Passing the PE Exam is one thing, but doing it as an immigrant, with language barriers, and after hitting a wall multiple times before already?! That’s a whole nother story — and it’s real! 😲

In this episode, Hadi Al Azzawi jumps on the show to share his journey climbing a crazy steep hill to pass the Civil PE Water Resources Exam as an immigrant civil engineer in the US.

From understanding the English used in the problems to juggling study time with family life, Hadi’s journey is full of hard-earned lessons for any international civil engineer out there in the same shoes right now.

Also, if you’re taking the Civil PE Water Resources Exam, he has some top-notch resources and tips he learned after going through this thing himself…five times!

If you’re an international civil engineer going through the hoops of getting your PE and feel like the odds are stacked against you, this episode gives you the tips to beat them. 😉

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• A Tip for Immigrants to Overcome the Language Barrier on the PE
• Did He Have to Take the Civil FE as an Immigrant?
• What You Really Need to Pass the FE That He Learned the Hard Way
• The One Thing All Test-Takers Have in Common Regardless of Life Differences
• How to Prep for the FE/PE With a Spouse and Family
• His Tip to Fellow Repeat Takers to Stay in the Game
• How He Used AI To Get Back on the Saddle After a Fail
• What He Did to Pass as Repeat Taker After 5 Tries
• A Sneaky Exam Question That Caught Him Off Guard
• His Go-To Method for Learning the Water Resources Codes
• His Tip to Prep for the Most Feared Topic in the Water Resources Exam
• The PE Resources That Helped Him the Most Among All the Ones He Used
• A Tech Tool That Helped Him Learn All the Exam Prep Material

🤝 OUR PARTNER:

Built Bar

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

All-in-One Civil Engineering PE Exam Guide, by Dr. Goswami

All-In-One Civil Engineering PE Practice Exams, by Dr. Goswami

Six-Minute Solutions (Water Resources Problems), by PPI

Kindle Scribe

Isaac Wait Youtube Channel

ASCE PE Courses

School of PE

Washington State University

📧 CONNECT WITH HADI:

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 ExamsPE 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]

Prepping for your exam isn’t a walk in the park. It’s hard. It  takes discipline. And you’ll want to quit more than once. (Been there. 😞) So, how can those who pass possibly keep going?! 😟

It’s not a fancy study schedule, more study material, or some natural-born talent you weren’t blessed with.

The real secret? 🤔

Your “Why!”

In this episode, I talk about why passing isn't just about studying. Instead, it starts with a compelling reason that matters to you.

When your “Why” is strong, the "What” turns from a fuzzy goal into something real, and you do the “How” (aka the grind) even when you don’t feel like it.

So, here, I share my own “why” back when I was grinding for the PE exam with a full-time job and a growing family…plus the top 5 reasons I hear from our own students why they’re chasing the FE or PE themselves. 🎯

If you’ve been dragging your feet on studying or wondering how other people keep going when life gets crazy — this one’s for you!

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• What Passing Your Exam Really Means

• My Own “Why” for Taking the PE Exam

• The Truth About Exam Prep Nobody Tells You

• How Purpose Fuels Persistence

• The Top 5 "Whys" We Hear From Our Students

• 4 Ways to Keep Your Why Front and Center

  
  

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

2025 Civil Engineering Salaries Update

🎁 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 US!

Website

Newsletter

Free CEA Community

LinkedIn

YouTube Channel

support@civilengineeringacademy.

From frustrated PE examinee after 4 failed tries to…wait for it…future firm owner?! 😲 That’s exactly what you read!

Our guest today is Colin Tinsley, who took the Construction PE exam not once, not twice...but five times before finally seeing the big, green “PASS” on the screen. 😅 

Two paper-based attempts. Two more tries after the switch to CBT. Then, finally, with the help of our Ultimate Civil PE Construction Review Course, Colin crushed it on his fifth try. ✅ 👷

In this episode, he dives into his journey as a repeat taker himself and how he managed to stay in the game at a point where most people would’ve quit…so you can, too.

