Power Review Course Options Options

[jbro02]

Hello -

I've been trolling through the boards for a while but this is my first time posting lol.

I just took the PE -Power Exam in April 2010 and unfortunately I will be taking it again (missed it barely) in OCT 2010 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smileyballs.gif)


I'm on the fence in regards to taking a review course for this thing to help polish up and refine a few of those areas that I'm a little weak in.

I live in the DFW area of Texas. Test Masters offers a review course which is only offered in Houston, TX and is about a 4 hour drive....blah. Not only that, it's very expensive at around $1700 plus the hotel charges.

I actually took the Test Masters course for the FE exam about 3 years ago after my first unsuccessful attempt on the FE flying solo. Ultimately, there course helped me tremendously as I passed the second time no problem.

I've seen some other online courses offered for the PE - Power Exam such as GA Tech's Review Course. It's around $875 for the course and it's pre-recorded lectures and review sessions. They provide you with the class notes and a copy of NCEES Sample Exam Questions as part of the course fee. The good thing about this particular course is that is self-paced and you can watch the sessions over-and-over again as needed.

GA Tech's Review Course

I'm curious if anyone has any experience with this particular course or any others...good or bad experiences as I'm just looking for feedback at this point.

I used these books for studying on the first round:

EERM manual
NCEES Sample Questions
Camara - EE Practice Problems
Camara - EE Quick Ref. Guide
2007 NESC
2002 NEC
Ugly's EE Ref. Guide


I just got the updated 2008 NEC edition.

I'm thinking about picking up Schaum's book and Wildi's book as additional references.


Thanks in advance for everyone's opinions / suggestions.

-J

This post has been edited by jbro02: Jul 1 2010, 02:53 PM

[KEG]

I liked the GA Tech review. I was down to my fourth and final try. The course material was easy to follow and I liked being able to view it on my own time. I did try to stick to a weekly schedule ( you don't want to try and view all the modules in one day or weekend). I think the course, many hours of working problems, and knowing the NEC very well helped me to finally pass. Good luck.

[Gans]

Hello -

I've been trolling through the boards for a while but this is my first time posting lol.

I just took the PE -Power Exam in April 2010 and unfortunately I will be taking it again (missed it barely) in OCT 2010 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smileyballs.gif)


I'm on the fence in regards to taking a review course for this thing to help polish up and refine a few of those areas that I'm a little weak in.

I live in the DFW area of Texas. Test Masters offers a review course which is only offered in Houston, TX and is about a 4 hour drive....blah. Not only that, it's very expensive at around $1700 plus the hotel charges.

I actually took the Test Masters course for the FE exam about 3 years ago after my first unsuccessful attempt on the FE flying solo. Ultimately, there course helped me tremendously as I passed the second time no problem.

I've seen some other online courses offered for the PE - Power Exam such as GA Tech's Review Course. It's around $875 for the course and it's pre-recorded lectures and review sessions. They provide you with the class notes and a copy of NCEES Sample Exam Questions as part of the course fee. The good thing about this particular course is that is self-paced and you can watch the sessions over-and-over again as needed.

GA Tech's Review Course

I'm curious if anyone has any experience with this particular course or any others...good or bad experiences as I'm just looking for feedback at this point.

I used these books for studying on the first round:

EERM manual
NCEES Sample Questions
Camara - EE Practice Problems
Camara - EE Quick Ref. Guide
2007 NESC
2002 NEC
Ugly's EE Ref. Guide


I just got the updated 2008 NEC edition.

I'm thinking about picking up Schaum's book and Wildi's book as additional references.


Thanks in advance for everyone's opinions / suggestions.

-J

Also consider taking some electrician's practice exam's. Do a search for nec practice exams and you'll find dozens of free practice exams. This will help you get used to flipping through the NEC to find answers to questions, and may give you the ability to answer a few questions without looking them up.

[jbro02]

I liked the GA Tech review. I was down to my fourth and final try. The course material was easy to follow and I liked being able to view it on my own time. I did try to stick to a weekly schedule ( you don't want to try and view all the modules in one day or weekend). I think the course, many hours of working problems, and knowing the NEC very well helped me to finally pass. Good luck.

