ADVICE PLEASE What order do you suggest me take these practice test?

Hey guys, I've almost completed Zach Stone's on-demand version of his class and have my binders made. I am at the point where I'll be taking practice test soon. I have the CI code-drill (300 NEC) question book I would like to complete first. 

The test are: 1) Spin up (4 test), 2) Complete set of CI practice exams, 3) Cram for the PE exam (3 exams), 4) Graffeo's test in back of "Guide to pass the PE" 5) Justin ENGR Pro guide (all 3 test), 6) Zach Stone's Technical Guide to pass the PE 7) White book by NCEES. 

I plan on completing all these before taking my first test. I would like to take these realistically as easiest to hardest to "ease my way" into preparing for the exam. Doesn't seem to smart to just take the first 2 hardest and make a 30% then turn around and make higher numbers on the "easier" ones. 

I never did SpinUp or Graffeo so I cant speak to those (and the Cram test is new to me)

I did the SpinUp Questions of the Week as just general practice problems and thought they were very easy and not representative of the test. BUT they are free problems so that could be why.

What I did was:

NCEES

Zachs test

EngPro Guide FINAL (I had already done the other two during my previous round of studying)

Zachs test again

I'd leave FINAL and Zach's test for the last 2 you do. The EngProGuide FULL can be done kind of in the middle to be used as a gauge that youre on the right track.

I did the CI problems in bits and pieces, I also had the 2011 version (tbh there isnt much difference between the 2011 and 2017 versions beyond updating the NEC used)

Also, EngProGuides test 3, the references/codes test is like 40 problems so I wouldnt bother using it as a timed test, just do it on the side like CI code problems

@LyceeFruit PE You're the best, that is exactly the type of feedback I was looking for!

Save one complex imaginary test for last as a confidence booster.  A lot of the PE test is psychological.  Need to maintain the “I can do it! “ Feeling 

Wow_PE! said:

Save one complex imaginary test for last as a confidence booster.  A lot of the PE test is psychological.  Need to maintain the “I can do it! “ Feeling 

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I couldn't agree more. I feel so much of this is psychological and if you let it beat you down, it's hard to crawl out of that hole. Thanks for the advice my friend!

SparkyBill said:

I couldn't agree more. I feel so much of this is psychological and if you let it beat you down, it's hard to crawl out of that hole. Thanks for the advice my friend!

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Hey, I'm from Chattanooga as well lol We need to study!!

neaton2 said:

Hey, I'm from Chattanooga as well lol We need to study!!

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Heck yeah! I sent ya  a PM!

Wow_PE! said:

Save one complex imaginary test for last as a confidence booster.  A lot of the PE test is psychological.  Need to maintain the “I can do it! “ Feeling 

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I want to say thank you again. I took my first practice test today. I did my Spin-Up 40 question AM portion of test 1. I got a 36/40. I can FOR SURE tell this is MUCH EASIER than the PE test is going to be but I feel its letting me move up in the baby steps that I like moving up in. I will FOR SURE be saving the last one for a confidence booster before the PE test. LOL 

36/40 is still very good at this early stage.  Keep it up!

MEtoEE said:

36/40 is still very good at this early stage.  Keep it up!

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Thank you my friend. This train hasn't slowed down!

SparkyBill said:

I want to say thank you again. I took my first practice test today. I did my Spin-Up 40 question AM portion of test 1. I got a 36/40. I can FOR SURE tell this is MUCH EASIER than the PE test is going to be but I feel its letting me move up in the baby steps that I like moving up in. I will FOR SURE be saving the last one for a confidence booster before the PE test. LOL 

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Great!  Yeah I kinda did poorly on a couple of practice tests toward the end of my studies.  I think learning from my mistakes helped me a lot.  Glad I didn’t give up!

I didn't have a lot of overlap with you on exams I bought - I had Justin's and the NCEES out of your list. I had no idea what order to take them in, and my biggest struggle was when to take the NCEES one (not too soon so as to fail it miraculously, not too late so as to unveil new topics I'd missed too late in the game). My order of tests I wrote is here. To offer my personal advice; no matter what order you take them in, do the exercise I describe in that link. Go back through the test after you finish and build a complete set of 80 solutions that are written out in full with relevant notes and formulas included. Sort those 80 solutions into logical groupings of 'like' problems. You'll see a lot of overlap between the tests and can group those very-similar-but-slightly-tweaked questions together. 

ItsStudyTime! said:

I didn't have a lot of overlap with you on exams I bought - I had Justin's and the NCEES out of your list. I had no idea what order to take them in, and my biggest struggle was when to take the NCEES one (not too soon so as to fail it miraculously, not too late so as to unveil new topics I'd missed too late in the game). My order of tests I wrote is here. To offer my personal advice; no matter what order you take them in, do the exercise I describe in that link. Go back through the test after you finish and build a complete set of 80 solutions that are written out in full with relevant notes and formulas included. Sort those 80 solutions into logical groupings of 'like' problems. You'll see a lot of overlap between the tests and can group those very-similar-but-slightly-tweaked questions together. 

