Pencil marks in reference material

I read on some website that any hand-written notes in our reference material needs to be in ink, not pencil, but I can't find that anywhere in the NCEES Examinee Guidelines.  Do I have to go back through all several hundred pages of my notes and trace any hand-written comments in ink?

As far as I know, this is not required by NCEES. I don't know if any state boards have any other requirements, so YMMV. But NCEES does have a restriction that you can't write in you reference material during the exam. The concern that some people have is that if you have pencil marks in your reference material and a proctor thinks they see you writing in your reference material, it becomes their word against yours and you will lose the argument. But if all your marks are in pen, then there is no way you could've made the marks during the exam since you are only permitted to have the provided pencil. If you are worried about it, you could erase the marks and re-write in pen. You could highlight all the marks with a highlighter, which would improve your argument. Or can do what most people do and just not worry about it. Just be sure not to even look like you are writing in the reference material.

After the fit-bit fiasco, how can one make the "just don't look like you are writing in your references" argument? Just curious. My proctors were not standing behind me the whole time. In fact, most of thought it was a social event. IMO, it isn't worth the risk. To each their own.

I'm not familiar with the fitbit fiasco.

cupojoe PE PMP said:

I'm not familiar with the fitbit fiasco.

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Just looked it up. Sounds like that was a disaster for some some people. Did anyone get relief from NCEES, state boards, or legally?

cupojoe PE PMP said:

Did anyone get relief from NCEES, state boards, or legally?

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I don't think so.

Nope. And enforcement was not consistent across the board.

I had no problems having pencil marks for all my notes in my reference material.   However I made a conscious effort to put my pencil down on the scantron during the exam and only pick it up when I was going to fill in a bubble.  There was no way I was going to go back and highlight or retrace all my notes.    

I have not heard any issues about using pencil for notes. 

My study binder had nothing but pencil on green engineering graph paper. 

If you are concerned I would: Call both NCEES and the State Board.   See if you can get an answer to you Emailed that you can print out and take with you to the Email (bounded of course, not loose leaf). 

But even still, it is going to be the proctors word against yours. 

If you are REALLY concerned, you can always photo copy all of your notes and re-bind them, that way they are not in pencil. 

I would do as another student already pointed out, I would not have pencil in hand when using reference books and I would keep it by your scantron.