Not finding reliable engineering talent for your projects when you need it? After 20 years running his AEC firm, Brian Sullivan knows that problem all too well — and he’s now set out to tackle it from a completely different angle. 👇

In this episode, Brian talks about his journey from starting, scaling, and selling his own civil engineering firm to building an engineering tech company called GigBench that puts an end to this problem once and for all.

The idea? 🤔

Be the place where firms can find vetted, experienced professionals, without having to make a full-time hire…while engineers can find more flexible engineering work, without having to leave their day job.

Whether you’re thinking about freelancing as a civil engineer yourself or need freelance engineering work for your company, you need to sign up for GigBench — and Brian spills the beans on everything you need to know about it.

So, go check it out wherever you get your podcasts to hear more about what he’s building with GigBench, how it works, and how you can take advantage of it. 😉

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• A Big Problem He Faced Running His Own Firm That Gave Him the Idea for GigBench

• How He Started GigBench After Selling His Firm

• How GigBench Works (For Engineers and Firms)

• Is GigBench Only for the AEC Industry?

• How AEC Freelancers Benefit from Using GigBench

• How AEC Employees Can Use GigBench Without Breaking Any Non-Compete Clauses

• GigBench's Official Launch and How Engineers Can Join as Soon as It Does

• The 2 Business Challenges He's Facing Trying to Build GigBench

• The Business Skill He Learned Building His Firm That’s Applicable to Every Business

• The 2 Biggest Values He Learned in His Firm That He's Now Applying to GigBench

• The Monetization Model of GigBench (+ Its Fees for You)

• How GigBench Can Work For Hungry Retirees as Well

• The Most Important Lesson in His 20-Year Career You Need to Take to Heart

  
  

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED

Freaking out trying to choose the exam prep resources for the Transportation PE that are actually worth your money? 🤔  With so many options, it's easy to go down a rabbit hole…but you don’t have to. 👇

In this episode, we’re sharing our hand-picked list of the top Transportation PE study materials worth considering for each one of the main aspects of an exam prep to help you cut through the noise. 

That way, you nail down your options to only a few resources, pick the ones you think give the biggest bang for your buck, and finally get your studying going.

So, if you want to pass the Civil PE Transportation exam, give this episode a listen and pick your study materials from this list. 😉

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• The 3 Main Categories of Any Good Exam Prep

• 3 Resources to Brush Up on the Theory

• 6 Books That Give You 500+ Problems to Practice With

• 7 Realistic Practice Exams for You to Simulate the Real Deal

• How to Approach Problem-Solving the Right Way When Studying for the PE

• How to Take Practice Exams Effectively When Prepping

📖 THEORY REVIEW:

What if you could pass the FE exam on your first try…totally on your own? Clara Feitoza did exactly that — and she says CEA played a huge role in helping her get there. Here’s how. 👇

After nearly three years out of college, Clara had to juggle work, graduate school, and an insanely intense 2.5-month study plan. She listened to our podcast in every way she could and used the strategies she picked up from passing CEA students to build a game plan she could actually stick to.

And boy, did she stick to it!

Clara worked through more than 2,000 practice problems, took weekly practice exams (not a typo!), and used what she had to help her learn: AI tools as her “study buddy.”

In this episode, she shares all the details of this journey. From the tips from past CEA students that worked perfectly for her, all the way to the lessons she had to learn herself while going through the process.

If you’re taking the FE exam, there’s plenty here for you to steal and apply to your own prep to get this thing over with as soon as possible.

Go check it out!

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• How She Got into the Environmental Engineering World (And Why)

• What She Does Today as an Environmental Engineer in Canada

• The Washington Accord: Why the NCEES Exams Matter Even Outside of the US

• Her Insane Exam Prep Routine to Knock Out 1,000+ Problems Per Month (And Why)

• How Being a Curious Graduate Student Helped Her With the Exam

• The Mind Trick That Made Her Feel at Easy Walking into the Exam

• What Made Her Panic a Bit Once the Exam Began That You Should Be Aware of

• How Confident She Walked Out of the Exam Room

• Her Biggest Tip for Anyone Taking the FE Exam

• Why She Recommends Civil Engineering Academy for Any Test-Taker Out There

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED

Passing the PE is tough enough on its own. Now, throw being a first-time mom of a newborn with three failed past attempts into the mix, plus a job. That’s exactly where Jennifer Caron found herself. 👇

After trying other review courses, she failed the exam twice. For the third time, she joined Civil Engineering Academy and, even though she had another failed try, this time was different.

She reached out to us for guidance, we personally helped her rebuild her game plan, and she came back for the fourth (and final) round at the Construction PE Exam. 💪

In this episode, she gets real about what it took throughout this journey to finally get this done. How she balanced studying with motherhood, what really matters in your studies that you have to commit to…all the way to what helped her pick herself up after three tries (and how).

If you're a repeat taker working parent  feeling beaten down by this exam, Jennifer's story is one you’ll want to hear. And if you are also taking the Construction PE exam specifically, then her story is something you must listen.

Go check it out wherever you get your podcasts! 🎧

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• Her Journey Into Civil Engineering as a Math Teacher

• Why the Transition from Math to Civil Engineering Was Harder Than It Seems

• Her Experience With the FE Exam as Math Teacher-Engineer

• What Pushed Her to Go for the PE

• Why She Chose Civil Engineering Academy After Failing Twice Other Courses

• Her Tips for All the Women Gearing up for the PE Exam as a Mom

• The One Thing About CEA That Made All the Difference in Her Prep 

• The Only Right Way to Study for the PE (That She Learned the Hard Way)

• Does the Difficulty of the PE Exam Change From One Try to Another?

• The Role of Practice Exams in Your Studies..And Why Not All of Them are Worth It

• The Importance of a Support Group in Your Prep

• Her Crucial Tip for All the Repeat Takers Like Her to Get Over This Thing

• Why the Construction PE is One of the Most Challenging Exams

• How AI Helped Her Get Familiar With All the Codes & Standards for the Construction PE

• A Small Quirk With the Codes on the Exam That Force You to Know Them Inside and Out

• How Things are Like in the Test Center on Exam Day

• Her 2 Last-Second Tips for Anybody Prepping for the PE Exam

• Why She Recommends Civil Engineering Academy to Every PE Examinee

• What Does a Civil Engineer Working in Underground & Submarine Transmission Do?

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED

If you're planning to take the Civil PE Structural Exam in 2027, then this episode is a must-listen for you to stay on top of all the exam changes you’ll be dealing with on exam day. 👇

In this one, we wrap up our 2027 PE exam specifications review series by taking a closer look at the Structural Exam. We compare the current specs with the new ones and break down what's actually changing — and what isn't. 

Just like it happened with the others, the exam content isn't getting flipped on its head (yet). But the required design standards are changing…and Structural had the most updates than any of the other exams when it comes to the codes. 😲

So, if you’re planning to get over this hump in 2027 and finally get the PE license, no need to panic. We cover everything you’ll be getting into in this episode. 😉

Go check it out, and don’t forget to share it with that friend or coworker who will be gearing up for this as well! 🎧

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• Where to Find the New Specs for the Structural PE (+ Exam Info & Resources Recap)

• The Biggest Confusion With the New Specs: Why Does It Read "Effective 2024"?

• Will the Exam Format Change in 2027 With the New Specs?

• What's Changing in the Exam Content in 2027 — or is It?

• What's Really Changing in the Exam in 2027 Big Time!

• A Rundown of the Updated List of Standards for the 2027 Exam

• Is the Structural PE Exam the Most Code-Heavy?

• How We Can Help You Pass the Structural PE Exam

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Ever wondered whether you're on the right career path for you — or if there's a better opportunity out there you just haven't found yet? 🤔 

In both cases, figuring it out alone is overwhelming…and that’s when this week’s guest comes in.

This week, we bring back Jeff Perry on the podcast. After years of helping engineers build intentional careers through his coaching, he’s expanded into the recruiting world — which allows him to help you one step further by finding you that purpose-based job.

In this episode, he pulls back the curtain on the recruiter’s role in your career and clears up some of the biggest misconceptions engineers have about it. He also shares awesome practical insights on the importance of LinkedIn, career growth, and what employers are looking for today.

So, whether you're actively job-hunting, thinking about making a pivot, or simply want to be more intentional with where your career is headed, this episode is packed with advice you cannot afford to miss.

Go check it out! 🎧

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• A Brand-New Chapter for Him to Help You With Your Engineering Career

• The 2 Misconceptions Engineers Have About Recruiters

• The Most Important Thing to Recruiters (for the Benefit of Companies & Candidates)

• Hidden Job Openings: The Superpower of Recruiters Most People Overlook

• When to Use a Recruiter vs. a Career Coach

• Technical vs. Soft Skills: What Companies are Currently Valuing the Most

• The Single Biggest Mistake Engineers Make When Trying to Advance Their Careers

• The Only "Resume" You Need to Worry About to Get You the Best Opportunities

• A Real-Life Example of How to Demonstrate Your Specialty to Get Job Offers

• The Hardest Part of the Recruiting World He Didn't Expect

• 2 Career Lessons He Learned in His Evolution from Coaching to Recruiting

• How a Relationship With a Recruiter Could Help You (Even If You Like Where You're at)

• What's the Biggest Red Flag on a Resume?

• LinkedIn: Good or Bad?

• Is Job-Hopping a Bad Thing?

• When Picking a New Company, Salary or Culture?

• Is It Better to Work Remotely, Hybrid, or in the Office?

• The One Interview Question Every Job Interview Should Ask?

