PE Exam in one month, tips anyone??? 7

[bradpa77]

I'm wrapping up my PE exam studying here this month. I take the test in a month from today. I'm taking a class to prepare and I think I'm coming along pretty nicely. It's been about 5 months of studying and counting. So I've definitely been working hard towards it. I'm going to be taking the pennsylvania test with Mechanical discipline and Machine Design Depth.

I'm still shaky on my thermo, fluids, and HVAC stuff for the AM part of the test though. Anyone take this test recently? Do you have any tips on what to look at or how detailed to get with the problems. There's just so much that could be covered and I'm having trouble with narrowing down what to look at.

Also, anyone have any idea of the cut scores for the test. I realize that they are determined on a test by test basis but does anyone have any insight on what a "worst case scenario" might be for a cut score? How about you guys that took it twice. You probably got a detailed mailing about your test results when you took it the first time. What was the passing score for your test? Are we talking 60%, 70%, or even 80%. I just have no idea. I would like to have some sort of idea of what my chances are after the test. If I feel like I may have gotten x% correct, I want to feel somewhat confident in the fact that I passed or failed.

How about any other tips for the test? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[monkeydog]

This has been discussed here before, but seems to always come up about twice a year. Like any other test, work the easy ones first (now that it is all multiple choice).

Cut scores seems to be a ghost try not to concentrate on that.

If you have been using the Lindburg book to study, that is probably the best source.

Day before the test don't kill yourself cramming. You know what you know. I did a dry run to the test site at the same time in the morning as I would on test day. Good thing, you realize morning rush hour is worse then you think, and the sun obliterated the street sign I was to exit at.
Pack a good lunch, bring water, a cushion to put on the hard chair, life savers to suck on during the test (beats tapping you pencil when your thinking).

Good luck!

 

[cvg]

dry run to the test site is a good idea and if you need it, bring a detailed map. Be sure to also prepare a list of everything you need to bring with you so you are not searching for it the morning of the test. Make sure you gas up(the car) the night before. Get spare batteries for your calculator or better yet, a spare calculator. Bring several pencils, spare lead, erasers, and even some old fashioned wooden pencils in case you break the mechanical. Remember Murphy's Law and try to prepare for it...

 

[COEngineeer]

You cannot bring extra pencils, spare lead, or erasers. All you need is an approved calculator, your books, drink, and candy. Everything else stay in the car.

Never, but never question engineer's judgement

 

[jistre]

COEngineer is absolutely right. I took the test in October, and they've really clamped down on what you can bring in. What he's written down is pretty much it. I walked in with my calculator and a backpack full of books and even my calculator got heavily scrutinized, even though it was clearly on the approved list.

My one mistake was lunch. I took the test here in Baton Rouge, and I live here, so I'm familiar with the area around where the test was given. I knew there were lots of cafes and such around the area and figured lunch would be no problem.

WRONG.

I can't stress enough how important it is for you to pack a lunch you're really going to like. Halfway through that exam, you're going to need a decompression break to just relax and enjoy yourself because the exam is grueling. If you rely on local eateries, you'll at best always be watching the clock and rushing through your meal to ensure you make it back before they lock the doors, and at worst, you'll just have to go hungry for any number of reasons. Being able to sit down where you can see when they open the doors to go back into the exam and be able to relax is going to do wonders for you.

Also, remember during lunch that the afternoon session is where you're going to rip that exam apart because that's your depth session and what you should be best at. If you don't think you did well in the morning, just remember the afternoon is supposed to be in what you're good at, so eat and RELAX.

Finally, earplugs. They're awesome. I wish I had some when I took the exam. Remember that there are likely going to be a few hundred people taking the exam all together in one big room and you will not have normal background noise to mask the annoying sounds. You can hear EVERY time someone scoots their chair or fidgets. With that much nervous energy floating around, every few seconds, you'd hear "Rrrrrr-EEEEEE-KKKKK" as someone scooted their chair one inch across the concrete floor in the auditorium we were in, then it would reverberate. I wanted to kill by the end of the exam.

