We know. Failing the PE Exam stings. 😬 Especially after hours of studying and no-fun weekends. When this happened, you wanted to jump ship and switch to another discipline, right? 🤔

That’s everybody’s knee-jerk reaction, but here’s the kicker — that move might actually set you back instead of moving you forward! 😨

In this episode, I dive into my hot take on one of the most common questions we get here at CEA from PE test-takers like you: Should I switch exams after failing? 

My answer will not surprise you. Instead, it goes against everything you used to believe about this…but it comes straight from my own experience as a repeat taker who’s been exactly where you are right now.

If you’ve failed once, twice, or even a few times already and feel like running to another Civil PE Exam discipline, this one’s for you. 🎧

Give it a listen before you make a decision that could delay your license even longer!

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• My Hot Take on Switching PE Exams After a Fail (and Why)

• 4 Advantages You Earned Prepping for Your Failed Attempts

• 7 Advantages You Now Have for Having Taken the Exam Before

• My Personal Story as a Repeater Taker at This Crossroads Myself

• 5 Downsides of Switching Exams You Don't Even Consider

• 3 Things to Fix That Works Better Than Switching Exams

  
  

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Tucker Stafford Interview (CEA #255)

Makenzie Allen Interview (CEA #192)

ASCE 37-14

TSS 2018

🎁 OUR FREEBIES FOR YOU:

The Civil FE Startup Guide

The Civil PE Startup Guide

FREE CFM® Course Module

🖥️ OUR REVIEW COURSES:

Civil FE Review Course

Civil PE Review Courses

CFM® Review Course

📚 OUR PRACTICE EXAMS:

FE Practice Exams

FE CBT Exam Simulator

PE Bonus Theory Questions

PE Practice Exams

PE CBT Exam Simulator

CFM® Practice Exam

FE Environmental Practice Exam

PE Environmental Practice Exam

📱 CONNECT WITH CEA!

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[email protected]

Here’s one of the biggest decisions in a civil engineer’s career — do you keep the hard hat on and stay technical…or swap it for a suit jacket and go full-on manager? 💼👷‍♂️

In this episode, we’re diving deep into the details of the “Engineer vs. Manager” post we did on LinkedIn that racked up almost half a million views and hundreds of shares. 😲

The main point of the post? Most engineers think they want to be managers...until they become managers and realize they actually didn’t. 😨

So, today, Mark jumps back on the show so we can both share our own journeys going into management. We break down the good, the bad, and the ugly of the manager role so you can figure out whether it truly is for you. 👍

If you’ve been wondering whether to climb the management ladder or double down on your engineering craft, this is the conversation you need before making the leap. 😉

Hit play and get the inside scoop before you make a move you’ll regret. 🎧

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• How Most Engineers End Up in Management (And Why Some Don't)

• The Type of Engineers Most Suited to Become Managers

• The First Problem You Face Going into Management

• The Real Functions (and Challenges) of the Manager in an Organization

• People Problems Managers Face Daily

• The Battle the Manager Has to Fight for His Employees

• Why Most Engineers Feel Pressured to Get into Management

• What Makes Engineers Switch Back to Technical Roles

• What You Need to Be Effective as a Manager

• The Best Way to Prepare Yourself to Take the Manager Role

• Resources and Trainings You Should Get Before Becoming a Manager

• The Positive Side of Management (And Who Thrives in It)

• The ONE Skill You Need No Matter If You're an Engineer or Manager

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Engineer vs. Manager LinkedIn Post

Atomic Habits, by Jamer Clear

Radical Candor, by Kim Scott

The Manager's Path, by Camille Fournier

🎁 OUR FREEBIES FOR YOU:

The Civil FE Startup Guide

The Civil PE Startup Guide

FREE CFM® Course Module

🖥️ OUR REVIEW COURSES:

Civil FE Review Course

Civil PE Review Courses

CFM® Review Course

📚 OUR PRACTICE EXAMS:

FE Practice Exams

FE CBT Exam Simulator

PE Bonus Theory Questions

PE Practice Exams

PE CBT Exam Simulator

CFM® Practice Exam

FE Environmental Practice Exam

PE Environmental Practice Exam

📱 CONNECT WITH CEA!