• What an Intentional Engineer is (And How to Become One)

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED

Are you an international engineer looking to build an engineering career in the US? 🤔 It may feel impossible, but our latest guest did it…and without any background in engineering whatsoever. 😲 👇

This week, we sit down with Shahzaib Bangash, who left his Architecture career in Pakistan to build an Engineering career in the US. That’s when he first learned what becoming a PE in the US actually entails. 😅

In this episode, he shares all the details of this journey. From working odd jobs to pay for his Master’s all the way to his experience passing the FE and PE exams after multiple attempts (with a baby on the way on each!)

If you're an international professional chasing the American dream, this conversation is packed with proof that your background doesn't define where you end up…and practical advice for how to make it happen. 😉

So, go check it out! 

And if you’re an American engineer who happens to know an international engineer working toward licensure in the U.S., be sure to share this one with them!

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• His Journey from Architect in Pakistan to Professional Engineer in the US

• The Licensure Process He Went Through as an International Professional

• Do You Need to Prove Anything to Sit for the FE as an International Professional?

• The Most Important Lesson He Learned in His Prep to Pass the PE

• How He Bounced Back After a Fail (And His Advice for You to Do the Same)

• The 2 Metrics That Show You're Ready to Take the FE Exam

• Why the PE is a Completely Different Beast That Requires 100% of Your Dedication

• The One Factor That Indicates Which Civil PE Exam You Should Take

• The Number One Thing You Need to Master for the PE Exam to Do Well on It

• How to Handle All the Codes for the PE Exam the Right Way

• How He Passed 2 Civil Engineering Exams With No Background Education on It

• 2 Challenges International Professionals Face Going to the US

• What His First US Engineering Job Taught Him (And He Recommends It to Everybody)

• The Best Moment to Take the PE Exam — And Why

• How the PE License Has Helped Him in His Career So Far

• His Top Tip for Anyone Going Against the FE and PE Exams

• Why He Recommends Civil Engineering Academy's FE and PE Study Materials

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED

If the Geotechnical PE Exam is on your radar for 2027, then this next episode in our walkthrough series on the upcoming 2027 NCEES specification updates is for you! 👇

For this one, we dive into the geotechnical specifications and do what we did for the Water Resources, Transportation, and Construction exams — compare the current specs with the new one so you know exactly what's changing in 2027…and what isn't.

The good news? 🤔

The exam topics themselves have stayed the same. The real story is the updated codes and standards you'll need to be familiar with on exam day. 

So, if you’re planning to take the Geotech PE Exam next year, you’ll want to listen to this one to know what you’ll be up against — and how to prep for it. 💪

🚨 REMINDER 🚨

The official PDF document released by the NCEES for the 2027 specifications states that it’s effective 2024 for the exam content, and then that it’s effective 2027 when you scroll down to the codes and standards section. That’s correct! It means that the only thing they changed was the codes required — that’s why it reads “2027” — but the exam topics and content remain the same from the 2024 specs. Don’t let this technicality throw you off!

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• Where to Find the New Specs for the Geotech PE Exam (+ Exam Info Recap)

• How Much Does the PE Exam Cost? 

• The Process to Apply for the PE Exam...And The Importance of Having the FE Done

• How the NCEES Goes About Updating the Specs 

• Where to Find the Required Exam Resources (And How to Use Them on Exam Day)

• The NCEES Guide and Official Prep Materials for Test-Takers

• Where to Apply for ADA Accommodations for the PE Exam

• Where to Find the Latest Pass Rates on the Official Exam

• The Biggest Confusion With the New Specs: Why Does It Read "Effective 2024"? 

• What's Changing in the Exam Content in 2027 — or is It?

• What's Changing in the Design Standards for Geotech in 2027

• The Increase in the Number of Codes Over the Years (+ The Key to Handle Them All)

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Taking the Construction PE Exam? 🤔 Then check out this next episode in our series breaking down the upcoming 2027 NCEES specs for all civil PE exams. This time focused on Construction. 👇

In this one, just like we did for the Water Resources and Transportation exams, we compare the current 2024 specs with the new ones effective April 2027 so you know exactly what's changing — and what isn't.

The biggest surprise?

The exam content is staying exactly the same. That’s right. No changes at all. The real shake-up, though, is in the codes and standards you'll need to know (and use!) on exam day.

So, we walk you through everything in the news specs — and what each one of them means for your exam prep — to help you cut through the confusion, stay ahead of the changes, and walk into the exam room with confidence. 💪

If you’re taking the Construction PE Exam, go give this one a listen. You’ll thank us later. 😉

🚨 REMINDER 🚨

The official PDF document released by the NCEES for the 2027 specifications states that it’s effective 2024 for the exam content, and then that it’s effective 2027 when you scroll down to the codes and standards section. That’s correct! It means that the only thing they changed was the codes required — that’s why it reads “2027” — but the exam topics and content remain the same from the 2024 specs. Don’t let this technicality throw you off!

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• How the NCEES Goes About Updating the Specs (And It's Not as Bad as You Think)

• What's New for You If You're Taking the PE Construction Exam in 2027 

• Where to Find the New Specs for the Construction Exam

• The Biggest Confusion With the New 2027 Specs Making People Go Crazy 

• PE Exam Format Recap

• Will the Exam Content Change With the New 2027 Specifications?

• What's REALLY Changing in the Construction Exam...And Why You Need to Know

• A Deep Dive into the New Codes and Standards Required for the Exam 

• The Increase in the Number of Codes in the PE Exam Over the Years

• How We Can Help You If You Need to Pass the PE

• Will the PE Exam Change Again? Short Answer: Definitely

• What to Do If You Have Questions About the New 2027 Specs 

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

What do the Hoover Dam, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Interstate Highway System have in common? 🤔 Here it is. 👇

They weren’t just projects to solve specific problems — they helped shape America into the huge, powerful country it is today! 🇺🇸

And since America just turned 250 years old last Saturday, we thought it'd be fun to look back at some of these greatest civil engineering marvels that changed the nation's future for the better.

Therefore, in this episode, Mark jumps back on the show to talk through the projects we believe had the biggest impact on the country's growth, economy, and everyday life.

From connecting the East and West to bringing electricity to millions, you'll hear the stories behind these projects and why the civil engineers who worked on them have played such a huge role in building the America we know today. 😉

So, go give this one a listen to learn more about the projects that built America over its 250 years…and let us know which other civil engineering marvels you would’ve added to the list. 👍

🧠 Historical Projects Covered:

• The Transcontinental Railroad and Its Economic Impact (Till This Date!)

• The Ground-Breaking Brooklyn Bridge

• The Impact of US Engineering Outside of the US With the Panama Canal

• The Concrete Ingenuity of the Hoover Dam

• The Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge Next to the Hoover Dam

• The Innovation of the Golden Gate Bridge

• The Role of the Tennessee Valley Authority to Electrify Rural America

• Roosevelt's Rural Electrification Administration (REA)

• The Interstate Highway System That Connected America

• The Magnitude of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing

• California's Central Valley Project for Water Management

🚨 OUR FOURTH OF JULY SALE IS LIVE! 🚨

Discount: 25% OFF any review course

Code at Checkout: JULY42026

Deadline: July 31, 2026, at 11:59 PM MST

🎁 OUR FREEBIES FOR YOU:

After diving into the new specs for the Water Resources PE, it’s time to do the same for the Transportation PE Exam and figure out what’s actually changing in 2027 if you’re taking this one. 👇

The good news? You can breathe a little easier. 😅

The exam itself isn't getting turned upside down (yet), but there are some important changes you need to know. Especially when it comes to the codes and standards you'll be expected to use on exam day — and there are quite a few of them! 😲

Therefore, in this episode, we compare the current specifications with the new version going into effect in 2027, clear up some of the misunderstandings floating around online, and talk through what these updates really mean for your exam prep. 

If you listened to our Water Resources PE specs breakdown, this follows the exact same format — but, this time, it's all about Transportation.

So, go give this one a listen if Transportation is your path and get ahead of the 2027 changes before they sneak up on you! 👍

🚨 REMINDER 🚨

The official PDF document released by the NCEES for the 2027 specifications states that it’s effective 2024 for the exam content, and then that it’s effective 2027 when you scroll down to the codes and standards section. That’s correct, and it really means that the only thing they changed was the codes required — that’s why it reads “2027” — but the exam topics and content remain the same from the 2024 specs. Don’t let this technicality throw you off!

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• Where to Find the New Specifications for the Transportation Exam

• Will the Format of the PE Exam Change With the Exam Specification Changes?

• How Much It Costs to Take the PE Exam?

• The Biggest Confusion With the New 2027 Specs Making People Go Crazy

• What Changed in the Exam Content With the New 2027 Specifications

• How the Codes and Standards Will Change With the New Specs

• How the Search Function Works During the Exam That Forces You to Know the Codes 

• What Pass Rates Reveal About the Transportation PE That's Never Happened Before

• How We Can Help You on Your Journey to the PE License

• This Week's shoutouts to CEA students Who Passed Their Exams

  
  

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Gearing up for the Construction PE Exam and wondering which materials are actually worth your money to get this done? 🤔 If yes, then here’s something you need to keep in mind. 👇

Even though the exam is closed-book, using only the PE Civil Reference Handbook and codes listed in the specs won’t cut it! ❌

With Construction having the lowest pass rates among all five Civil PE disciplines, you need a solid theory review, plenty of practice problems, and realistic exam simulations if you want to get this over with.

So, in this episode, we decided to share our hand-picked list of the top 18 study resources for the Construction PE Exam that you can choose from based on what works for you.

