# Engineering dictionary, has anyone actually needed it?



## bph (May 6, 2009)

So here is a question, can anyone provide me with a single instance of someone using one of these for the purpose of studying for the ME PE exam?

Can anyone point to a single sample problem in any of the NCEES sample exams, MERM practice problems, MERM practice exam, Six minute solutions (all three sets for ME) or any other ME PE sample questions that would require a engineering dictionary, and the term in not in the standard set of tech references you would bring? These sample problems mentioned are likely over 1000 in number, you would think there should be at least a single example of the need for a dictionary?

Just curious,

BPH


----------



## Kephart P.E. (May 6, 2009)

bph said:


> So here is a question, can anyone provide me with a single instance of someone using one of these for the purpose of studying for the ME PE exam?
> Can anyone point to a single sample problem in any of the NCEES sample exams, MERM practice problems, MERM practice exam, Six minute solutions (all three sets for ME) or any other ME PE sample questions that would require a engineering dictionary, and the term in not in the standard set of tech references you would bring? These sample problems mentioned are likely over 1000 in number, you would think there should be at least a single example of the need for a dictionary?
> 
> Just curious,
> ...


I have never needed it, but I could have used it a couple of times.

I don't remember where it came up in my study, but I had a question that asked about bonderizing. I think I found it in my MD book. It really turned out to be somewhat unimportant, but I could have used the dictionary.


----------



## snickerd3 (May 6, 2009)

one of the guys I worked with was glad he had it at the test. He was able to answer a question or two using it.


----------



## Sschell (May 6, 2009)

I think I mentioned in another thread that is totally useless. I have even tried just flipping through to find definitions that I was not familiar with. This yielded nothing of interest.


----------



## bph (May 6, 2009)

dude said:


> I think I mentioned in another thread that is totally useless. I have even tried just flipping through to find definitions that I was not familiar with. This yielded nothing of interest.


I agree with the dude, it's useless for the ME PE exam. And useless after that, because the web is so much better.

I wanted to start a thread to see if anyone could come up with ANY problem they have encountered while studying for the ME PE exam. This board represents 10's of thousands of hours of studying and above I have a list of common exam prep questions, representing over 1000 problems that many people on this board have worked, and ask for a single example of how it would be needed in addition to your standard references.

Can anyone give one single specific example?

-BPH


----------



## Sschell (May 6, 2009)

I see if it can drive a nail later...


----------



## bph (May 6, 2009)

[quote name='D. Kephart' date='May 6 2009, 12:34 PM' post='6719460'

...I don't remember where it came up in my study, but I had a question that asked about bonderizing. I think I found it in my MD book. It really turned out to be somewhat unimportant, but I could have used the dictionary.


----------



## bph (May 6, 2009)

snickerd3 said:


> one of the guys I worked with was glad he had it at the test. He was able to answer a question or two using it.


I think this is an urban legend, or engineering legend.

I can't imagine that there would be a term that was in an engineering dictionary but not in the standard set of references (or at least the ones I used).

Keep up the good work, but still looking for one single example of how an engineering dictionary would help in the ME PE exam?

-BPH


----------



## Matt-NM (May 6, 2009)

Will it help? Maybe, but likely won't be needed if you bring sufficient resources. Will it hurt? Definitely not, unless you leave a loose piece of paper in it and it falls out during the exam, causing you to be removed from the room.

I had one for the Mechanical PE in April 2008. I don't think I found any answers in it, but may have scoured the pages one or two times looking for one of the off the wall answers. There were at least a couple questions asked that I would deem off the wall, where my only strategy was to scour the index of every book that I had. I think I eventually found something similar to what was being asked in the Mark's handbook.

Bottom line, it won't hurt having one. If you can get one for a reasonable price, then go ahead. If you have all the basic resources (MERM, NCEES, Six-Minute, Mark's, Machinery's, etc) then it's unlikely there would be anything in the dictionary that wasn't in one of these.


----------



## dastuff (May 6, 2009)

I was to cheap to buy the engineering dictionary, so instead i just brought a regular old dictionary (that's how i role).

There were two specific times that i had to crack open the book and look things up (although one was on the CA specific seismic exam).

I think it's good to bring something just incase you have extra time and need to look up a word or two to understand the question. Although i don't know if it's worth 100$.


----------



## bph (May 6, 2009)

Matt-NM said:


> ... Bottom line, it won't hurt having one.


I agree.

But the actual exam only has 80 problems, and lots of people said they had a friend or they used in on a problem or two, so out of the 1000 or so questions in the MERM pratice problems, NCEES exams x 2, Six minutes solutions X 3 and any other ME PE sample problems.......

Can anyone show me a single problem that it would be needed?

