Correllation between GPA and pass rate?

Hi all,

I'm taking the April PE Electrical Power exam and have already begun the phases of "did I pass?", asking instead "Am I likely to pass?" with the same intensity.

I have extreme demands on my time, and am not able to put forth nearly the amount of hours most participants here have dedicated to exam prep. I'm lucky to come up with 5 hours per week to study, for most of the 8 weeks before the exam. So not a whole lot, comparatively.

However, as my encouraging friends are quick to point out, I'm a great test taker; I've always done very well on exams, both in the discipline and otherwise. I'm a very fast reader. And I have a decent background with power systems, though I do not do this for work - I deal with electronics and production management, not symmetrical components and admittance models or even breaker selection.

I passed the FE easily about a year ago; I didn't really study, but when I took it I knew I had most questions right - the only category I believe I missed was on linear systems/feedback networks, something that doesn't seem to be on the PE Power exam.

So my simple question is, do folks feel that likelihood of passing on the first attempt correlates strongly to GPA or past exam performance, or not?

Thanks!

The only way it correlates is that with a good GPA there is a better chance you retained some of the information from courses that may be useful on the exam. Beyond that I don't think there is a correlation. There are many masters students and PHD candidates who don't pass the PE exam. The exam is so broad that you really need to prepare. That doesn't necessarily mean long study hours, just have to be knowledgeable about what's potentially on the exam and have a good test taking strategy.

I don't think there was a correlation between my own GPA and my passing the exam. Not to scare you off, but I considered myself a great test taker in the past. I never had trouble with exams in college and I passed the FE exam easily (when it was still paper based) a good two or three semesters before most of my peers were taking it. My GPA was decently high (3.64), but it took me three times to pass the PE exam I took (civil PE, structural depth).

I agree with @StandardPractice. I would think there is more a correlation with how well you retain information from the specific sub-disciplines on the specifications that match classes you took in college. Although, it is definitely a good skill to have to be able to read questions and identify what you are being asked to solve, and what information is pertinent and what is extraneous!

Other than remembering formulas and concepts there should not a strong correlation.  The PE exam is intended to be a practical-experience based exam which should somewhat negate the role of GPA in passing the exam.

leggo PE said:

I don't think there was a correlation between my own GPA and my passing the exam

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I resemble your post up to here! (Adult me was more mature than college me...) I passed the first time.

Just prepare the best you can and try your hardest. If you don't pass, you can still make it happen. But don't go there. Just go kick some ass!

I echo several of the comments stated earlier.  I would also add that having a sound test taking strategy is just as important as your knowledge.  What are the questions you tackle first?  How do you assign a priority to a question?  In the case of EE Power, do you answer all NEC questions on one pass so you don't go back and forth between the NEC book?  You can know material back and forth but if you spend too much time on questions you won't get enough points to pass.  That's why it's so important to practice sample tests just as if you were taking the real thing.    Also, organize your reference material so that you can quickly find solutions.  Don't assume that you'll be able to find something just because you know it's in the book somewhere.  Tab sections, cross-reference, etc.

Hmm, I don't think so. Plenty of smart people have failed regardless of pedigree.   And like @KatyLied P.E.mentioned above, there's a lot of strategy involved with taking the exam.  I think as long as you're putting in the study time and have a decent command of the material, you have a good shot at passing the exam.