Go give it a listen to find out the resources that can help you get over this thing once and for all! 😉

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• The 3 Main Categories of Any Good Exam Prep

• 5 Resources to Brush Up on the Theory

• 6 Books That Give You Almost 500 Problems to Practice With

• 7 Realistic Practice Exams for You to Simulate the Real Deal

• How to Approach Problem-Solving the Right Way When Studying for the PE

• How to Take Practice Exams Effectively When Prepping

📖 THEORY REVIEW:

Have you heard the Water Resources PE Exam is changing in 2027 and are now wondering if it’s time to panic already? 😅 Don’t worry — you can put the paper bag away because we did the work for you. 👇

In this episode, we do a deep dive into the new exam specifications effective in April 2027!

We break down exactly what's changing, what's staying the same, and why a lot of engineers are making this update seem way scarier than it is. Really.

While the exam content itself hasn't been turned completely upside down (yet), there is one HUGE change that you need to have on your radar if you’re planning to take the Water Resources PE Exam.

This single change signals an important shift in how you'll need to approach your exam prep moving forward, especially when it comes to the resources you'll have available on exam day.

So, if the 2027 specifications have been floating around your LinkedIn feed, study group, or office conversations, this episode will help you separate fact from fiction and keep your prep pointed in the right direction. 😉

Go check it out!

🚨 REMINDER 🚨

There is a typo in the official PDF document released by the NCEES for the 2027 specifications that states it’s “effective 2024.” However, that’s not the case. The actual exam content and the new codes and standards listed in that document are still valid beginning 2027. So don't let the typo throw you off!

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• Where to Find the New Specifications for the Water Resources Exam

• The Biggest Misunderstanding With the New Specs Making People Go Crazy

• How Much Has the Specs Changed When Comparing the Two?

• What Really Changed in the New Specs Effective in 2027 (And It's BIG!)

• The Surprising Trend With the Water Resources PE Exam And How to Deal With It

• How to Get to Know the Exam Experience Before the Real Deal

• What Are Your Thoughts on the New Specs?

• What This New Specs Will Do to Water Resources Test-Takers and Its High Pass Rates

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Ever found yourself staring at the NCEES website wondering why there seems to be two exams for Structural Engineering folks — the PE Civil: Structural Exam and the PE Structural Exam? 🤔

You're definitely not alone! 

This is one of the most common points of confusion for structural engineers. 

In fact, just some time ago, one of our own students emailed us asking if they were supposed to use the PE Structural Engineering Reference Handbook for the PE Exam.

Hint: the answer is no!

While their names and reference materials may sound almost identical, they're completely different exams built completely differently.

That’s when we knew we needed to talk about this!

In this episode, we pull back the curtain on the differences between the PE Civil: Structural Exam and the PE Structural Exam (better known by many as the SE Exam).

We break down where the confusion comes from, why so many engineers mix these exams up, and how to determine which path makes the most sense for your goals. 

By the end, you'll have a much clearer picture of what's what and where you fit into it…so you can cut through the noise and avoid heading down the wrong road. 

So, if you've ever scratched your head over the PE Structural vs. SE exam conversation, go give this quick episode a listen and let's put an end to this dilemma once and for all. 😉

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• The Big Thing That Happened in 2024 That Caused This Confusion
• Why People Get Confused About These 2 Exam on the NCEES Website
• The Difference Between the PE Civil: Structural Exam and the PE Structural Exam
• The Specifications and the Basics of the PE Structural Exam
• Which One is Designed for Those in the Structural Engineering World
• 3 Pieces of Advice for You to Decide Which One You Need (Or Both)

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Imagine this: you step away from civil engineering for years to raise your kids, and then come back to the profession and have to pull off one of the biggest achievements in everybody’s career right off the bat? 🤔

That's exactly the road Anellise Deters traveled on her way to becoming a licensed PE. And there’s more — she did that all while being a mother of three kids!

Exactly. I reacted the same way: What the heck?! 😯

In this episode, she dives into this exact journey, sharing the lessons, tips, and resources she learned the hard way as she prepped for the Water Resources PE exam, picked herself up after a first failed attempt, and got it done on the second try.

Yes. It wasn’t smooth sailing at all. But as she also dives into the opportunities that opened up for her after earning those two letters next to her name, you’ll see why it’s totally worth “the trouble.” 😉

If you've ever wondered whether you've been out of civil engineering for too long, don't have enough time to study because of family, or can’t bounce back after a failed attempt…this interview is 100% for you.

Period. 

Go check it out!

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• Her Journey Going into Civil Engineering, Out of It, and Now Back into It

• Why She Wanted the PE License

• What Actually Made Her Go for the PE After Coming Back into the Industry

• How She Balanced Family With Studying for the PE

• Is the PE License More Heavily Demanded in the Public or Private Sector?

• How She Found Civil Engineering Academy (and Went for It!) 

• What She Enjoyed the Most About The Ultimate Civil PE Review Course

• Her Top 2 Tips for Anyone Prepping for the PE Exam, If You Want to Pass

• How She Picked Herself Up from a Failed Attempt...And You Can, Too

• Should You Really Wait Years to Take the PE? Here's Why the Answer is No.

• The Maximum Number of Questions You Can Blind-Guess on the PE

• Were There a Lot of Theory Questions on the PE Exam?

• Was She Satisfied With the Student Support at CEA?

• Why She Took the Water Resources Exam...Without Ever Working in Water Resources 

• How She Handled All the Codes for the PE (With Some Help from AI) 

• How Much Time is Enough to Let Emotions Settle After a Fail And Get Back to Study?

• When is the Best Time to Take the PE in Any of the Testing Windows?

• What to Do After You Find Out You Failed

• The Doors the PE License Opened for Her

• The Non-Studying Tip She Learned the Hard Way That You Need to Live By 

• Does She Recommend Civil Engineering Academy?

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED

Picking your study materials for the Water Resources PE exam is like going down a rabbit hole. 😵‍💫 Everybody swears by a different resource and, before you know it, you’ve got 30+ options and no clue where to even start.

That’s exactly why we put this episode together!

In this one, we break down our top picks for PE Water Resources study materials for each one of the three main aspects of any good exam prep. 

This list is based on our own journey and what we’ve heard from our students for more than a decade now about the resources that worked and helped them cross the finish line.

If you’ve been overwhelmed trying to figure out which study resources to get to prepare for the Water resources PE Exam, this episode narrows down your options and gives you a hand-picked stack to choose from.

No matter which ones you choose out of that stack, they will move the needle forward for you. 😉

So, go give this episode a listen to learn what these battle-tested, proven materials are!

🧠 IN THIS EPISODE:

• The 3 Aspects of Any Good Exam Prep

• The Top 4 Study Materials  to Brush up on Theory

• The 5 Best Practice Problem Books to Get Sample Questions From

• 5 Realistic Practice Exams to Simulate the Real Deal

• 3 Things You Need to Know About Any Resource You Get

📖 THEORY REVIEW:

Ever wondered what civil engineers working in land development actually do? 🤔 That’s a possible career path most civil engineers never hear about…until now! 👇

For this episode, land development & stormwater management specialist Jason Cherami, PE, jumps on the show to break down the career path that turns raw land into functional spaces for both residential and commercial uses.

In this episode, we talk about all things land development. From what the work looks like, the pain of getting permits, the pressure that comes after construction kicks off…all the way to the skills and certifications civil engineers need to succeed in the field. 👍

If you’re curious about this branch of civil engineering — or thinking about jumping into it yourself — there’s a ton of practical insight packed into this conversation that can supercharge your path (and growth) into land development. 🔥

So, go give this one a listen! 🎧

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• What a Career in Land Development is Like and What You Do

• The Critical Skill for a Good Career in Land Development

• The Biggest Issue That Makes Land Development Difficult (And Why)

• The Software Tools You Need to Learn to Get a Leg Up in Land Development

• The ONE Thing Young Land Development Professionals Need to Take to Heart

• His Biggest Lesson Learned That Land Development Folks Need to Live By

• The Top 3 Factors in Any Land Development Project (in the Right Order of Importance!)

• The Groups of People You Work With When You're in Land Development

• The Responsibility of the Land Development Professional After Construction Begins

• The Tech Advancements in Land Development (And the Problem With Using Them)

• What Certifications Do Land Development Professionals Need?

• His Experience With the FE and PE Exams in North Carolina

• AI Advancements in Land Development…and Why It'll Never Replace the People in It

• His Most Important Piece of Advice for the Younger Generation of Engineers

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED

You've probably been hearing all the AI buzz in civil engineering over and over again. A new tool here. A possible new use there. But how is all the new tech being actually implemented at AEC firms? 🤔

That’s why this episode with Bhragan Paramanantham is so enlightening! 

He started as a civil engineer out in the field doing normal, day-to-day tasks while asking himself “There’s gotta be a better way to do this.” 

That curiosity eventually pulled him into the world of innovation and tech in the AEC industry…and he’s been at the thick of it ever since, helping companies roll out AI adoption and training at scale! 😲

In this episode he dives deep into all the uses (and risks) of AI in the AEC industry based on his own experience as the Innovation Advisor at AECOM and his current role at an accelerator for AEC-focused startups.

If you’ve been putting this whole AI thing on the back burner, you’re already getting behind. This episode is a must-listen to stay ahead of the curve with AI and construction tech. 👍

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• The Struggles of Being in a Tech Role in the AEC Industry

• Does AI Really Put Civil Engineers' Jobs a Risk?

