Podcast
Engineering Exam Prep
Hosted by Ran Chen, EA, CFP® · EN
Engineering Exam Prep is a free, daily podcast by OpenExamPrep covering the most in-demand engineering licensure exams — including FE Fundamentals of Engineering, FE Surveying, and the full PE catalog (Civil, Civil Geotechnical, Civil Construction, Civil Transportation, Civil Water Resources & Environmental, Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Architectural, Agricultural & Biological, Control Systems, and more). Each 5-minute episode breaks down one exam topic with worked-style examples, NCEES Reference Handbook callouts, common exam traps, unit-conversion gotchas, and memory tricks to help you pass on your first attempt. No fluff, no filler — just the concepts you need to know, explained the way the exam tests them. This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation for everyone — from EITs studying for the FE to working engineers preparing for the PE. For free practice questions, AI-powered explanations, flashcards, and full study guides, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ Subscribe and listen daily — your PE license is closer than you think.
75episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
FE Civil Exam Prep 86, Traverse Computations — Bearings, Latitudes/Departures, Shoelace
1w ago00:03:20Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How to convert between bearings and azimuths to correctly apply latitude and departure formulas. - The critical sign conventions for latitudes (N+/S−) and departures (E+/W−) that are common exam traps. - The process for calculating the error of closure in a traverse and adjusting it using the Compass Rule. - How to find and apply the Shoelace Formula (Area by Coordinates) from the Mathematics section of the NCEES Handbook. - A simple mnemonic, 'Latitude is Like Northitude,' to quickly recall the North-South and East-West components. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →FE Civil Exam Prep 85, Differential Leveling — HI Method and Closure
1w ago00:03:56Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The Height of Instrument (HI) is calculated by adding the Backsight (BS) to a known elevation point (HI = Elev + BS). - A new point's elevation is found by subtracting the Foresight (FS) from the Height of Instrument (New Elev = HI - FS). - A Turning Point (TP) is used to move the instrument, receiving a Foresight before the move and a Backsight after to establish a new HI. - Error of closure in a level loop is the difference between the final measured elevation and the known starting benchmark elevation. - Always convert the total loop distance to the correct units (e.g., feet to miles) before calculating the allowable misclosure. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →FE Civil Exam Prep 84, Construction Safety — OSHA Focus Four and Trenching
1w ago00:03:32Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The four leading causes of construction fatalities, known as OSHA's Focus Four, are falls, struck-by, caught-in/between, and electrocution. - Fall protection is required at heights of 6 feet or more, while trenching protective systems are mandatory for depths of 5 feet or greater. - The three OSHA soil classifications (Type A, B, and C) dictate the maximum allowable slopes for excavations, with Type C being the least stable. - A designated "competent person" must conduct daily inspections of excavations to ensure safety. - Excavated spoil piles must be placed at least 2 feet away from the edge of a trench to prevent collapse. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →FE Civil Exam Prep 83, Earned Value — PV, EV, AC, CPI, SPI
1w ago00:03:56Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How to differentiate between Planned Value (PV), Earned Value (EV), and Actual Cost (AC). - How to calculate and interpret Schedule Variance (SV) and Cost Variance (CV) to determine project status. - How to calculate and interpret Schedule Performance Index (SPI) and Cost Performance Index (CPI). - To identify common FE exam traps, such as confusing time-based scheduled progress (PV) with performance-based completed work (EV). - How to use the Estimate at Completion (EAC) formula to forecast the new total project cost based on performance. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →FE Civil Exam Prep 82, Project Scheduling — CPM, Forward and Backward Pass
2w ago00:04:19Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The Critical Path is the longest duration path in a project network, and its activities have zero Total Float. - How to perform a Forward Pass to calculate the earliest start (ES) and earliest finish (EF) times for all project activities. - How to execute a Backward Pass to determine the latest start (LS) and latest finish (LF) times without delaying the project. - To calculate Total Float (LS - ES), which represents the time an activity can be delayed without impacting the final project completion date. - A simple mnemonic for calculations: 'Forward is Max, Backward is Min' for activities with multiple predecessors or successors. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →FE Civil Exam Prep 81, Air Quality — NAAQS Pollutants and Plume Dispersion
2w ago00:03:26Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The six NAAQS criteria pollutants are Ozone (O₃), Particulate Matter (PM₂.₅/PM₁₀), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂), Sulfur Dioxide (SO₂), and Lead (Pb). - Primary NAAQS are designed to protect human health, while secondary standards protect public welfare, such as crops and visibility. - The Gaussian plume model, found in the NCEES FE Reference Handbook, is used to calculate downwind pollutant concentrations. - A common exam trap is confusing the effective stack height (H), which includes plume rise, with the physical stack height (h). - Atmospheric stability classes (A-F) determine the plume's dispersion coefficients (σ_y, σ_z), directly impacting ground-level pollution concentration. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →FE Civil Exam Prep 80, BOD, COD, DO Sag, Streeter-Phelps
2w ago00:03:30Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The key difference between BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) and COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) for exam purposes. - How to conceptually understand the Dissolved Oxygen (DO) sag curve resulting from wastewater discharge. - The roles of the deoxygenation (k_d) and reaeration (k_r) rates in the Streeter-Phelps equation. - How to correctly calculate the initial oxygen deficit (D₀), a common source of error on the exam. - A mnemonic to distinguish between the two primary rate constants in the DO sag model. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →FE Civil Exam Prep 79, Wastewater Treatment — Activated Sludge F/M Ratio
2w ago00:04:00Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The F/M ratio is the daily mass of incoming BOD (food) divided by the total mass of microorganisms (MLVSS) in the aeration tank. - The core formula is F/M = (Q × S₀) / (V × X), found in the Environmental Engineering section of the NCEES Handbook. - A critical exam trap is distinguishing between MLSS and MLVSS; use the volatile fraction to find MLVSS, which represents the active microorganisms. - Pay close attention to units; ensure consistency (e.g., MGD and MG) to correctly apply the 8.34 lbs/gallon conversion factor. - Remember the mnemonic 'Feed the Bugs' to correctly place Food (BOD) in the numerator and Microorganisms (MLVSS) in the denominator. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →FE Civil Exam Prep 78, Drinking Water Treatment — Train of Processes
2w ago00:03:47Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The correct sequence of the five main steps in a conventional drinking water treatment train. - How coagulation uses chemicals like alum to neutralize particle charges, enabling floc formation. - The critical difference between the rapid mix of coagulation and the slow mix of flocculation. - How to perform a CT calculation for disinfection to ensure required pathogen inactivation. - Common exam traps, including unit conversions and the application of baffling factors in contact time calculations. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →FE Civil Exam Prep 77, Signal Timing and Pavement Design
2w ago00:03:55Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How to apply Webster's optimal cycle length formula, C₀ = (1.5L + 5)/(1 − Y), for signal timing problems. - The critical distinction between the 'Y' for the sum of critical flow ratios and the 'Y' for the yellow interval calculation, a common exam trap. - The purpose of the AASHTO Structural Number (SN) in representing the overall strength of a flexible pavement. - How to solve for a required layer thickness (D) using the formula SN = a₁D₁ + a₂D₂m₂ + a₃D₃m₃. - The importance of including drainage coefficients (m₂ and m₃) for base and subbase layers, a frequent source of error on the exam. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
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