Dr. Tom's Classroom vs PPI2Pass vs (others?) for passing the PE Exam Mechanical (Thermal & Fluid 1

[jacktbg]

Anyone have any experience with either of these courses, and/or what have you heard about them? I was originally going to take the PPI2Pass live course (the full package) that starts in February, but I read some reviews saying that it goes way too deep into rabbit holes that will throw you off. I've heard nothing but praise about Dr. Tom's classroom, but I have no idea whether not having a live instructor and a live chat during sessions is going to be an issue, and how much of an advantage that would be if I go with PPI2Pass. The small complaints I have heard about Dr. Tom's classroom were regarding the feeling that most of the content is surface-deep and really just focused on passing the exam, but... surely that's a good thing, right? Most people have a finite time to study, and having a focused study plan and not wasting my time sounds appealing.

The other thing I've heard about PPI is that the material for the PE is potentially outdated now that the exam has moved to computer based testing. Can anyone attest to whether or not this is true?

I've been out of school for about 3 and a half years, passed my FE Mechanical about 3 years ago, have a LOT of studying to do, but I'm planning on taking the PE exam in like 6 months. In my view that is plenty of time to prepare if I devote a lot of time to it, but I'm really torn on which course to take to prepare. My company will be paying for whichever course I end up taking, luckily, so price isn't really the primary concern.

Ideally, I'd like to make my final decision this week. If anyone has any thoughts, experience with either, or 3rd recommendations I would absolutely love to hear them. I am split 50/50 between the two, my gut is telling me to take Dr. Tom as I personally know someone who took the course, and loved it, and it's the exact same course every time, but glancing at the syllabus for PPI it sounds so impressive that I'd be a fool not to take advantage of all those resources... right?

 

[SJBombero]

I used PPI 3 times for ME, PE, SE and passed all of them the first try. Some of the value of these prep courses are the design aids that they give you. However, with the change to CBT, that is meaningless now because you can't take anything into the test with you. The majority of the value is just an organized, scheduled format to work through all the topics. In that respect, I would expect most of the courses are probably the same.