PE Construction study plan
PE Construction · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 8 hours per week
Construction Operations and Methods (depth) & Means and Methods (breadth)
Build a one-page decision matrix comparing excavation support systems, dewatering methods, and earthmoving equipment by soil type and site constraint
Work 35 practice problems on cranes, rigging, and lifting plan calculations, showing the load/capacity/radius check for each
Derive and apply formwork and shoring pressure equations to five realistic wall-pour scenarios
Write out a sequencing logic for a concrete placement operation including cold-joint location, access, and cure protection
Your checkpoint
A 25-page (max) personal reference sheet plus a timed 25-question quiz on Domains 7 and 2 scored at 70% or better, with every miss tagged by error type
Construction Operations and Methods (depth) & Structural Mechanics (breadth)
Solve 30 structural mechanics problems covering beam reactions, shear/moment diagrams, deflection limits, and combined stress
Compute tributary loads, load combinations, and simple beam/column sizing by hand for three framing layouts
Explain in writing how temporary loading during construction (shoring, reshoring, staged construction) can control final member forces
Revisit week-1 Domain 7 errors and re-solve each missed item cold without notes
Your checkpoint
A worked problem notebook of 30 structural items with free-body diagrams, plus a 20-question timed quiz on Domain 4 at 75% or better
Project Scheduling (depth) & Project Estimating and Cost Control (depth)
Build a 40-activity CPM network by hand, then compute forward/backward pass, total and free float, and identify the critical path
Perform resource leveling on that network and document the resulting schedule and cost trade-off
Produce a quantity takeoff from a written scope description for concrete, formwork, rebar, and earthwork, and price it with a crew-and-equipment rate buildup
Calculate earned value metrics (PV, EV, AC, CV, SV, CPI, SPI, EAC) for three project scenarios and interpret each result in one sentence
Your checkpoint
A complete hand-built schedule file plus cost estimate and an earned-value worksheet for three scenarios, scored against a 20-question timed Domain 8/9 quiz at 70%
Project Administration and Management (depth) & Soil Mechanics (breadth)
Draft the contract-administration essentials: change-order process, differing-site-conditions notice, submittal and RFI flow, pay-application review, and delay/claim documentation
Classify soils by USCS and AASHTO from given gradation and Atterberg data for 20 samples
Solve 20 problems on effective stress, consolidation settlement, and slope stability factors of safety
Determine compaction specification compliance given Proctor curves and field density test results
Your checkpoint
A contract-and-soil reference packet plus a 40-question timed mixed exam over Domains 7, 2, 4, 8, 9, 10, 3 scored at 65% or better with a written error-cause log
Project Planning (breadth) & Materials (breadth)
Assemble a project-planning checklist covering scope definition, WBS, permitting, site layout, and constructability review
Compute concrete mix proportioning by absolute volume and evaluate admixture selection for five exposure scenarios
Compare structural steel, masonry, asphalt, and wood material properties and specify acceptance tests for each
Solve 25 problems on concrete strength acceptance, slump/air testing, and material quality control
Your checkpoint
A one-page planning checklist and a materials test matrix, validated by a 20-question timed quiz over Domains 1 and 6 at 75% or better
Construction Safety (depth) & Hydraulics and Hydrology (breadth)
Build a site-specific safety plan outline covering excavation and trenching, fall protection, crane operations, and hazard communication with the governing standard cited for each
Calculate trench protective-system requirements and crane swing-radius exclusion zones for four site scenarios
Solve 20 hydraulics and hydrology problems on runoff (rational method), culvert and channel capacity, and pump/system curves
Size a temporary drainage and sediment-control scheme for a described site and justify each measure
Your checkpoint
A safety plan outline with cited standards plus 20 solved hydraulics problems, scored against a 20-question timed quiz over Domains 11 and 5 at 75%
Construction Operations and Methods (depth) & Project Scheduling (depth) & Project Estimating and Cost Control (depth) & Project Administration and Management (depth)
Re-solve every problem missed in weeks 1-6 and record the underlying concept for each, closing the loop on all weak areas
Work two 4-hour half-length practice exams under timed conditions and score each by domain
Build a personal 'top 50 traps' list of recurring construction exam pitfalls from the error log
Drill the highest-weight domains 7, 8, 9, and 10 to a per-domain score of 80% or better
Your checkpoint
A completed error log with zero unresolved items and a top-50 traps document, plus per-domain practice scores of 80% or better on the four heaviest domains
Project Planning (breadth) & Means and Methods (breadth) & Soil Mechanics (breadth) & Structural Mechanics (breadth) & Hydraulics and Hydrology (breadth) & Materials (breadth) & Construction Operations and Methods (depth) & Project Scheduling (depth) & Project Estimating and Cost Control (depth) & Project Administration and Management (depth) & Construction Safety (depth)
Sit two full-length timed practice exams simulating exam-day conditions, including breaks and reference discipline
Review only missed items and the top-50 traps list; make no new-content forays
Confirm logistical readiness: approved references, calculator, ID, and testing appointment
Your checkpoint
Two completed full-length practice exams at 75% or better overall with no domain below 60%, and a final one-page exam-day checklist
Milestones
Week 4: Achieve at least 65% on a 40-question timed mixed set across the seven domains covered to date, with every incorrect answer mapped to a written root cause
Week 6: All eleven domains have been studied at least once; cumulative practice accuracy is at or above 70% and no domain scores below 55%
Week 7: Error log shows zero unresolved items and each of Domains 7, 8, 9, and 10 scores 80% or better on timed practice
Week 8: Two full-length practice exams completed at 75% or better overall, with no single domain below 60% and exam-day checklist finalized