# Power Review Course Options



## jbro02

Hello -

I've been trolling through the boards for a while but this is my first time posting lol.

I just took the PE -Power Exam in April 2010 and unfortunately I will be taking it again (missed it barely) in OCT 2010 :smileyballs:

I'm on the fence in regards to taking a review course for this thing to help polish up and refine a few of those areas that I'm a little weak in.

I live in the DFW area of Texas. _*Test Masters*_ offers a review course which is only offered in Houston, TX and is about a 4 hour drive....blah. Not only that, it's very expensive at around $1700 plus the hotel charges.

I actually took the Test Masters course for the FE exam about 3 years ago after my first unsuccessful attempt on the FE flying solo. Ultimately, there course helped me tremendously as I passed the second time no problem.

I've seen some other online courses offered for the PE - Power Exam such as _*GA Tech's Review Course. *_ It's around $875 for the course and it's pre-recorded lectures and review sessions. They provide you with the class notes and a copy of NCEES Sample Exam Questions as part of the course fee. The good thing about this particular course is that is self-paced and you can watch the sessions over-and-over again as needed.

GA Tech's Review Course

I'm curious if anyone has any experience with this particular course or any others...good or bad experiences as I'm just looking for feedback at this point.

I used these books for studying on the first round:

EERM manual

NCEES Sample Questions

Camara - EE Practice Problems

Camara - EE Quick Ref. Guide

2007 NESC

2002 NEC

Ugly's EE Ref. Guide

I just got the updated 2008 NEC edition.

I'm thinking about picking up Schaum's book and Wildi's book as additional references.

Thanks in advance for everyone's opinions / suggestions.

-J


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## KEG

I liked the GA Tech review. I was down to my fourth and final try. The course material was easy to follow and I liked being able to view it on my own time. I did try to stick to a weekly schedule ( you don't want to try and view all the modules in one day or weekend). I think the course, many hours of working problems, and knowing the NEC very well helped me to finally pass. Good luck.


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## Gans

jbro02 said:


> Hello -
> I've been trolling through the boards for a while but this is my first time posting lol.
> 
> I just took the PE -Power Exam in April 2010 and unfortunately I will be taking it again (missed it barely) in OCT 2010 :smileyballs:
> 
> I'm on the fence in regards to taking a review course for this thing to help polish up and refine a few of those areas that I'm a little weak in.
> 
> I live in the DFW area of Texas. _*Test Masters*_ offers a review course which is only offered in Houston, TX and is about a 4 hour drive....blah. Not only that, it's very expensive at around $1700 plus the hotel charges.
> 
> I actually took the Test Masters course for the FE exam about 3 years ago after my first unsuccessful attempt on the FE flying solo. Ultimately, there course helped me tremendously as I passed the second time no problem.
> 
> I've seen some other online courses offered for the PE - Power Exam such as _*GA Tech's Review Course. *_ It's around $875 for the course and it's pre-recorded lectures and review sessions. They provide you with the class notes and a copy of NCEES Sample Exam Questions as part of the course fee. The good thing about this particular course is that is self-paced and you can watch the sessions over-and-over again as needed.
> 
> GA Tech's Review Course
> 
> I'm curious if anyone has any experience with this particular course or any others...good or bad experiences as I'm just looking for feedback at this point.
> 
> I used these books for studying on the first round:
> 
> EERM manual
> 
> NCEES Sample Questions
> 
> Camara - EE Practice Problems
> 
> Camara - EE Quick Ref. Guide
> 
> 2007 NESC
> 
> 2002 NEC
> 
> Ugly's EE Ref. Guide
> 
> I just got the updated 2008 NEC edition.
> 
> I'm thinking about picking up Schaum's book and Wildi's book as additional references.
> 
> Thanks in advance for everyone's opinions / suggestions.
> 
> -J



Also consider taking some electrician's practice exam's. Do a search for nec practice exams and you'll find dozens of free practice exams. This will help you get used to flipping through the NEC to find answers to questions, and may give you the ability to answer a few questions without looking them up.


