# These pencils suck



## ipswitch (Jul 4, 2010)

I'm using my official NCEES provided mechanical pencil from the previous exam for practice problems. These pencils suck real bad. The leads snap like crazy; and it throws off your rhythm.

Come and get your f'ckin pencils NCEES!


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## IlPadrino (Jul 5, 2010)

ipswitch said:


> I'm using my official NCEES provided mechanical pencil from the previous exam for practice problems. These pencils suck real bad. The leads snap like crazy; and it throws off your rhythm.
> 
> Come and get your f'ckin pencils NCEES!


I love those pencils... and use them whenever I help my son with homework. I've got about five of them lying around and smile whenever I see or use them.


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## cdcengineer (Jul 5, 2010)

I took mine and grabbed a few from other tables. They said we could take em' so I did. I look and smile and that pencil at lease once a week


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## EnvEngineer (Jul 6, 2010)

I had to ask for two replacements during the test, I was bummed. I think the QC may be a bit lax on these and there are a some that dont work well. The last one I got seems to work well but I really like the old style pencil with a sharpener.


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## IlPadrino (Jul 7, 2010)

EnvEngineer said:


> The last one I got seems to work well but I really like the old style pencil with a sharpener.


Yeah... can you imagine everyone getting up every thirty minutes or so to sharpen their pencil? Or would every table get their own pencil sharpener?


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## Supe (Jul 7, 2010)

Old school pencil, manual single blade twist-style sharpener for all, and a troll pencil topper. That should be standard issue.


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## snickerd3 (Jul 7, 2010)

IlPadrino said:


> EnvEngineer said:
> 
> 
> > The last one I got seems to work well but I really like the old style pencil with a sharpener.
> ...


that would have been annoying. I like fine tips on my pencils, i would have been sharpening after each question.


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## IlPadrino (Jul 8, 2010)

Supe said:


> Old school pencil, manual single blade twist-style sharpener for all, and a troll pencil topper. That should be standard issue.


Make and model? Catalog cuts? You know NCEES would have to standardize - you can't have test takers using two different sharpeners... there might be an unfair advantage. If you could save a few twists per sharpen, that could translate to *minutes* on the overall exam. Enough for one more problem, to be sure.

I can see it now... you get a substandard sharpener ("I noticed my table-mate had a much more efficient model!") and fail with a 69. Then you've got to subpoena you table-mate and do some independent testing.

Or... an ADA complaint: What about those one-handed engineers? They'll need to learn to hold the sharpener in their teeth!

No - I think the tried-and-true ElCheapo Mk1 Mod1 mechanical pencil works just fine!


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## Supe (Jul 8, 2010)

I'm willing to bet you'd see pass rates increase with a Troll Topper. You sit there, panicking over a question, stressed beyond belief, when suddenly your eyes catch a glimpse of this mass of blue hair undulating back and forth with every move of the pencil. A smile comes over your face, followed by an immediate sense of relaxation. You rub the stomach for good luck, and away you go.

I'm not worried about the one-handed engineers. We've got an inspector here with one arm who can put on a harness and climb ladders and scaffolds. Surely he can sharpen a pencil.


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