Need some good FE (EIT) Review advice? 7

[Wrightguy]

I'm planning on taking the FE (or EIT) this fall. I would like to get some ideas from others about how they went about preparing.

My background is little different from the norm.

I'm a little older than most college freshman (36) and have been taking classes one semester at a time. (Structural) So all of my classes aren't as fresh in my mind as they would normally be for others.

I do plan on taking a review course, but I wanted a few opinions on it before I dive in this summer.

thanks for the help in advance.

 

[jheidt2543]

Wrightguy,

I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news first; I found the EIT exam to be more difficult than the PE exam. It seemed to be more theoretical and covered all the engineering courses somewhat equally. Of course, I took the exam in 1971, with the EIT on the first day and the PE on the second, so it could have changed a little since then <g>. I'm a Civil, so the electrical and thermodynamic portions of the test were gruesome for me.

The good news is that the test is open book, so if you prepare in an organized way you should do well. Select your reference books carefully and tab the pages so you can find information and example problems quickly. As I remember it, you do get partial credit for the problems. As long as you can show you know the method and outline the solution, you don't necessarily have to get the correct numerical answer of (course, you don't get full credit, but something is better than nothing).

The PE exam was more practical and directed at the various specialties.

Best of luck!

 

[Wrightguy]

Thanks, but it has been some time since you've taken it. The FE is now closed book. (Although they do give you a handout when you walk in.)The PE is open book if thats what you meant? My hats off to you for taken both at the same time though. It takes some big ones to do that.

I agree the FE will probably be harder than the PE.

 

[Zulak]

Get the practice exam from the company that gives the FE exam. I also found the FE more difficult than the PE, more because I took it 10 years out of college. The afternoon session was easier than the morning, so don't be discouraged at the lunch break.

Start studying 4 weeks prior to exam (any sooner and you'll forget the information you started on.), approximately 2 to 3 hours a day with a day off mid-week. And don't study the day before the exam...If you don't know it by then, you're not going to.

Good Luck.

 

[steve1]

Have a strategy. First take a couple of practice exams that simiulate that real test - use the same time allotment as the real thing to get a handle on how many questions you can answer in the time alloted. Use the results of the practice exams to determine both your strong and weak subjects. Depending on the outcome of the practice exams you may find it more advantageous to concentrate on your stronger subjects in order to maximize your time when taking the real eaxam.

Get a technical dictionary and just study definitions for those subjects that you are extremely weak in. Knowing the definitions of key terms can go along way to eliminating incorrect answers.

When taking the exam try this. First go question to question and only answer those that you are sure of. Leave the others for the second and third passes. Next go back through and try the questions that you can eliminate one or two of the answers. If you have to guess at these questions at least you improve your odds of guessing correctly. Lastly go back through a third time and mark the same letter for each question that you have no idea of how to solve. For this go through you hope to get at least 25% of your guesses correct.

Also do no studying the night before the exam. Have a light, nutritious meal for breakfeast prior to the exam, and have a light lunch also (some people get quite sleepy after a heavy meal).

Good luck and don't get discouraged if you don't pass it on the first try.

 

[Mattman]

Here is a tip that was given to me that worked great.

As you know, the morning portion of the exam covers all areas of engineering, while the afternoon portion gives you the choice of a general exam or discipline-specific exams.

When I took the test, all the exams were in the booklet, so you could look them over before you chose one.

The tip is: TAKE THE GENERAL TEST IN THE AFTERNOON AS WELL, NOT YOUR SPECIFIC DISCIPLINE.

You have to study all fields for the morning exam anyway, and the discipline specific problems are more in-depth and difficult than the general problems. If you opt for the general exam, you are essentially taking the morning exam twice...no studying for two separate exams.

Of course, I recommend that you take a look at your discipline's afternoon exam before you choose the general exam, just in case it looks like a cake walk.

 

[Wrightguy]

Great advice Mattman!!!

Great input everyone thanks!

Still loking for anyone who has actually taken a review course and live to tell the tale...

so to speak..

Let me know if it was helpful, expensive, waist of time etc...

 

[whyun]

Hi again, Wrightguy. I remember you from How to Improve Myself forum. Good luck to you in your exam.

Words about the review prep courses... Personally, I havent attended any courses for any license exams. However, general consensus I get from those who took the courses are:

1. it is expensive.
2. sessions are slow-paced.
3. losing saturdays for many weeks is a big sacrifice.

In my opinion, if you are disciplined enough to study on your own using review books, it is probably better. For most people who are un-disciplined, the courses provide a mandatory time out of the week where they have to be &quot;forced&quot; to sit in and do homeworks. I recommend save your time and money and study on your own. You don't have to be stalled when other students in the class take up the instructor's valuable time by asking questions that are not relevant to your own needs. This time again, choice is yours. Best of luck!

 

[dicksewerrat]

I took the EIT exam soon after I graduated from school. however I took 12 years to get through school, with a couple years off for a vacation in SE Asia. Raising a family and full time job was a factor also. As others have said the EIT is a test of the engr. principles. study methodically and for only the month before the exam. Good luck.

 

[SRO]

Here is my two cents:

1) Mattman is right. I took the general in the afternoon and didn't regret it for a second.

