Hello

[oldmachinist]

Hello

I am going to take the mechanical PE test for the 3rd time this fall and trying to figure out a strategy that will work. I hit the books hard for the April 08 test but had the same results as Oct 07 test. It appeared that stuff I studied in the spring (going off of what was on the Oct 07 test) was out of sync with what was on the test.

I used the "the other board" material and NCEES sample test. Ideas here are welcome.

I have been out of school for a longtime and at this point am fairly frustrated not only with myself but with the way the test is structured. I do not think it is representative of good engineering in a working enviroment.

 

[AndyR_on_LI]

Practice Practice Practice

I took both tests after being out of school for about 15 years. I had a huge advantage in that I was between jobs but a good severance package meant I could study. I made a point of spending several hours each day in the month leading up to the test working problems. There is no substitute. Crank the numbers again and again and again..

If you are working full time this can be tough. Set a schedule and stick to it. Two weekends before the real deal do a full blown practice test. A week before do it again.

Good Luck

- Andy R

 

[maryannette]

^^ Good advice. Self-discipline is absolutely necessary.

 

[roadwreck]

I worked a lot of practice problems. I made up a schedule where I made myself study for at least 15 hours a week. That usually consisted of 2 hours a day Mon-Fri and 7+ on Sunday (I took the October exam so my Saturdays were 'free for football games'). Breaking up my study time week by week made it seem a bit more manageable, rather then just saying I have to study X hours before the exam. Finding a quiet place away from distractions is imperative. I set up a desk in my basement. There was nothing down there to distract me, so when I went down there to study I could focus on the task at hand.

It was not a lot of fun, but it paid off and I passed.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

What really helped me was reading through the MERM over and over to get familiar with where everything was. On the weekends, watching TV, I'd flip through during the commercials. I, no lie, kept that book at my side constantly from August through October, so I could flip through it when a few minutes of spare time appeared. Even read the damn thing in the doctor's office (I probably could have worked some problems there, too).

The other advice is good, too, do lots and lots of problems, but know that book and where to find stuff quickly.

 

[lunchtime]

I'm shooting for 15 hrs/wk. Should be fun with 3 small kids at home. I think I might be better off going to the library and getting away from all the distractions of home.... TV, crying children and cold beer

 

[maryannette]

I'm shooting for 15 hrs/wk. Should be fun with 3 small kids at home. I think I might be better off going to the library and getting away from all the distractions of home.... TV, crying children and cold beer

When I passed the EIT, I had 2 little girls. I studied at the library.

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

I had it easy when I was studying. I was living with my now wife, who was a grad student at the time. She was either in the lab or at her computer 24/7, so I didn't have any distractions and had a good example to follow for motivation.

 

[squishles10]

I went over a good number of problems, but not as many as others it seems. Probably 10 a week or so, more on the depth section, but not a lot more. I spent more time organizing. Then it didn't matter what was on the test.

 

[Sschell]

I say do as many problems as you have time for (yeah, I'm basically repeating what everyone else said) the more the better though, and spend time to figure out the ones you miss (this is important).

 

[MechGuy]

I'm in a similar boat, I will be taking the PE exam in Mechanical for the 3rd time this October. I am trying to get a Study Group together in my area (San Antonio) through various engineering organizations. But at the moment, I am just doing problems from Lindeburg for several hours every weeknight and more on the weekends.