October 2018 - Funny Exam Stories

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.

txjennah PE

UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ
Joined
Apr 28, 2017
Messages
5,474
Reaction score
3,334
Location
Not Texas
So we all know that the test sucked...but anything else about your testing experience that you want to share?  Anything funny, frustrating, etc?

My husband dropped me off at the exam site Friday morning, and every entrance we drove up to had a locked gate.  There wasn't any sign directing us to the correct entrance.  We made it to another entrance, thinking that we could finally drive through it, only to find that it was locked, too. It was around 7:30 at this point, and I was trying to quell my panic. Fortunately, there was a gap under the fence and I saw another test taker grab her suitcase, roll it under the gate, then drop to the ground and squeeze underneath the gate. So that is what I did, too. It was so ridiculous that I couldn't help wearing a grin as I stood in line to get checked in.

 
My funniest (actually annoying) historical PE exam story was that one year, there was a CrossFit conference going on right outside the giant room we were taking the test in, so there was just constant yelling going on basically the entire afternoon session. It was hard to get used to.

 
Woah, how the heck did everyone else get into the site to take the test?
I think we had actually passed the entrance, but got confused by some barricades that were out front. The person who rolled under the gate told me that people had driven past the barricades. It was really confusing!

Oh wow, a CrossFit section next door would be the WORST.

 
Not a funny story but the Thursday (and Wednesday night) before exam day, I caught an annoying cold with runny sneezy nose, sore throat, etc. Took a dayquil on Thursday to try to fight it but apparently I'm allergic to something in it because I got incredibly drowsy for the rest of the day, making my pre-exam day prep pretty inefficient. Friday morning comes and I miraculously feel as sharp as ever with no symptoms at all and I'm able to take the exam no problem.

But when Saturday came, some of the remnants of the symptoms came back and still today I feel like I'm still recovering.

Kind of like my body just put the sickness on pause for one day. Could've been the adrenline or something like that.

Thank you, body.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
So we all know that the test sucked...but anything else about your testing experience that you want to share?  Anything funny, frustrating, etc?

My husband dropped me off at the exam site Friday morning, and every entrance we drove up to had a locked gate.  There wasn't any sign directing us to the correct entrance.  We made it to another entrance, thinking that we could finally drive through it, only to find that it was locked, too. It was around 7:30 at this point, and I was trying to quell my panic. Fortunately, there was a gap under the fence and I saw another test taker grab her suitcase, roll it under the gate, then drop to the ground and squeeze underneath the gate. So that is what I did, too. It was so ridiculous that I couldn't help wearing a grin as I stood in line to get checked in.
Were you in Houston by chance? I saw a bunch of closed entrances around NRG. Didn't affect me, but just wondering if that's what you had experienced. We have the really rude and kinda funny chief proctor in Houston. He loves his job and takes it very serious. I laugh at some of his comments. Like, "Come on people. These are very simple instructions!", when some doesn't follow his commands. Haha.

 
Were you in Houston by chance? I saw a bunch of closed entrances around NRG. Didn't affect me, but just wondering if that's what you had experienced. We have the really rude and kinda funny chief proctor in Houston. He loves his job and takes it very serious. I laugh at some of his comments. Like, "Come on people. These are very simple instructions!", when some doesn't follow his commands. Haha.
Oh no, I wasn't in Houston, but that sounds pretty similar to my experience!  Haha just what you want to see when you're stressed out and frantic.

I feel bad for one of my proctors. Our instructions referenced there would be stairs, but made it seem like we were going DOWN stairs...I was seated up on a mezzanine level.  The proctor didn't know where the elevators were located, so took my (very heavy) suitcase up stairs for me since I physically was unable to do it myself.

When I got to my table, I saw the elevators and felt really bad.

 
In Milwaukee, there happened to be a "My Little Pony" convention at my hotel, down the street from the test location. At the lunch break between AM and PM sessions, I walked back to clear my head and eat lunch. 

Unfortunately, I walked into a techo-infused sh*t show consisting of grown men dressed in pony costumes/accessories partying way too hard for noon on a Friday. 

I literally cannot make this up. I was so drained from the AM session that I did not fully grasp the insanity of what I was subjected to until well after the entire exam was over.

 
I stayed at one of those hotels that claim to be "green." Signs everywhere saying "please recycle", "turn lights off when not needed", "reuse your towels", "Don't leave the water running when brushing your teeth." It was pouring rain in most of NC on Friday. I have my cart on wheels that is literally overflowing with books. As I'm leaving I ask for a trash bag so I can cover it up. The guy at the desk was really nice and hooked me up with a large trash bag saying "we don't use trash bags for our small cans." At this point the bigger the better so whatever. I cover my cart and go out into the pouring rain. My cart is pretty freaking heavy. I didn't know I could fit that many books in it so it's really heavy to lift in and out of my car.  I load my stuff up and head on my way to the testing site. I arrived about 20 min. before the entrance time that was stated on my entrance sheet so I rock out to a few jams in the cars with the heat blasting. I decide it's time to go in so I get my cart out and start running. At some point the knot I tied in the trash bag comes undone and the bag gets caught in the wheels so I pick up the cart and go as quickly as possible to a covered area. At some point of dealing with this heavy a&$ cart on Friday I definitely pulled a muscle. Like I'm having trouble lifting my right arm up and forward. 