Good to hear. Thanks for the reply - I appreciate it!

-J

Also consider taking some electrician's practice exam's. Do a search for nec practice exams and you'll find dozens of free practice exams. This will help you get used to flipping through the NEC to find answers to questions, and may give you the ability to answer a few questions without looking them up.

That's a good idea...never got around to doing that the first time. After working through the given problems in the NCEES Sample questions - I thought I had them down cold. But the questions on the April exam proved to be slightly more challenging in some respects. Just knowing the Code and how to find the information is the biggest part of it I believe.

Thanks again for the advice!

-J

[megavar]

I'm taking the Irvine Institute's course online starting in August (for Oct 2010 power exam). Cost +-$700 incl books (Chelapati) The course content seem to follow the NCEES exam format fairly closely. I passed the FE last year (22yrs out of school in South Africa) after taking the Villanova online FE course last year. The math, economics, electrical, chemistry were good but the non-electrical lectures were a bit un-organized.
will keep you posted - good luck with your studies!

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/band.gif)

This post has been edited by megavar: Jul 2 2010, 01:41 PM

[jbro02]

I'm taking the Irvine Institute's course online starting in August (for Oct 2010 power exam). Cost +-$700 incl books (Chelapati) The course content seem to follow the NCEES exam format fairly closely. I passed the FE last year (22yrs out of school in South Africa) after taking the Villanova online FE course last year. The math, economics, electrical, chemistry were good but the non-electrical lectures were a bit un-organized.
will keep you posted - good luck with your studies!

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/band.gif)

Ok - yeah I saw their online program too. I'm in the process of emailing Ga Tech's program to ask some more specific questions about the lectures and how they're set up. That was one of my biggest concerns, was enrolling in a class / course that didn't really follow the NCEES path. I want to make sure that it focuses on the specifics of the actual PE - Power Exam and not just a basic refresher on college level power classes.

Thanks for your input.

-J

[KEG]

I'm taking the Irvine Institute's course online starting in August (for Oct 2010 power exam). Cost +-$700 incl books (Chelapati) The course content seem to follow the NCEES exam format fairly closely. I passed the FE last year (22yrs out of school in South Africa) after taking the Villanova online FE course last year. The math, economics, electrical, chemistry were good but the non-electrical lectures were a bit un-organized.
will keep you posted - good luck with your studies!

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/band.gif)

Ok - yeah I saw their online program too. I'm in the process of emailing Ga Tech's program to ask some more specific questions about the lectures and how they're set up. That was one of my biggest concerns, was enrolling in a class / course that didn't really follow the NCEES path. I want to make sure that it focuses on the specifics of the actual PE - Power Exam and not just a basic refresher on college level power classes.

Thanks for your input.

-J

Its not a review of college level power. Dr. Callen will tell you that his goal and the goal for the course is for you to pass the PE exam. He even spent time going through the NCEES sample questions during one of the sessions. And once you've paid for the course, you can take it as many times as you wish. My old company actually paid for the course in 2003 when I first applied for the exam. Unfortunatley, the state board did not accept some of my experience so I didn't get to take the exam then even though I had already completed the review course. Regardless, I only had to pay a small admin fee when I took the course online in 2009.

[jbro02]

Its not a review of college level power. Dr. Callen will tell you that his goal and the goal for the course is for you to pass the PE exam. He even spent time going through the NCEES sample questions during one of the sessions. And once you've paid for the course, you can take it as many times as you wish. My old company actually paid for the course in 2003 when I first applied for the exam. Unfortunatley, the state board did not accept some of my experience so I didn't get to take the exam then even though I had already completed the review course. Regardless, I only had to pay a small admin fee when I took the course online in 2009.

Good stuff - we'll this thing keeps sounding better and better.

The price is good
It's self-paced
You can watch over-n-over
Online = No travel

Thanks

-J

[Tammy-IIT]

Hello -

I've been trolling through the boards for a while but this is my first time posting lol.