• The Simplest Way Civil Engineers Can Start Learning How to Use AI

• How AEC Firms Can Start Using AI (+ Case Studies to Get Your Firm Going)

• His Current Work With the "YCombinator for AEC-Focused Startups"

• His Experience at AECOM as the Innovation Advisor to Kickoff Its AI Training Program

• The 2 Biggest Barriers to AI Adoption in AEC (And How to Solve Them)

• What the AEC Industry Looks Like 5-10 Years from Now With AI

• His Favorite AI Tool You Can Use Too (and It's Not ChatGPT)

• What He's Most Excited About in the AEC World Today

• The Engineering Buyout: Are AEC Firms Becoming AI Firms (And Why)?

• How AI Will Slide into the Civil Engineer's Work, Not Replace It

• How to Dive into Construction Tech

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED

From dreaming of the Air Force to finding his calling in civil engineering and becoming a PE, today’s guest is a testament to the twists life throws at us…and some of them can be a blessing! 👇

In this episode, we have Jared Foulk on the show. He’s a civil engineer in Washington who recently passed the Water Resources PE Exam, and is here to spill the beans on everything he learned on this journey.

He talks about the ups and downs of prepping for (and passing) the PE exam himself, what he did to prep, and how passing it can boost your career almost instantly — just like it did for him.

He also dives into why civil engineering is a fantastic field right now, especially with the current demand for PEs and the lack of workforce to fill in those shoes the companies are hiring for.

If you're gearing up for the PE to boost your career and want to hear the hard-learned lessons from someone who’s walked the walk and crossed the finish line, this episode is packed with golden nuggets of wisdom you’ll love.

Go check it out!

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• His Journey into Civil Engineering from an Initial Air Force Dream Job

• Is a Civil Degree Easier to Get Than a Mechanical Degree?

• How He Learned (the Hard Way) That the Civil FE Exam is Required After School

• What Pushed Him to Go Get the PE

• Do You Need a Master's to Do Well in Civil Engineering?

• His Experience Taking the Water Resources PE Exam

• What He Worried About and Struggled With the Most When Prepping for the PE

• How He Found CEA Using AI...and Decided to Go With It

• What He Liked About CEA's PE Review Course That Helped Him (a Lot!)

• Another Aspect of the Course That Streamlined His Studies

• What His Exam Prep Journey Looked Like from Start to Finish

• The Score to Shoot for on Practice Exams

• Did He Feel Confident Going into the Exam With Our Course?

• The Importance of a Support System When Studying for the PE

• How He Prepped to Apply for Licensure...Before He Even Took the Exam

• The Immediate Impact of Passing the PE Exam on His Career

• Why It's a Really Good Time to Be a Civil Engineer

• His Hard-Learned Lessons for Those Taking the PE Soon

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED

Civil engineering shapes the world around us, but not everyone sees themselves in it. For some, finding role models who’ve been there is tough…and that’s exactly what Azael Garza had  to overcome. 👇

Azael is civil engineer with a latino heritage that went from a small-town math student to launching his own firm and working for himself at Aztlan Engineering, all while keeping the memories of his ancestors alive.

In this episode, he dives into this solo journey and everything had to push through to get where he’s at right now given the lack of representation problem in the industry.

The FE and PE exams. The challenges of running a firm. What pushed him to finally go all in on building something of his own.

All of this as a Latino Civil Engineer in a small town in Georgia! 😲

So, if you’ve ever thought about starting your own thing one day, or you’re looking for a latino who’s carved out their own lane in this field, this episode is worth your time.

It’s honest, inspiring, and full of lessons you can immediately apply…from someone who’s walked the walk.

Go give it a listen!

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• How His First Job After School Motivated Him to Start His Own Firm

• What He Did to Prepare to Start Working for Himself

• How He Finally Took the Leap and Ventured Out on His Own

• The Biggest Issue He Faces Building His Firm (And You Will Too If You Start Yours)

• A Big Business Secret Any Engineering Firm Owner Needs to Know to Get More Clients

• One of the Biggest Downsides of the Civil Engineering Field

• What Makes a Civil Engineering Degree Difficult (And It's Not Academic Rigor)

• The Hidden Nature of Civil Engineering Most People Don't Recognize

• Why Small Engineering Firms are Better to Work at Than Giant Conglomerates

• His Experience With the FE & PE Exams (And How Totally Different They Are!)

• A Shift in Education Pursuits by the Younger Generation

• How CEA Helped Azael in His Journey to PE and Firm Owner

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

AI is making its way into civil engineering fast. Whether you like it or not, it’s changing the rules of the game already. So, the only possible question left is: are you keeping up…or getting left behind? 🤔

In this episode, we chat with Peter Nabhan, a PE who pioneered the transition of a big AEC firm to adopting technology and now works at the intersection of civil engineering, business leadership, and tech.

After seeing the negative impacts of a lack of AI mastery on civil engineers’ careers, he decided to help them get ready for the “AI age” that’s coming for all of those in the industry — again, whether you like it or not.

So, if you want to future-proof your career and not get blindsided — or worse, fired! — by what’s coming, this is one of those conversations you don’t want to miss.

It’s practical, honest, and a bit of a wake-up call, to be honest. 

As the saying goes, “the only thing constant is change.” So, you’ll need to change if you want to keep your job in the (very) near future. 😲

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• The Biggest Challenge AEC Firms Face Today

• What He Created to Help Firms Solve This Big Challenge (+ How to Do It)

• How He Gravitated Toward the Tech Side of Civil Engineering

• How He Manages the Different Initiatives He Works on the Tech Side

• Why He Got into Civil Engineering Specifically

• The Gap in Civil Engineering Education That Engineers Need to Fill on Their Own

• How AI is Making Its Way into Civil Engineering (And Why You Need to Master It)

• His Tips for Young Engineers to Find Mentors...Based on His Own Experience

• A Lesson from Peter's Journey That All Engineers Should Learn From

• The Life Advice Every Single Engineer Should Listen to

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Most people think an engineering career locks you into one path. Design, build, repeat. Endlessly. But what if it could actually open doors you never knew were there — even totally unrelated to engineering? 🤔

This week, we chat with Lorri Zella. She’s a licensed PE who took her career in a totally different direction, going from engineering to full-time real estate investing with a stop in forensic analysis today.

In this episode, Lorri dives deep into this awesome journey. She details how her education, work experience in engineering, and PE license helped her prep for the non-engineering stuff she’s done…all the way to how to come back into engineering if you leave it to try something new.

(🚨Spoiler alert: it’s easier than you trick yourself to think it is!)

If you’re feeling boxed in by your degree or current job and wondering what else is out there beyond the typical path, this episode might just flip a switch for you.

There’s more you can do as a civil engineer than designing and constructing buildings. And the good news? Your education and experience preps you really well for that already. 😉

So, go give this episode a listen  to see how the PE can take you way beyond engineering!

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• Why She Went for an Engineering Degree (Even Without Liking Math)

• What's the CPESC Credential?

• What's the LEED and Certification?

• How She Keeps All Her Credentials Active in Every State

• How Engineering Prepped Her to Invest in Real Estate

• Is It Difficult to Go Back into Engineering If You Get Out of It?

• Her 3-Attempt Journey to Get Over the PE Exam

• Her Experience with the LEED and CPESC Certification Exams

• What She Does in Forensic Engineering Today

• Her Tips for All Engineers Who Want to Get into Real Estate on the Side

• 2 Tips for All Women Pursuing a Career in Engineering (And Win!)

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

🚨 ATTENTION 🚨 The latest stats on licensure exams are out — and some of it that’s never happened before on any point in history will make you jaw drop big time! 😯

In this episode, we dive into the 2025 Squared Report by the NCEES and break down the biggest takeaways from it regarding the civil FE and PE exams.

What are the latest pass rates? What’s the perfect time to take them in your career based on those who passed it? Do test-takers prefer a specific period of the year to go sit for them? 🤔

These are all things we cover in this episode. Plus, there’s some interesting stuff about how the NCEES is evolving the licensure requirements to support engineers mobility, both in and out of the US. 🌍

If you’re planning to take the FE or PE — or are already in the middle of your prep for it — this episode has all the latest numbers about them so you know exactly what you’re up against. 

Go give this episode a listen to see what the latest FE and PE trends mean for you! 🫵

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• The Latest Stats on the Number of Test-Takers Per Exam

• A Brand-New NCEES Program to Train People to Come Up With the Exam Questions

• The NCEES Reports for University Teachers to Help Them Tailor Their Classes

• The Latest Pass Rates for the Civil FE Exam

• Overall vs. EAC vs. ETAC vs. Other Takers (And How FE Pass Rates Differ for Each)

• The Most Preferred Testing Window by FE Test-Takers

• The Top Universities With the Highest FE Exam Candidates

• FE Pass Rates Per Graduation Date: Does It Matter When You Take It?

• The Latest Pass Rates for the Civil PE Exams

• PE Exam Pass Rates Per Years of Experience: When Are Your Chances at Each Stage?

• The Latest Pass Rates for the SE Exam

• Average Age of Examinees by Exam Type

• The Highlights of the Latest Stats for the Surveying Exams

• The NCEES Records Program to Get Licensed in Other States by Reciprocity

• The Credentials Evaluations Service for International Civil Engineers

• Are the NCEES Exams Offered in Other Countries?

• The Number of Licensed Engineers in Each State

• The Historical Growth in the Number of Engineering & Surveying Licenses in the US

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Does the PE equal a 6-figure salary?! 😯 This is one of the trends in the civil engineering job market today that, if you don’t pay attention, you may be leaving big opportunities on the table. 👇

This week, Brandon McGill jumps back on the show to pull back the curtain on what’s really going on in the civil engineering hiring scene in 2026. 

