CCE exam experience — the estimating section is harder than the study material suggests

Passed CCE last quarter, first attempt, 74% (passing is 70%). I've been in cost engineering for nine years, primarily large infrastructure projects. I want to walk through what the exam is actually like because I found most study threads focused on "what to study" but not "what the exam actually feels like."

The free cce cost estimation & budgeting questions and answers practice material was a reasonable preview of the easier questions. What it doesn't fully prepare you for: the applied estimating problems where you're given partial project data and have to select the most appropriate estimating method AND calculate an approximate cost range. Those require you to hold multiple estimating method assumptions in your head simultaneously.

The exam is open-book (you can bring your own resources), which sounds helpful but can actually slow you down if you haven't pre-organized your notes. My recommendation: treat the open-book as a safety net, not a crutch. Know the first principles.