What are the chances that I passed the PE?

Professional Engineer & PE Exam Forum

Help Support Professional Engineer & PE Exam Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
This thread left out a primary consideration in the development of cut scores, the use of "bibbidy-bobbidy-boo".

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I'd like to point out, regarding the cut score of 48, that the same site shows a cut score of 70 for EE in April 2005. Yet despite the higher reported cutscore, the passing rate was also significantly higher. As far as I can tell, this is the last time a cut score has been reported for the EE PE exam.

 
I'd like to point out, regarding the cut score of 48, that the same site shows a cut score of 70 for EE in April 2005. Yet despite the higher reported cutscore, the passing rate was also significantly higher. As far as I can tell, this is the last time a cut score has been reported for the EE PE exam.
That "70" is not a cut score in the way people are talking about it. It is meaningless as far as telling the raw number of questions which were needed to pass that administration. They might as well have written "PASS".

It's like getting a 700 on an SAT test. It doesn't mean you got 700/800 - it's a scaled score tied to a raw score. Only in the case of the PE they don't give you the conversion.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I'd bet that the cut score is somewhere closer to 48 than 56. People here just want to prop themselves up and like to think that there's no way they passed with a score that low. You typically overestimate your performance on an exam like this, and it makes you feel good if you think you scored higher than you actually did. NCEES sends those confusing diagnostics with percentages so they can throw you off their scent too, otherwise they'd just flat out tell you you got 6/9 right in this portion, 2/5 in that portion and you could just add it up and get the score. The percentages make it very easy to hide the true score.

I agree with this. My gut feeling is the score required to pass is in the low 60%'s.

 
I'd bet that the cut score is somewhere closer to 48 than 56. People here just want to prop themselves up and like to think that there's no way they passed with a score that low. You typically overestimate your performance on an exam like this, and it makes you feel good if you think you scored higher than you actually did. NCEES sends those confusing diagnostics with percentages so they can throw you off their scent too, otherwise they'd just flat out tell you you got 6/9 right in this portion, 2/5 in that portion and you could just add it up and get the score. The percentages make it very easy to hide the true score.

I agree with this. My gut feeling is the score required to pass is in the low 60%'s.
Waht does the meaning of the cut off score ? is that relative to the no of people they want for example 30% to fail ?

 
I'd bet that the cut score is somewhere closer to 48 than 56. People here just want to prop themselves up and like to think that there's no way they passed with a score that low. You typically overestimate your performance on an exam like this, and it makes you feel good if you think you scored higher than you actually did. NCEES sends those confusing diagnostics with percentages so they can throw you off their scent too, otherwise they'd just flat out tell you you got 6/9 right in this portion, 2/5 in that portion and you could just add it up and get the score. The percentages make it very easy to hide the true score.

I agree with this. My gut feeling is the score required to pass is in the low 60%'s.
Waht does the meaning of the cut off score ? is that relative to the no of people they want for example 30% to fail ?

Someone can correct me if I am wrong but it is my understanding that the cut score is the lowest number of correct problems one needs to pass the exam. This equates to an "adjusted 70%", after the board sets the new 100%. Meaning, it is not 70% of the original 80 questions (56 correct needed) but 70% of some number less than 80 (less than 56 correct needed). My gut is that the cut score usually comes out to be in the low 60%'s (cut score of 50 +/-).

 
Actually, that sounds about right ptatohed. I'm slowly forgetting about the exam as there are so many things coming up with work and the holidays. The PE ended at a good time so we can forgot about it for awhile until the results come in. But then it hits right before Christmas or after and it can either make or break your holidays. I didn't purchase the new NCEES material but that's the plan if things don't go well. But if I do pass, it will be one great Christmas!

 
Actually, that sounds about right ptatohed. I'm slowly forgetting about the exam as there are so many things coming up with work and the holidays. The PE ended at a good time so we can forgot about it for awhile until the results come in. But then it hits right before Christmas or after and it can either make or break your holidays. I didn't purchase the new NCEES material but that's the plan if things don't go well. But if I do pass, it will be one great Christmas!
maximus, I doubt we'll get our results before X-Mas. You think we will? 15 weeks puts is into Feb some time.

 
My advice from when I took the exam and played the waiting game.... find a new hobby (or catch up on an old one) to pass the time... playing the 'what if' game will only drive you crazy and make the wait take forever.

(Plus I have another 8-12 weeks of moderating this forum until results arrive)...

 
Actually, that sounds about right ptatohed. I'm slowly forgetting about the exam as there are so many things coming up with work and the holidays. The PE ended at a good time so we can forgot about it for awhile until the results come in. But then it hits right before Christmas or after and it can either make or break your holidays. I didn't purchase the new NCEES material but that's the plan if things don't go well. But if I do pass, it will be one great Christmas!
maximus, I doubt we'll get our results before X-Mas. You think we will? 15 weeks puts is into Feb some time.

CA said 15 weeks, but I dont think it will be that long. There's an excel file someone made and the average has historically been between 90-100 days. Not great, but better than 15 weeks. I also think we'll get them before the refile deadline so my guess will be the week after New Years.

 
worst case = 45/80 That doesn't cut it.Probable case = 52.5 out of 80 That doesn't cut it

Best case = 60/80 That cuts it.
From my review teacher, Rich:

The MS&M and T&F guys are feeling pretty good about the test; and for the the 2nd test in a row the HVAC guys are looking for a knife to cut their throat. If you think you got ~70%, then you are almost sure to pass the exam. I think the cut score is usually a little bit lower.
Rich is damn good. He REALLY knows his stuff.

 

Latest posts

Back
Top