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[email protected]

No engineering project is a success without one crucial aspect. What is it? 🤔 According to our guest, a powerful leadership tool most people neglect. 👇

Today, we chat with W. Jeff Williams, a civil engineer turned mayor of Arlington, Texas. If you think of some of the biggest projects in the state, he’s the guy behind them. Either working on them as a civil engineer or bringing them to the state as the Mayor! 😯

Jeff’s done it all and seen it all. After decades of in-the-trenches engineering and leadership work (and wins!), he learned the real secret sauce that makes or breaks engineering projects: unity — aligning people and purpose to transform outcomes.

In his book coming out in September, he dives deep into this concept. But today, he gives us a sneak peek into it (plus a lot of other hard-earned lessons for civil engineers in the same shoes). 😉

If you’re managing a team at your company, leading a government agency, or in charge of a community organization, this one’s packed with wisdom from a guy who's worn all those hats. 💡

Hit play and learn how unity isn’t just a “nice-to-have” — it’s your competitive edge. 🎧

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• The Most Crucial Aspect of Any Successful Engineering Project

• What the “Unity” Principle Really Is

• 2 Tips to Create Unity as a Leader

• A Sneak Peek at One of the Book’s Important Lessons for Engineers

• Why He Moved Into the Public Sector

• 2 Skills You Need to Work in the Public Sector

• His Tips for the Future Generation of Engineers with the Tech Revolution

• 3 Pieces of Advice for Young Civil Engineers to Succeed

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

The Unity Blueprint Book

The Unity Blueprint Book (Pre-Order on Amazon)

Texas Tech University

AT&T Stadium

Southlake Town Square

National Medal of Honor Museum

Prestonwood Baptist Church

Forbes Publishing

💬 CONNECT WITH JEFF:

Website

Newsletter

LinkedIn

🎁 OUR FREEBIES FOR YOU:

The Civil FE Startup Guide

The Civil PE Startup Guide

FREE CFM® Course Module

🖥️ OUR REVIEW COURSES:

Civil FE Review Course

Civil PE Review Courses

CFM® Review Course

📚 OUR PRACTICE EXAMS:

FE Practice Exams

FE CBT Exam Simulator

PE Bonus Theory Questions

PE Practice Exams

PE CBT Exam Simulator

CFM® Practice Exam

FE Environmental Practice Exam

PE Environmental Practice Exam

📱 CONNECT WITH CEA!

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Free CEA Community

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[email protected]

Double-digit, billion-dollar investments into infrastructure projects going down the drain with them? 😨

In this episode, Mark Oakeson joins us again to dive into the wave of mega infrastructure projects built by China across the globe that are already cracking, leaking, and flat-out shutting down. 

These are massive, government-funded projects that were supposed to last 50+ years…but instead, they’re turning into billion-dollar blunders. Why?

Why are they failing so fast? What went wrong during design and construction (and politics)? And most importantly, what can we civil engineers learn from it? Especially now with the U.S. pouring billions into infrastructure upgrades after the 2021 bill? 🤔

🎧 Hit play and let’s break down what happens when quality takes a backseat in civil engineering and what we can learn from it to avoid making the same mistake in the US. 😉

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• China’s Global Infrastructure Boom
• 5 Chinese-Built Projects That are Falling Apart…in Less Than 10 Years of Service
• 2 Reasons Why These Projects Are Already Failing
• What the Experts Say Is the Root Cause of These Failures
• Why a Contract-Based Model to Pick the Winner Firm Doesn't Work as Well as Bids
• Is There a Hidden Chinese Agenda Behind Those Projects Across the World?
• Can China Improve Their Construction Approach and Quality?
• Why the Cost of Projects is Not the Only Thing That Matters
• Lessons for U.S. Infrastructure Spending That are Worth Their Weight in Gold!

Wall Street Journal Article

Coca Codo Sinclair Dam

Neelum–Jhelum Hydropower Plant

Isimba Hydro Power Plant

Karuma Hydro Power Plant

🎁 OUR FREEBIES FOR YOU:

The Civil FE Startup Guide

The Civil PE Startup Guide

FREE CFM® Course Module

🖥️ OUR REVIEW COURSES:

Civil FE Review Course

Civil PE Review Courses

CFM® Review Course

📚 OUR PRACTICE EXAMS:

FE Practice Exams

FE CBT Exam Simulator

PE Bonus Theory Questions

PE Practice Exams

PE CBT Exam Simulator

CFM® Practice Exam

FE Environmental Practice Exam

PE Environmental Practice Exam

📱 CONNECT WITH CEA!

