The Civil Engineering Academy Podcast podcast

November 26, 2025 The Exam Prep Routine That Made Hunter McCabe Crush the Construction PE Exam

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