Also, he dives into how the PE license changed his career trajectory. He was questioning his “place” in the field, but when he finally passed, he started to plan the launch of his own engineering firm. 💪

So, whether your next attempt will be your first or fourth try, this episode shows it can be done…plus what’s possible for your career when you stay in the game until you get it done. 😉

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• His First Four Failed Attempts at the Paper-Based and CBT PE Exams
• How He Got it Done on His Fifth Try With CEA
• His Own Engineering Business That Made Him Choose the Construction PE
• The Passing Score on the PE...and Why You Shouldn’t Worry About It
• What the Construction PE Exam Focuses and The Key to Get Over It
• Why You Shouldn't Change Your Exam After a Fail (From a Repeat Taker Himself!)
• His Biggest Tip for Those Taking the Construction PE
• How He Managed to Fix His Self-Doubts After Multiple Failures
• What He Liked About The Ultimate Civil PE Construction Review Course
• How Mentorship Can Also Help With Your Exams
• His Biggest WARNING for Those Who Want a Pass the Construction PE
• How You Should Go About Answering and Reviewing Theory Questions
• How the PE Changes Your Career Trajectory
• What Part of Our Construction PE Review Course Helped Him the Most

🤝 OUR PARTNER:

Built Bar

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Should You Change Your Civil PE Exam?

100 Bonus Construction Theory Problems

📧 CONNECT WITH COLIN:

[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]

The concept of “Smart Cities” is here! 🚨 Immersive digital twins to replicate and augment reality with real-time data is not the future — it's happening right now at the Port of Corpus Christi! 😱

In this episode, I’m joined by Darrell Keach, Business Systems Manager for the Port of Corpus Christi, and Rex Hansen, Principal Project Manager at Esri, to show a live demo of their cutting-edge digital twin project…. 👇

A massive 3D replica of the port that pulls in REAL-TIME data to track ship movement, enhance safety, boost operational efficiency…and even preview future activity in the port!

Yeah…you read that right. This isn’t theory. They built it. And it’s working.

It started with ports, but the tech they built for this can be replicated for other uses, from individual transportation hubs like railway stations and airports…all the way to entire counties! 😲

This is one of those rare episodes that gets you thinking: “Dang, is this where we’re headed?” And the answer is…yes. 👍

Check this out and see how your role as a civil engineer might change in the (very) near future.

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• Why the Port of Corpus Christi invested in a digital twin
• How digital twins fit into the "Smart City" concept
• The rise of game engines in the civil engineering industry
• How they pulled in real-world data into a living 3D model
• A sneak peek at their live demo (yes, they show what it actually looks like!)
• How they got around the problems of dealing with a big data set
• Using the model to prevent incidents before they even happen
• Where digital twins are heading next in civil, transportation, and beyond
• What this means for you as a civil engineer (and how to future-proof your skillset)

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Digital Twin Technology

What is GIS (Geographic Information Systems)?

Keynote About the Project

Esri

Port of Corpus Christi

Unity

Unreal Engine

The Acceleration Agency (TAA)

TAA's OPTICS Project

📧 CONNECT WITH REX:

LinkedIn

[email protected]

📧 CONNECT WITH DARRELL:

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 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]

🚨 Attention! 🚨 The ASCE just dropped their latest Infrastructure Report Card…and in this episode, we break it down for you so you know where the work (and money!) is headed! 😉

The ASCE Infrastructure Report Card is an in-depth analysis of the conditions of 18 major infrastructure categories across the US. The current overall grade? 🤔

A solid C — which, believe it or not, is actually a step in the right direction — but it’s not all good news either. 😞

Some categories crucial to our own economy and day-to-day life — or worse, our safety — saw grades slip, and there’s still a big investment gap to make sure our infrastructure is not in bad shape…or even close to a complete crash! 😨

So, this is a great way to understand where more civil engineers will be needed, where the money is going, and what kinds of projects are likely to take off in the coming years…so you can position yourself in the right place, at the right time. 😉 💰

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• What the Different Infrastructure Grades Mean

• What the Findings of the Report Card Means for Civil Engineers

• The Overall Grade for America's Infrastructure...And Why

• The 2 Categories That Received a Lower Grade

• A BIG Trend That's Getting into All Aspects of the Industry

• The Future of the Energy Industry With Increasing Demand

• A Non-Technical Bottleneck Slowing Things Down

• The Infrastructure Factors ASCE Considers to Come Up With the Grades

• All the Grades of Every Infrastructure Category

• The Reason Why the Lowest-Graded Categories Got the Lowest Grades

• The Investment Gap for Each Category...And How to Solve It

• 3 Action Items the ASCE Recommends to Improve US Infrastructure

• The Biggest Threat to US Infrastructure (And What to Do About It)

• One Aspect of Infrastructure Projects That HAVE to Get Better

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

ASCE Infrastructure Report Card Website

2025 Infrastructure Report Card (Complete)

2025 Infrastructure Report Card (Executive Summary)

Map for America's Infrastructure Conditions

🎁 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 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]

What’s it like to crush the Civil FE Exam on the first try, with less than two months of exam prep…all while still juggling a full course load in grad school?! 😮

Just ask Aggie Li. 👇

Aggie is a civil engineering master’s student at UMass Amherst who became an EIT using The Ultimate Civil FE Review Course, and is now headed for an internship position at Burns & McDonnell.

