PE Reference Materials resource? 3

[RikuY]

Good folks of the forum,
I am about to sign up for the PE test in my state of Florida, and I have some questions about the allowable reference list.
I am doing the Machine Design depth of ME. Where can I find a list of titles allowed into the test?
I am sure it is someplace I overlooked, but NCEES and the Florida Board of Prof. Eng. websites didn't have any such listing that I could find.

My second issue is finding a freshen-up course before the exam. I am hoping to sign up for October's test, but not without such a course. Any sources for such courses?

Many thanks in advance.

 

[HgTX]

Typically you can bring anything in other than books of solved problems (and even then enforcement will vary). Try doing a search on those websites on "calculator"--the restrictions on reference materials might be somewhere on the same pages as the calculator restrictions.

I liked the ppi2pass self-study CD for civil engineering; I can't vouch for them in any other field.

Hg

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[rholder98]

Basically, you can bring any text you want. Everything you bring in must be bound (i.e., textbooks, or loose notes bound in a 3-ring binder), and you must be able to bring it in in one trip; that is, you can't bring a stack of books in and go back to your car for the rest.

 

[HgTX]

Even that may vary. When I took the test, some of the guys had their wives toting along extra boxes of books. (The female test-takers all carried their own stuff...)

Hg

Eng-Tips policies: faq731-376

 

[GolfMeeting]

Almost everyone that took the test when I did had some sorta luggage cart to carry their boxes of books in. I even saw a few kiddy waggons with books loaded up. Other people probably borowed their work's 2 wheel dollies.

 

[ddelaiarro]

all the more reason I'm glad I don't need a PE certification for the type of work I do....I couldn't imagine having to take a test that required that amount of reference material to pass...Good luck to you.

 

[rholder98]

But the key is knowing which books will be the most helpful to you, and being familiar with those. Chances are, you won't have time to go digging through a text you barely know for every problem. Most of those people who bring in a dolly full of books probably don't use half of them. Having the information is one thing, but you have to be able to retrieve the information in a timely manner, as well. Good luck.

 

[HgTX]

It's mostly the civil engineers who need stacks that big. It's all the code books & such--we use those references in real life, not just on the test. The MEs and EEs and ChEs in the elevator with us were quite amused.

Hg

 

[CarolinaPE]

I took the mechanical PE with Machine Design concentration in '02. I used Lindeberg's Mechanical Engineering Reference Manual and the NCEES Practice test booklet as study guides. I used one other machine design reference book in addition to the ME ref manual for the test and that was it. Passed on the first try. I did see other people toting in a suitcase full of books, not me. To this day I still use the Reference manual on occasion and have basically given away all my old college texts. It covers in concise format all the ME basics. Good luck on your test!

 

[mpparent]

When I took the PE, I saw a guy who had books that were within milk-crates, and on a dolly. I swear he had at least 12 crates full (no kidding). Look..if you need that many books, you obviously don't know your field. Bring at most 3 or 4 books.

Mike

 

[cvg]

the crates are useful because you can set them on the table in front of you and basically construct a temporary bookshelf. however, 12 crates is rediculous. 1 or 2 should be more than adequate - even for a CE...

 

[HgTX]

I had a small roller suitcase of reference books I thought I might possibly need, and a small duffel bag of books I was pretty sure I needed. I wound up ignoring about half the duffel, and digging out one of the books from the suitcase.

mpparent--3 or 4 books might be okay for EE. It's not for CivE. There are 5 disciplines covered, and each needs at least one or two books for the morning portion (and no, Lindeburg doesn't cover everything; it just means fewer forays into the other books). Then one's choice of discipline-specific afternoon test can bring in several more code books. (One of the reasons I chose geotech rather than transportation for the afternoon was because I didn't have the two or three additional references I would need to take that afternoon test.)

Hg

Eng-Tips policies: faq731-376

 

[RikuY]

Thank you all for this info. I will check out the books you all cited. I do appreciate this forum for information just like this.

It seems I am laughing at some of the crate stories a little too much. The point about having 12 crates would seem a bit ridiculous to me as well. I have 2 reference books at work, and they seem to provide all the information I need. My work is concentrated though, so I need to broaden my reference base for the exam.

Thanks again.

 

[NickelMet]

I'd have to agree with everyone else. Bringing LOTS of reference materials is really a waste of TIME. And remember, you are on a TIMED test.

For me, it was about 10 books for the metallurgical PE. Mainly this was due to the different steels and such I thought I'd encounter. I ended up using probably about 7-8 of those.

Also, DO GET some sample problems and work them. And if you belong to a professional society, don't hesitate to ask around for information, you might be surprised at what you gain.

I wish you wisdom in choosing the right references to take, persistence in studying, godspeed in getting through the test, and good luck in putting it all together into a passing score!

~NiM