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Free CEA Community

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[email protected]

We said it before — prepping for the PE usually takes 3-6 months. But today’s guest? He missed that memo and managed to pass this thing with less than 2 months of studying! 🤯

Kenneth (Kenny) Winston is a drainage engineer at Consor Engineers who joined us to share his unbelievable 1.5-month journey to pass the Civil PE Water Resources Exam. (Yes, you read that right!)

How, you ask? 🤔

Here’s the secret — he knew exactly how he learns best, and that self-awareness made all the difference.

In this episode, he talks about how he found The Ultimate Civil PE Review Course, why it was the perfect match for his learning style, and what strategies helped him go from overwhelmed to confident in record time.

If you feel like your prep just isn’t clicking, this episode shows you that passing fast isn’t about shortcuts. It’s just a matter of knowing yourself…and finding the right-fit resources to help you. 😉

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• The Unbelievable Timeline He Gave Himself to Prep for the PE
• How He Found Study Time With a Job, Marriage, and Business
• His Approach to All Practice Problems That You'll Want to Use Too
• His Crazy Strategy to Learn Almost It All...Five Days Before Exam Day!
• How He Found Civil Engineering Academy (And Why He Went With It)
• Why Knowing Your Learning Style Is the Real Cheat Code
• Are the Exam Questions Tricky...Purposefully?
• The Only Thing You Can Do to Prep for Theory Problem
• The Test-Taking Strategy He Used on Exam Day to Pass It
• 2 Tips for Everybody Taking the PE Exam to Get it Done Fast
• What He Loved the Most About the The Ultimate Civil PE Review Course

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

The Ultimate Civil PE Review Course

Consor Engineers

ChatGPT

💬 CONNECT WITH KENNY:

LinkedIn

[email protected]

🎁 OUR FREEBIES FOR YOU:

The Civil FE Startup Guide

The Civil PE Startup Guide

FREE CFM® Course Module

🖥️ OUR REVIEW COURSES:

Civil FE Review Course

Civil PE Review Courses

CFM® Review Course

📚 OUR PRACTICE EXAMS:

FE Practice Exams

FE CBT Exam Simulator

PE Bonus Theory Questions

PE Practice Exams

PE CBT Exam Simulator

CFM® Practice Exam

FE Environmental Practice Exam

PE Environmental Practice Exam

📱 CONNECT WITH CEA!

Website

Newsletter

Free CEA Community

LinkedIn
YouTube Channel

[email protected]

No matter how hard you study, on exam day, nerves kick in, you worry about time, and one tough question can throw you off. But what if you had a test-taking plan to avoid all of that? 🤔

In this episode, I break down our CEA Test Strategy™, a 3-phase test-taking hack that allows you to do what really matters to pass your FE, PE, or CFM® exam — get as many questions right as possible. ✅

How? By tackling the right questions, at the right time during the exam. 😉

I used this approach when I took my exams myself. I taught it to every CEA team member who was once a student. And I teach it to every single student of our review courses. Now, I’m sharing this test-taking hack with you as well. 😉

If you're gearing up for any of these exams, you need to practice this strategy with practice exams to stop feeling overwhelmed the moment the clock starts ticking.

So, just hit play, and let's get you “exam-day ready”…step-by-step. 🏆

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• What's the CEA Test Strategy™
• Step 1: “Quick Wins” to Build Momentum
• Step 2: The “Brain Burners” You’ll Want to Pace Yourself Through
• Step 3: The “Smart Guesses” That Could Make or Break Your Score
• Why This Strategy Works to Get You Passed (And Has for Years)
• Why You Should Use it…100%!
• How to Practice This Strategy in Your Prep

🎁 CEA FREEBIES FOR YOU:

The Civil FE Startup Guide

The Civil PE Startup Guide

FREE CFM® Course Module

📚 CEA PRACTICE EXAMS:

FE Practice Exams

FE CBT Exam Simulator

PE Practice Exams

PE Bonus Theory Questions

PE CBT Exam Simulator

CFM® Practice Exam

FE Environmental Practice Exam

PE Environmental Practice Exam

🖥️ CEA REVIEW COURSES:

Civil FE Review Course

Civil PE Review Courses

CFM® Review Course

📱 CONNECT WITH CEA!

