April 08 Exam

[Samzmom08]

I am still recovering from the Friday exam, my brain was not completely functioning yet. I was able to solve most of the AM questions, then maybe little more than half of the PM ones.

For those who had taken it last week, how do you think you did?

 

[rjluke]

I had a similar experience. I felt the AM portion wasn't too bad. I think I did well. I agree the PM section was more difficult. If an answer could be calculated, I think I did fine. Questions that required knowledge and/or experience with a particular situation were problematic if you hadn't encountered them prior in your working life. I tried to use engineering judgement to narrow it down to at least 3 answers and did my best test strategy guessing from that point. I hope I was lucky!

My biggest worry going into the exam was having enough time to finish all the problems. In study and practice exam situations, time constraints always were tough for me. On exam day, I was able to maintain a good pace. Extra studying and exam day adrenaline must have helped speed me along!

 

[Samzmom08]

Questions that required knowledge and/or experience with a particular situation were problematic if you hadn't encountered them prior in your working life. I tried to use engineering judgement to narrow it down to at least 3 answers and did my best test strategy guessing from that point. I hope I was lucky!

I used the same approach, since I could not have forseen the kind of questions that were derived from the specific field. I only had Perry's to reference to. I hope I answered enough correct ones to cover for the guessed ones.

The time pressure part, I was keeping track by working at a pace to solve 10 problems in an hour, if I am spending too much time on one, I'll skip it and go back to it. I had enough time left over on the second part of the exam toI flip through the entire Perry, only to find my efforts fruitless.

Are there anyway one can prepare for these types of questions?

 

[snickerd3]

I used the same approach, since I could not have forseen the kind of questions that were derived from the specific field. I only had Perry's to reference to. I hope I answered enough correct ones to cover for the guessed ones.
The time pressure part, I was keeping track by working at a pace to solve 10 problems in an hour, if I am spending too much time on one, I'll skip it and go back to it. I had enough time left over on the second part of the exam toI flip through the entire Perry, only to find my efforts fruitless.

Are there anyway one can prepare for these types of questions?

I think perry's is kind of overrated. I bought one in college bc everyone said it was the best reference out there and you would use it all the time. It didn't help me either when I took the PE.

I don't think there is a way to prepare for those types of questions other than using best professional judgment. But that's kind of the point of the test. They have to test experience gained knowledge too, or else what would be the point of having to gain so many years before you can take the test. Even if you are not an expert in a topic area, if you able to use the thinking process you learned in college/work, I believe you still have a better chance at answering correctly.

 

[dagget]

I think perry's is kind of overrated. I bought one in college bc everyone said it was the best reference out there and you would use it all the time. It didn't help me either when I took the PE.
I don't think there is a way to prepare for those types of questions other than using best professional judgment. But that's kind of the point of the test. They have to test experience gained knowledge too, or else what would be the point of having to gain so many years before you can take the test. Even if you are not an expert in a topic area, if you able to use the thinking process you learned in college/work, I believe you still have a better chance at answering correctly.

I brought two copies of Perry's with me to the exam (5th edition that I bought in school and the current 7th edition borrowed from work) and only referred to them twice. Not a very good information to weight ratio.

I had a different experience in that I finished the morning section with only 15 minutes left and was checking answers right up until time was called. The afternoon section I finished with a little over 30 minutes left, checked everything to my satisfaction and left the room early. I only had to guess at two of them. (I know what dilute phase solids conveying is, but have never worked with it).

I think that you are correct that some parts of the exam should be easier, or easier to recognize, with experience and that helps me since I graduated in '79 and have worked in both manufacturing and consulting since. The flip side is that re-learning kinetics was a complete bear as I haven't integrated anything in too many years.

Just for the record, I think that I passed the April exam, but we'll see in a couple of weeks.

 

[rjluke]

I passed - now I can enjoy the rest of my summer without having to study. Yeah!

 

[Samzmom08]

I passed - now I can enjoy the rest of my summer without having to study. Yeah!

Congrads! It must've felt good.

I am still postively waiting for my results to come in next month...

 

[rjluke]

Congrads! It must've felt good.
I am still postively waiting for my results to come in next month...

That's brutal! The wait was bad enough in Iowa. I feel for Californians. I lived there for 4 years before moving (back) to Iowa.