Passed the FE Civil on Her Second Attempt After 20 Years Out of School

Elaine graduated in 2001 in Brazil with a civil engineering degree, built a 20-year career in transportation and drainage engineering, and even ran her own company. Then the economy shifted, and she made the decision to start over — in the US, in English, from scratch. She failed the FE Civil exam in December 2021. Between language barriers, unit conversions, outdated study material, and life pulling her in every direction, she wasn't ready. Then she spent the next few years finding her footing in a new country before landing a job in her field that finally gave her the motivation to go back and finish what she started. She passed on her second attempt after more than 20 years after graduating, 8 years after moving to the US, and 6–8 months of studying while working full-time and coordinating 100+ people at her church every week. What finally worked: Genie Prep as her only study resource Waking up at 5 AM on work-from-home days to study before her shift, then studying again after Taking 8+ practice exams to build speed and a real time management strategy Asking her family for help — and being honest that it was temporary ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Teaser 00:06 What was your career like there and what brought you to the US? 01:22 What was the biggest challenge of transitioning your engineering career to the US? 02:15 After being out of school for over 20 years, why did you decide now to take the FE exam? 03:22 How did you feel in that moment when you got the failed result? 04:10 How did you study for that attempt? 05:11 Why did you wait so long to try again? 07:04 How many months did it take you to feel ready for the FE? 08:06 Can you walk us through your daily schedule? 09:32 How did you get back into that studying mode and that rhythm? 11:23 What were some of those things that helped the whole thing make it easier for you? 13:33 What was the primary resource you used on your second attempt? 13:58 How did you first find Genie Prep? 14:56 Which specific aspects of our courses that made the biggest difference for you and really helped you grasp the material? 16:05 Did you take any practice exams? 18:36 Were they close to what you saw on the exam? 19:04 How did you feel walking into the testing center this time around compared to the last attempt? 19:11 Did you feel different or were you so nervous? 20:48 You got the result back. Walk us through that. 21:43 If a student comes up to you and ask you to list three things that really helped you pass your FE exam, what would you say to them? ❓ QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS VIDEO: Can I pass the FE exam 20+ years after graduating? How do I study for the FE exam as an international engineer? How do I transition my engineering career to the U.S? Is the FE exam harder when English isn't your first language? How do I stay consistent studying while working full-time and managing a busy life? What's a realistic FE exam study schedule for someone with a lot of responsibilities? How many practice exams should I take before the FE? How do I manage time during the FE exam? Is self-studying enough for the FE exam, or do I need a structured course? How do I ask my family for support while studying for a the FE exam? --- 📚 RESOURCES ELAINE USED TO PASS: → Genie Prep FE Civil Course: https://genieprep.com/fe-civil-track/ → NCEES FE Practice Exam (Official): https://account.ncees.org/exam-prep --- 📖 FREE FE EXAM RESOURCES: → 100+ Free FE Practice Problems Book with Video Solutions: https://genieprep.com/fe-practice-pro... → FE Reference Guide: https://genieprep.com/FE-Exam-Referen... → FE Study Plan: https://genieprep.com/fe-exam-study-p... --- FAILED THE FE EXAM? YOU'RE NOT ALONE. Genie Prep has helped students pass after 3, 5, even 7 failed attempts. Our courses focus on teaching you the fundamentals, not just memorizing solutions. If you don't pass, we extend your access for free. Life gets busy? Pause anytime. Start here → https://genieprep.com/choose-your-fe-...