I just took the PE -Power Exam in April 2010 and unfortunately I will be taking it again (missed it barely) in OCT 2010 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smileyballs.gif)


I'm on the fence in regards to taking a review course for this thing to help polish up and refine a few of those areas that I'm a little weak in.

I live in the DFW area of Texas. Test Masters offers a review course which is only offered in Houston, TX and is about a 4 hour drive....blah. Not only that, it's very expensive at around $1700 plus the hotel charges.

I actually took the Test Masters course for the FE exam about 3 years ago after my first unsuccessful attempt on the FE flying solo. Ultimately, there course helped me tremendously as I passed the second time no problem.

I've seen some other online courses offered for the PE - Power Exam such as GA Tech's Review Course. It's around $875 for the course and it's pre-recorded lectures and review sessions. They provide you with the class notes and a copy of NCEES Sample Exam Questions as part of the course fee. The good thing about this particular course is that is self-paced and you can watch the sessions over-and-over again as needed.

GA Tech's Review Course

I'm curious if anyone has any experience with this particular course or any others...good or bad experiences as I'm just looking for feedback at this point.

I used these books for studying on the first round:

EERM manual
NCEES Sample Questions
Camara - EE Practice Problems
Camara - EE Quick Ref. Guide
2007 NESC
2002 NEC
Ugly's EE Ref. Guide


I just got the updated 2008 NEC edition.

I'm thinking about picking up Schaum's book and Wildi's book as additional references.


Thanks in advance for everyone's opinions / suggestions.

-J

Hello,

That is a very good information. However, some course lower the price but do not give you the full picture of the exam. You either pay now or pay later kind of deal. Most of the students who took seminars from IIT pass exam the first time. They also give you gauranteed pass, and live seminars and or archive through out the country. If you missed anything in class, you can go back and review it again. The classes are coming up soon just in time for the next exam. You can visit the website and see if it benefit you. www.irvine-institute.org. If it was me, I rather pass exam the first time.

Tammy

This post has been edited by Tammy-IIT: Jul 9 2010, 08:30 PM

[Tammy-IIT]

I'm taking the Irvine Institute's course online starting in August (for Oct 2010 power exam). Cost +-$700 incl books (Chelapati) The course content seem to follow the NCEES exam format fairly closely. I passed the FE last year (22yrs out of school in South Africa) after taking the Villanova online FE course last year. The math, economics, electrical, chemistry were good but the non-electrical lectures were a bit un-organized.
will keep you posted - good luck with your studies!

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/band.gif)

Ok - yeah I saw their online program too. I'm in the process of emailing Ga Tech's program to ask some more specific questions about the lectures and how they're set up. That was one of my biggest concerns, was enrolling in a class / course that didn't really follow the NCEES path. I want to make sure that it focuses on the specifics of the actual PE - Power Exam and not just a basic refresher on college level power classes.

Thanks for your input.

-J

Hello there,

If you are trying to take an exam, please review our information online at www.irvineinsitute.org. We have been helping students since 1973. We provide student with gauranteed pass, so what have you got to loose? Many schools lower the price but fail to teach student what they need to know for the exam. We have live seminars and archive through out the country. If you missed anything in class, you can go back to review again and again. The workbooks gave you sample close to the exam. The classes are starting soon. Good luck to you.

Tammy

[cdcengineer]

Tammy - why are you spamming so hard for the Irvine review course?

25 posts in a day all regarding the course - shame!

[knight1fox3]

Good stuff - we'll this thing keeps sounding better and better.

The price is good
It's self-paced
You can watch over-n-over
Online = No travel

Thanks

-J

jbro02, thanks for the information. I also will be taking the power PE exam in Oct. 2010 (2nd time as well =( ). I am curious to know if you went ahead with the GA Tech Review course or found out anymore new information. I was actually thinking about taking some sort of review course this time around to reinforce certain concepts through practice problems. Evidently the NCEES and Kaplan practice problems weren't enough of a review for me. Anyway, let me know on the GA Tech review course. Thanks! =)

[jbro02]

jbro02, thanks for the information. I also will be taking the power PE exam in Oct. 2010 (2nd time as well =( ). I am curious to know if you went ahead with the GA Tech Review course or found out anymore new information. I was actually thinking about taking some sort of review course this time around to reinforce certain concepts through practice problems. Evidently the NCEES and Kaplan practice problems weren't enough of a review for me. Anyway, let me know on the GA Tech review course. Thanks! =)

I haven't decided yet on the course...I think it starts up in mid August (a few weeks away).