In this episode, Aggie brings all the good energy as she shares her decision to take the FE early, why she felt she needed a course even with university resources provided for free, and how she carved out study time in an already packed weekly schedule.

If you’re a student in either undergrad or grad school and needs that motivation to lock in and get this done before work and life get in the way, this episode will fire you up! 

Aggie’s got a bright future ahead, and after listening, you will feel like you do, too. Guaranteed! 😉 🎧

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• Her Decision to Take the FE While Still a Student (And You Should, Too!)
• Why She Wanted a FE Review Course Even With Free University Material
• How Much Prep Time Do You Need for the FE as a Student?
• The ONE BIG Reason She Picked Civil Engineering Academy
• What Her Weekly Study Schedule for the FE Looked Like While in School
• The Things She LOVED About CEA’s FE Review Course
• The 2 Topics She Struggled With the Most on the FE
• Are the AIT Questions Really "Bran-New" Question Types?
• Her Take on Taking Practice Exams That Most People Don't Get
• What Score Should You Aim for When Taking Practice Exams?
• Why the FE CBT Exam Simulator is One of the BEST Features of the Course
• A Down-to-Earth Tip For Those Prepping for the FE...But Unsure About It
• How She Triumphs as a Woman in STEM (And How You Can Too)

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

FE Review Courses Ranking, by Test Prep Insight

PE Transportation Course Waitlist

University of Massachusetts Amherst

📧 CONNECT WITH AGGIE:

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 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]

Here’s a career path that doesn’t even come to mind when you hear “Structural Engineering,” but uses the same basic knowledge and it’s just as lucrative — Telecommunications. 📡 👇

This week, we sit down with Sudarshan Kasera, P.E., PMP, a Structural Engineer by education who now applies all that knowledge of the design of buildings and bridges to designing communication towers across the US at Crown Castle. 📶

In this episode, Sudarshan breaks down how he managed to get into this “niche of a niche” career (almost)…and why it’s a good idea for other civil engineers to consider as well — plus how to do it.

What codes and standards do you need to know? Which software do you need to learn? What licenses do you need to get? 🤔

Whether you're a young engineer looking for a career path that’s not the traditional fields, or a practicing engineer curious about a new direction, it’s all in here for you! 😉 🎧

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• What Makes Telecom a Good Career Choice — Money-Wise
• What He Does Today as a Structural Engineer in the Telecom World
• The Fascinating Aspect of Working in Telecom (And It's Not What You Think)
• 4 Codes You Need to Know If You Want to Get into Telecom
• What are the Foundation Types Used to Support Telecom Towers?
• The Most Used Software Tools in the Telecom World
• Which Licenses Do You Need to Work in Telecom?
• His Top PE Exam Prep Tip That Made His Journey (Way) Easier
• How a Review Course for the PE Helps You Balance Work and Study Time
• The Easy Way Companies Can Get Their Engineers Licensed...Faster
• The Importance of a Good Support System When Prepping for Your Exams
• Is the PMP a Good Addition to the PE License?
• His Tips for Young Civil Engineers to Get Into Telecom (+ How to Do It)

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

California Civil Engineering Exams

PMP Certification

TIA-222-I

International Building Code (ICC IBC-2024)

ASCE-7

AISC 360

tnxTower

MStower

RISA-3D

Mathcad

Crown Castle

University of Cincinnati

📧 CONNECT WITH SUDARSHAN:

LinkedIn

🎁 CEA FREEBIES:

The Civil FE Startup Guide

The Civil PE Startup GuideF

REE 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 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]

If you’re the entrepreneurial type of civil engineer with (big) plans to open your own “shop” some day and scale it, this episode pulls the curtain on everything you need to know for that journey.

For this one, we sit down with Kevin Franson, one of the owners and the General Manager at Franson Civil Engineers — a water resources engineering firm based in Utah.