As The Civil Recruiter himself, he’s in the trenches every day placing civil engineers at their dream jobs. Therefore, he sees firsthand what companies and candidates want…and what the biggest trends and shifts are right now in the industry.

In this episode, he talks about why licensed PEs are gaining more leverage, the biggest mistake people make when thinking about switching jobs, the pay differences across fields, and more!

If you’ve been wondering whether you’re underpaid or thinking about making a move but don’t know what things look like right now for civil engineers, this is a must-listen!

It's a real talk about the current state of the civil engineering job market by someone who works with it every day of every week. 

No fluff. No sugarcoating.

Go check it out!

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• What's Going on in the Civil Engineering Industry Right Now

• A Big Shift in the Industry Hiring Scene That Favors Licensed PEs

• Should You Really Change Jobs to Get a Higher Pay After Passing the PE?

• What Companies are Doing That's Causing Good Engineers to Leave

• What Leads Civil Engineers to Being Underpaid (And What the New Gen Does Today)

• The Biggest Mistake Civil Engineers Make When Considering a Job Change

• Is There a Difference in Pay Among the Different Civil Engineering Fields?

• Do You Get a Higher Pay When Working with a Recruiter or Applying on Your Own?

• What the Future of the Civil Engineering Hiring Scene Looks Like

• The Impact of AI on Hiring and Paying Civil Engineers in the Future

• What Makes The Civil Recruiter Stand Out (And Why You Should Try It)

  
  

💬 CONNECT WITH BRANDON:

Having trouble passing the Civil PE Exam in your current discipline? 🤔 If yes, then switching exams can be the game-changer you’ve been looking for…if you do it right. 👇

While sticking with the same exam is (and always will be) your best bet, there are a few exemptions to that rule that can really turn things around for you.

In this episode, we cover the only six possible scenarios in which changing exams makes a whole lotta sense and can help you (finally!) get it over with.

If you’ve been failing this exam over and over again, go check this out to see which one of these scenarios applies to you and how you could shake things up for your next try.

🧠 IN THIS EPISODE:

• Scenario 1: Career Shift

• Scenario 2: Past Work Experience

• Scenario 3: Scope of Work 

• Scenario 4: Comfort With Exam Content

• Scenario 5: College Background 

• Scenario 6: Most Favorable Exam

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Most licensed civil engineers don’t think about the legal risks in their career…until something goes wrong. But according to attorney Matthew Fornaro, when it does go sideways, it’s usually too late. 👇

Matthew works right in the intersection of construction and business law. He’s seen it all in the AEC industry — from small contract disputes and ethical violations…all the way to full-blown, million-dollar litigation cases.

In this episode, we dive into the legal risks licensed PEs like you face every day — and that will follow you for years after any project you touch is done. Why?!

Once you’ve got that PE stamp, you’re not just approving projects. You’re taking on real responsibility that lasts through the lifetime of the building you signed off on.

Everything you do now can be traced back to you years down the road if anything happens to the building you approved. (I know. Wild! 😟)

So, if you’re a licensed PE — or on your way there — this is one of those conversations you’ll not want to skip.

It’ll open your eyes to the legal side of engineering nobody really teaches, but everyone should understand. Otherwise, it’ll come back to bite you in the butt.

Go check it out to learn how to protect yourself and your career legally with the help of an attorney!

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• How the Construction Law Is Different From Other Laws

• The Different Situations in Which Engineers Need Legal Counseling

• The Legal Weight of Getting the PE License

• The Life-Long Responsibility of Stamping a Project's Plans

• The Big Issue With AI to Do the Legal Work (And How to Use it Right)

• The First Thing Engineers Wanting to Start Their Own Business Should Do

• Nuances of Construction Litigation Cases (And Why It Matters to Engineers)

• The Most Common Construction Litigation Case That Attorneys Handle

• Are Ethical Violations Common in Construction Lawsuits?

💬 CONNECT WITH MATTHEW:

If you want to practice in California, the journey isn’t quite over after you pass the PE Exam. 😅 There are two extra tiny little things standing between you and the PE license in the Golden State. 👇

In this episode, Taylor Austin jumps back on the show, but now to talk about her experience tackling these California-specific hurdles — the Seismic and Surveying Principles exam.

After passing the Water Resources PE Exam with our review course, she had to face these two exams to advance her career in California. The problem?

Her background is environmental engineering with no in-depth structural engineering training…which made the seismic portion a whole new ball game. 😯

In our chat, she spills the beans on everything you can expect when prepping for and taking the CA exams. From the top-notch study resources to use and prep time you should give yourself…all the way to what the exam experience is like (and how it differs from the PE!)

If you’re planning to get licensed in California — or even thinking about it down the road — this episode breaks down the nuts and bolts of the process with helpful, real-world tips from someone who’s walked the walk. 👍

Go give it a listen to see what it really takes to pass the California Seismic and Survey exams!

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• The Nuts and Bolts of Taking the CA Seismic & Survey Exams

• What the CA Seismic & Survey Exams Look Like

• What Her License Got Held Up in California (And What She Did to Fix It)

• Her Journey Prepping for the CA Seismic & Survey Exams

• How Much Prep Time Should You Give Yourself?

• The Test-Taking Strategy for the CA Exams That Got Her Passed 

• 3 Tips for Anyone Gearing up for the Seismic and Survey Exams

• How Many Practice Exams She Took in Her Prep

• The Often Forgotten Benefit of Getting a PE in California

• How Much Does It Cost to Take the CA Exams?

• Does Reciprocity Rules Apply in California...Without the Seismic and Survey Exams?

• The Value of Getting the PE (in and out of California)

• The Study Resources She Recommends for the CA Exams

• Her Biggest Tip for Anyone Facing the Seismic Exam Without a Structural Background

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Every year, we like to hit pause, look in the rearview mirror, and reflect on everything that happened in the past year. We just did that with our 2025 Year in Review…and that was a crazy one! 😅

In this episode, we dive into the 2025 highlights that made all the late nights and weekends of work totally worth it. Both in terms of traction we’ve gotten, the number of students we’ve had…all the way to our 10-year anniversary (which still feels a little surreal! 😯).

On the flip side, we also dive into the biggest issue we’ve battled here at CEA for pretty much the entire year. It was a monumental task that, thankfully, is now over with the launch of our PE Structural Review Course. 🙌

Then, at the end, we also dive into the opportunities we see for CEA moving forward. What we have planned for you. How we’re thinking about AI. And even how you can join the CEA Team to help with our exam prep materials. 👍

It’s been a long ride and we’re really thankful for everybody who’s been here with us, using our materials and giving us feedback so we can keep improving. 

So, if you’re in the online “CEA sphere,” give this episode a listen to learn what went down at CEA in 2025 — and where we’re headed next.

This one’s transparent, forward-looking, and straight from the heart. 🤝

🧠 IN THIS EPISODE:

• Our Biggest Challenge Since the NCEES Updated the Specs

• The Highlight of Last Year (2025) Here at CEA

• The Traction We've Gotten on Our Social Media Channels

• The Growth of the Civil Engineering Academy Podcast in 2025

• How Many Students Used CEA's Review Courses in 2025

• Our 10-Year Anniversary in 2025...and the Sale We Ran to Celebrate It

• The Opportunities at CEA Heading into 2026

• Is CEA Implementing AI Into Their Exam Prep Materials?

• How We'll Keep Tightening Up Our PE Review Courses

• How You Can Help CEA With Its Study Materials in 2026

🎙️ SOME OF THE CEA STUDENT STORIES IN 2025:

Think Floodplain Management is only for Water Resources Engineers? Those already working in water- and flood-related fields? 🤔 Well, this interview with Chris Moe will make you rethink that. 👇

Chris is an Electrical Engineer by trade who entered the public sector many years later doing building inspections and was encouraged by his boss to go for the CFM® exam to boost his career.

After two failed attempts studying by himself, he almost gave up on that goal, but didn’t. He decided to get back on his feet and come back stronger…now with a brand-new approach for his third (and last) try with our review course. 💪

In this episode he dives deep into this journey. From what most people misunderstand about the CFM® exam and the biggest mistake he made that you need to avoid…all the way to why this exam is more than just a credential if you work in the public sector.

If you work in city and town planning, emergency management, local floodplain administration, insurance, or anything like that, the CFM® Exam is for you — and this episode is packed with real talk and practical tips from someone who’s been there…without a civil background. 😮

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• What Everyone Gearing up for the CFM Exam Need Know About It

• What He Did After His First Failed Try That You Should Never Do as a Repeat Taker

• Why He Almost Gave Up After the Second Failed Attempt...But Didn't

• How He Found Our CFM Review Course (And Went for It)

• What He Loved the Most About the CFM Review Course That Makes It Stand Out

• What the CFM Exam Day Experience Looks Like

• Why Floodplain Management Knowledge Is Needed Beyond the Test Purposes

• The Impact of the "CFM" Initials on Your Career And Salary

• How the CFM Exam Results are Released

• How He Organized His Studies into His Schedule

• The Advice He Gave to a Coworker Who Wanted the CFM That You Should Follow Too

• The Minimum Amount of Prep You Need to Be Able to Pass the CFM Exam

• Is the CFM Only for Water Resources Engineers?

• What He Suggests Everyone Taking Our CFM Review Course Do

• His Secret to Prepare for All Licensure Exams He Took...And You Should Do the Same

• Where to Find the CFM Review Course Chris Used to Pass

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Do you know the biggest mistake AEC firm owners make? 🤔

They get lost in the busy work and never plan how they’ll leave the business one day. That’s why this episode with Laurie Barkman is huge!