I'm getting made fun of so hard at work for this. I mean did I seriously pull a muscle at the PE??? I know that the word NERD is very subjective. I always thought I was on the lower end of the spectrum but this has me rethinking everything about my life. 

 
I stayed at one of those hotels that claim to be "green." Signs everywhere saying "please recycle", "turn lights off when not needed", "reuse your towels", "Don't leave the water running when brushing your teeth." It was pouring rain in most of NC on Friday. I have my cart on wheels that is literally overflowing with books. As I'm leaving I ask for a trash bag so I can cover it up. The guy at the desk was really nice and hooked me up with a large trash bag saying "we don't use trash bags for our small cans." At this point the bigger the better so whatever. I cover my cart and go out into the pouring rain. My cart is pretty freaking heavy. I didn't know I could fit that many books in it so it's really heavy to lift in and out of my car.  I load my stuff up and head on my way to the testing site. I arrived about 20 min. before the entrance time that was stated on my entrance sheet so I rock out to a few jams in the cars with the heat blasting. I decide it's time to go in so I get my cart out and start running. At some point the knot I tied in the trash bag comes undone and the bag gets caught in the wheels so I pick up the cart and go as quickly as possible to a covered area. At some point of dealing with this heavy a&$ cart on Friday I definitely pulled a muscle. Like I'm having trouble lifting my right arm up and forward. 

I'm getting made fun of so hard at work for this. I mean did I seriously pull a muscle at the PE??? I know that the word NERD is very subjective. I always thought I was on the lower end of the spectrum but this has me rethinking everything about my life. 
Aww no, I'm sorry! 

 
At some point the knot I tied in the trash bag comes undone and the bag gets caught in the wheels so I pick up the cart and go as quickly as possible to a covered area. At some point of dealing with this heavy a&$ cart on Friday I definitely pulled a muscle. Like I'm having trouble lifting my right arm up and forward. 
Dude that sucks. Hopefully the rest of your exam day went well. 

 
I stayed at one of those hotels that claim to be "green." Signs everywhere saying "please recycle", "turn lights off when not needed", "reuse your towels", "Don't leave the water running when brushing your teeth." It was pouring rain in most of NC on Friday. I have my cart on wheels that is literally overflowing with books. As I'm leaving I ask for a trash bag so I can cover it up. The guy at the desk was really nice and hooked me up with a large trash bag saying "we don't use trash bags for our small cans." At this point the bigger the better so whatever. I cover my cart and go out into the pouring rain. My cart is pretty freaking heavy. I didn't know I could fit that many books in it so it's really heavy to lift in and out of my car.  I load my stuff up and head on my way to the testing site. I arrived about 20 min. before the entrance time that was stated on my entrance sheet so I rock out to a few jams in the cars with the heat blasting. I decide it's time to go in so I get my cart out and start running. At some point the knot I tied in the trash bag comes undone and the bag gets caught in the wheels so I pick up the cart and go as quickly as possible to a covered area. At some point of dealing with this heavy a&$ cart on Friday I definitely pulled a muscle. Like I'm having trouble lifting my right arm up and forward. 

I'm getting made fun of so hard at work for this. I mean did I seriously pull a muscle at the PE??? I know that the word NERD is very subjective. I always thought I was on the lower end of the spectrum but this has me rethinking everything about my life. 
There was a dude at the McKimmon Center whose materials turned over as he tried to wheel his cart off the curb. The cart turned over and his materials fell into the drainage gutter which was filled with water. I felt sorry for him. Better for it to happen as he was leaving rather than when he was arriving #silverlining

 
Aww no, I'm sorry! 
haha, It wasn't that big of a deal. I was OK. There's definitely a lot worse that could have happened.

Dude that sucks. Hopefully the rest of your exam day went well. 
Haha, let's just say I'm really hoping to not re-live that day again, but we shall see. 

 
There was a dude at the McKimmon Center whose materials turned over as he tried to wheel his cart off the curb. The cart turned over and his materials fell into the drainage gutter which was filled with water. I felt sorry for him. Better for it to happen as he was leaving rather than when he was arriving #silverlining
HOLY CRAP!!!! That's insane!!!!

 
For us, they were installing solar panels on the roof of the armory. And even though we were on the 1st floor, it sounded like a herd of elephants above us.

The facility manager said "they weren't supposed to be working today but they're contractors so..." 

 
Mine was also more annoying than funny.  When I took the FE the first time, there was a pool tournament going on in the hotel we were testing in. So the entire day was filled with door slamming, loud music and a (more than a) hint of cigarette smoke.
We’re we taking the FE exam on the same day? I remember there being a pool tournament going on in the neighbouring room, too. 

I think we had a no-show for the exam where I was. Not really funny, but...

 
We’re we taking the FE exam on the same day? I remember there being a pool tournament going on in the neighbouring room, too. 

I think we had a no-show for the exam where I was. Not really funny, but...
Must have been.  We had a no show too- or well, late show.  Guy just sort of wandered in, looked confused when they said he couldn't stay, then left.  Crappy hotel in Peoria, Illinois in 2012?

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Must have been.  We had a no show too- or well, late show.  Guy just sort of wandered in, looked confused when they said he couldn't stay, then left.  Crappy hotel in Peoria, Illinois in 2012?
Peoria, IL, 2013. Crappy hotel. I guess that pool tournament was an annual thing or something 

 
Back
Top