2) TAKE A 5 MIN BREAK in the middle of each exam. Sacrifice the time for the sanity. i.e. I aced fluid mechanics, yet when I got to that part of the exam (3 hours into the exam) I couldn't even remember that Q=V*A

3) BE EFFICIENT WITH YOUR TIME. If you don't know the answer, skip it and return to it. HOWEVER I put a light dash just outside the column on the ones I skipped so I could find them with a simple glance.

4) WRONG ANSWERS DON'T COUNT AGINST YOU. when they say &quot;put your pencils down, make DAMN sure every question is answered. I'd didn't and It ALMOST cost me the exam (side note: I got 1 point higher than a friend. I passed, he didn't)

5) IGNORE THE RULE ABOUT NO SCRAP PAPER. I bought a new pad of engineering paper, left the plastic on until i was in my seat for the exam took the plastic off when one of the proctors was in relativity close to my seat. long story short, I got through the morning exam, and into the afternoon exam before a proctor from the survey exam was strolling around in our exam saw me and told me to put it away.

6) THEN I JUST WROTE ON THE DESK. So have a big eraser because you will run out of space.

7) INVEST IN A TEXAS INSTRUMENTS TI-89 GRAPHING CALC. It costs about $150, is relativity easy to use, and will do all of the calculus for you.

8) If you get the TI-89, also get the cable link to the computer. There are programs online to download for free that will help you in this exam. If you get the TI-89, and the cable and have any questions, let me know. I'll be happy to help.

9) HAVE THE BEER ALREADY AT AND THE DRINKING LOCATION. You don't want to waste time stopping at the package store to by the booze.

 

[lwalkup]

I took the test right out of school, so that helped a little. I bought one of the review books that had a diagnostic to help you figure out what you need to study. It also has the percentage of questions from each category. Using a calculator to do all of the calculus is an excellent idea. There are a bunch of questions about shapes revolving around the axis and the calculator will solve them in about 2 seconds.

Also, the book pointed out lots of tricks that the test likes to use. For example, the test makers love to draw an elaborate indeterminate structure and ask for the force in one member. Look carefully, because most of the time, the answer will be 0!

So the review book will help point out things like that. We had review sessions at school but they tended to focus on the things I already remembered and not go into the things you really need to know. Although, a FE specific course might be more focused on teaching &quot;test tricks&quot;. But I think the book is good enough!

 

[SRO]

Oops I forgot something;

9) WHEN YOU GUESS AN ANSWER WHERE YOU REALLY HAVE NO CLUE, ALWAYS STICK WITH THE SAME LETTER THROUGH OUT THE EXAM. I've heard that statistically you will do better than guessing A, C, A, D, B, B, D, A, etc.

Last but not least

10) HAVE THE BEER ALREADY AT AND THE DRINKING LOCATION. You don't want to waste time stopping at the package store to by the booze.

 

[scherry]

Don't know where you are taking the exam but i do have one thing to add to the generally good advice above DO NOT BREAK THE RULES BY BRINGING IN ANYTHING THEY SAY YOU CAN'T BRING. I have seen people tossed out on thier ears for that and not allowed to retake. I have seen people try to bring in books tabbed with yellow post-its, which are not allowed in california, TAPED to the books - since the idea is they cannot be removeable - they spent the first fifteen minutes of the exam desperately ripping thier books up trying to get the tabs out of the books. Don't take the risk of playing games. It is not worth it. in most cases you can get extra scratch paper if you need it. one other thing - be comfortable. wear clothing that you can layer. i swear i failed the eit the first time because i was so cold i could not punch the keys on the calculator, and couldn't think straight for shivering. i brought a pillow, the seats are often low and the tables high, bring extra pencils, erasers, and batteries. And aspirin. good luck. oh also i found the review course generally a waste of time - I took the PE review not the eit, though.

 

[Lutfi]

There are several companies that published training manuals. I took my EI back in 1984, one year after I graduated. I did find it to be very hard and all encompassing of the first two years in engineering school. It is hard to believe it has been that long ago. Time does fly.

I bought my books (EI and PE0 from professional publications. They were very good and helpful. I have to make one comment about open book tests, if you do not know how to solve the problem; open book will not help you. You must practice and or know the material. You do not have time to shuffle between pages during the exam. Else you will wind up making too many guesses to unsolved problems.

Relax the night before the exam. Take few references books for formulas and or charts.

Good luck and I wish you great success.

 

[abzpdl]

I have a big fat book full of practice problems that I'm working through well enough.

The review class compliments the book study: by reminding you keep the study pace, creating a forum with other examinees, and especially gives me a place to bring my book in with the problems I'm stuck on. The profs seem to enjoy assisting with these, since they tend to use their own sample problems over and over.

Worth the extra drive? sitting hours in classs? and the big buckos? I'm in the midst of preparing for the exam, so I'll follow-up with a post-test perspective.

 

[abzpdl]

Just noticed this thread was started a year ago (hate when that happens)...so did you pass???

 

[pmkPE]

I think that if your are in a multi-discipline consulting engineering firm that you will have had ample real life examples to study from and will be able to take and pass the exam. The difficult parts will be for those that specialize in a few areas such (only) sanitary engineering, or only steel design, etc.