# What's the overall passing rate for ME's?



## JoeysVee (Jul 23, 2009)

We know the average passing rate for 1st timers (~66%) and for repeaters (~33%) but not overall. In other words, of all the people taking the ME PE in October what percentage (including 1st timers and repeaters) will pass? To figure this out we would have to know about what percentage of the October ME PE takers are 1st timers or the percentage that are repeaters.

Does anyone know the percentage of repeaters or 1st timers that typically make up the whole group that take the exam on a particular day? Any guesses?

Maybe 75% are 1st timers and 25% are repeaters....I have no idea.

Let's hear your guesses (if someone hasn't already figured this out)!!!!


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## Kephart P.E. (Jul 23, 2009)

JoeysVee said:


> We know the average passing rate for 1st timers (~66%) and for repeaters (~33%) but not overall. In other words, of all the people taking the ME PE in October what percentage (including 1st timers and repeaters) will pass? To figure this out we would have to know about what percentage of the October ME PE takers are 1st timers or the percentage that are repeaters.
> Does anyone know the percentage of repeaters or 1st timers that typically make up the whole group that take the exam on a particular day? Any guesses?
> 
> Maybe 75% are 1st timers and 25% are repeaters....I have no idea.
> ...


I have wondered about this as well. Inquiring minds want to know.

My guess is that NCEES doesn't want you to know the real passing rate for some reason.


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## Sschell (Jul 23, 2009)

by my calculations, based on my assumptions (which are arbitrary at best) I think 50% are first time takers which would make the actual pass rate about 49.5%

here's what I did (remember arbitrary at best)

out of a sample of 100 first time testee, 66 pass on the first time. if the 34 that fail retake the test, about 11 pass, 23 retake... of the 23 about 8 pass, 15 retake... of the 15 5 pass, 10 retake so on and so on...

100 (first time takers) + 34 (second timers) + 23 (third timers) + 15 (fourth timers) + 10 (fifth timers) + 7 (sixth timers) + 5 (seventh timers) + 3 (octotestees) + 2 (9th timers) + 1 (tenth timer) = 200 total testees 100 of which are first time takers...

no I know probably nobody takes the test 10 times, and I rounded off all the decimals, and made other wacky assumptions... but this is the best I can do with the info given.

Edit: if I dont round off, and assume that the average testee never tests more than 5 times, the % of first time takers is 66% bringing the pass rate up to 54.9%

2nd edit: if I assume the average testee takes the test no more than twice, the % of first timers is 75%... making the pass rate 57.6%

yes I made a spread sheet.


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## Mike in Gastonia (Jul 23, 2009)

Just curious - why does anyone care? You're either a first time taker or a repeat taker. So don't you want to know the pass rates for the two categories?


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## JoeysVee (Jul 23, 2009)

Sure we want to know the percentage of 1st timers and repeaters.

but, when someone asks...."what percentage of the people taking the exam will pass"....it would be nice to not say well it depends on how many times you have taken it. It would be nice to be able to give an overall percentage so your answer would be something like...."55%". It just makes it simpler.


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## benbo (Jul 23, 2009)

Here it is for California.

http://www.pels.ca.gov/applicants/exam_statistics.shtml

It is generally under 50%. I think we can assume there are more repeat takers than first timers.

Some people take this test 10 times.


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## steven_0078 (Jul 24, 2009)

The Texas Board has statistics on overall pass rates. It doesnt distinguish between first time and multiple time takers. it seems to be between 60-65%. I have also seen the california statistics and Texas in general has higher #s. Both states have large # of total takers so results appear to be statistically significant. I wonder if the NCEES publishes first time taker data to encourage more test taking. It would be a little discourging to someone who was debating whether or not to take the exam at all to realize the pass rate was only say 50something %


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## MechGuy (Jul 24, 2009)

I've never really understood why anyone cares about the passing rate. Just study your arse off and do the best you can. don't worry about the pass rate or how others fare.


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## benbo (Jul 24, 2009)

steven_0078 said:


> The Texas Board has statistics on overall pass rates. It doesnt distinguish between first time and multiple time takers. it seems to be between 60-65%. I have also seen the california statistics and Texas in general has higher #s. Both states have large # of total takers so results appear to be statistically significant. I wonder if the NCEES publishes first time taker data to encourage more test taking. It would be a little discourging to someone who was debating whether or not to take the exam at all to realize the pass rate was only say 50something %


This is probably because I think Texas requires a college degree, and pretty much requires some sort of ABET approval, or approval by the Board.

You don't need any degree in Cali to take the test, and I've seen that non-degreed engineers have a lower pass rate than people with a degree, and people with a generic degree have a lower pass rate than those with an ABET accredited degree.


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## steven_0078 (Jul 24, 2009)

benbo said:


> This is probably because I think Texas requires a college degree, and pretty much requires some sort of ABET approval, or approval by the Board.
> You don't need any degree in Cali to take the test, and I've seen that non-degreed engineers have a lower pass rate than people with a degree, and people with a generic degree have a lower pass rate than those with an ABET accredited degree.


I never thought about it like that. I think the TX requirement are much more rigorous. I was thinking about taking the exam in TX but i wouldnt have adequate experience until the October 2009 exam. I ended up spending a year in Cali because of my wife's job. The requirements in Cali are a joke. In TX, you need to explain your experience in great detail, i think the board expects something like 10 pages of detailed explanation. In california there are four question and your response to each question must be less than 60 words or so. There isnt any way the board can really tell if ones experience is legitamate engineering experience. So effectively, All you have to have is some work experience, and some people to write recommendations (which dont even have to be PEs due to the Industrial exemption). Anyways, i took the exam in california because it allowed me to take it earlier. Hopefully i pass. Does make very good sense why TX pass rate is higher.


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