State of Illinois PE Exam

This thread is being started more as a means to vent then to ask a question.

This will be my third time taking the Exam in Illinois. I must express my disappointment in the inconsistent application of the "rules" regarding the exam. The State of Illinois publishes their own rules (as I am sure the other states do as well) which go above and beyond those listed by NCEES Candidate Agreement.

I have noticed the last two times I have taken this exam that the rules are not consistently applied by the proctors.

NCEES specifically lists within their rules that references are allowed for this "open book" exam so long as they are "bound" (which includes 3-ring binders). This would imply that hand notes and worked problems could be used since they are not specifically listed. However, in the "rules" which are specific to the State of Illinois do not seem to differentiate between "books" and "references." The IL rules say that all books are to be copyrighted and formally bound by the publisher, implying that hand notes are not allowed. In addition, the IL rules specifically prohibit State manuals from being used during the exam.

Both times I sat for this exam, I have noticed inconsistent application of these rules by the proctors. I have seen State manuals be allowed in the room and used, as well as, hand notes with worked solutions be allowed in the room and used. At the same time I have seen these same references be denied. I personally have been an individual that has taken the conservative route and not risked taking in references which may provide grounds for dismissal. However, I feel that it would be of great advantage to bring the notes which get prepared during the course of studying to be used as a reference. I have not been able to get a determination regarding an interpretation from the state board yet clarifying the intent of their specific rules. Hopefully, I will obtain an official interpretation prior to October (and then the proctors can uphold the interpretation). Without such, I feel that these inconsistencies both within the State specific rules and the national rules provide for an inconsistent environment within an exam that is supposed to be "standardized."

Furthermore, the PE Exam is "open book." Regardless of the reference, there is a lot of ground that needs to be covered and odds are you will not be able to find an answer to the problems unless you already have a good idea of where to look. Once found, you still will need to know how to obtain the answer which "...is most nearly correct."

...any other see the same inconsistencies in their area?

You would not be dismissedf rom the exam for having such materials with you...they wouldtechnically just take it away from you until after the exam. IL is big on the appearance of protecting copyrights and such.

However we are all at the mecry of the proctors. And noticed inconsistenties should be brought to the attention of COntinential testing service, since they are the group providing the proctors. This way they can properly retrain for future tests.

g

snickerd3 said:

You would not be dismissedf rom the exam for having such materials with you...they wouldtechnically just take it away from you until after the exam. IL is big on the appearance of protecting copyrights and such.
However we are all at the mecry of the proctors. And noticed inconsistenties should be brought to the attention of COntinential testing service, since they are the group providing the proctors. This way they can properly retrain for future tests.

g

Click to expand...

I just now noticed this reply. I anonymously (as much as one could be discrete) informed the proctors during the break that there were unauthorized books in the room. I even provided them with descriptions in case they were uninformed as to what I was talking about. Unfortunately, nothing was done about this after the break. I did contact Continental Testing after my first exam to insure that I was interpreting their rules correctly and even provided them with examples of my experiences. I was reassured that my interpretation of what was and was not allowed into the exam room was correct and that they will inform the proctors in the future of this issue.

The core to my "vent" is not the fact that individuals are knowingly disregarding the rules when it comes to references, it is more that the State of Illinois adds additional restrictions upon allowed references above what NCEES deems as standard. Maybe I am part of the minority but when I come across a problem which needs a reference, I go back to a compiled book of personal notes and examples, not the shelves of textbooks collecting dust in my office. I believe that we should be allowed to utilize a binder of our personal notes for this "open book" exam. With the limited time available to work all the problems, you need to be efficient in applying your knowledge not efficient in rifling through your traveling library.

Anyhow, like I prefaced my initial post, this topic was more about venting a frustration. I still understand that in the end it is up to me and me alone to achieve a passing score.