You're going to find people that barely studied, and others that put in 400+ per test. Some folks used codes only and min references, others used every book they could get their hands on. Your mileage may vary.
Someone telling you how many hours they studied isn't really helpful b/c did they spend 8 hours studying in front of a TV or 3 hours in a quiet room ... you get the point. That said, having just finished studying for the night myself, here is some random stuff I'm making up as I go.
Expected study hours = hours required based on pre-study performance
Required study hours = the individual adjusted amount of hours
Min Study Hours = Max (Expected study hours, Required study hours)
Step 1: Get the NCEES practice SE exam. Take it, timed.
Step 2: On the Stress Response Spectrum, find your location, most people are in a Zone 200, but we can do a 'Mood'al Response analysis and get a better number, more on that some other time. For this exercise lets use Q = 200 hrs
Step 3: Document the following: (subscripts v & l denote vertical and lateral respectively)
- Xv = number correct (am)
- Yv = fraction of correct answers, #parts / #total number of parts (pm)
- Xl = number of correct (am)
- Yl = fraction of correct answers, #parts / #total number of parts (pm)
- n = attempt number (1, 2, 3, .... )
- q = 1.5 or 2.5 (these are not 1 and 2 b/c the sample NCEES test is generally regarded as easier than the actual exam)
1.5 for Lateral OR Vertical
- 2.5 for Lateral AND Vertical
Step 4: Determine the
Expected Study Hours, (ESH), using the following:
ESH = {[(40-Xv)+(40-Xl) / (80)] + [1-Yv] * [1-Yl]}/2 * (Q*(q^0.75)/n) * (n+1) / n
Example: Q=200, Xv = 25, Yv = 28, Xl = 0.65, Yl =0.55, n=1
ESH = {[(40-25)+(40-28) / (80)] + (1-0.65)*(1-0.55)]/2} * (200*(2^0.75/1)) * (1+1)/1 = 331 hrs
Step 5: Determine the
Required Study Hours (RSH), using the following:
RSH = ESH * C(total),
C(total) = SQRT{ C(test taking skills) * C(years working) * C(direct experience in code cycle) * C(luck) * C(AEI) * C(quality of study [qos])* C(personal) * C(Engineer Boards)}
- C(total) = multiplier for ESH
- C(test taking skills) =
0.85 - good test taker,
- 1.0 - average test taker,
- 1.15 - poor test taker
[*]C(years working) = ((# of years working)^0.90 / (# of years working)) >= 0.75
[*]C(direct exp in code cycle) =
0.95 for high
- 1.15 for average
- 1.5 for little
[*]C(luck) = feelin' lucky?
Yes = 0.90
- No = 1.15
- I make my own luck = 1.0
[*]C(AEI) = did you take the AEI review course
[*]C(quality of study) =
Intense & focused, peak performance = 0.85
- Generally focused, minor distractions = 0.95
- Average, moderate distractions = 1.1
- Not great, frequent distractions = 1.2
- Why bother, too busy playing Snood = 1.5
[*]C(personal) = any personal factors not considered above that may or may not affect performance
Default = 1.0
- 0.95 <= C(personal) <= 1.1
[*]C(engineer boards) = Did you read through the information shared on this site?
Example: Tommy Test Taker is taking the SE lateral and Vertical. He's in Zone 200 on the Stress Response Spectrum. He's a generally good test taker, took the AEI course, is unlucky, has average experience in the test code cycle, hangs out on engineer boards, puts in generally focused study, has 13 years of experience, and brought his lucky key chain to the test. He's already determined his RSH to be 331 hours.
- RSH = 331 for both tests (divide by two for estimate approx hrs for each)
- C(test taking) = 0.85
- C(years working) = 0.77
- C(direct exp code) = 1.15
- C(luck) = 1.15
- C(AEI) = 0.9
- C(0.95) = 0.95
- C(personal) = 0.95
- C(engineer boards) = 0.95
C(total) = sqrt( 0.85*.77*1.15*1.15*0.9*.95*.95*.95) = 0.819
RSH = C(total) * ESH
RSH = 0.819 * 331 = 271 total study hours
Assume 16 weeks prep time (4 months), thats approx 17 hours per week. Based on a decent first pass at the practice exam (**** near passing).
Here is a snapshot of the spread I made for no reason, to go along with this useless post... Lol.
The real lesson here is that SE prep will slowly drive you nuts such that you'll yourself ASCE 7'ing everything into crap like this. Good luck!
#shrug.
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