I actually got a copy of the PE Power notes from Test Masters from a friend that took the course back in 2008. The only catch is that the notes were based on the old format of the test - back when there was not 3 separate modules (Power, Electronics, and Computers) as it is setup now.

After looking over the notes and sifting through the information that was relevant - there is still a substantial amount of good info on Power related topics...equations, formulas, problems /solutions, etc...

I think for right now, I am going to take a few weeks to study these notes and try to get a good feel for what's in there and then make my decision on whether or not I need to spend the money on the GA Tech Review Course.

I took the time and effort of scanning all the notes into their individual subjects as pdf files (I think it's over a 1000 pages total). I did this at work haha - but it still took forever even our fancy copy machine lol. I also made myself a copy of all the original notes b/c I had to return the Test Masters book back to my friend.

Stay tuned...

-J

[bambooi]

JBRO:

How much did you study the first time around? I'm considering taking this GA tech class as well. I also sent you a private message.

[jbro02]

JBRO:

How much did you study the first time around? I'm considering taking this GA tech class as well. I also sent you a private message.

I studied for about 3 months.

2 -3 hrs each night and then 6 hrs or so on Sat. / Sun

I felt that it was enough - bu then again, the more time you have to devote to working problems, the better off you will be from my past experiences.

-J

[knight1fox3]

JBRO:

How much did you study the first time around? I'm considering taking this GA tech class as well. I also sent you a private message.

I studied for about 3 months.

2 -3 hrs each night and then 6 hrs or so on Sat. / Sun

I felt that it was enough - bu then again, the more time you have to devote to working problems, the better off you will be from my past experiences.

-J

I studied about 1.5 hrs each night after work and around 2-4 hrs each weekend for 2.5 months. Perhaps this wasn't enough. I did all the review problems in the NCEES power book and all problems in the Kaplan review. Maybe just these alone also weren't enough. I even did a mock exam and redid all the NCEES problems 3 days before the exam. So I am looking for ways to improve and am seriously considering taking the online review course. I may also purchase a copy of the chelapati book. Any other thoughts on this?

[jbro02]

JBRO:

How much did you study the first time around? I'm considering taking this GA tech class as well. I also sent you a private message.

I studied for about 3 months.

2 -3 hrs each night and then 6 hrs or so on Sat. / Sun

I felt that it was enough - bu then again, the more time you have to devote to working problems, the better off you will be from my past experiences.

-J

I studied about 1.5 hrs each night after work and around 2-4 hrs each weekend for 2.5 months. Perhaps this wasn't enough. I did all the review problems in the NCEES power book and all problems in the Kaplan review. Maybe just these alone also weren't enough. I even did a mock exam and redid all the NCEES problems 3 days before the exam. So I am looking for ways to improve and am seriously considering taking the online review course. I may also purchase a copy of the chelapati book. Any other thoughts on this?

Work the problems over and over until you can begin to recognize other similar questions and be able to solve them without searching through your notes. That is going to be an important focus for me on this next round.

Another factor is just the basic knowledge of Power Systems in general - the kind of knowledge that doesn't come from a book, but rather it is derived from experience. You either have it or you don't...this is the unfortunate truth.

I would bet that the majority of engineers with say 10 or more years experience probably have higher first time pass rates than those with less experience. Just my 2 cents

-J

This post has been edited by jbro02: Aug 10 2010, 01:44 AM

[HopefulFirstTime...]

I'm enrolled in the Georgia Tech course and it opened today. So I go to login to get started and they are having networking problems that is preventing me from being able to log in...ahhh!

Dr. Callen is the person that persuaded me into taking the course. I also looked at other options but he seemed confident that taking his course and reviewing the practice problems that come with the course would best prepare me to pass the exam.