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## jbro02

KEG said:


> I liked the GA Tech review. I was down to my fourth and final try. The course material was easy to follow and I liked being able to view it on my own time. I did try to stick to a weekly schedule ( you don't want to try and view all the modules in one day or weekend). I think the course, many hours of working problems, and knowing the NEC very well helped me to finally pass. Good luck.


Good to hear. Thanks for the reply - I appreciate it!

-J



Gans said:


> Also consider taking some electrician's practice exam's. Do a search for nec practice exams and you'll find dozens of free practice exams. This will help you get used to flipping through the NEC to find answers to questions, and may give you the ability to answer a few questions without looking them up.


That's a good idea...never got around to doing that the first time. After working through the given problems in the NCEES Sample questions - I thought I had them down cold. But the questions on the April exam proved to be slightly more challenging in some respects. Just knowing the Code and how to find the information is the biggest part of it I believe.

Thanks again for the advice!

-J


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## megavar

I'm taking the Irvine Institute's course online starting in August (for Oct 2010 power exam). Cost +-$700 incl books (Chelapati) The course content seem to follow the NCEES exam format fairly closely. I passed the FE last year (22yrs out of school in South Africa) after taking the Villanova online FE course last year. The math, economics, electrical, chemistry were good but the non-electrical lectures were a bit un-organized.

will keep you posted - good luck with your studies!

:band:


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## jbro02

megavar said:


> I'm taking the Irvine Institute's course online starting in August (for Oct 2010 power exam). Cost +-$700 incl books (Chelapati) The course content seem to follow the NCEES exam format fairly closely. I passed the FE last year (22yrs out of school in South Africa) after taking the Villanova online FE course last year. The math, economics, electrical, chemistry were good but the non-electrical lectures were a bit un-organized.will keep you posted - good luck with your studies!
> 
> :band:


Ok - yeah I saw their online program too. I'm in the process of emailing Ga Tech's program to ask some more specific questions about the lectures and how they're set up. That was one of my biggest concerns, was enrolling in a class / course that didn't really follow the NCEES path. I want to make sure that it focuses on the specifics of the actual PE - Power Exam and not just a basic refresher on college level power classes.

Thanks for your input.

-J


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## KEG

jbro02 said:


> megavar said:
> 
> 
> 
> I'm taking the Irvine Institute's course online starting in August (for Oct 2010 power exam). Cost +-$700 incl books (Chelapati) The course content seem to follow the NCEES exam format fairly closely. I passed the FE last year (22yrs out of school in South Africa) after taking the Villanova online FE course last year. The math, economics, electrical, chemistry were good but the non-electrical lectures were a bit un-organized.will keep you posted - good luck with your studies!
> 
> :band:
> 
> 
> 
> Ok - yeah I saw their online program too. I'm in the process of emailing Ga Tech's program to ask some more specific questions about the lectures and how they're set up. That was one of my biggest concerns, was enrolling in a class / course that didn't really follow the NCEES path. I want to make sure that it focuses on the specifics of the actual PE - Power Exam and not just a basic refresher on college level power classes.
> 
> Thanks for your input.
> 
> -J
Click to expand...

Its not a review of college level power. Dr. Callen will tell you that his goal and the goal for the course is for you to pass the PE exam. He even spent time going through the NCEES sample questions during one of the sessions. And once you've paid for the course, you can take it as many times as you wish. My old company actually paid for the course in 2003 when I first applied for the exam. Unfortunatley, the state board did not accept some of my experience so I didn't get to take the exam then even though I had already completed the review course. Regardless, I only had to pay a small admin fee when I took the course online in 2009.