 

[HgTX]

Why won't they let you bring erasers??

You may not be able to bring your drink and candy. They took everyone's drink away when I took the test and made them leave them on a table at the back, and they had a water cooler back there as well (I suppose you could walk back and visit your drink if you wanted). (I guess they're afraid of you spilling your drink on your neighbor's test.) Fortunately I was sitting in the back row with the drink table right behind me, so I could reach back and get my drink, and after a while I just kept it on the floor next to me and no one said anything.

Hg

Eng-Tips policies: faq731-376

 

[swertel]

The rules of what can be taken into the exam room will be sent to you. In general:
* Only approved calculators. Bring 2. I actually had to go buy new calculators just for the exam. I decided to buy two and good thing, because my #2 didn't work on one of them.
* Only 1 backpack full of books. I have seen so many people bring in 2 suitcases full of books. If you don't know your material well enough to instantly find it in your references, you are out of time.
* All food and drink was banned from the exam room. They didn't want to have any accidents messing up the exam sheets. Regardless, it's hot in AZ so they allowed 1 bottle of water per person.
* Like everyone else says, bring your lunch. I went outside to get some fresh air and stretch. Then I ate. Once the doors opened, I went back inside and took a nap. Don't nap outside of the doors! Yes, one guy was so exhausted from the first half of the test that he fell asleep in his car. I think some people tried to wake him, but he just wouldn't wake up and they weren't going to risk not getting in.
* Earplugs. I too wish I brought some.
* Drive to the location the day before, just as others have stated. Know the main route, an alternate route, where to park, and where to walk to the main entrance.
* Go to the bathroom when you get there. Eat breakfast, but don't have a big meal for breakfast or the night before. You don't need your stomach churning and you don't want the hassle of a bathroom pass, not to mention the HUGE time waster.

Good luck. And remember, it's a pass/fail test. No one cares what score you got as long as it is above 70%.

--Scott

http://wertel.eng.pro

 

[cvg]

well, things have changed since I took the exam!

- pencils and erasers are provided
- phones, pagers, laptops etc are not allowed
- calculators must be approved
- anything else that compromises security is not allowed however, unless that includes a baloney sandwich - it seems to be allowed (at the discretion of the proctors)


see the following link:

http://www.ncees.org/exams/professional/#bring

 

[zdas04]

When I took the exam it was in a hotel. I decided early on that I was going to avoid the stress of a commute and got a room in the hotel. Made sure I set the alarm on my cell, the alarm in the room, and put in a wake-up call and then slept like a baby and got up a couple of hours later than I would have with a comute.

David

 

[bradpa77]

Lots of great tips and advice everyone! I really appreciate all the help! Keep 'em coming!

 

[jistre]

Hmm. The hotel thing is something I'd never have considered because I live where the test is given, but that's a GREAT point to bring up. By checking in the afternoon before you can wander around the area at your leisure and get your bearings, then rest as much as possible.

You don't want to be late because they WILL NOT let you in once those doors are closed, and you don't want to be unrested.

Check, and check.

 

[jistre]

Oh yeah, layer your clothes. This might sound silly, but you're going to be in a large room. If the temperature is not to your liking, it's not going to be changing any time soon, and you're going to be there for eight or so hours. It was something like 40 degrees and windy the morning I took the exam, but it must have been 80 inside the auditorium, and I'd worn a fairly heavy long-sleeved shirt and a good windbreaking jacket.

It was miserable being stuck in that shirt all day.

 

[Gymmeh]

Physical conditioning, if your like many engineers, you probably sit all day with minimal activity. Or While conditioning your mind you may have forgotten to keep your physical shape.

Doing endurance exercise of any kind will help you for many reasons.

