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wjrez

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I failed the Power PE. I think I was close, but close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.

Now the state says I need to wait a year and also show proof of a course that I take and successfully complete and is aligned to the Power PE to allow me to sit again. This means April 2015 at the earliest.

I believe that my failure this time was due to the fact that I was not disciplined enough to do all the studying and then work through as many problems as humanly possible. By not doing this, I did not develop the ability to recognize a problem and then working thorugh it with minimal slogging trhough reference material. I honestly believe this was the basis for my demise.

I have already spent a lot of $$ in prepping for this test earlier and I have reference manuals galore, but I know I need to do a lot of working through problems and not only understand them, but develop the ability to identify the type of problem during the exam. This is not something I will get from taking a course. However, to satisfy the need (and minimize the expense) are there courses out there that would satisfy (in your opinion) the basic need of the state to allow me to sit again in April?

Thanks.

 
This is a copy of an earlier post in response to a similiar question - before I found out I'd passed. The Georgia Tech online course is excellent. it made the difference for me this time. The teacher is very accessible. You will need to confirm if it satisfies your state requirements This was my third time taking it after a 17 year hiatus. also browse through the portion of this forum that is specific to the electrical exam. Lot of good info out there.

Two three ring binders. Composed of GA Tech material, solved problems, and miscellaneous info I printed from the internet. One of the binders was the GA Tech one. By the time I included all the supplemental info I had to split it in two. GA Tech really gives you a good foundation. It also has a good section on code and NESC.

Camara reference manual along with the associated sample test and solved problems. the reference manual came in handy but I did not really use the other two books.

Graffeo book. Electrical Engineers Guide to Passing the PE Exam. Handy reference manual good and concise. Good lighting and wattmeter info. I recommend a good cursory reading of this book. A nice amount of miscellaneous info which could come in handy. Good section on CT's. also has helpful sample test.

Complex Imaginary sample tests. Good sections on ideal transformers, motors, and code problems. Some problems are on par with actual exam problems.

Spin Up exams. Problems are not as difficult as exam problems but they focus on details which come in handy during exam.

NEC handbook, as opposed to actual NEC book. The additional, clear explanations worked better for me.

Grainger and Stevenson's Power System Analysis. I used it more as moral support than an actual reference.

NESC book. Focus more on NEC as opposed to NESC. I would recommend becoming familiar with the basic goals of NESC and what it covers and doesn't cover. If you read through NESC introduction I think that will be sufficient.

Complex Imaginary NEC drill book. I highly recommend getting this. Time was tight so I only worked through about a third of the book. the drills helped me become familiar with where the topics were located. As I attempted each problem I would underline the nouns in each question. then go to the index, look up the nouns and go from there. You just have to grind it out but if you use that process you should be able to answer the drill problems in 6 minutes or less. I felt really good about the NEC test questions as a result of this book.

As I worked through each sample test, if I couldn't find the answer in my reference book I would google it. I'd then print that info out and add to my notebook. A lot of this included PLC's, VFD's, GFCI's, harmonics, voltage classifications, short circuit calc, generation prime movers, load flows/bus types and any other subject I couldn't find.

NCEES sample test. Good overall study guide. Know different ways that the problems can be asked. I only carried in the 2011 edition but also had 2009. Problems are exactly the same. 2009 contained a lot of general info which is now found on NCEES website. My guess is NCEES wanted to be able to quickly update any rule/guideline changes. If I have to do it again I will spend a little more time on this test.

Finally spin-Up suggested a good test day strategy.

1) Don't skip around the test but go through each problem in order. On first pass, work the ones that you know off the bat and don't necessarily have to dig deep to solve.

2) Mark the NEC/NESC problems with a "2" and work on the second pass. That way you don't have to worry about going back and forth between the code books and other reference matl's.

3) Mark all problems with a "3" that you think you can solve after digging deeper in your reference matl's. Also, any code problems that you couldn't work on the 2nd pass should also be marked with a "3".

4) Mark all problems with a "4" that you really don't know but maybe can use solid engineering reason to solve. Hopefully by this time you only have about 20% of test left. I'm not saying I was fortunate enough to have this happen to me I'm just telling you my strategy.

