# "Post Exam Survey"



## maximus808 (Nov 5, 2010)

I remember a previous posts similar to this one which I thought was pretty helpful. Here's my survey, feel free to add your own. This might be helpful for those taking the exam in April or in the future to get a feel for what resources they will be relying on during the exam:

What Depth Section did you take: Transporation

Do you think you passed, failed, or unsure: passed

What books did you use from most to least:

1. Index Book (I made a book of my CERM, Greenbook, HCM, and MUTCD index)

2. CERM

3. All in One PE Guide

5. AASHTO Greenbook

6. Braja Das - Geotechnical Engineering

7. ASCE PE Review notes

8. Traffic and Highway Engineering by Harber and Goel

9. AASHTO Roadside Design Guide

10. Michael Lindeburg's Practice Problems Companion to the CERM

If there was anything you could do different during your studying or during the exam, what would it be?

1. Prepare myself to get a good night's rest

2. Be sure I did not miss any easy problems (I missed one by going to quickly)


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## NEED2009 (Nov 12, 2010)

Passed.

cerm/mutcd/aashto greenbook/roadside design/school of pe notebooks

don't want to think about this exam every again.


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## ptatohed (Nov 14, 2010)

NEED2009 said:


> Passed.
> cerm/mutcd/aashto greenbook/roadside design/school of pe notebooks
> 
> don't want to think about this exam every again.



NEED, If you used the MUTCD more than the 'Green Book', you might want to re-think your "Passed". 

Maximus, good thread. Thanks.

Depth = Transpo

I either just barely passed or just barely missed passing.

Books = CERM (10th), AASHTO 'Green Book' (2004), Surveying Principles (2nd Ed), MUTCD (2003).

I brought the Hwy Capacity Manual (2000) but didn't use it nearly as much as I thought I would (used a lot in practicing. ?). I did not bring but wish I had brought the AASHTO Roadside Design Guide (I have since acquired the 2006). I brought a Dictionary and CE Dictionary per the advice of PPI but never used them. I used my TI calc exclusively and never turned on my HP.

So you used the 'All in one PE guide' more than the Green Book, huh? I'll have to look into that.


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## pestudy (Nov 14, 2010)

Passed.

All in One/CERM/Greenbook/HCM/Roadside Design.

I wish I had MUTCD at that time.


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## XOXOXO (Nov 29, 2010)

What Depth Section did you take: CIVIL-STRUCTURAL PM

Do you think you passed, failed, or unsure: UNSURE (AND IT SUCKS)

What books did you use from most to least:

1. PERSONAL NOTES W/EQNS SHEET BY SUBJECT

2. CERM

3. STRUCTURAL PM REFERENCE MANUAL

5. ACI318

6. AISC 13TH

6. MASONRY/WOOD ASD CODE BOOKS

10. IBC/MUTCD CH6/OSHA MANUAL/ASCE7

If there was anything you could do different during your studying or during the exam, what would it be?

FOR AM: NOTHING...I'VE STUDIED ADEQUATELY WORKING EXAMPLE PROBLEMS AND SIX MINUTE SOLUTIONS

AND AM COMPLETELY FAMILIAR WITH CERM (MORE SO THAN I EVER IMAGINED).

FOR PM:

1. CREATE CHEAT SHEETS FOR THE CODE BOOKS - NAVIGATING THROUGH THEM (EVEN WHEN TABBED) SUCKS

2. HIGHLIGHT THE BEJESUS OUT OF THE CODE BOOKS AND WRITE IN MY OWN NOTES AS IN STEP 1: PG X ETC.


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## Ambrug20 (Nov 30, 2010)

maximus808 said:


> I remember a previous posts similar to this one which I thought was pretty helpful. Here's my survey, feel free to add your own. This might be helpful for those taking the exam in April or in the future to get a feel for what resources they will be relying on during the exam:
> What Depth Section did you take: Transporation
> 
> Do you think you passed, failed, or unsure: passed
> ...


Depth in Transportation.

I am the same way as PLATOHED, either just barely passed or just barely missed passing.

_Used:_

1. made my own book of my CERM, Greenbook, HCM, and MUTCD (formulas, descriptions, etc)

2. CERM

3. MUTCD

5. AASHTO Greenbook

6. Concrete Mix

7. HCM

8. Traffic and Highway Engineering by Harber and Goel

9. AASHTO Roadside Design Guide

10. M. Lindeburg's Practice Problems Companion to the CERM, 6-min's, School of PE, lot of other set of problems

No difference in preparation will be done next time. I think, i am on the right tract


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## maximus808 (Nov 30, 2010)

Hey Tanya, I hope this time us trans depth people as well as others got past this one. It's so pleasant not to study and worry about the exam anymore but as the end of December nears, the nerves start kicking in again. I suppose you will never really know if pass or fail until you get your result but how well you performed (or think you performed) on the test day will give you some relief for the time being. This is my second attempt at the exam so I'm trying to do the complete opposite of what I did last time waiting for the results and that is to just relax and completely forget about it. I was trying so hard to see how many questions I got right vs. wrong that it beginning to stress me out and the exam was over already haha. But this time, I'm trying to enjoy the holidays, focus on work, and hope for the best. I can't think of anything different I would've done to study for this exam. Maybe I'll enroll in Goswami's study review course. His book is great. The Passing Zone helped me stay focus. And retabbing my CERM was key too to helping me remember why I tabbed those pages in the first place. I definitely know that making my own Index book of all my important resources was a huge time saver. But I felt that just doing problems after problems helped. I basically did not get any sleep the night before the exam because I was so nervous but was able to do problems because of it was pretty much embedded into my head haha. But good luck to you all and enjoy the holidays!!!! Passing this exam will be the best gift this holidays!