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## jbro02

KEG said:


> Its not a review of college level power. Dr. Callen will tell you that his goal and the goal for the course is for you to pass the PE exam. He even spent time going through the NCEES sample questions during one of the sessions. And once you've paid for the course, you can take it as many times as you wish. My old company actually paid for the course in 2003 when I first applied for the exam. Unfortunatley, the state board did not accept some of my experience so I didn't get to take the exam then even though I had already completed the review course. Regardless, I only had to pay a small admin fee when I took the course online in 2009.


Good stuff - we'll this thing keeps sounding better and better.

The price is good

It's self-paced

You can watch over-n-over

Online = No travel

Thanks

-J


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## Tammy-IIT

jbro02 said:


> megavar said:
> 
> 
> 
> I'm taking the Irvine Institute's course online starting in August (for Oct 2010 power exam). Cost +-$700 incl books (Chelapati) The course content seem to follow the NCEES exam format fairly closely. I passed the FE last year (22yrs out of school in South Africa) after taking the Villanova online FE course last year. The math, economics, electrical, chemistry were good but the non-electrical lectures were a bit un-organized.will keep you posted - good luck with your studies!
> 
> :band:
> 
> 
> 
> Ok - yeah I saw their online program too. I'm in the process of emailing Ga Tech's program to ask some more specific questions about the lectures and how they're set up. That was one of my biggest concerns, was enrolling in a class / course that didn't really follow the NCEES path. I want to make sure that it focuses on the specifics of the actual PE - Power Exam and not just a basic refresher on college level power classes.
> 
> Thanks for your input.
> 
> -J
Click to expand...


Hello there,

If you are trying to take an exam, please review our information online at www.irvineinsitute.org. We have been helping students since 1973. We provide student with gauranteed pass, so what have you got to loose? Many schools lower the price but fail to teach student what they need to know for the exam. We have live seminars and archive through out the country. If you missed anything in class, you can go back to review again and again. The workbooks gave you sample close to the exam. The classes are starting soon. Good luck to you.

Tammy


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## cdcengineer

Tammy - why are you spamming so hard for the Irvine review course?

25 posts in a day all regarding the course - shame!


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## knight1fox3

jbro02 said:


> Good stuff - we'll this thing keeps sounding better and better.
> The price is good
> 
> It's self-paced
> 
> You can watch over-n-over
> 
> Online = No travel
> 
> Thanks
> 
> -J


jbro02, thanks for the information. I also will be taking the power PE exam in Oct. 2010 (2nd time as well =( ). I am curious to know if you went ahead with the GA Tech Review course or found out anymore new information. I was actually thinking about taking some sort of review course this time around to reinforce certain concepts through practice problems. Evidently the NCEES and Kaplan practice problems weren't enough of a review for me. Anyway, let me know on the GA Tech review course. Thanks! =)


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## jbro02

knight1fox3 said:


> jbro02, thanks for the information. I also will be taking the power PE exam in Oct. 2010 (2nd time as well =( ). I am curious to know if you went ahead with the GA Tech Review course or found out anymore new information. I was actually thinking about taking some sort of review course this time around to reinforce certain concepts through practice problems. Evidently the NCEES and Kaplan practice problems weren't enough of a review for me. Anyway, let me know on the GA Tech review course. Thanks! =)


I haven't decided yet on the course...I think it starts up in mid August (a few weeks away).

I actually got a copy of the PE Power notes from Test Masters from a friend that took the course back in 2008. The only catch is that the notes were based on the old format of the test - back when there was not 3 separate modules (Power, Electronics, and Computers) as it is setup now.

After looking over the notes and sifting through the information that was relevant - there is still a substantial amount of good info on Power related topics...equations, formulas, problems /solutions, etc...

I think for right now, I am going to take a few weeks to study these notes and try to get a good feel for what's in there and then make my decision on whether or not I need to spend the money on the GA Tech Review Course.

I took the time and effort of scanning all the notes into their individual subjects as pdf files (I think it's over a 1000 pages total). I did this at work haha - but it still took forever even our fancy copy machine lol. I also made myself a copy of all the original notes b/c I had to return the Test Masters book back to my friend.

Stay tuned...