Kevin gets into the real stuff that helped scale the firm to two offices and a growing team — hiring strategies, company culture, handling conflict, how to stay competitive, and a lot more to apply at your firm, now or when you start it. 😉 📈

Also, he dives into the ONE thing you need to get crystal clear about before going down that route: the difference between being a great civil engineer…and being a great civil engineering business owner. 💡

(Hint: you cannot be both! 😣)

So, if you’ve ever thought about starting your own firm someday, this is your roadmap.

No fluff. No textbook theory. Just in-the-trenches advice from someone who’s been doing it since the 90s! 💪 🥾

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC)

Brigham Young University

Utah State University

The University of Utah

Utah Valley University

📧 CONNECT WITH KEVIN:

LinkedIn

Franson Civil Engineers

Franson Civil Engineers Contact Page

Open Positions at Franson Civil Engineers

🎁 CEA FREEBIES:

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 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]

How’s the AEC industry currently doing with lots of Government funding…but high interest rates, inflation, and (even worse) tariffs? 🤔 That’s exactly what we cover in this episode!

For this one, we sat down with Mark Oakeson to unpack the key insights from the annual Utah Business’s AEC roundtable he’s part of — where AEC leaders came together to discuss the biggest challenges, trends, and opportunities (and hopes) shaping the industry today.

From the lack of skilled workers problem we need to solve (and how) to how publicly and privately funded projects are doing in the current economic climate, this episode covers it all. 😉

So, if you want to stay ahead of industry shifts and understand where the AEC is struggling and where it’s headed, this episode is for you. 👍

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• The Key Takeaway From the Event That's the Biggest Issue Right Now

• How AEC Leaders Are Currently Feeling About the Future

• A Surprising Point Affecting Construction Workers Big Time...And Why

• How to Take Care of This Problem Affecting Workers

• The Lack of Skilled Workforce Problem (And the Industry's Effort to Solve It)

• The Big Gap on the Design Side of the Industry That`s Costing Big Money

• What the AEC Leaders Talked About the Implementation of AI

• Where AI is Already Being Used in Civil Engineering

• How Design Professionals Feel Towards the Changes to the ACI 318-19

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Utah Business Magazine

2025 Building, Construction & Design Roundtable Summary

Utah's Associated General Contractors

ACI 318-19

CEA Episode #223 (State of the Industry in 2024)

CEA Episode #179 (State of the Industry in 2023)

CEA Episode #234 (Drones for Inspection with Eric Bitzko)C

EA Episode #216 (Drone Uses in Construction)

CEA Episode #115 (Performance-Based Design)

🎁 CEA FREEBIES:

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 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]

Running an engineering firm is already hard enough. Why make it worse by using static spreadsheets, many disconnected apps, or (even worse) century-old methods your grandpa used to run his shop? 🤔

That’s why we sat down with Robert Yuen, the CEO and co-founder of Monograph — a business management software designed specifically to help architects and engineers run their firms smoothly and profitably.

As a professional in the AEC industry like all of us at the time, Robert saw firsthand and discussed with coworkers the biggest challenges and mistakes his own firm experienced that held it back. Until one day…

During a happy hour on a Friday night, they asked themselves what it would take to solve those challenges — and that’s when Monograph was born. 💡

Whether you have your own firm, run the firm you work at, or have plans to venture out and start your own thing, you’ll want to listen to this interview. Why?

You'll learn everything Monograph has to offer to streamline your business. 😉 🎧

🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• What's Monograph All About?
• The Solution to the Biggest Problem AEC Firms Face That Sets Monograph Apart
• A Huge Business Management Mistake AEC Firms Still Make to This Day
• How Monograph Leverages AI to Make Your Firm Runs Smoothly
• Transitioning from Employee to Business Owner...And How You Can Too
• His Piece of Advice to Starting a Business That Goes Against What You Expected
• 2 New Features Coming to Monograph That Will Make You Wanna Sign up Right Away
• Who Monograph is for Based on Firm Size and Operations to Help You Decide
• What's a Day in the Life of the CEO of an Engineering Software Company Like?

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Monograph Software

Monograph LinkedIn Page

University of Illinois, Chicago

University of Michigan

Skidmore Owings & Merrill

📧 CONNECT WITH ROBERT:

LinkedIn

[email protected]

🎁 CEA FREEBIES:

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 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]