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## Ambrug20 (Dec 1, 2010)

maximus808 said:


> Hey Tanya, I hope this time us trans depth people as well as others got past this one. It's so pleasant not to study and worry about the exam anymore but as the end of December nears, the nerves start kicking in again. I suppose you will never really know if pass or fail until you get your result but how well you performed (or think you performed) on the test day will give you some relief for the time being. This is my second attempt at the exam so I'm trying to do the complete opposite of what I did last time waiting for the results and that is to just relax and completely forget about it. I was trying so hard to see how many questions I got right vs. wrong that it beginning to stress me out and the exam was over already haha. But this time, I'm trying to enjoy the holidays, focus on work, and hope for the best. I can't think of anything different I would've done to study for this exam. Maybe I'll enroll in Goswami's study review course. His book is great. The Passing Zone helped me stay focus. And retabbing my CERM was key too to helping me remember why I tabbed those pages in the first place. I definitely know that making my own Index book of all my important resources was a huge time saver. But I felt that just doing problems after problems helped. I basically did not get any sleep the night before the exam because I was so nervous but was able to do problems because of it was pretty much embedded into my head haha. But good luck to you all and enjoy the holidays!!!! Passing this exam will be the best gift this holidays!


Maximus,

looks like I am not the only one who didn't get any sleep the night before. I took the day off on Thursday, was trying to relax (with no success),and get no more then 2 hrs of sleep at night. I have done all I could for this past exam. That was my second time as well. I studied so many hours for this test, my family was sick to hear the word "TEST". Now, i am trying do not think about it, do not talk about it, but my hands open this web "against my will". I am not rushing the result, last time I was so nervous to know the test result, that made everyone around me crazy. This time, didn't tell anyone that I am taking the test (except my family), and I will except any test result. I am ready to start study in January. One day we'll celebrate, hope this day will come soon. Happy Holiday all of you, who is waiting the result, don't stress yourself about it. You have done it, and nothing could be change at this point. :waitwall:


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## Porta John (Dec 2, 2010)

What Depth Section did you take: Structural

Do you think you passed, failed, or unsure: We'll see.

What books did you use from most to least:

1. CERM

2. ACI-318

3. AISC 13th

4. ASCE-7

5. Others: Including NDS, IBC, NCEES Practice Problems, Statics Book, Geotech book

If there was anything you could do different during your studying or during the exam, what would it be?

1. Not do as much general reading 5+ months out from the exam. I tended to forget it by the time I took the exam.


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## DBC (Jan 4, 2011)

What Depth Section did you take: Transporation

Do you think you passed, failed, or unsure: passed

What books did you use from most to least:

1. CERM

2. AASHTO Green Book

3. AASHTO Roadside Design Guide

5. HCM, MUTCD, Traffic Manual, Asphalt, Portland Cement, etc. (all used at least once, but likely not more than twice)

6. Michael Lindeburg's Practice Problems Companion to the CERM (useful for those few problems you know you solved but can't remember exactly how)

7. 1960s textbook on water resources/pipe design. Got me at least one answer.

If there was anything you could do different during your studying or during the exam, what would it be?

1. Actually studying instead of complaining about needing to study

2. Think more carefully about what extra information is unnecessary. I know I missed two questions where I used the extraneous information.

If there was anything you did that you thought was extra helpful, what was it?

1. Prioritizing the afternoon section, then studying for the morning

2. Thinking through how to take the test - studying with purpose


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## CivilEngMatt (Jan 5, 2011)

What Depth Section did you take: Water Resources

Do you think you passed, failed, or unsure: Passed

What books did you use from most to least:

1. CERM and practice problems

2. NCEES Review Problems

3. 6 Min Solutions

5. Lindinberg Practice Exam

6. A couple testbooks from college.

If there was anything you could do different during your studying or during the exam, what would it be?

1. I began studying 5 months prior to the exam (approx 400+ hours). I finished all the sections, and went back through a second time and realized that I had forgotten some the the material that I studied the first month. Therefore, I would begin studying about four months out.

2. I thought the exam would be more like the NCEES practice problems, but found that the questions were more like the Lindinberg practice exam, which is a little harder.

If there was anything you did that you thought was extra helpful, what was it?

1. I solved as many practice problems as I could (several hundred) and reviewed them on a regular basis.

2. I prepared a study timeline and tried to stick to it


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## KansasStateGeoTech (Jan 5, 2011)

Depth = Geotechnical, Passed on first attempt.

1. CERM

2. Personal notes

3. Das, Foundation Engineering

4. Surveying Textbook

5. HCM

That's as much as I recall at this point.


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