Mechanical PE Exam 2017 Major Changes

[mfritze]

Hello,

I have been studying to take the April PE exam. I just read that they have eliminated the morning AM breadth section and instead the entire exam is specific to the chosen subject matter (whelp ... so much for all that studying). Anyone in the same boat? What is your study syllabus and strategy?

I have been studying with the PPI2PASS problems and MERM book but the study strategy is out-of-date now. As far as I can tell none of the online or in person classes have updated their materials yet so I feel a little blind on how to best prepare. I'm putting together a new syllabus for myself tonight and will share. Curious as to others thoughts...

-M

 

[zdas04]

mfritze,
I took the test the year that it changed from long-form questions to multiple choice. The first MERM I bought was for the old test. About January before the April exam there was an update for the new format and I had to buy it to restart my study strategy. It sounds like you are probably in the same boat. I'd start looking for an update.

[bold]David Simpson, PE[/bold]
MuleShoe Engineering

In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. Galileo Galilei, Italian Physicist

 

[SandCounter]

I took the exam a few years ago. I would use the same strategy as then. I took the exam spec and made a list of all the topics. If there are multiple topics listed in one line item, I broke those down as well. I used the number of questions that would be on that large heading and divided them among my list. Then I took 300 hours I was committed to study and pro-rated the time among the list based on the number of questions. Then I found and bookmarked each of the items in my books. I studied each for that pro-rated amount of time and worked at least one example problem. I noted the book and page number on my list. My list became a table of contents for my exam resources, and I put it into a 3-ring binder to make it legal. Each question on the exam conformed to one of the topics on the list and I knew right were to turn and how to work the problem.

It seems the new exam format should cut down on the number of resources you will need to bring.

Good luck!

I used to count sand. Now I don't count at all.

 

[mfritze]

Yea it might actually be a blessing. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[balloon]

I took the test last April--I had no idea they were looking into changing the format.

I agree with SandCounter about using the exam specification to break down which topics to study and prioritize based on the high yield topics. I took the ME exam and the MERM seemed to prepare me very well for the format as it was then. I also took practice exams several times to get used to working problems at speed. I don't think any of that should change with the new format, just the material you need to focus on looks to have shifted.

I took the ME Mechanical Design section and spent a LOT of time having to relearn HVAC, thermo, and heat transfer--it looks like you wouldn't have to worry about now. I would think the decrease in breadth would make studying easier, because you have a lot fewer topics to worry about being quizzed on. It also reduces the number of sections you need to be familiar with and the number of reference books to bring.

The downside is that I think relearning all the other subjects was a great refresher and has made me stronger as an engineer, so future PEs might be missing out on that. If I wasn't forced to learn it I wouldn't have bothered, but I'm glad now that I did.