Advice needed - Try October or Next April '09

Hi,

I know it is pretty stupid question but I would like to get some help.

I failed the 1st attempt in April 08. I was very close. I needed 3 more answers to pass (based on 70% correct answers to pass) I haven't studied at all for the October exam. It was extremly hard for me to be motivated. Many issues related to my family and work. Just no time to prepare for the exam.

Now I have only 2 months left for the October 08. Should I try it now considering I have 2 months of time to study? or try it April 09? Sorry. I know that it is pretty a dumb question.

My conercen is that don't have enough time to study for the October exam. I am able to have only 2 hours of studying every night and maximum 4 hours during weekend. Though I studied pretty hard for the 1st attempt but I underestimated the PE. I only studied with very limted resources. I didn't even cover CERM in depth at all. just rely on some review course somebody took a year ago. Somehow I believed that I needed to cover only that material:-(

Good news that I have some basic idea what I need to expect for the PE. However I know that I need to cover more topics and study harder. Should I try it again? or not enough time for the October exam.

My fear is that if I postpone it next year I might forget what I've studied for the April 08 exam. so I have to spend a lot of time just to review all the materials.

Not sure that 2 month is enough for me to prepare for the October PE.

Thank you.

I'm in the same boat (other than I failed miserably). I've had alot going on (work and personal) and haven't been able to devote the time to study. However, I still plan to take the exam in October. One major reason is that in GA you get 4 consecutive tries so I might as well give it a shot. I wouldn't waste a chance. Just my opinion.

Honestly, I would try it in October. You've studied a good bit for the first round, so you've got more of a foundation that you probabaly give yourself credit for.

I studied the CERM a lot, and I found that I studied wrong for the test for the first 2 months. The important thing to do is figure out which depth you are going to take, and study like crazy for that depth. I wouldn't spend more than a week or two on the CERM. I would just be familiar with it. Having taken the test, you know the level of detail that the morning session gets in to and probably realize that if you can stay calm, the CERM will "bail you out" for lack of better terms.

My advice is to take it in October and see where the chips fall. Set yourself a study schedule that you can keep AND STICK TO IT. If you know you can study 2 hours a night and 4 on the weekend, do that. If you try to set a schedule for more time than you have, you'll get discouraged and do very poorly in your study habits and the test.

Good Luck to both of you!

Since they won't give you your money back, and it will count as a fail if you don't show up, the only reason not to take it is the 8 hours you give up for the exam. But if you want to pass you should study. Two months of good, solid study should be enough. You might get lucky, but your luck will improve with studying.

If you could try to take a leave and put more hours you can do it. I am one of those guys who put a lot of hours in the last "minutes." I took 2 weeks leave just before the exam and the first weeks I put a lot of hours every day and the second week I took it easy and stop studing just 2 days before. Even though I started to put things together 6 months ahead my "hard" studies were all the last month and half.

Since now you saw how the exam look like, you can pretty much zoom in to where you need to focus more. Good luck and I think you can do it. Just put yourself in a right mind set. I agree with you that if you postpone now you may forget some...So just go for it.

Two months is absolutely enough time to prepare, especially since you've already spent time studying and have taken the test before. Give your best effort to prepare between now and then, give your best effort on test day, and then don't worry. If you find out you need to take the test again in April, you will havve kept the material you have already covered fresh in you head, and you will be that much more prepared in April. Good luck.

Just wondering how it was coming for Aamy.

I took and passed the ME PE in April, and am just getting a warm fuzzy that I don't have to take it again, because I was really sure I hadn't passed after walking out of there. And I don't mean like these guys who just say they were feeling like they didn't pass because they missed a few questions, I ran out of time on both the morning and afternoon sessions and had to do a fair amount of guesswork in the last 15 minutes of each session.

I must have just scraped by. But as they say, "What do you call the guy who finishes last in Medical School?...'Doctor!' "

Myself, I'd recommend taking it again, even with only 2 months left (now only 1 month), as long as you can not commit to a regular study schedule. Especially since you already took it, and you are not starting from scratch. You can review the areas you felt good in, and spend most of that time hitting the stuff you felt uncomfortable with.

Just wondering what you decided.

I'd take it. You've paid for it, you have time to study for it, you've taken it before, and it'll count as a fail to skip it.

Should be a no brainer.