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Approved Calculators

Approved Calculators

NCEES Approved Calculator Review

Let's be honest--the right calculator is a very important component of your FE and PE exam prep; you have to become very familiar with the calculator you are going to use on the exam. Before you take the FE or PE, be sure you know the in's and out's of what your calculator can do so that you can be prepared for anything the exam throws at you. 

My  advice is to get a calculator that has a solar power option.  You do NOT want this thing to die on you in the middle of the test.  Bummer.  Some even recommend bringing in 2 calculators in case one does die for some unknown, crazy reason.  I think that's overkill, but you get the idea.

Calculators

Here's a list of approved calculators for the PE exam by the NCEES organization:

Casio:

All FX-115 models are approved by the NCEES organization.  The picture on the left is one type of model but you can check out any of them by clicking on the picture and searching in Amazon.  You must have the fx-115 number in the model name and you should be good to go.

I think this calculator rocks.  It has a ton of functionality; it has solar power, it is a breeze to learn, and offers a ton of functions.  That's  why I started the list with this guy--I jumped right to the best.

During my personal studies, I knew many students who used this calculator, and I wished that I had.  I think it really is the best.  Give it some heavy consideration.  

Texas Instruments: TI 30X and 36X

I really like the TI30XIIS.  This TI model is what I actually used on the exam.  The one pictured on the left is the exact model that I took with me.  It's solar-powered, easy to navigate, and it doesn't require a lot of time to learn it.  It's very basic, but it gets the job done.   

If I were to do it again I would probably buy the TI36X.  That calculator can do amazing things and it's approved to use.  Go search for the TI36X and you won't be disappointed.  

Hewlett Packer: 33S and 35S

These HP's are usually the Cadillac (is that a thing now?) of calculators.  The biggest downside, however, is that they are NOT solar-powered. They also require RPN (Reverse Polish Notation) to enter in functions, which I personally hate.  People that know RPN, though, never go back to the old 1+1= button mashing.  

RPN works like this:  1 enter 1 + and it kicks out 2.  There is a learning curve to it, and frankly I didn't want to spend the time to learn it. 

However, they are very nice calculators, and I believe you can change the RPN function to standard.  The simple fact that this calculator didn't have solar power automatically disqualified it in my book.  If you are an HP lover though, then this calculator is for you!  Check one out here.

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keep up with us

@theceacademy
How to find out whether you should go into managem How to find out whether you should go into management or stay as a highly technical civil engineer? 🤔 Sol Rosenbaum jumps on again with a few tips you can use.

#pe #fe #passthepe #passthefe #peexam #feexam #cea #civilengineeringacademy
#civilengineers #civilengineering #pereviewcourse #fereviewcourse
Here’s another successful CEA student who crushe Here’s another successful CEA student who crushed the Civil PE Exam! 💯

Congratulations on becoming a Professional Engineer, Chris! You deserve it after months of dedication and hard work to make it on your first try.

Now go celebrate earning that license! 👷 🎉

#pe #fe #passthepe #passthefe #peexam #feexam #cea #civilengineeringacademy #civilengineers #civilengineering #pereviewcourse #fereviewcourse
Is going into management a natural path for every Is going into management a natural path for every civil engineer? 🤔 Sol Rosenbaum has a different perspective on it, based on what he himself experienced switching into it from an engineering role.

#pe #fe #passthepe #passthefe #peexam #feexam #cea #civilengineeringacademy #civilengineers #civilengineering #pereviewcourse #fereviewcourse
Blending the PE license with other types of work, Blending the PE license with other types of work, such as hairstylists?! 😲

Yeah, that’s been around for some time now, but it's really not the same thing, right?

Our latest podcast  is Jennifer Ziegler, a civil engineer who’s been on the policy side of the profession, including on Capitol Hill!

In our interview, she dives into how these laws and acts created and passed by people who know nothing about the work we do affect your day-to-day as a civil engineer, as well as and the current measures to make sure they serve the profession — not work against it.

Also, she dives into how you can (and why you should) help shape these laws and acts as well…without being a politician! Yeah, that’s right. There’s a way you can do that!

Check out the entire interview with Jennifer by clicking the link in our bio. And don’t forget to share it with fellow civil engineers!

#pe #fe #passthepe #passthefe #peexam #feexam #cea #civilengineeringacademy #civilengineers #civilengineering #pereviewcourse #fereviewcourse
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