Home/Study Guides/Sustainability, Health & Safety
Sustainability and health and safety, two sections in one guide.
Covers Section 3, Sustainability, new as its own section in the April 2026 specification, and Section 6, Environmental and Occupational Health. Each carries 7 to 11 questions, 14 to 22 of the 80 together. Written for the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) Environmental exam from the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), to the April 2026 specification.
A comprehensive prep course runs $1,600 to $2,800. All six guides are $129 as a set.
57 pages · 22 worked examples · 7 Field Notes · prints cleanly
What the guide covers.
Only the most-tested material makes the cut. Derivations, untested background theory, and very low-frequency topics are omitted to keep your study time focused on what matters the most.
- Carbon and greenhouse gases. the Kaya identity, emission factors, greenhouse gas inventories, and carbon dioxide equivalent
- Energy and materials. conservation and conversion efficiency, renewable and nonrenewable resources, and the waste management hierarchy
- Life-cycle thinking. life-cycle assessment (LCA), and life-cycle cost by present worth and annual cost
- Resilience and reliability. vulnerability, climate impacts, redundancy, and system reliability
- Exposure and protection. permissible exposure limits (PELs) and other exposure limits, controls and mixtures, respiratory protection, protective clothing, and industrial ventilation
- Physical hazards. noise, heat stress, ergonomics and injury rates, and radiation protection
- Hazard communication and confined spaces. hazard classification, flammability, confined space entry, toxicology and exposure assessment, and indoor air
- Planning and projects. emergency planning, incident response, compliance, and project scheduling and cost control
Every topic, built the same way.
A consistent layout means you always know where to look, the same way you will move through the handbook on exam day.
01 · Concept
The key idea
What the exam is testing on the topic, stated plainly.
02 · Formula
Equations with units
Every variable defined, with the handbook page where the formula appears, or a note that you have to memorize it.
03 · Example
Worked in exam style
A full worked example in the multiple-choice format the exam uses, with the arithmetic shown.
04 · Mistakes
Where points are lost
The errors that cost candidates points on that topic, named so you can catch them.
Summary sections you will want to use
- Exam strategy for the section. Question count and weight, the calculation-versus-conceptual split, common traps, and what the handbook gives you.
- Regulatory and qualitative quick reference. The rules, limits, and distinctions the section tests, in tables, to support success on the qualitative questions.
- Key formulas summary. Every equation in the guide, grouped by topic, with unit conversions.
- Self-assessment checklist. Check off each subtopic as you master it.
Seven Field Notes from practice.
Short sidebars with the operating context textbooks leave out. They are what make the processes and the regulations stick.
Cover more of the exam for less.
The whole exam · Complete Guide Set
All six guides for $129
One guide for every section of the specification. 348 pages and 118 worked examples, $174 if bought separately.
Not sure this is your weak area? · Practice Exam
Rank all seven reporting areas first
80 questions built to the 2026 specification, a separate solutions manual, and a score sheet that points each weak area at the guide that closes it.
Matt Bentley, PhD, PE
Environmental engineer, university instructor, and Technical Director at a water treatment chemical company in Colorado. Passed the Environmental PE in February 2026, on the first try, in under 80 hours. He wrote this guide from the materials he wished had existed when he was preparing.
Sections 3 and 6 are 14 to 22 of the 80 questions. Walk in ready for it.
57 pages · 22 worked examples · or get all six guides for $129
Common questions
What does this guide cover?
This guide covers all of Sections 3 and 6 in the April 2026 NCEES specification (3A, 3B, 6A, and 6B): greenhouse gas inventories and carbon dioxide equivalent, energy efficiency, life-cycle assessment and life-cycle cost, resilience and redundancy, occupational exposure limits, respirators, industrial ventilation, noise, heat stress, radiation, confined spaces, toxicology, emergency planning, and project scheduling and cost control.
How many Environmental PE exam questions does this guide cover?
Section 3, Sustainability, and Section 6, Environmental and Occupational Health, carry 7 to 11 questions each, 14 to 22 of the 80 together. This guide covers all four subsections, 3A, 3B, 6A, and 6B.
Is it written to the April 2026 NCEES specification?
Yes. It was written to the April 2026 computer-based testing (CBT) specification from the first draft and covers Sections 3A, 3B, 6A, and 6B. Sustainability became its own section in that specification. See what changed in 2026.
Does it reference the NCEES PE Environmental Reference Handbook?
Yes. Each formula cites the handbook page where it appears, and formulas the handbook does not print are marked as ones to memorize. The guide opens with a section on what the handbook gives you for this part of the exam.
What do I get, and how fast?
A 57-page PDF, downloaded immediately after checkout through Gumroad. It has 22 worked examples, 7 Field Notes, and 3 technical figures, and it prints cleanly.
Can I buy it with the other guides?
Yes. The Complete Guide Set includes all six guides, one for every exam section, for $129 instead of $174.
Can I get a refund?
Because the products are digital downloads delivered immediately, sales are generally final. If something is wrong with a purchase, email matt@confluencepeprep.com and we will work with you to resolve it.