Did you run out of time?
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Help Support Professional Engineer & PE Exam Forum:
Now, all kidding aside. I failed. Twice. I studied endlessly and like you I lost my social life. I have a wife and three kids. Just had my third. While sitting for the exam I had two kids under the age of 3. They require time, lots. I would study at night every night. I would never see my wife after the kids went to bed. Yet I failed. Twice. I didn't know why or what else to do. But I didn't give up. Because giving up is the true failure. I have a friend who took it 7 times in total. Passed on the 7th attempt. Keep at it. You are pushing through mental fatigue. You're second guessing yourself.
The final time I took it I decided to change up my preparation. I read the cerm cover to cover, starting in June. Started doing practice problems in July. I organized my practice problems in accordance with the ncees outline. That was key. Also, I only did ncees practice problems and Practice problems from the green goswami book. Every problem I did, I kept in a 3 ring binder, in the order of the outline. I brought it to the exam.
Next, I knew the number of each type of problem being asked, based on the percentages offered in the outline. So as I went through the exam and I hit a snap, I knew exactly where I was relative to the outline. I flipped open my binder of problems, and looked for that section. Then I tried to work the problem, comparing it the one that was most similar in the binder. This worked extremely well in the morning. I was done with an hour to spare. So I went back and reviewed everything. Handed it in with 30 minutes left. I was the first one done in the room. I walked out knowing that I aced the morning section. Thinking that I only missed about 3 total problems.
Good luck. Trust yourself. Oh, and don't forget the Depends. :
:
The final time I took it I decided to change up my preparation. I read the cerm cover to cover, starting in June. Started doing practice problems in July. I organized my practice problems in accordance with the ncees outline. That was key. Also, I only did ncees practice problems and Practice problems from the green goswami book. Every problem I did, I kept in a 3 ring binder, in the order of the outline. I brought it to the exam.
Next, I knew the number of each type of problem being asked, based on the percentages offered in the outline. So as I went through the exam and I hit a snap, I knew exactly where I was relative to the outline. I flipped open my binder of problems, and looked for that section. Then I tried to work the problem, comparing it the one that was most similar in the binder. This worked extremely well in the morning. I was done with an hour to spare. So I went back and reviewed everything. Handed it in with 30 minutes left. I was the first one done in the room. I walked out knowing that I aced the morning section. Thinking that I only missed about 3 total problems.
Good luck. Trust yourself. Oh, and don't forget the Depends. :
:Hackett
Member
You said this earlier, I encourage you to believe in yourself as you approach the days ahead. I felt this test is about confidence and believing in yourself. Sit down and do practice problems. Stayed focused on the exam areas that the NCEES provides to test takers and do not allow your mind to second guess yourself and second guess taking this exam.
"Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try."
Anxiety is common before the test, during the test, after the test, until you get the results. Even when I passed, I still wasn't convinced that I pass and had to check and recheck the NCEES website with the results to make sure it didn't change. :mellow:
center*ice
Active member
Hackett - funny you said you had to check and recheck to make sure you had actually passed. I felt the exact same way. After taking the exam for the second time, I wasn't sure I was reading the 'pass' result correctly. I even had to get my wife to look at it and confirm to me that I had definitely passed!
############01
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Thanks everyone, I really appreciate it. Not too many folks in my non-work world (and few in my work world, really) can appreciate what this is like. I got a little stuck in my first world problem hole for today I think. And I realized I had entered a dark place and my best hope for re-emergence was to take a break. So I went out for a drink with a friend who was celebrating her birthday. I was going to skip it, had already excused myself, but then I realized I was also feeling guilty. Yes, studying is piority, but an hour or two for a good friend's birthday was not that much to ask. And it turned out to be just what I needed. I came back feeling at least a little refreshed.
Now if I could just stay off the engineerboards.com forum!
ps to those of you who did this with young kids, I wouldn't think any less of you had you just said screw it. I can barely keep my houseplant alive right now.
Now if I could just stay off the engineerboards.com forum!
ps to those of you who did this with young kids, I wouldn't think any less of you had you just said screw it. I can barely keep my houseplant alive right now.
I realize I forgot to answer the original question. I took it 2 years out of grad school and had 1-1½ hr remaining on both sections of the 8hr exam (afternoon geotech). I used the additional time to triple check my work but tried not to overthink any of the uncertain questions, going with my gut in the end. It helped that I took the CA seismic and surveying exams the day before so I was already in the rhythm, which doing the practice exam will help with too. I passed the first time but I had unusually favorable circumstances (took it 6 weeks after having my second kid so I studied intensively while on maternity leave and was given special accommodations for pump breaks).
Speaking of going with one's gut, unloading a solid in your Depends will help resolve any issues you may have with territorial table mates during the exam. Right NJ?
Speaking of going with one's gut, unloading a solid in your Depends will help resolve any issues you may have with territorial table mates during the exam. Right NJ?
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############01
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glad to see we are keeping it classy round here. cuz we're professionals. well, at least, YOU are....
Jonhnny123
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Not trying to be harsh, but he failed 6 times? At some point it just becomes luck that you passed.
Failure can be a great learning tool.. if you actually change your behavior because of it. After one failure, you should change your study habits and approach to the exam. I can't imagine going through the test 7 times. Even if you don't put any time in studying, it's still a huge amount of money that's just going to waste.
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Well not to judge others, but he has always been a bit of an over thinker. Right through our undergrad courses. It happens. as far as his costs, yes. He spent big bucks.
ATL Derek
Well-known member
I ran out of time on the TFS back in October. I had to guess on about 8 in the morning and 8 in the afternoon. I was completely unprepaired. I spent way too much time spinning wheels on problems I "thought" I knew how to solve.
Studying the second time around has been much easier but still a time crunch with a 1 and 2 year old running around. However, I did figure out I could put 5 of my kid's diapers (size 4) together to make a pretty sweet adult diaper. Hopefully none of you are sitting beside me in April.
"Never let the fear of striking out get in your way" - Babe Ruth
Studying the second time around has been much easier but still a time crunch with a 1 and 2 year old running around. However, I did figure out I could put 5 of my kid's diapers (size 4) together to make a pretty sweet adult diaper. Hopefully none of you are sitting beside me in April.
"Never let the fear of striking out get in your way" - Babe Ruth
Very resourceful. That's like the scatological version of photocopying your exam references from a friend instead of buying your own.
Good luck! Getting ANYTHING done with 2 little ones is no easy feat.
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Since 2006 (graduated in 2011) I never bought graphing paper. I always made it through AutoCAD and printed with company resources.
ATL Derek
Well-known member
Most of my PE friends took the exam years ago (I graduated in 2000) and I procrastinated because my career really didn't require it. It still does not require it, but it is a personal goal of mine. In retrospect and for anyone on the pursuit of the PE, do it before kids! I think 75% of the pages in my MERM have some sort of kid scribble on it. And my practice problem pages have some sort of sticky food finger prints all over them. I'm sure NJmike can relate to this.