I have read through the 7th Edition EERM (ppi) for the first time and was wanting to get started with the Georgia Tech class tonight but seems to be delayed a night.

I've studied ~24 hours since the first of the month with plans to begin ramping up a bit over the next 10 weeks or so. Do you think that is enough? I've read that doing problem after problem is the only way of truly preparing for the exam.

I'd like to get it done the first time, but am not getting my hopes up.

[thewalt33]

I'm enrolled in the GT class as well. I watched the intro last night and am anxious to get going with the rest. I'm a little bummed that they haven't sent out the notes yet. It would be nice to follow along with the notes.

Seems promising though.

[jbro02]

I'm enrolled in the Georgia Tech course and it opened today. So I go to login to get started and they are having networking problems that is preventing me from being able to log in...ahhh!

Dr. Callen is the person that persuaded me into taking the course. I also looked at other options but he seemed confident that taking his course and reviewing the practice problems that come with the course would best prepare me to pass the exam.

I have read through the 7th Edition EERM (ppi) for the first time and was wanting to get started with the Georgia Tech class tonight but seems to be delayed a night.

I've studied ~24 hours since the first of the month with plans to begin ramping up a bit over the next 10 weeks or so. Do you think that is enough? I've read that doing problem after problem is the only way of truly preparing for the exam.

I'd like to get it done the first time, but am not getting my hopes up.

You're on the right track...from my experiences in the past, whenever you think you've studied enough - do it some more. Utilizing all the extra studying time between now and the day before the exam is ESSENTIAL>

Think positive - you will pass it.

I'm signing up for the GA course today too - it's good to hear several other people are as well.

-J

[HopefulFirstTime...]

I've watched the first 4 parts of Module 1 (GT), but am still waiting on the notes also. So far so good.

Dr. Callen seems to be very up to date on the material and is dedicated to this course and being available for students if questions arise.

[jbro02]

I've watched the first 4 parts of Module 1 (GT), but am still waiting on the notes also. So far so good.

Dr. Callen seems to be very up to date on the material and is dedicated to this course and being available for students if questions arise.

I'm still waiting on my Log In information to be sent to me so that I can start viewing the modules...hopefully I'll be online by tonight:)

I called and spoke to Dr. Callen yesterday - seemed to be a very nice guy and helpful with making my decision on this course.

-J

[jbro02]

I'm enrolled in the GT class as well. I watched the intro last night and am anxious to get going with the rest. I'm a little bummed that they haven't sent out the notes yet. It would be nice to follow along with the notes.

Seems promising though.

I called and asked about that - they said it could take a week or so to get all the study material (class notes / NCEES Sample Exam).

Here's a number to call if you're still having issues after a week:

404-385-3501


-J

[knight1fox3]

I'm enrolled in the GT class as well. I watched the intro last night and am anxious to get going with the rest. I'm a little bummed that they haven't sent out the notes yet. It would be nice to follow along with the notes.

Seems promising though.

I called and asked about that - they said it could take a week or so to get all the study material (class notes / NCEES Sample Exam).

Here's a number to call if you're still having issues after a week:

404-385-3501


-J

Thanks for all the info everyone. I also registered for the GT class. Nice to see a handful of us are registered for it in case there are questions/problems down the road. Here's to some hopeful and positive studying. Good luck!

[sam314159]

Any feedback on the GA Tech class so far? A few of us at my firm are considering signing up but we don't know a whole lot about it.

[jbro02]

Any feedback on the GA Tech class so far? A few of us at my firm are considering signing up but we don't know a whole lot about it.

So far so good.

The course is organized into modules - one per week. Each module has about 5 - 6 videos in it. The videos range in lengths of time - some are 25 to 30 mins long...others are 1 to 1.5 hrs...just depends on the subject.

The modules are set up at a nice pace that flows well with the material presented. At any time, just hit pause or rewind if you're unsure about something and simply watch it again.

Its setup in a split screen mode, so on one side you can see the professor (Dr. Callen) as he is talking and on the other side you are looking at the notes (images from the overhead projector)...so it's just like you are in the classroom.

