October PE Exam in WV

[prichmon]

I have been selected to take the PE next month and have selected the mechanical systems and materials for the afternoon. I waited 7 years before taking the FE and do not recall anything about the discussion of PE prep or suggested materials for the test during my college days.

I understand the exam is open book but I do not know the depth I should attempt to cover or take with me in the exam. My thoughts were to start with the basics. I have purchased the NCEES exam prep book and purchased a book on tape for preparation of taking the PE.

Could any of you please give me your advice for prep and materials to take with me in October for my first PE exam?


I intend to take:
FE booklet used in April
FE Review Manual by Lindberge
PE prep exam booklet from the NCEES for this exam.
Casio FX-115

Beyond these books I am not sure of anything else to take.

Thank you very much;

Rich

 

[GearsNsparks]

I only remember using one book for my PE exam...

Mechanical Engineering Reference Manual by Lindeburg.

 

[chicopee]

I think that your preparation time is not enough. You should have started early summer by doing as many problems as possible everyday which is one of the keys to passing part II. I am assuming that you have already taken the EIT.

 

[prichmon]

I passed the eit in April. I agree I should have been more vigilant in my studying.

I will look into the Reference manual.

Thanks

Rich

 

[ShaggyPE]

wow... you don't have much time. I suggest you go over to

http://www.engineerboards.com.

That site is dedicated to PE exam prep. The MERM is the first book you should have. There are a handful of others. The best way to prep for the test is to do as many sample problems as possible. Good Luck.

-Dustin
Professional Engineer
Pretty good with SolidWorks

 

[prichmon]

Thanks all..

Rich

 

[MiketheEngineer]

There is a company - PPI - (I think) that "guarantees" you will pass. Look them up at Ncees.org

 

[chicopee]

PPI guarantees, quiet a bold statement. or money back if you fail?

 

[MiketheEngineer]

Just reading the AD??

 

[imagitec]

I brought a load of books and mostly only used Mechanical Engineering Reference Manual (MERM) by Lindeburg, as jhake recommended. I think the others were a distraction as much as anything else.

More importantly, I purchased the sample exam & practice questions from the same company. I took the sample exam once without preparation using MERM and saw where I was week. Then I put it aside.

I worked through the practice questions, paying particular attnetion to the areas I was week, and using only the references and tools (calculator) I planned to bring. Again, MERM was the primary reference.

As the exam approached, I took the practice exam again. It's important not to have gone back to it in the interim. You want to have forgotten as much as possible from the first time. I felt pretty good after grading myself.

During the exam I was nervous and felt flustered. But it would have been an order of magnitude worse if I was not so familiar with my reference materials or if I had to constantly flip back and forth between reference materials. MERM was pretty much it.

I left the exam not certain I had passed. But I did.

All that said, I just looked on Amazon and they want $198 for it! If you find one used, make sure it is the edition with the combined index for the main book, appendices, and tables. If you can't, the new price will be worth the premium. Just think of it as an additional cost to take the exam.

Good luck.

 

[prichmon]

Starting Over:

I rushed through the exam finishing 90 minutes early. I did not pass. I am in the process of studying now in the weak areas.

I wish to thank all who replied. I appreciate your comments.

Rich

 

[prichmon]

Is this area acceptable to post engineering questions for the things I am studying? I feel I have significant holes from basic to advanced areas which I either don't remember or haven't used daily? Are there more appropriate forums for these questions?

 

[fegenbush]

I would direct you to EngineerBoards.com, since the fine people there are much more geared toward exam prep.

Best advice is to go through the MERM cover to cover. Also, tab the book. An example is shown here:

http://engineerboards.com/index.php?showtopic=3714

Mine had significantly more tabs and they remain in the book to this day.