Known as the “Business Transition Sherpa,” she’s a M&A advisor who helps owners scale their firms smarter…and exit them stronger.

She’s a former CEO who led a $100M company through the acquisition process — and now she works specifically with AEC firms to help their owners set themselves for a transition the right way.

In this episode, we dive into all things business for a civil engineering firm. Valuation metrics, how to navigate the acquisition process, why a 50/50 partnership is not the way to go, and a lot more!

So, if you’re running a civil firm now — or plan to start one one day — this episode will get you thinking long-term. Because no matter whether you sell it, pass it on, or step away, you don’t want to wing it…and then be trapped into the business until your late 60s.

Right?

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• 2 Things Engineers Need to Know Before They Get Into Business Side of Engineering

• Why a Business Partnership Should NEVER Be 50/50

• The Biggest Mistake Any Firm Owner Can Make That Makes Life Difficult Later

• Should All Owners Be Looking to Sell the Business? Is It the Only Way Out?

• Where Does the Owner's Successor Come From? (Hint: Not What You Think)

• What's The Business Transition Handbook All About?

• How to Valuate Your Own Engineering Business

• The Right Way to Find Buyers When You're Interested in Selling

• Her Mastermind Group to Help Owners Set up Their Business for a Profit Exit

• What She Recommends for Every New Engineer Getting into Business for the First Time

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

When you think of “Structural Engineering,” you likely picture big concrete or steel structures. Right? 🤔 Exactly — and that’s the problem! 👇

There’s a whole corner of that industry outside of these two materials that most Structural Engineers have never been taught or exposed to before. 😯

Today, we talk to Dr. Joshua Schultz, PhD, P.E. He’s a Structural Engineering professor and consultant whose path started off in architecture, took him to work on the Burj Khalifa, and then led him into a specialty most Structural Engineers overlook.

In this episode, he dives into what this unique niche is, why it’s so unique, and how it brings up a lot of factors of the design work in the real world that school doesn’t teach (from a professor himself!).

If you’re a Structural Engineer — or thinking about becoming one — this episode opens your eyes to career paths you didn’t even know were on the table. There’s more out there than buildings and bridges…if you’re willing to look. 😉

So, go check out this episode to take your first step into this Structural Engineering niche most people never talk about.

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• While He Keeps Doing Consulting Work Even as a Full-Time Professor

• The Little-Known Structural Engineering Niche His Career Took Him To

• The Reason Why Using Mass Timber for Structural Design is Still a Challenge

• The Biggest Challenge for Structural Engineers to Use Mass Timber Today

• Has the Interest in a Civil Engineering Degree Been Decreasing?

• Why the New Generation is Going for Civil Engineering vs. Why the Last Generation Did

• Non-Technical Aspects That Drive Any Project But are Not Emphasized in School

• Why Lightweight Structures are so Unique

• His Favorite Lightweight Project in His Career so Far

• His Book on Lightweight Structures for Structural Engineers (And Why He Wrote It)

• His Experience Designing the Tallest Stair in the World's Tallest Building!

• His 2 Biggest Pieces of Advice for Future Structural Engineers That Nothing Can Beat

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Passing the PE Exam is difficult enough already. Now imagine doing it as a single mother, with 3 successive failed attempts over 5 years, and having to start from scratch after switching exams? 😮

That’s exactly why this episode with Bianca Wilson hits different.

She’s a Geotech Project Manager who just passed the Civil PE Exam after 4 tries over 5 years — long after most people would’ve folded already. But it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows.

In this interview, she opens up about the emotional rollercoaster this journey has been to her as a single mom.

The tough calls she had to make in life to get this done. The decision to switch exams and start over. The tight budget she had to get help to get over this hump. All the way to the study habits and how she organized her schedule to find time to study…with a full-time job and a kid!

If you’re a repeat taker, questioning whether you’ll ever get to cross the finish line, this episode has some honest lessons from someone who had every reason to quit, but didn’t — and passed instead! ✅

Go check it out!

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• Her Long PE Journey from 2020 to 2025 in a Nutshell

• Her Controversial Take on Switching Exams...After Doing It Herself

• What She Had to Overcome to Pass After Switching Exams (And How She Did It)

• How She Managed to Study as a Single Mother

• The Minimum Study Time Required to Pass the PE, in Her Opinion

• The Importance of Accountability in Your Exam Prep

• How She Found CEA's PE Course And What She Loved About It

• Her Tips for Approaching Practice Exams That You Should Listen

• The Exam-Day Test-Taking Strategy We Share in Our Course That Helped Her Pass

• How the CBT Exam Simulator Helped Her Prep for the Actual CBT Exam

• How to Get a Handle on All the Codes You Need to Know for Your Exam

• Has the CERM Really Become Obsolete for the New PE Format?

• Her Biggest Surprise on Exam Day (Hint: The PE Isn't as "Tricky" as You Think)

• How the Different AIT Questions Stack Against One Another in Difficulty

• The 4 Surprisingly Simple Secrets to Passing the PE Exam

• How It Really Feels After You Pass the PE Exam

• Would She Recommend Civil Engineering Academy to Others?

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

AI is already everywhere. Students are using it. Companies are relying on it. And schools are feeling the pressure to do the same. The question is — is it  raising the bar…or quietly lowering it? 🤔

In this episode, Mark jumps back on the show to break down a recent ASCE article that unpacks how AI is starting to reshape civil engineering education. Probably forever.

By changing how students learn and taking over work tasks once done by entry-level civil engineers, AI has shed a light on how the traditional 4-year programs may no longer be the best (or only) path to prepare civil engineers for the real world.

But there’s a catch…

The current use of AI also reveals the engineering skills it can’t replace — and why those matter more than ever before and won’t change no matter how advanced the tools get.

(Hint: Thin includes the professional licensure exams!)

So, if you're a civil engineering student or a working civil engineer wondering where this is all headed, this episode tackles all the uncomfortable truths of an AI-heavy future — without the hype or fear-mongering. 👍

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• How AI First Started Being Used in Civil Engineering

• A Real-Life Example of the Downside of Using AI in Engineering

• 3 Reasons Why There's a Huge Pressure to Use AI Today

• The Biggest Problem With AI In Engineering Right Now

• Will AI Replace a Civil Engineering Degree?

• Will AI Ever Take Over the Job of the Civil Engineer?

• How AI Will Change Civil Engineering Undergrad Programs (But Not Completely)

• Two Past Instances When Tech Seemed to Threat Engineering Jobs...But Didn't

• What the Future of Civil Engineering Education Looks Like

• 2 Critical Engineering Skills That Will Still Matter in the Age of AI

• What Academia is Worried About With the AI Takeover

• AI-Proficient vs. Skilled Civil Engineer: Who's a Better hire?

• Is In-Person Classroom Civil Engineering Education Outdated (Even Without AI)?

• How to Implement AI in Schools Without Turning It into "Prompt Class?"

• The Biggest Challenge of Implementing AI Civil Engineering

• The AI Impact on the FE and PE Licensure Exams

• Why Civil Engineering is a Good Field to Hedge Against the Impact of AI on Jobs

🚨 OUR NEW YEAR SALE ENDS THIS SUNDAY! 🚨

Discount: 20% OFF any review course

Code at Checkout: NEWYEARSALE

Deadline: February 1, 2026, at 11:59 PM MST.

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Ever told yourself you’d “start your own firm one day?” 🤔 Most civil engineers have, but they kick it down the road because they don’t know what it takes.

If that’s you, this interview with Daniel Bressler is a must. He’s a Structural Engineer who walked the walk you’re planning to walk. 

In this episode, he breaks down the big “Aha! moment” that got him to take the leap, the experience dilemma you’ll face, and the big difference between running a firm and doing the engineering work to prevent yourself from just getting another job once you get started.

If working for yourself is on your radar, go give this one a listen.

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• Why He Started His Own Engineering Firm...Despite Not Wanting to

• The Experience Dilemma to Start a Firm: Do You Have Enough of It...or Will You Ever?

• The Difference Between Owning Your Job and Owning Your Company (Live By This!)

• The Advantages of a LLC That Make It a Good Move for All Engineers

• How to Get a Business Education to Grow Your Firm as a Civil Engineer

• The Two Biggest Business Challenges Every Newly Founded Firm Face

• The (Realistic) Value of the Brutal SE Exam

• How He Organized Himself to Get His PE After Grad School

• A BIG Mistake He Made After Graduating (That You Should Never Make!)

• 2 Reasons Why Keeping in Touch With Your Classmates Can Help You at Work

• Our Hot Takes on the Value of a Master's Degree: Is It Worth it?

• ASCE Resources He Used to Get Ahead — in School and Beyond

• 2 Pieces of Advice He Gives to Anyone Getting Started in Structural Engineering

  
  

🚨 OUR NEW YEAR SALE IS LIVE 🚨

Discount: 20% OFF any review course

Code at Checkout: NEWYEARSALE

Deadline: February 1, 2026, at 11:59 PM MST.

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Long gone were the days when engineering was only about the technical work! Today, you can take your technical skills, flip it, and use it in a way that’s never been possible before — and this episode is proof of that. 👇

Today’s guest is David Jasinski, a geologist who built a career in the geotechnical industry and has done work in many, many countries that’s even hard to keep track of them all. 😅

Along the way, he transitioned into a more business development role selling sheet piles and other geotech products…and that’s when he got started with social media content.

