Sanitary Engineer Licensure Exam study plan

Build a one-page map of the Sanitary Engineering exam scope, listing every subtopic you can find in official PRC/Professional Regulation Commission syllabi, review-center handouts, and textbooks, then mark each subtopic as strong, shaky, or unknown.

Define and write out from memory the core water-quality parameters (turbidity, color, pH, alkalinity, hardness, BOD, COD, TDS, coliforms) with their typical units, health or regulatory significance, and common test method for each.

Solve 15 unit-conversion and concentration problems (mg/L to ppm, flow conversions, loading rates) without a calculator for the first pass, then check with one.

Set up a spaced-repetition deck of at least 60 flashcards covering the terms from this week, and schedule daily 10-minute reviews.

Derive and apply the standard hydraulic formulas for pipe flow, open-channel flow (Manning and Chezy), and weir/orifice flow to at least 20 worked problems.

Compute head loss using Darcy-Weisbach and Hazen-Williams, and state when each is preferred, with units shown at every step.

Size a simple water-distribution branch and a gravity sewer segment by hand, documenting assumptions for roughness, slope, and minimum velocity.

Explain in writing the difference between peak-hour, maximum-day, and average-day demand and how each drives component sizing.

Diagram a conventional surface-water treatment train (coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, disinfection) and label the purpose, key design parameter, and typical range for each unit.

Calculate coagulant and polymer doses, rapid-mix and flocculation detention times and velocity gradients, and filter loading rates from given design flows.

Compute sedimentation basin surface overflow rate and detention time, and explain how these change with flow and temperature.

Write a 300-word comparison of conventional, direct filtration, and membrane treatment for a small community, citing at least three selection criteria.

Design a disinfection step: calculate CT values, chlorine demand curves, and required residual for a stated contact time and pH.

Compare chlorine, chloramine, ozone, UV, and chlorine dioxide on effectiveness, byproducts, and operational complexity in a written table.

Explain the multiple-barrier concept and list the regulatory and public-health reasons for each barrier in a drinking-water system.

Solve 10 disinfection and CT practice problems under timed conditions.

Draw and explain the activated-sludge process, including aeration basin, secondary clarifier, return sludge, and wasting, and define F/M ratio, SRT, MLSS, and sludge volume index.

Calculate aeration requirements, sludge production, return-sludge ratio, and SRT for at least 8 given scenarios.

Compare trickling filters, rotating biological contactors, and activated sludge on loading rates, footprint, and operational skill required.

Describe the purpose and design basis of primary and secondary clarifiers, including hydraulic and solids loading rates.

Characterize septage and sewage sludge (primary, waste activated, digested) and select thickening, stabilization, dewatering, and disposal options for each.

Size a sludge digester and estimate biogas production and dewatering capacity from given solids loads.

Explain the regulatory framework for effluent standards, discharge permits, and sludge disposal, listing the key parameters and limits you must know.

Solve 10 sludge-handling and solids-balance problems, checking mass balance closure at each step.

Design a basic on-site sanitation system: septic tank sizing, soil absorption field area, and setback requirements, with calculations shown.

Explain solid-waste generation, collection, transfer, and disposal options, and compute waste generation rates and landfill volume and life from given data.

Describe air- and water-quality monitoring parameters and the sampling and QA/QC steps that make results defensible.

Solve 12 mixed environmental-engineering problems spanning water, wastewater, solid waste, and air under timed conditions.

Take two full-length timed mock exams under exam conditions, then classify every error as knowledge gap, calculation slip, or misread question.

Re-derive from memory the 25 formulas you are most likely to need, and confirm each against a reference.

Review the flashcard deck to zero lapses and re-solve every problem previously missed.

Write a one-page exam-day plan covering time allocation, calculator and reference rules, and a strategy for skipping and returning to hard items.