How to deal with PE test anxiety?

[Ken PE 3.1]

On some levels, the first couple of days after the test are just as bad.

For all those stressing about the test. Relax. Trust yourself. You made it through college, so you're not a dummy. You will not know everything, which is why we keep saying to know your references. You'll be surprised at what you'll find there on exam day.

2 nights before my test, I packed everything in my bags. And the night before the test I didn't do anything except relax. I figured it was too late to learn it anyways, and besides that, I was spent.

Good luck to all! It's all worth when you see that you passed!

 

[KatyLied P.E.]

The way that I handled the anxiety before and during the test was to have a solid strategy on how I would answer the test questions. Spin-Up actuall provided me the strategy. it consisted of 3-4 passes in going through the test.

1st Pass) Answer all questions that you know off the bat and don't have to look to find your formula. Or if you do, the formulas are very easy to find and straightforward.

2nd Pass) Answer all NEC/NESC problems. That way you won't have to go back and forth between the Code book and the rest of your references. By the way, really study the Code so you'll be able to answer these on this pass. Hint: Complex Imaginary's NEC drill book is really good.

3rd Pass) Tackle all questions which you feel that that you can answer but will take a little bit longer than the ones on the first pass. Also, tackle any problems that you couldn't answer on Pass 1

4th Pass) By this time hopefully you won't have too many left. See which letters have been trending on the ones you answered and choose that letter on everything on this last pass.

Also, prior to the test, have your references thoroughly organized and your "cheat" sheet(s) loaded. Along with my hardcover references I had 2 huge 3-ring binders with every subject tabbed and loaded with internet stuff, sample problems and test problems. In each section i also included an index to all the pertinent test problems and which book they came from. I spent about a 1/4 of my study time just organizing.

My point is, the more you organize and the more methodical of a test taking strategy you have, the less nervous you'll get and the less likely you are to rush and make careless errors.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[CivEnv]

Modest - I definitely can relate. I'll be taking the Civil exam in April for the first time, and have been battling my own anxiety.

I appreciate all the stories above about how people got over their test day anxiety. Right now, I'm planning to take the day before the test off work (or at least the afternoon) so I can really take it easy. The comment above about getting up early the day before so that you'll be nice and tired the night before the test seems like a solid recommendation.

This might be too new-agey for you, but there are some meditation podcasts that can really help you relax. Sometimes after a long day of work, followed by studying, it's hard for me to turn off my brain and fall asleep. These are great for recentering myself and taking the focus off the test. There are some episodes I listen to that are specifically for getting over anxiety.

Lastly, and this one is so much easier said than done, I've been trying to remind myself that if I don't pass, it's not the end of the world. Sure, I'll be bummed and embarrassed for a little while, but like Lumber Jim said, it's the studying for the test that actually is improving you as an engineer, not the result.

That all said, I hope we both never have to study for this thing again! Good luck!

 

[iwire]

I know a lot of you lots, are practicing the sample exams and timing yourself. But in my opinion, why even bother timing yourself in sample test. Just do it like normal without the timing. Get yourself really comfortable on all the sample test. Your time will gradually increase as you understand the subjects and where to look for stuff when required.

 

[matt267 PE]

I know a lot of you lots, are practicing the sample exams and timing yourself. But in my opinion, why even bother timing yourself in sample test. Just do it like normal without the timing. Get yourself really comfortable on all the sample test. Your time will gradually increase as you understand the subjects and where to look for stuff when required.

Yes, but knowing how to manage you're time is a very important part of passing, and that comes with practice.

 

[Ken PE 3.1]

I'm still a firm believer in understanding the concept. Algebra I can handle.

 

[The Wizard]

I know a lot of you lots, are practicing the sample exams and timing yourself. But in my opinion, why even bother timing yourself in sample test. Just do it like normal without the timing. Get yourself really comfortable on all the sample test. Your time will gradually increase as you understand the subjects and where to look for stuff when required.

Yes, but knowing how to manage you're time is a very important part of passing, and that comes with practice.

Yup. It's a test of time management and speed. I timed myself with sample exams and took it seriously. I found it to be beneficial.

 

[iwire]

I guess everyone are different. As for me, while studying and working thru those practice exams, I'm not rushing but trying to understand them. Gradually my speed increases.

During the real exam, i managed to go over a few times to check for mistakes. I felt comfortable from working them. Studying , the last thing you need is worrying about time but care must be taken not to spent too much time either

 

[matt267 PE]

While studying for the EIT, and I'm doing the same with my PE prep, is to take several full 8 hour timed practice exams. This way, I'll get used to working under a little bit of pressure. Then, I'll sped the following week going through each problem to make sure I understand the concept. Like iwire and others have said, making sure you understand the concept is important. With practice, comes confidence. With confidence, comes reduced anxiety (at least in theory).

 

[Ramnares P.E.]

I don't think anyone is advocating timing yourself every time you study. At the beginning of your studies you should spend the time necessary to understand the theory and concepts. As you get closer to the exam and move on to the NCEES practice exams you should definitely time yourself in order to gauge your ability to complete the exam in the time allocated. It's of little use if you understand the theory perfectly but work the problems slowly. You need a combination of engineering competence and time management. The only way to test yourself is to do timed practices and adjust accordingly.

When I prepared for the exam I made sure I did timed runs of the 2001 and 2008 NCEES practice exams. I finished both the morning and afternoon sessions with almost 2 hours to spare.

 

[iwire]

I don't think anyone is advocating timing yourself every time you study. At the beginning of your studies you should spend the time necessary to understand the theory and concepts. As you get closer to the exam and move on to the NCEES practice exams you should definitely time yourself in order to gauge your ability to complete the exam in the time allocated. It's of little use if you understand the theory perfectly but work the problems slowly. You need a combination of engineering competence and time management. The only way to test yourself is to do timed practices and adjust accordingly.

When I prepared for the exam I made sure I did timed runs of the 2001 and 2008 NCEES practice exams. I finished both the morning and afternoon sessions with almost 2 hours to spare.

I think timing yourself on the taking the sample tests might be a bit premature but that's my opinion. Everyone work differently. I hate test to begin with. I treat all the sample test as exercise and getting used to it. So when the actual exam, I do not feel pressure at all, just like working on sample tests