Now, he’s amassed more than 141,000 followers on LinkedIn alone and become the go-to person for engineering firms to partner with to share their message and educate their customers on the products they sell.

(Who said engineers cannot be influencers? 😂)

If you’re a young engineer worried about the options for you in the field, this episode is a testament to the fact that engineering can take you way further than you even think possible.

Go give this a listen to find out how you can pair your engineering skills with other business-related skills to build a “non-traditional career”...that makes all the sense to you!

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• His Transition from Technical Engineer to Business Development

• How the Engineering Work and Business Factors Vary By Country

• 3 Tips for Young Engineers to Get to Know All the Paths They Can Go

• The BIGGEST Problem of Engineering Companies in Today's World

• Why "Cost-Effectiveness" as a General Term is Wrong

• 3 Business Aspects Where Engineering Firms Fall Short

• Why He Got Started on Social Media (+ How He's Using It for Business)

• Content Tips for Engineering Firms to Build a Brand Online

• Why He Created His Career Guide for Young Engineers

• His Work-Life Balance With His Job + LinkedIn Content Creation on the Side

• His Single Most Important Piece of Advice for Everybody in Engineering

🚨 OUR NEW YEAR SALE IS LIVE 🚨

Discount: 20% OFF any review course

Code at Checkout: NEWYEARSALE

Deadline: February 1, 2026, at 11:59 PM MST.

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Civil Engineering Academy is turning 10 years old! 🎉 To celebrate it, we’re looking back at how it went from an idea after a huge frustration with the PE to helping thousands of civil engineers get licensed.

Today, Mark Oakeson jumps on the show again and shoots questions at Isaac to dig into the real story and current operations behind CEA.

From the early struggles and building prep materials on late nights and weekends…all the way to managing a growing team of practicing civil engineers to produce those materials and the single metric we use to judge whether we’re being successful in our mission.

If you’ve ever used any of our resources (free or paid), you’ve contributed big time to this huge milestone in our story. As a thank-you for that, we’re running a special promotion to celebrate our 10-year anniversary…but you're the one getting the gift. 😉

So, go give this episode a listen and celebrate 10 years of Civil Engineering Academy with us! 🎉

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• Isaac's Face-Slapping PE Experience That Gave The Idea for a PE Prep Platform

• The Early Days: How CEA Got Started

• ONE Thing That Makes CEA Different from Other Prep Companies

• The Biggest Early Challenge He Faced Growing CEA (on the Side of a Full-Time Job)

• The Evolution of the CEA Team

• When CEA Started Clicking

• The Difficulties of Managing an Enterprise With a Growing Team

• How CEA Has Been Able to Grow Over 10 Years (And the Challenges of It)

• The Overarching Mission of CEA

• How CEA Measures Its Success as a Company (Hint: It's not What You Think!)

• Examples of Past CEA Students With Awesome Journeys to Become PEs

• The Fun Side of Running CEA (+ the Real Motivation Behind It)

• What We Have in the Pipeline for CEA

• The Future of CEA in the "New Industry" That Will Pop Up Due to AI

• Will AI Replace Civil Engineers and Tutors?

• Our 10-Year Celebration That YOU Benefit From!

🚨 OUR NEW YEAR SALE IS LIVE 🚨

Discount: 20% OFF any review course

Code at Checkout: NEWYEARSALE

Deadline: February 1, 2026, at 11:59 PM MST.

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

A lot of civil engineers dream of having their own firm one day and all the good things they think come with it…until they do and they’re working crazy hours to barely even make ends meet. 😟 

Why? “Profititis.”

In this episode, we sit down with Ben Hansen — aka The Profit Doctor. He went from Microsoft to building an eight-figure consulting business, and now works with firms doing $5–50M to help them keep more of what they earn and essentially kill “Profititis” once and for all.

This isn’t one of those fluffy “raise your prices” conversations. It’s a real look at where profit actually leaks out of businesses, how (the wrong) people quietly drain margins, and why profit isn’t just the owner’s job.

If you’re planning to start your own firm or practice, this episode gives you a massive head start. You'll have the antidote to one of the biggest business-killers before you ever hang your own shingle.

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• 2 Biggest Aspects of Civil Engineering That Hurts Its Profit Potential

• Is the "Drive to the Bottom Bid" Exclusive to Civil Engineering?

• What is "Profititis"?

• The Minimum Financial Literacy You Need to Have to Start Your Own Firm

• The Biggest Rule of Thumb to Grow Profitability Instantly

• What Really Generates Almost All the Problems in a Business

• Are Employee-Owned Companies More Profitable?

• Should Employees Worry About Profit Too?

• The Profit Margins in Engineering Services (+ What You Should Aim at to Win)

• How Profitability Knowledge Applies to Your Engineering Work as an Employee

• The "People" Problem Inside Companies That Affects Profits

• How to Find the 10 Places Where Your Business is Likely Leaking Profitability

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Licensure exams are hard, but here’s what you didn’t know — the technical content isn't the biggest challenge civil engineers say they face when they go up against them! 😧

Here’s what it is…👇

According to 64% of them, the real challenge they face to pass the FE, PE, or CFM exam is finding the time to actually sit down and study.

After all, among work responsibilities, family obligations, household chores, and personal interests, how can you possibly find any time to study in your busy days?! 😅

All of us here at CEA have been in that exact same situation, but we found out about a surprisingly simple time management technique that helped us make time for our exam prep. Every. Single. Day.

In this episode, we dive into what this technique is all about, the psychological reasons why it works like a charm no matter how busy your life is, and how you can apply it right away in 4 simple steps.

Apply this technique and you’ll find the time to study that you didn’t think you had so you can get this over with once and for all. (Thank us later. 😉)

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• What this Time Management Technique is All About

• 3 Reasons Why It Works Like a Charm to For You to Study

• The 4-Step Process to Apply It and Find Time to Study (Still Today!)

• The Biggest Thing You Need to Remember for This Technique to Work

• 2 Fatal Mistakes to Avoid When Using This Technique

• The Brutal Truth About Finding Time for Your Exam Prep (Hint: You Won't Like It)

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

You studied after work every day. You sacrificed your weekends to stay home studying. You even took vacation time to study even more. You literally walked into the exam knowing you gave it your all…but guess? 🤔

It wasn’t enough to pass — and that’s not the first time it happened. 😞

If you’re in that repeat taker position, this one is for you. Whether you failed only once or multiple times.

In this episode, Mark and I sit down to talk about one aspect that makes professional exams way more like sports than most people realize: the mental part of “playing the game.”

Athletes lose games, miss shots, and get injured. But the ones who make it aren’t the ones who never fail. Instead, they’re the ones who learn how to make a comeback when they do fail.

That same concept applies to FE, PE, and any other big exam that’s ever knocked you down before — and this episode gives you the tools and strategies you need to pull this off.

Failing actually doesn’t mean you’re done. In a weird way, it might actually be the best news you could’ve gotten!

Now, tune in to this episode to learn how to make good use of this good news and get it to propel you to a passing score faster than you think.

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• The Similarity Between Sports and Your Professional Exams

• A Real-Life Example of Mental Toughness That You Can Borrow for Your Exam

• How Mental Toughness Plays a Role in Your Exam Prep

• 2 Different Voices You Can Choose to Listen to When You Hit Rock Bottom

• 2 Things You'll Feel After Failing Your Exam Multiple Times

• How to (Correctly) Break Through When You Get Knocked by an Exam Failure

• The First Thing You Should Do After an Exam Failure

• A Tool for You to Get Back on Your Feet After Failing Your Exam

• A Super Simple Strategy for You to Turn an Exam Setback into a Comeback

• How Repeat Takers Who Chose CEA for the Next Try Ended Up Passing

• What Mental Toughness in Your Exam Prep Comes Down to

• What Failing Your Exam Really Means (+ Why That's the Best News You Could Get!)

• The Biggest Differentiator Between Those Who Pass and Those Who Don’t

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Ever walked into an exam feeling completely ready…and then suddenly your heart is pounding, your mind goes blank, and even the easy stuff looks like it’s written in a foreign language? 🤔

If that sounds familiar, you’re gonna want to listen to this!

In this episode, we’re pulling back the curtain on the other side of taking those professional exams — the part that’s not in specs but can tank your performance and make months of hard work and sacrifice go down the drain if you don’t get it right.

There’s a single skill no professor and no other exam prep course provider out there teaches…but every FE and PE test-taker needs!

We dive into what that other side of passing your exam is, that single skill you need to get it right, and the tools and frameworks you can use to actually (and easily) do it. 😉

If you blank out, rush through questions, or panic yourself into silly mistakes when taking your FE, PE, or CFM® exam, this episode shows exactly how to undo that pattern.

Give this episode a listen and walk into your next exam with a calmer mind, a clearer plan, and way more control than you’ve ever had before. 👍

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• The Biggest Non-Studying Obstacle We Hear From Students
• What "Composure" on Your Exam Really Is
• The Problem of Labeling Yourself as "Bad at Exams" (+ What to Do About It)
• What Test Anxiety Really Is...And The Only Way to Get Rid of It
• What to Do the Week Before the Exam to Build Composure
• How to Spend the Day Before the Exam to Avoid Sabotaging Yourself
• What to Do in the Morning of the Exam to Make Things Go Smoothly
• The 3x3x3 Exercise to Calm Yourself Down When You Face a Tough Question
• The Triage Test-Taking Strategy to Stay Calm While Taking the Exam
• The Self-Talk Script to Use When Anxiety Spikes During the Exam
• The Mid-Exam Reset You Need to Do to Show up Sharp for the Second Half
• How to Keep Composure With the (Increased) Test Anxiety as a Repeat Taker

🎁 OUR FREEBIES FOR YOU:

Don’t think you can become a PE years after school and without having followed the traditional path of getting a degree in civil? 🤔 Then this episode with Bill Bollman, PE will blow your mind!