Website

Newsletter

Free CEA Community

LinkedIn

YouTube Channel

[email protected]

🚨 Here’s by far the most asked question inside our FE and PE courses: “Should I use the Ultimate or Net Bearing Capacity to find the Allowable Bearing Capacity?” 🤔

That question comes up in our student-only community every single year, multiple times, and rightfully so.

Reference manuals tell you to find the Net value and then use it to find the Allowable Bearing Capacity. But then, in the solutions to the problems, it uses the Ultimate value directly.

Like, “What the heck?!” 😨

But don’t worry….we’ve got your back. 😉

Over the years, we’ve shared a little-known trick with our students so they know which one to use on exam day. And in this episode, we’re sharing it with you as well. 😉

Tune in to learn about this trick…and you’ll never get this wrong anymore in your exam prep. That’s a promise. 👍

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• What's the Bearing Capacity of Soil?
• What Ultimate Bearing Capacity is All About
• How to Calculate Ultimate Bearing Capacity
• What Net Bearing Capacity is...And How It Differs from the Ultimate Value
• The Allowable Bearing Capacity
• The Big FE/PE Dilemma: Two Ways to Find the Allowable Bearing Capacity
• The Little-Known Trick We Share With Our Students That Solves This Dilemma

🎁 CEA FREEBIES FOR YOU:

The Civil FE Startup Guide

The Civil PE Startup Guide

FREE CFM® Course Module

🖥️ CEA REVIEW COURSES:

Civil FE Review Course

Civil PE Review Courses

CFM® Review Course

📚 CEA PRACTICE EXAMS:

FE Practice Exams

FE CBT Exam Simulator

PE Practice Exams

PE Bonus Theory Questions

PE CBT Exam Simulator

CFM® Practice Exam

FE Environmental Practice Exam

PE Environmental Practice Exam

📱 CONNECT WITH CEA!

Website

Newsletter

Free CEA Community

LinkedIn

YouTube Channel

[email protected]

"The CSI of Civil Engineering." That’s the best way to describe the little-known career path of Forensic Engineering for civil engineers — and in this episode, we’re diving headfirst into it. 🕵️‍♂️💥

Our guest for this one is Peter Marxhausen, a civil engineer with over 25 years of experience and 10,000+ building investigations under his belt. Peter has now seen it all — cracks, collapses, fire…and the courtroom drama that follows.

If you’ve never heard of this field before, or just assumed it was something only "experts" do at the end of their careers, Peter’s here to break it all down. How to get into it. What the work of a Forensic Engineer entails. The credentials you need. And a lot more!

Whether you’re trying to figure out what career route to take or considering a career shift, this episode’s got all you need to know about a career that most civil engineers don’t even know they can have. 😎

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• How What Every Civil Engineer Avoids Got Him Into Forensic Engineering
• The Engineering Type of Work a Forensic Engineer Does the Most
• The Non-Engineering Type of Work Forensic Engineers Have to do Regardless
• A Third Task That Also Makes up a Forensic Engineer's Workload
• 3 Requirements to Pursue a Career in Forensic Engineering
• What You Need to Know Before Getting into Forensic Engineering
• Do You Need Any Credentials in Forensic Engineering?
• Do Old Buildings Have More Problems Than New Ones?
• Design or Construction: Who's to Blame When a Structure Fails?

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

dux Forensics, LLC

The Memoirs of Herbert Hoover

University Colorado, Denver

📧 CONNECT WITH PETER:

LinkedIn

🎁 OUR FREEBIES FOR YOU:

The Civil FE Startup Guide

The Civil PE Startup Guide

FREE CFM® Course Module

🖥️ OUR REVIEW COURSES:

Civil FE Review Course

Civil PE Review Courses

CFM® Review Course

📚 OUR PRACTICE EXAMS:

FE Practice Exams

FE CBT Exam Simulator

PE Bonus Theory Questions

PE Practice Exams

PE CBT Exam Simulator

CFM® Practice Exam

FE Environmental Practice Exam

PE Environmental Practice Exam

📱 CONNECT WITH CEA!

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[email protected]

Every one of us is  guilty of procrastinating on our exam prep. Whether it’s just “a little bit” or “a lot” is not the problem — the cost of it to our career is. But the good news? It’s beatable! 💪 👇

In this episode, Mark Oakeson jumps back on the show to help us unpack the real reasons we drag our feet when it comes to studying for our exam.

