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Possibly a silly question, but I'll ask anyway... 

With the PE Exam being open book, and requiring several reference books etc,  are backpacks allowed? I've read that the testing facility nearest me (Salem, OR) does not have secure lockers or anything, and while I'm not bringing a wheelbarrow full of books, it is more than a handful to carry it all, plus calculators, ruler, binders etc... I saw a pic somewhere of a clear storage bin. Is that a requirement rather than a backpack for security reasons etc?

How have folks brought in their reference books? Thanks in advance for those who have taken the PE before and can offer first-hand experience.
OK, this happened back in 1983.  One guy who sat two rows in front of me used an appliance truck to bring in six Banker Boxes filled with references.  He then set the six boxes on his table in an arc, two rows high, with all book spines facing him.  Blatant over-kill.

IIRC I used one Beer Crate to bring in the reference books with which I was familiar.  If I didn't know the book forward and backwards, what good would it be to me in a timed exam?

 
OK, this happened back in 1983.  One guy who sat two rows in front of me used an appliance truck to bring in six Banker Boxes filled with references.  He then set the six boxes on his table in an arc, two rows high, with all book spines facing him.  Blatant over-kill.

IIRC I used one Beer Crate to bring in the reference books with which I was familiar.  If I didn't know the book forward and backwards, what good would it be to me in a timed exam?
To be fair, this will vary a wee bit based on discipline.  The AASHTO code takes up most of one box - our printed copy is in (2) 8" binders.   I am not at all familiar with it, (I don't do bridges) but it also has probably the best index of all of the codes, so I got a couple right due to just having it with me.  There were 2-3 books I tossed in at the last minute that I pulled direct equations from that otherwise I would not have been able to solve in the time I had left.  I however did not have six boxes, that is probably overkill. 

 
And hopefully your testing station doesn't require you to take your references down a flight of stairs...ours did for the October exam, and someone's crate of things toppled down the stairs.

 
Is this something that would be ok to bring in for the exam? It’s collapsible but I’m worried about size.

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Dimensions are 32.87"H x 25.12"W x 11.25"D.

Thanks in advance!




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^ I was thinking the same [mention=14295]knight1fox3[/mention].  He's got to be trolling...

Dead serious! I just bought this off amazon. I want a bookshelf style handcart. This ones smaller. Screw trying to dig through a crate or luggage to get books. I’m going to have my own bookshelf with everything on it.

8449798d447c0998e7de8fcdd5b53c46.jpg



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The most extensive setup I saw at my exam was a dolly with three milk crates on it. Upon arrival, she rotated the milk crates so they served as a bookshelf.

I hauled my books in two Ikea-style bags. That was insane (but I have a tiny apartment and it was how I studied, so I was used to it).

 
Dead serious! I just bought this off amazon. I want a bookshelf style handcart. This ones smaller. Screw trying to dig through a crate or luggage to get books. I’m going to have my own bookshelf with everything on it.
Good luck at the test site... and on the test itself.

In Maryland they made us store large objects completely under the desk, or against the walls far from the examination tables.

 
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