First Time’s A Charm: P1 Mechanical Estimator Amelia Mullin Passes PE Exam on the First Go
Looking out at the buildings rising from the Kansas City skyline visible along the curve of I-35 is the earliest inspiration Mechanical Estimator Amelia Mullin can recall, but it was enough to shape her career path in the architectural, engineering, and construction industry.
“I’ve always liked buildings,” Amelia said. “I grew up in Kansas City and one of my favorite things as a kid was driving into downtown where you could see the skyline – it always made me feel inspired, even when I was little.”
She found the Architectural Engineering degree at Kansas State University fit her passion for structures.
“Once in the curriculum, I learned structural engineering wasn’t as interesting to me as the mechanical side,” Amelia said. “Structural doesn’t leave as much room for creativity – mechanical is about taking a set of rules and figuring out how you’re going to fit what you build into those guidelines.”
Amelia found an internship at P1 in 2021, reporting to Team Leader and Senior Project Manager Carey Minihan, which she says gave her a variety of projects to work on.
She recalls one project with Truman Medical Center that entailed removing bromide chillers and installing new hot water equipment.
“I had never even seen a bromide chiller before,” she said. “That was really interesting.”
Amelia’s latest milestone is taking – and passing on the first try – the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam.
“I wanted to take this exam even before I started college,” she said. “In Kansas, you can take the exam at any time – some states require you to have more experience before you take it.”
She notes that some of the content aligns what she learned in college, so she wanted to take it while that was still fresh.
“I studied for three months to prepare,” Amelia said. “It’s an eight-hour exam with one one-hour break in the middle. So, a lot of the challenge is stamina – you have eight hours to complete 80 questions, but you have to manage your time and know your stuff well enough to not panic!”
Her study paid off, considering the first-time pass rate across disciplines is around 50 percent, and the odds of passing on a second attempt go down to 35 percent.*
Amelia says she didn’t think she was going to be among that 50 percent.
“I walked out not feeling very confident,” she recalls.
But she did pass, and will look forward to getting her official PE license after a couple more years of experience.
There are several steps needed before a PE license can be obtained, and Amelia only has one to go.
A degree that’s ABET accredited (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology)
Take and pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, which is based on college broader topics learned in college, like chemistry and calculus.
Take and pass the PE exam, which is more focused on a specific area. In Amelia’s case it was mechanical HVAC, specifically aimed at HVAC, and some plumbing, design.
Four years of experience working under someone who has a PE license – Amelia has about 1.5 years of that experience so far.
“As an estimator, I enjoy the different types of projects I see around the Kansas City metro area,” she noted. “I’ve worked in healthcare, industrial, and higher education markets, and get to see a lot of different things at P1.”
Future goals include staying in estimating or possibly moving to preconstruction. “It’s cool to see projects as they’re coming in,” Amelia said. “I like being part of that initial analysis to set the project up for success.”
*Barghausen.com, “A Guide to Passing the PE Exam on the First Attempt”
Pictured, above: A few of Amelia's creations, including tiny hard hats measuring about 2 inches each
To feed her creative side and relax, Amelia likes reading and crochet. “I wanted to crochet little hard hats but couldn’t find a pattern, so I made my own,” she said.