5) Mark all problems with a "5" that you have no idea how to work. Assuming the light bulb doesn't come on for these, I would recommend doing a quick scan on the rest of your answers, seeing what letter is trending and go with that.

On some of the "4" and "5" the light bulb did come on for me after a 2nd or 3rd look. Hopefully that made up for any careless errors I might have made on 1-3. I actually used that same strategy to pass the CEM (Certified Energy Manager) exam in 2013.

Hopefully all this translates into a passing score but nonetheless I felt really good about my test prep. As a result of my cross referencing and various tabs I was able to quickly access a good amount of info. How you organize your references and sticking to a test strategy are just as important as knowing the material.

 
I think a lot of people have different methods that work for them. A set of good materials is definitely a good start. However, organizing the material is half the battle. Also, make yourself a formula book. If you need a template, PM me with your email. I will send you one.

Also while doing the formula/note book, make sure you add more notes and formulas and etc to it..sample questions etc.

ALso, learn how to use the calculator.

 
Thanks for the responses and appreciate the advice and tips, but I also need to sign up for a course and get a completion certificate the State board will accept as an appropriate refresher. However, I do not want to spend a lot of $$ on a course when I really believe I need to work problems and develop my strategy using some of the specifics that I have seen on this board. I am willing to spend a few bucks, but the courses I have all seen are at $1k + (GA Tech, School of PE, etc). Any suggestions?

 
MGI has a course for $400 - 500. I ordered it but did not get much use of it. IMHO the problems were not pertinent to the current exam. I still stand by the GA Tech course but if all you want to do is show proof you took something, at a relatively low price, MGI may be the way. One plus is that the instructors appear to be accessible and they give you an option of sending in mini-tests, during the course, which they grade. I don't know of anything less expensive than that. Unless of course, you want to send me $300.00 for my "course" and I'll send you a certificate of completion. :Locolaugh: Oh, behave!

 
I also used the GA Tech course when I was preparing for the power pe. Now that you have a year you can use that year to study, study, study. That's what I did, I study a lot for about may be a year and a half. At the end of the GA Tech course you can take an exam I don't remember how many questions it have but if you pass they sent you a certificate you may be able to use that as proof. The certificate looks better than the PE certificate from some states. Just relax, I know you can do it. If I could you can...and you have better advantage than me since my primary language is Spanish not English. All books are made in English language. You need to think like me. In order to pass this test you need to have the knowledge of a college professor. So you have to eat the books basically but at the end it really pays off. Do a loooot of problems the harder the problems the better and is important that you also work on simple problems too. After this you don't have to study any more(except for continuous education)....just make this big effort once this is done is done.

 
I also used the GA Tech course when I was preparing for the power pe. Now that you have a year you can use that year to study, study, study. That's what I did, I study a lot for about may be a year and a half. At the end of the GA Tech course you can take an exam I don't remember how many questions it have but if you pass they sent you a certificate you may be able to use that as proof. The certificate looks better than the PE certificate from some states. Just relax, I know you can do it. If I could you can...and you have better advantage than me since my primary language is Spanish not English. All books are made in English language. You need to think like me. In order to pass this test you need to have the knowledge of a college professor. So you have to eat the books basically but at the end it really pays off. Do a loooot of problems the harder the problems the better and is important that you also work on simple problems too. After this you don't have to study any more(except for continuous education)....just make this big effort once this is done is done.
Wildsoldier makes a great point. In all seriousness, GA Tech may cost more than you'd like but it's the best value out there. It also facilitates a good structured way of studying. Study hard and do well!

 
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Can I ask how many times you have taken the test? I've heard in Kansas you are allowed to take the test 3 times before they require an additional class. I've heard other states won't allow any retakes after 3. I understand that after all you have spent trying to take the test for as a cheap as possible, but it sure seems like that willpower alone hasn't gotten you where you need to be. On this board, there is no shortage of folks that have taken classes from the various vendors and attest it helped them pass. It seems like your state board is looking out for you here.

That being said....what are the requirements for the class? If it doesn't have to be tailored specifically to the PE Exam. A three hour class at your local community college on the NEC or Circuits 1 or Circuits 2 (or a power class if they offer it) may prove to be a bit cheaper.

 
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