 

[MisterDonut]

I took the mechanical PE with thermo/fluids afternoon test last October (passed.)
"Mechanical Engineering Reference Manual" by Lindeberg was my #1 resource for studying and during the exam. Make a 3-ring binder with the MERM index, with tabs for quick reference.
Get the NCEES practice test. It is representative of the difficulty of the problems you will get in the exam. Do this practice test and then learn from the problems you got wrong.
The problems in the sample tests and practice problems available as companions to the MERM are more difficult, but are good practice.
Do at least one preactice exam, in the time limit, attempting to simulate exam conditions. I think this is key.
You will not need a psych chart. There will be one in the exam book. Know how to use one for HVAC problems.
You will not be allowed to write or mark on ANYTHING other than the exam booklet and answer sheets. (Don't circle or underline a number in one of your references during the exam, don't plot a point on a graph other than one in your exam book.) Also, you can have Post-It flags in your references, but you can't move them. They must be in place when you arrive and stay there.
For the thermo/fluids problems: know the Rankine cycle, know how to apply the Bernoulli equation to pumping problems, know how to compute hydraulic power, know how to compute electric motor power.
Bring your own steam tables (BTU/lbmºF units.)
I agree with previous posts on knowing the exam location, dressing, and lunch.
You can bring in you own notes, as long as they are bound and remain bound during the exam (3-ring binder or similar.) Make notes while you study on things that you will need to access quickly.
Good luck!

 

[5588hzz]

The tips are good for me. I am also going to take the coming PE exam. I plan to take the machine design afternoon test. Anyone can give me some advice for this mechine design test. Someone told me "Mechanical Engineering Reference Manual" by Lindeberg is not good enough for this afternoon test.

1) What kind of questions on weldment? On the weld symbol or calculate the weldment stress?

2) Questions on Gears? Do I need to study all gears, worm, helical gears, bevel gears?

3) Any Questions on Clutches, brakes and coupling?

4) How can I prepare the questions on Interpretation of Codes and Standards , ASME or ASTM? Which standard should I bring? API 6A, 16A?

5) Shock wave in fluid flow, nuclear power cycles will be asked? All chapters in "Mechanical Engineering Reference Manual" by Lindeberg are required?

For someone who passes the exam. Do you think you get the 70% of questions corrected?

 

[JamesBarlow]

It's impossible to say what's going to be on the exam since they are always different. I took it twice before I passed it and each time was very different.

Lindeberg had everything needed to pass the exam I feel. I used some other references to speed up the process for me and they helped in solving problems that were presented in a different way then the MERM but it was all in there. If your goal is to get %100 on the exam then you will need more than the MERM but if you just want to pass than it will cover enough to get you there.

The one change I needed to make for the second time taking it was to study some electrical. The problems are not very difficult but they do play on many different areas. A simple question about raising a weight become a nightmare for me since the problem was presented with the electrical inputs to the motor.

Once I got profficient at that things went very smoothly. It's important to remember that the exam, specifically the afternoon Machine Design section, is meant to be a test of your machine design skill and not just picking bearings and sizing weldment. You may need to size a weld, but it will be in the context of a larger problem and that's were I ran into the most difficulty the first time.

 

[BRGENG]

Most importantly relax the day before. Do not try and study all day or night. Just get your reference materials in order, find a friend who is taking the test go out to dinner and relax afterwards.

 

[5588hzz]

Any more tips? I am so so worried about it.

I don't think I have time to study all materials in "Mechanical Engineering Reference Manual" by Lindeberg?

Do I need to study inorganic chemistry?

Thanks.

 

[Unotec]

Say your prayers

Just relax, you're gonna be fine, you've studied. Let the brain do the work, don't you worry.

<<A good friend will bail you out of jail, but a true friend
will be sitting beside you saying ” Damn that was fun!” - Unknown>>

 

[Maui]

Consider yourself fortunate that there is a review manual for this exam. No review manual exists for the metallurgical exam that I am aware of, and those of us who have taken and passed that exam each studied in our own way to prepare. The most important thing to do during the test is to keep breathing and RELAX. You will feel overwhelmed at times and get frustrated on some problems (I did), but don't let that stop you from using your head. Decide on a strategy before going into it and stick with it during the course of the test.

Maui