Three times each year, typically in April, August, and December, Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) offer the Professional Practice Examination (PPE) to engineers that wish to be licensed in Ontario.

Although many other Associations across Canada choose to use the NPPE exam, created by APEGA, PEO offers its own essay-format and short answer version of the exam.

The content of the PEO exam is the same as the NPPE, but the PEO PPE tests the individual’s ability to communicate effectively through the written essays as well as conceptual knowledge.

Early in my career, I worked as a project engineer for a company that designed, fabricated, and assembled compressor packages in Calgary, Alberta.  We did this for domestic and even sometimes international customers.  

We designed and fabricated pressure vessels, pressure piping, structural skids and mounted rotational equipment.  We assembled these components and shipped them to customers.  

The design work was communicated by issuing drawings for the vessels, piping and skids and also included process and instrumentation diagrams, and what we called service flow diagrams as well.  Occasionally we were asked to stamp or authenticate the design and we always argued which diagrams we should be stamping.  

The SOPEEC exams are tough and some consider them poorly-suited to their profession. Roughly 41% of students fail the SOPEEC exams - OUCH. I studied  engineering at a university in Canada and recognize the much of the materials as curated works of my 1st and 2nd year university-level engineering courses. 

Yet, you must pass the exams  and to make it tougher the suggested study materials do a poor job of covering the material you're tested on. So we'll pass along the tried, tested and true study methods that engineers use to pass very technical examinations in as little time as possible.

But beware, the number one mistake in preparation for these exams is to simply read and review the suggested materials.  For exams this challenging, the majority of preparation time must be spent working through problems just as you would in an exam.

You need to get your hands dirty. Start with a question and a blank sheet of paper, work through the steps, stopping to get more information as required to work your way through problems.  This is the only way to ensure a solid understanding.  This is the only way to ensure you'll do well on the exam and we'll walk you through that today.

But ensure you leave time for a laugh as well with these hilarious engineering jokes. 

Should you get a master’s degree? This is an age-old question that seems to never go away. What are the benefits? What are the downsides? Will that extra piece of paper on your wall result in more paper in your pocket? The answers to these questions vary depending on the industry and the company you work for.

So often I am asked whether students need to purchase the PPE or NPPE exam books.  They are definitely not cheap.  You are looking at approximately $250 CAD.  You are also facing a significant amount of reading, in the order of 800 pages. Its easy to see the dilemma.  

An alternative, is to purchase training material such as the study guide's offered at PPE Headquarters.  If one passes the exam without purchasing the materials, then outstanding, a great save of money.  If one fails without purchasing the materials ... its easy to feel like an idiot.  

It's a tough question; however, here are the criteria I utilize to make a solid recommendation.   First let's have a look at the texts in question as they differ for some Associations.

The fundamentals of engineering exam can make or break your career as an engineer. Well that's not actually true, but it will definitely feel that way if you don't pass. No pressure, discover the pitfalls that will held you back from passing this exam, and fix problems before it happens again.