PE Agricultural study plan
PE Agricultural · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Agricultural Production and Processing Systems
Map Domain 1 into five subtopics (crop systems, animal systems, soil and water management, post-harvest handling, processing operations) and rate your confidence 1-5 on each to set priorities
Compute irrigation water requirements from reference evapotranspiration, crop coefficients, and effective rainfall for three worked scenarios
Calculate soil erosion loss and size a conservation practice using the Universal Soil Loss Equation factors, showing unit conversions at each step
Draw and label mass and energy balance boundaries for a grain drying and a milk pasteurization process, then solve for one unknown stream in each
Build a one-page reference sheet of Domain 1 constants, unit conversions, and governing equations in your own words
Your checkpoint
A 12-question self-written Domain 1 problem set, fully worked with units shown, scored against a rubric you write before attempting it (target 80%).
Agricultural Production and Processing Systems & Biological and Food Engineering
Solve psychrometric problems by hand (dry-bulb, wet-bulb, humidity ratio, enthalpy) for a drying and a storage ventilation scenario, then verify with a chart
Size a refrigeration or cold-storage load for a perishable product, accounting for product respiration, transmission, and infiltration heat
Explain thermal processing parameters (D-value, z-value, lethality, F0) and compute a process time for a specified log reduction
Compare three livestock environmental control strategies and justify one with quantitative ventilation and heat-stress index calculations
Revisit week 1 misses and rewrite each incorrect solution from scratch without notes
Your checkpoint
A worked 10-problem psychrometrics and thermal processing packet plus a half-page written comparison of two drying system designs with calculated moisture removal rates.
Biological and Food Engineering
Apply fluid flow and pump sizing fundamentals: compute friction loss, required head, and pump power for a process piping layout
Solve heat exchanger problems in both parallel and counterflow configurations using log-mean temperature difference and effectiveness checks
Outline the hazard analysis steps for one food process and identify two critical control points with measurable limits
Calculate residence time distribution impacts on a continuous flow thermal process and state the holding tube implication
Explain biomaterial properties (moisture sorption, viscoelasticity, rheology) and predict how each changes a handling or process design decision
Your checkpoint
A 90-minute timed closed-book mini-exam of 15 mixed Domain 2 problems, self-graded, with a written error log categorizing mistakes as conceptual, unit, or arithmetic.
Natural Resources and Environmental Systems
Quantify nonpoint source pollutant loading and estimate a sediment delivery ratio for a small watershed
Design a vegetated buffer or detention practice and justify the sizing with runoff volume and peak flow calculations
Interpret water quality standards and outline the steps to develop a total maximum daily load allocation among sources
Compute a nutrient management application rate from soil test values, crop removal, and residual credits
Summarize air, odor, and greenhouse gas emission pathways from agricultural operations and one mitigation measure for each
Your checkpoint
A one-page watershed case memo: given a 200-acre row-crop watershed with a 4% slope and a silt loam soil, compute annual soil loss, propose two practices, and quantify the predicted reduction.
Machine, Structural, and Energy Systems
Solve tractor performance problems: compute drawbar pull, tractive efficiency, wheel slip effects, and fuel consumption per unit of work
Select a power unit and drivetrain for a specified load profile, showing torque, speed, and service factor calculations
Analyze structural members under bending, shear, and combined loading, and check a simple beam against an allowable stress
Size a ventilation or grain aeration fan–duct system from a required airflow rate and static pressure estimate
Compare energy options for an on-farm application using life-cycle cost, simple payback, and net present value
Your checkpoint
A worked design sheet for one machine system and one structural element, with free-body diagrams, load cases, and a stated factor of safety check.
Machine, Structural, and Energy Systems & Natural Resources and Environmental Systems
Integrate a machine and a natural resource constraint by sizing equipment to minimize soil compaction and fuel use on a given field
Evaluate an electrical or renewable energy system for an agricultural facility, including load estimation and conductor or array sizing
Interpret engineering drawings and specifications for a structural or equipment installation and list the inspection checkpoints
Solve ten mixed Domain 3 and 4 problems under time pressure with only your reference sheet available
Recite from memory the governing equations and units for all Domain 4 topic areas without consulting notes
Your checkpoint
A 25-question cumulative timed test covering Domains 1 through 4, self-scored, with every miss converted into a flashcard.
Professional Practice and Project Management
Apply the NCEES-style code of ethics to six short scenarios involving conflicts of interest, sealing plans, and public safety, and justify each ruling
Build a project schedule with a critical path and identify float on non-critical activities for an agricultural facility project
Estimate a project cost with contingency and compare bid alternatives using present worth analysis
List the contract delivery methods and permit and regulatory approvals typically required for an agricultural processing facility
Draft a risk register with five risks, owners, and mitigation actions for a representative design-build project
Your checkpoint
A two-page project management case write-up containing a schedule network with critical path, a cost estimate with contingency, and three ethics rulings with cited reasoning.
Agricultural Production and Processing Systems & Biological and Food Engineering & Natural Resources and Environmental Systems & Machine, Structural, and Energy Systems & Professional Practice and Project Management
Complete one full-length timed practice exam under exam conditions with only approved reference material
Diagnose the three weakest subtopics from the practice exam and rework every missed item until solved cold
Rehearse reference-sheet navigation by locating ten needed equations within 30 seconds each
Consolidate all flashcards and error logs into a single final review set and confirm each item can be answered aloud
Plan exam-day logistics: timing per pass, calculator check, break strategy, and a written rule for when to skip and return
Your checkpoint
A scored full-length practice exam with a written remediation log showing post-review re-scores of at least 85% on every previously missed item.
Milestones
Week 2: Score at least 75% on the cumulative Domain 1 and 2 problem packet and be able to state, without notes, the governing equation for irrigation scheduling, drying mass balance, and refrigeration load.
Week 4: Achieve 70% or higher on the timed Domain 2 mini-exam and submit the watershed case memo with all four required calculations shown and dimensionally consistent.
Week 6: Score 70% or higher on the 25-question cumulative test across Domains 1 through 4, with no single domain below 60%; every missed item converted to a flashcard.
Week 8: Score 80% or higher on the full-length timed practice exam and demonstrate 85% or better on re-attempted items from the remediation log.