-BPH


----------



## benbo (May 6, 2009)

bph said:


> I think this is an urban legend, or engineering legend. I can't imagine that there would be a term that was in an engineering dictionary but not in the standard set of references (or at least the ones I used).
> 
> Keep up the good work, but still looking for one single example of how an engineering dictionary would help in the ME PE exam?
> 
> -BPH


I used one during my test (EE - October 2005). I had a lot of references, most of which I didn't use at all, including my EERM. But I found the definition of one term in my dictionary which allowed me to answer a question. I checked later and it wasn't in any of my other references. Obviously, I can't go into more detail, and I'd suggest you quit asking for specific examples off an exam. Believe me, I remember the term distinctly, and I could tell you, but I'm not going there.


----------



## maryannette (May 6, 2009)

The bottom line is you don't NEED any book. If you choose to take an engineering dictionary, it might help you.


----------



## RockyMtnHigh (May 6, 2009)

I brought 2 engineering dictionaries to the exam :tardbang: and I NEEDED one of 'em! The useless one was McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Engineering, BTW.


----------



## SPSUEngineer (May 6, 2009)

I didn't have a need for it...civil exam though


----------



## Kephart P.E. (May 6, 2009)

benbo said:


> I used one during my test (EE - October 2005). I had a lot of references, most of which I didn't use at all, including my EERM. But I found the definition of one term in my dictionary which allowed me to answer a question. I checked later and it wasn't in any of my other references. Obviously, I can't go into more detail, and I'd suggest you quit asking for specific examples off an exam. Believe me, I remember the term distinctly, and I could tell you, but I'm not going there.



I believe he specifically asked if any one had ever needed it during their "study" in the first post, that is what I was responding to.


----------



## Sschell (May 6, 2009)

bph said:


> So here is a question, can anyone provide me with a single instance of someone using one of these for the purpose of studying for the ME PE exam?
> Can anyone point to a single sample problem in any of the NCEES sample exams, MERM practice problems, MERM practice exam, Six minute solutions (all three sets for ME) or any other ME PE sample questions that would require a engineering dictionary, and the term in not in the standard set of tech references you would bring? These sample problems mentioned are likely over 1000 in number, you would think there should be at least a single example of the need for a dictionary?
> 
> Just curious,
> ...


I think the awnser really would vary from person to person... If I were totally unfamiliar with engineering jargon, but was studying for the test (I realize this raises other questions), having a centralized reference that will be more comprehensive than the combined golssaries and indicies of all my other references (which it arguably may be) would be very helpful.

here's one: _Hermaphrodite caliper_

if that came up while studying or on the exam, once I finished giggling, I would have to look it up.


----------



## benbo (May 6, 2009)

D. Kephart said:


> I believe he specifically asked if any one had ever needed it during their "study" in the first post, that is what I was responding to.


Yes, it looks like I inferred something he did not ask until later. He question morphed a bit during the discussion, and I suspect he thinks it is useless as an exam reference as well, but I could be wrong. I infer that from these statements:

and the term in not in the standard set of tech references you would *bring*?

I think this is an urban legend, or engineering legend.

I can't imagine that there would be a term that was in an engineering dictionary but not in the standard set of references (or at least the ones I used).

Keep up the good work, but still looking for one single example of how an engineering dictionary would help in the ME PE exam?

You are not likely to use it studying, because by definition all the books you mentioned explain most of the terms contained in them to one degree or another. But that isn't necessarily the case for the exam, where I found it a useful reference.


----------



## benbo (May 6, 2009)

dude said:


> I think the awnser really would vary from person to person... If I were totally unfamiliar with engineering jargon, but was studying for the test (I realize this raises other questions), having a centralized reference that will be more comprehensive than the combined golssaries and indicies of all my other references (which it arguably may be) would be very helpful.
> 
> here's one: _Hermaphrodite caliper_
> 
> if that came up while studying or on the exam, once I finished giggling, I would have to look it up.


Exactly. Without going into detail, the question I was asked referred to a phenomenon I was very familiar with, but called it by a completely different name that I had never heard before.


----------



## goodal (May 7, 2009)

I just tested in April 09 and there was one problem that i think an ENGINEERING dictionary would have helped me answer. I poured through all the resources i had (a considerable amount of material), trying to define a word they were using but it was not to be found. It may not have been in the dictionary but then again...


----------



## bph (May 7, 2009)

The reason I was asking if someone ever used it during all the practice problems they solved (I listed sources of over 1000 problems) was because if someone says "I used it during the PE exam", there is no way to verify that, but if you can show me a practice problem that it was needed, then that can be verified.

Other engineering, particularly types of civil, a dictionary is very worth while. I posted topic to the mechanical thread, and specifically noted ME PE every chance I could, because I am talking about the value of the dictionary for the ME PE.

Again, even though people on this board have solved thousands of ME PE practice problems, no one can recall a specific instance it was needed.