Bill started out as a CAD Technician who worked his way up to Roadway Production Manager over 30 years without a civil engineering degree…and has now just become a licensed PE! (Yep, you read that right. 😯)

In this episode, he shares the legalities around waiving the FE exam and dives deep into the details of this fascinating journey to pull this off. 

From how he weaved an insane amount of study hours into his days to be able to fill huge civil engineering knowledge gaps he had…all the way to how he strategically scheduled practice exams at very specific moments in his prep to help him with the time management issue.

If you didn’t follow the “traditional” engineering path, are deep into your career, and are wondering if becoming a PE is still on the table, Bill’s story shows that not only is it possible — you still have a lot to gain from it.

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• His Journey to Get the PE as a CAD Tech With No Civil Degree

• How He Filled the Knowledge Gaps for the Exam That He Didn't Learn in School

• How He Structured His Study Hours in His Days With Work and Family

• Why He Put in So Much Study Time That Other People Would Call Him "Crazy"

• What His Support System at Home Looked Like to Be Able to Pull This off

• How He Processed His Failed First Attempt at the PE (And Got Back on His Feet)

• A Big Part of Passing the PE That's Not Related to Studying at All

• The Civil Engineering Academy Resources He Used and Why He Liked Them

• How He Strategically Scheduled Practice Exams to Fix His Time Management Issue

• The Real Ratio Between Calculation vs. Theory Questions on the PE

• What Getting the PE License Means to His Career, Even Without a Civil Degree

• His 2 Pieces of Advice for Those Taking the PE

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Most people say they want to pass the PE Exam, but saying ≠ doing. This episode with Hunter McCabe gives you a perspective on what it really takes to pass — and why it’s worth it. 👇

Hunter is a past CEA student who recently crushed the Construction PE Exam while juggling unpredictable work hours and a pretty tight deadline with a wedding on the way. No pressure, right? 😅

How did he do it? By following a study routine most people would call “crazy.”

In this episode, he breaks down his entire exam prep journey and habits that made him successful.

From choosing between Transportation and Construction to his own study technique that saved him on 3 questions on the real deal…all the way to his insane schedule with 8+ study hours on weekends — every week! 😮

If you’re gearing up for the PE and looking for a real-world example of what it takes to pass the PE and how to do it, Hunter's story delivers it. 👍

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• The Challenge You Face Before You Even Start Your PE Prep

• How to Settle the Debate on Which Civil PE Exam to Take Once and for All

• His Advice for Anyone Taking the PE Exam That You Need to Take to Heart

• How He and His Wife Structured Both Their Exam Preps Together

• How He Organized His Study Hours into His Days

• How He First Found Civil Engineering Academy (+ Why He Loved It!)

• The Most Common Exam Prep Mistake Civil Engineers Make...and That's Why They Fail

• What He Liked About Our Video-Based Practice Problems

• His Struggle With the Codes for the Construction Exam (And How He Overcame It)

• The SINGLE Code Most of the Questions Referred to in His Exam

• How Many AIT Questions He Got (+ Which Ones They Were)

• Do Multiple-Choice Questions Prep You Well for AIT Questions?

• Are the PE Exam Questions Difficult or "Tricky," Really?

• How Theory Questions Caught Him Off Guard on Exam Day

• How He Broke His Time Between the Morning and Afternoon Sessions

• How He Weaved Practice Exams into His Study Plan (And When He Took Each)

• His Experience with CEA's CBT Exam Simulator to Mimic the Real Deal

• What He Enjoyed About CEA's PE Course That Fit into His Schedule Perfectly

• The "Proprietary" Technique He Used to Keep Him in the Habit of Studying

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Have you found yourself working in engineering without an engineering degree…and getting passed over for jobs to someone who “is” just because of the diploma? 🤔 If yes, this interview with Scott Williams is for you. 👇

Scott is a past CEA Student with an Environmental background who came back from two failed attempts and losing a role he was perfect for because he didn’t have the degree…all the way to finally getting the FE done.

In this episode, he dives into this very journey and spills the beans on everything he learned the hard way that you can steal and make this happen for you as well — but without the hassle. 😅

Many people without a civil engineering background wonder if they can pass the Civil FE Exam. If they’re repeat takers, they wonder if they can make it. If they’re facing trouble in their career, they wonder if the FE will help.

Scott was in all three categories above. All at once. If you’re in at least any one of them, his journey and tips will answer it all for you. 👍

So, go give this episode a listen — especially if you’re tired of spinning your wheels and want to hear from someone who fought through the exact same stuff. ✅ 👷

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• Going for the FE to Save His Career (Even With a Lot of Certifications Already)

• What's More Valuable: Professional Certifications or a Master's Degree?

• His First Failed Attempt at the FE (+ a Big Lesson That You Need to Live by!)

• How He Picked Himself up for the Second Try

• What Made Him Choose Civil Engineering Academy's FE Course

• How He Found Civil Engineering Academy in the Online World

• His Top Tip for Prepping for a CBT Exam (And How CEA Can Help!)

• 20:12 What Caught Him Off Guard on the Exam

• One Thing You Must Have When Prepping for Your Exam

• His 4 Tips for Anyone Gearing Up for the FE Exam to Get It Done

• How He's Structuring His PE Exam Prep from What He Learned in His FE Journey

• Why He Recommends Civil Engineering Academy for any FE Test-Taker

• What You need to Keep Top of Mind When Prepping for Your Exam

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

If you thought the PE was tough, wait until you hear everything Brandon Dashwood has to say about the SE exam after taking it himself. (Hint: it’s not good news. 😬)

Brandon is a Structural Engineer at PARADIGM Structural Engineers who’s deep in the grind of passing the most brutal exam in the civil engineering world — the SE Exam. The catch?

The exam has now gone from pencil-and-paper to computer-based (CBT), and the whole exam experience is now, let’s just say…a big mess! 😅

From becoming closed-book to a clunky interface to a new way to do what used to be the written portion, Brandon gives a first-hand look at what the new CBT SE Exam is really like — the good, the bad, and the downright frustrating.

If you’re a structural engineer planning to go that route and take the SE, this conversation gives you a candid look behind the curtain of the new format and all the aspects of it that you need to know for when your time comes.

Tune in to learn what the new SE exam is really like — and all the bugs that the NCEES will need to be looking into.

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• The Restrictions for PEs That Make the SE Required for Different Types of Work
• 2 Reasons Why You'll Want to Get the SE Despite the Work It Requires
• What the SE Exam Used to Be Like & How It Was Scored
• How the SE Exam Works Now With the New CBT Format
• 2 Downsides of the CBT Format for the SE Exam
• The Even-Lower Pass Rates for the SE Exam in the CBT Format
• How the Written Portion of the SE Changed (And Became More Frustrating!)
• His Own Experience Passing 3 Out of the 4 Sections of the Exam
• How the SE Exam Results and Diagnostic Report are Released
• The Third (and Biggest!) Downside of the SE in the CBT Format
• How Does the NCEES Grade the SE Exam?
• His 3 Recommendations for How the SE Exam Should Actually be Administered
• What The NCEES Should've Done Before Rolling out the New Format to the Public
• Does the SE Exam Have Its Own Handbook, Like the PE?
• Will the NCEES Work Out the Kinks in the (Flawed) CBT Format?
• How Much It Costs to Take the New CBT SE Exam
• Why He Keeps Trying to Pass His Last Portion Even Though the Exam Is Flawed
• His Sincere Hope for this New Exam Format Regarding the Entire Industry

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Picture this — you spend months working on the design and construction of a project, and next thing you know, another engineer is on the news poking holes in it for everybody to see. How'd you feel? 🤔

In this episode, we dive into a situation like this that happened in real life in a state highway project. What started as a difference in technical opinion only became a full-blown ethics investigation…that even resulted in formal disciplinary action! 😮

This story is a perfect reminder that being a civil engineer isn’t just about being good at the technical craft only. Instead, it’s also about ethical conduct — professionalism, integrity, and knowing when (and how) to speak up.

The problem? Most engineers don’t take the ASCE Code of Ethics seriously. They feel like it’s one of those things that “only matter in theory.”

Well, it may be…until it doesn’t. And this real-life situation makes it pretty clear. 

If you’ve ever questioned the importance of ethics in real-world practice — not just on the FE or PE exams — this one’s a must-listen. All of us deal with it. Project after project.

So, tune in to learn from this real case and make sure you never end up on the wrong side of the ethics line. 

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• The Story Behind This Real-Life Ethical Misconduct in a Nutshell (And How It Ended)

• Why This Misconduct Violated 2 Canons of the ASCE Code of Ethics

• Is It a Problem to Have Other Engineers Review Your Work?

• What Not to Do When Reviewing Another Engineer's Work

• Why It's 100x Easier Today to Make the Same Ethical Mistake

• The Canon of the ASCE Code of Ethics That You Need to Live By

• What's a Letter of Censure?

• The Biggest Take Away of This Real-Life Case

• The One Time Mark Got "Called Out" for His Design (And What He Did)

• How to Review the Work of Other Engineers Correctly

• What Should You Do When Less Experienced Engineers Call You Out?

• 3 Guardrails to Handle Professional Disagreements Ethically

• 2 Tricks to Deal With Criticism of Your Work Without Hurting Your Reputation

• The Ethics Topic on Your Professional Exams

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED: