October Pass Rates on NCEES

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I see that nuclear is continuing the decade long trend of having one of (if not the) lowest pass rate of any exam. Meanwhile ANS wonders why no one wants to take the exam...

 
I will be a repeat taker for EE Power in April and a little concern about the pass rate for repeat takers.  Do you know why the pass rates for repeat takers of all exams are significantly lower compared to those of the first timers?   

 
Likewise.  I'm guessing this means that those who took the Civil-Construction exam tended to struggle more on the AM than those of other disciplines.
If you look back at previous pass rates for construction it always been the lowest or close to the lowest passing rate for civil. I don't think I have seen a pass rate above 60% for it.

 
I will be a repeat taker for EE Power in April and a little concern about the pass rate for repeat takers.  Do you know why the pass rates for repeat takers of all exams are significantly lower compared to those of the first timers?   
There are a few repeat takers on the board who could possibly better answer this but here's what I've gathered from reading the board:

1.  Repeat takers did not change their study habits and continued preparing as they did the first time.

2.  Repeat takers did not address the weaknesses identified in the diagnostics, or conversely, focused too much on those areas and neglected general areas (morning session).

3.  Repeat takers are good engineers but poor test takers,

 
****, this is what I'm afraid of.  I've heard horror story of some that took over 10 tries to pass and the last thing I want is to be stuck in a fail mode.  Thanks for the response.  I'll address them accordingly this next try. 

 
Many repeaters have found that taking a class helps if they didn't the first time around.  

Personal experience was that I wasted a lot of time on topics I should have skipped.   A class would have helped with that.  

 
****, this is what I'm afraid of.  I've heard horror story of some that took over 10 tries to pass and the last thing I want is to be stuck in a fail mode.  Thanks for the response.  I'll address them accordingly this next try. 
It took me 4 attempts to pass. The last time I took it, it was all about organization. I tabbed the daylights out of my references, made formula sheets, wrote down every single problem I could find in a binder, etc etc.

It's tough to accept that you didn't make, but develop a game plan and stick to it. You can do it!

 
Dang, 75% on Fluids! There are so many jokes about HVAC being easy, I just wonder if the people who pick HVAC are active in designing it so have a bit better intuitive feel for the problems. I picked fluids because it's what I do, I imagine if I'd picked HVAC it'd have been a lot more work. 

As for the high 2nd time fail rate being high, you're pulling from the people who failed, so a group that's already probably worse at taking the test as well as a bunch of people who are, not to be harsh, just not smart enough to pass. There's a group that no matter how many times they take it, will likely never pass. As much as that sucks, it's good that not just anyone can get the PE, it preserves the integrity of the license. 

 
two tests for the repeat takers  would know p/f even without getting results just based on the %.    One they all failed and the other they all passed

 
I will be a repeat taker for EE Power in April and a little concern about the pass rate for repeat takers.  Do you know why the pass rates for repeat takers of all exams are significantly lower compared to those of the first timers?   


There are a few repeat takers on the board who could possibly better answer this but here's what I've gathered from reading the board:

1.  Repeat takers did not change their study habits and continued preparing as they did the first time.

2.  Repeat takers did not address the weaknesses identified in the diagnostics, or conversely, focused too much on those areas and neglected general areas (morning session).

3.  Repeat takers are good engineers but poor test takers,
I think that's true, but I also think ego and pride play into ultimate success, too. The handful of repeat examinees I've known seem either beat down or sour grapes. I swept up what was left of my ego and moved on to the next cycle.

 
Okay, HVAC and Refrigeration test takers must be really smart (not likely) or the exam is easier than other exams. Both April and October of 2015 had 80+% first time-takers passing. Glad that I'm in the 80+% but it makes me wonder a little. Is the exam too easy...???

 
I will be a repeat taker for EE Power in April and a little concern about the pass rate for repeat takers.  Do you know why the pass rates for repeat takers of all exams are significantly lower compared to those of the first timers?   
I was a repeat test taker for the Power exam in October and I passed. I was definitely better organized the second time around, had more references in my library on exam day, and used the diagnostic from the first time around to focus my studying for the second time.

Don't let the percentages get in your head, use the information in your diagnostic to understand where to spend more time in your studies, and sign up for a class if you feel the need to.

 
Okay, HVAC and Refrigeration test takers must be really smart (not likely) or the exam is easier than other exams. Both April and October of 2015 had 80+% first time-takers passing. Glad that I'm in the 80+% but it makes me wonder a little. Is the exam too easy...???
I wonder if people who take HVAC just work in HVAC a lot, maybe the principles on the test are very closely tied to the work folks who do that kind of design work actually do. In my office it's a mix of people taking fluids and people taking M&M, so I wonder if lack of specialization leads to a lack of in depth knowledge with such a broad sort of vague "specialty". I remember studying thinking the HVAC stuff was pretty easy though, so maybe it's just a cake walk! That said, the fluids pass rate has been creeping up, time for them to make the test a lot harder! 

 
I wonder if people who take HVAC just work in HVAC a lot, maybe the principles on the test are very closely tied to the work folks who do that kind of design work actually do. In my office it's a mix of people taking fluids and people taking M&M, so I wonder if lack of specialization leads to a lack of in depth knowledge with such a broad sort of vague "specialty". I remember studying thinking the HVAC stuff was pretty easy though, so maybe it's just a cake walk! That said, the fluids pass rate has been creeping up, time for them to make the test a lot harder! 
MERM's treatment of HVAC is incredibly light and you would not pass the HVAC exam if you relied on that alone. 6 minutes solutions was where it was at... I was pumped when I saw a handful of child-like HVAC questions on the morning exam. That was easy money for me.

I'm not sure I would like to take a harder test but I don't want my PE prestige pulled down because of an easy exam... meh

 
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