The first module is a solid review in mathematics. I personally didn't spend too much time reviewing the mathematics sessions since I felt pretty good about that stuff already. I watched all the videos, scanning through them and catching the highlights.

The second module is a solid review in circuit analysis and basic power theory fundamentals. I thought that some of the circuit theory was a little overkill, but very informative nonetheless. From my experience taking the exam this past April 2010 - they're a few problems on the test related to circuits...even an OP-Amp problem that caught me by surprise, but certainly not enough of those types of questions to kill yourself trying to re-learn circuit theory. I would honestly say, just familiarize yourself with the basics and move on.

The third module and beyond is where the real Power knowledge begins. This is currently where I'm at this week studying and so far the information has been very helpful in solving problems.


The theory is important - but problem solving is the key.

If you feel the need for a good refresher course then look no further. There are obviously multiple ways to solve a given problem...the solutions provided in the NCEES sample exams and other texts may not always be the shortest, fastest, or most efficient way of arriving at the correct answer. I've already discovered new ways of solving certain problems - eliminating several steps along the way.

For money, I think it's worth it and here's why:

It's online = Self paced = Watch it over and over = Win


-J

[sam314159]

Jbro, thanks so much for the detailed update man. We're actually meeting with Dr. Callen today to discuss the class.

Here's what I am still curious about: You mentioned that on your first go around, you studied:

EERM manual
NCEES Sample Questions
Camara - EE Practice Problems
Camara - EE Quick Ref. Guide
2007 NESC
2002 NEC
Ugly's EE Ref. Guide

That seems like an awful lot, I hate that you are having to take it again. Is the class offering anything new beyond all those books? I would have thought that studying from the above references was a sure bet.

[jbro02]

Jbro, thanks so much for the detailed update man. We're actually meeting with Dr. Callen today to discuss the class.

Here's what I am still curious about: You mentioned that on your first go around, you studied:

EERM manual
NCEES Sample Questions
Camara - EE Practice Problems
Camara - EE Quick Ref. Guide
2007 NESC
2002 NEC
Ugly's EE Ref. Guide

That seems like an awful lot, I hate that you are having to take it again. Is the class offering anything new beyond all those books? I would have thought that studying from the above references was a sure bet.

It seems like a lot yes - but not really when you focus on the big picture. I saw guys bringing in several duffle bags full of reference material into the exam...just insane amounts of books!

All I brought with me was the:

NCEES Sample Book - used this a ton
2007 NESC - used this a ton
2002 NEC - hardly even used
Ugly's EE Ref. Guide - used this a lot for quick formulas

Truthfully, you can have all the references in the world - but if you can't access the information that you need quickly and efficiently - then what good are they?

Here's the deal - work problems over and over until your sick of them. Then...work them some more. I think people feel compelled to utilize a wide array of resources BECAUSE they're available...why not right. Sometimes thumbing through a different text can help to shed light on one particular problem here and there...but in the end it comes down to what you feel comfortable with.

I said this before in a previous post - a lot of the test is formulated around the general knowledge of Power Systems. It is this knowledge that is not necessarily obtained from reading books, but rather it is derived from years of experience in the field or at your job. You either have it - or you do not.

I missed not passing by a small amount - and I mean barely...maybe 3-5 questions.

It's frustrating when you look back at it and ask yourself "what could I have done differently?" Maybe, guessing a little different here and there on few problems...blah blah.

It is definitely an EGO crusher to say the least.

As for the class - we'll it's hard to say since I'm just starting to get into the thick of it right now - only time will tell. What I can say, is the structure of the course - as others have pointed out, seems to help me maintain my focus better. It keeps me organized and allows me utilize my time more efficiently and thus have more productive studying sessions.

It's strange b/c it would be like asking a friend for advice - they give it you, but it doesn't really 'click' in your head all the way...then you go and ask another friend - they tell you basically the same thing, just in a different way - guess what...it clicks this time. Go figure?

I hope you understand my analogy -- that is best way I can describe it.

Good luck with your decision on the course.

-J

This post has been edited by jbro02: Sep 2 2010, 07:51 PM