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YOU ARE SO AMAZING. Thank you for the write up on that website. I have read it at least 4 times over in full. 

Looks like I need to  "print each question" on 1 piece of paper then put it in my binder. I have all my quiz problems from ElectricalPEReview.com already printed out and sorted into my tabs. But I need to add a lot more worked problems to that binder. 

As of right now I need 2 binders, I have an AM portion and a PM portion. I know the test isn't broken up that way but I know that PE specifications list like the bank of my hand so I know where it's at in that binder. 

@SparkyBill I see you're using frixion pens, I'm sure you already know this but don't leave your notes in direct sunlight or put a hot cup/container on top of your notes. 

By the way, here is my references, if anyone sees anything missing that they think is a must please let me know. The only thing I have that I don't think is here is my FE manual that I"m taking (That I know like the back of my hand). 

LyceeFruit PE said:

@SparkyBill I see you're using frixion pens, I'm sure you already know this but don't leave your notes in direct sunlight or put a hot cup/container on top of your notes. 

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Thanks for the heads up! I did not know that! 

ItsStudyTime! said:

I didn't have a lot of overlap with you on exams I bought - I had Justin's and the NCEES out of your list. I had no idea what order to take them in, and my biggest struggle was when to take the NCEES one (not too soon so as to fail it miraculously, not too late so as to unveil new topics I'd missed too late in the game). My order of tests I wrote is here. To offer my personal advice; no matter what order you take them in, do the exercise I describe in that link. Go back through the test after you finish and build a complete set of 80 solutions that are written out in full with relevant notes and formulas included. Sort those 80 solutions into logical groupings of 'like' problems. You'll see a lot of overlap between the tests and can group those very-similar-but-slightly-tweaked questions together. 

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I ended up with two binders.  I started out with one, but my codes section was so big, I started a separate section with just "Codes" problems worked out, and then added a few sections from my first binder to make two binders.  The second binder is still small, but will probably grow as I take more practice exams for this third attempt.

My Advice is to do the following order:

1. NCEES - Absolute closest to the real exam and I think it should be the first one you take so you know what you're in for

2. Zach's Test - He has a good diagnostic tool so you can see where you're at and what you need to focus on more. It is one of the harder exams but the diagnostic tool is going to be very valuable to help focus your studying.

3. ENGProGuide Full - A good bridge to prepare you for the Final of ENG Proguide

4. Do a spinup, CI or Cram - just a little more practice before the next one

5. ENGProGuide Final - Has another diagnostic tool and also lets you compare your results to other students who took that exam. This may be the hardest exam but is very valuable to take it so you can get another checkpoint of where you're at

6. ENGProGuide References - It's good to dive into code at this point since it'll likely be a weak point

7. Graffeo - Decent exam but a little on the easier side in my opinion

8. From this point on I'd probably start rotating the spin up, CI, and Cram for the exams just to see a variety of questions, as I understand it once you've taken one of each the rest can be very similar in question types.

When taking each exam, try your best to block out 9 hours on a Saturday or Sunday to take the exam in 2, 4 hour sections. You need to build your endurance up and be mentally prepared for the actual exam. If you can't do that, then block out 4 hour sections on back to back days to take the exams. After each exam, review the solutions and make a list of problems you guessed on or got wrong. Go back and review this whole list after a week and keep adding to it after new exams. When you've gotten a problem right for 2-3 weeks in a row, cross it off that list.

BD, That's exactly the route I planned on taking when I started, but I'm hoping I have enough time where I want to work a spin-up / CI/ Cram before attemping one of I like to call the "real" exams like white book/engr pro guides. I am wanting to take the white book early enough (I will take it before Zach Stone's live lecturers start in February) so that leaves me enough time to take it AT LEAST one more time before exam. I really want to take it it 3 times before my actual test!

SparkyBill said:

BD, That's exactly the route I planned on taking when I started, but I'm hoping I have enough time where I want to work a spin-up / CI/ Cram before attemping one of I like to call the "real" exams like white book/engr pro guides. I am wanting to take the white book early enough (I will take it before Zach Stone's live lecturers start in February) so that leaves me enough time to take it AT LEAST one more time before exam. I really want to take it it 3 times before my actual test!

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NCEES was the first practice exam I took and I was able to pass it after completing Zach's online course. Do some reading on the CI exams, I haven't done them but I hear they are a little outdated and the Crams are a more accurate reflection of the actual exam.