But I give up; I will no longer look for a bonafide ME PE practice problem that would require it. (and as I have posted several times that there nothing wrong with bringing one just in case).

My primary references were: MERM, Mark's, Shingley's and Machinery handbook (MD depth). The MERM was the only reference I used on the exam.

-BPH


----------



## benbo (May 7, 2009)

bph said:


> was because if someone says "I used it during the PE exam", there is no way to verify that,


Well, you could believe them because they have no reason to lie about it.

You wouldn't need it for practice because, as I explained before, most practice problems people use are written by either ppi or NCEES. Most of them are designed to be answered using the MERM, EERM, or whatever.

And obviously I'm not saying the dictionary is the only reference that might have the information. It is just a convenient thing when you don't understand a term.


----------



## Sschell (May 7, 2009)

bph said:


> The MERM was the only reference I used on the exam.


when I sat for the exam, there were a lot of people taking the mechanical exam with nothing other than MERM and a calculator...

I went the other route and brought like two milk cartes worth of references, most of which I never used... MERM, Shigley, Gas &amp; Steam tables and Mark's for one Hail Mary question is all I really used.


----------



## bph (May 7, 2009)

benbo said:


> Well, you could believe them because they have no reason to lie about it.


I absolutely don't think anyone would lie about it, I just think that it’s likely I could find the term in the MERM or Mark’s, and there is no way to know this unless someone gives the details, which they aren't allowed if it's an actual exam question.

I was just kind of hoping instead of everyone saying "yes, get a dictionary, I used it for a question or two", I could get an example of a ME PE exam prep question that requires an engineering dictionary.

Anyway, kind of beating a dead horse at this point.

I just have more time on my hands now that the exam is done, and I enjoy posting &amp; reading here, kind of got addicted to it as a means of procrastinating and learning while studying for the exam. Need my daily fix. But on to other topics now.

-BPH


----------



## Sschell (May 7, 2009)

this is a great place to pass the time while you wait for results. Some of us get hooked and hang around long after!


----------



## wilheldp_PE (May 8, 2009)

bph said:


> Anyway, kind of beating a dead horse at this point.


Got that right. I just don't understand why you are so vehemently against the engineering dictionary. Why does it matter to you that some people buy one just in case there is one question that it would help them on? For some, it might be easier to look a term up in the dictionary that it is to check the index/TOC on 2 or 3 other references. That minute or so saved on one problem may help them finish the exam in time.

Did the publisher of the engineering dictionary kick your dog or something?


----------



## Capt Worley PE (May 8, 2009)

^Beat me to it, wiheld. I just don't get the vehemence about the engineering dictionary.


----------



## Sschell (May 8, 2009)

I understand where bph is coming from... for me it was somewhat frustrating how useless the thing was... there were other references that did not help me on the test, but they at least helped during studying.... dictionary, nothin!


----------



## bph (May 8, 2009)

This topic was not meant to be about whether you should bring an engineering dictionary to the ME PE exam. I should have been more clear about that.

Please read the original post, I said "Can anyone point to a single sample problem ....", and I ended the post with "just curious".

Is this an out of bounds question? Should I have not asked it? Have I insulted anyone? I guess nobody else shares my curiosity or interest and I will leave it at that.

I apologize if I have not been articulate or if my comments have offended anyone.

I’ll be more careful about starting topics in the future, and try and limit my comments to the standard stuff.

-BPH


----------



## wilheldp_PE (May 8, 2009)

bph said:


> This topic was not meant to be about whether you should bring an engineering dictionary to the ME PE exam. I should have been more clear about that.
> Please read the original post, I said "Can anyone point to a single sample problem ....", and I ended the post with "just curious".
> 
> Is this an out of bounds question? Should I have not asked it? Have I insulted anyone? I guess nobody else shares my curiosity or interest and I will leave it at that.
> ...


No, it's not really the question that bothered me. In fact, if the consensus is that the book is utterly useless, this thread would be useful in saving future test takers some money. It was more the militant way you kept repeating the question. It was like you were pissed that we weren't sending you specific sample problems that required the reference in question. And you seemed to repeat that, in increasingly aggressive language, after every unsatisfactory post.


----------



## Sschell (May 8, 2009)

^I didn't get militant or aggressive from him... I thought it was a valid question.

did we :deadhorse: here? yes, certainly. but I don't think anyone was out of line here.

my .02


----------



## wilheldp_PE (May 8, 2009)

dude said:


> ^I didn't get militant or aggressive from him... I thought it was a valid question.
> did we :deadhorse: here? yes, certainly. but I don't think anyone was out of line here.
> 
> my .02


Just an impression. And quite frankly, it doesn't matter that much to me. I was just explaining the reasoning for my first post.


----------