We’re not here to beat you up about it – we’ve been there. 😅 Instead, we’re here to dig into what’s actually happening behind the scenes, and why it shows up the most when you’re chasing a big goal like the FE or PE.

From the science behind procrastination to the sneaky habits that make it worse all the way to the practical strategies to help you move past it and finally build momentum, we break it all down. 

So, whether you’re putting off taking your exam, dreading those study sessions, or just stuck in neutral after a failed attempt, this one’s going to feel like a much-needed kick in the pants (in the best way possible 😉).

Hit play to stop waiting and start passing. 👍

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• The Science-Based Reason Why You Procrastinate (And It's Not 'Laziness')
• Is Your Fear of Failure Causing You to Procrastinate?
• Why Your Long To-Do List is Another Form of Procrastination
• Why Perfectionism = Procrastination in Disguise
• A Simple Way to Reduce Procrastination in Your Exam Prep on Your Own
• How Accountability From Others Makes You Not Procrastinate
• The (Big) Role of Active Studying in Your Exam Prep
• The 5-Minute Rule to Beat Procrastination Bit by Bit
• Finding Your Own Anti-Procrastination System
• Why You Procrastinate More After a Fail…And How to Reframe Failure
• The Single Best Method to Overcome Procrastination in Your Prep

🎁 CEA FREEBIES FOR YOU:

The Civil FE Startup Guide

The Civil PE Startup Guide

FREE CFM® Course Module

🖥️ CEA REVIEW COURSES:

Civil FE Review Course

Civil PE Review Courses

CFM® Review Course

📚 CEA PRACTICE EXAMS:

FE Practice Exams

FE CBT Exam Simulator

PE Practice Exams

PE Bonus Theory Questions

PE CBT Exam Simulator

CFM® Practice Exam

FE Environmental Practice Exam

PE Environmental Practice Exam

📱 CONNECT WITH CEA!

Website

Newsletter

Free CEA Community

LinkedIn

YouTube Channel

[email protected]

Three years and six attempts. That’s how long it took Raymond Muñoz-Tabares to pass the Civil FE — but he did it! ✅ If you’ve ever felt like giving up after a few failures, this is the pep talk you need. 👇

Raymond is a civil engineer in Rhode Island who came to the US at the age of 10. He took (and failed) the Civil FE while still in school, and that’s when his 3-year, 6-attempt struggle began. ☹️

In this episode, Raymond shares this whole unfiltered FE journey with you.

This is a super relatable episode for any international civil engineer in the US, but also a super practical episode with tons of exam prep tips for all repeat takers who simply want to get this over with.

So, tune in now and hear how Raymond turned three years of struggle into a huge career milestone, and everything he learned along the journey so you can do the same...faster. 😉

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• His 3-Year, 6-Attempt Journey to Conquer the Civil FE
• His Different Approach to Practice Exams That You Should Steal!
• The Test-Taking Strategy He Used in His Last Try That You Should Use Too
• 3 Things You Need to Know in Your Exam Prep to Be Ready on Exam Day
• How He Found Civil Engineering Academy...and Went With It
• The Other FREE FE Resources He Used to Study
• His Top Piece of Advice for Repeat-Takers Like Him
• A Tip to Decode the NCEES Diagnostic Report to Improve for Your Next try
• Why He Chose Civil Engineering Over His Other Career Options
• Why He Recommends Civil Engineering Academy

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

CEA’s Suggested FE Resources Page

Fundamentals of Engineering Review Book (11th Edition)

FREE FE Review Basics on Coursera

University of Rhode Island

📧 CONNECT WITH RAYMOND:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rmunoz675

🎁 OUR FREEBIES FOR YOU:

The Civil FE Startup Guide

The Civil PE Startup Guide

FREE CFM® Course Module

🖥️ OUR REVIEW COURSES:

Civil FE Review Course

Civil PE Review Courses

CFM® Review Course

📚 OUR PRACTICE EXAMS:

FE Practice Exams

FE CBT Exam Simulator

PE Bonus Theory Questions

PE Practice Exams

PE CBT Exam Simulator

CFM® Practice Exam

FE Environmental Practice Exam

PE Environmental Practice Exam

📱 CONNECT WITH CEA!

Website

Newsletter

Free CEA Community

LinkedIn

YouTube Channel

[email protected]