-J


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## bambooi

JBRO:

How much did you study the first time around? I'm considering taking this GA tech class as well. I also sent you a private message.


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## jbro02

bambooi said:


> JBRO:
> How much did you study the first time around? I'm considering taking this GA tech class as well. I also sent you a private message.


I studied for about 3 months.

2 -3 hrs each night and then 6 hrs or so on Sat. / Sun

I felt that it was enough - bu then again, the more time you have to devote to working problems, the better off you will be from my past experiences.

-J


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## knight1fox3

jbro02 said:


> bambooi said:
> 
> 
> 
> JBRO:
> How much did you study the first time around? I'm considering taking this GA tech class as well. I also sent you a private message.
> 
> 
> 
> I studied for about 3 months.
> 
> 2 -3 hrs each night and then 6 hrs or so on Sat. / Sun
> 
> I felt that it was enough - bu then again, the more time you have to devote to working problems, the better off you will be from my past experiences.
> 
> -J
Click to expand...

I studied about 1.5 hrs each night after work and around 2-4 hrs each weekend for 2.5 months. Perhaps this wasn't enough. I did all the review problems in the NCEES power book and all problems in the Kaplan review. Maybe just these alone also weren't enough. I even did a mock exam and redid all the NCEES problems 3 days before the exam. So I am looking for ways to improve and am seriously considering taking the online review course. I may also purchase a copy of the chelapati book. Any other thoughts on this?


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## jbro02

knight1fox3 said:


> jbro02 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> bambooi said:
> 
> 
> 
> JBRO:
> How much did you study the first time around? I'm considering taking this GA tech class as well. I also sent you a private message.
> 
> 
> 
> I studied for about 3 months.
> 
> 2 -3 hrs each night and then 6 hrs or so on Sat. / Sun
> 
> I felt that it was enough - bu then again, the more time you have to devote to working problems, the better off you will be from my past experiences.
> 
> -J
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> I studied about 1.5 hrs each night after work and around 2-4 hrs each weekend for 2.5 months. Perhaps this wasn't enough. I did all the review problems in the NCEES power book and all problems in the Kaplan review. Maybe just these alone also weren't enough. I even did a mock exam and redid all the NCEES problems 3 days before the exam. So I am looking for ways to improve and am seriously considering taking the online review course. I may also purchase a copy of the chelapati book. Any other thoughts on this?
Click to expand...

Work the problems over and over until you can begin to recognize other similar questions and be able to solve them without searching through your notes. That is going to be an important focus for me on this next round.

Another factor is just the basic knowledge of Power Systems in general - the kind of knowledge that doesn't come from a book, but rather it is derived from _experience._ You either have it or you don't...this is the unfortunate truth.

I would bet that the majority of engineers with say 10 or more years experience probably have higher first time pass rates than those with less experience. Just my 2 cents

-J


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## HopefulFirstTimer

I'm enrolled in the Georgia Tech course and it opened today. So I go to login to get started and they are having networking problems that is preventing me from being able to log in...ahhh!

Dr. Callen is the person that persuaded me into taking the course. I also looked at other options but he seemed confident that taking his course and reviewing the practice problems that come with the course would best prepare me to pass the exam.

I have read through the 7th Edition EERM (ppi) for the first time and was wanting to get started with the Georgia Tech class tonight but seems to be delayed a night.

I've studied ~24 hours since the first of the month with plans to begin ramping up a bit over the next 10 weeks or so. Do you think that is enough? I've read that doing problem after problem is the only way of truly preparing for the exam.

I'd like to get it done the first time, but am not getting my hopes up.


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## thewalt33

I'm enrolled in the GT class as well. I watched the intro last night and am anxious to get going with the rest. I'm a little bummed that they haven't sent out the notes yet. It would be nice to follow along with the notes.

Seems promising though.


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## jbro02

HopefulFirstTimer said:


> I'm enrolled in the Georgia Tech course and it opened today. So I go to login to get started and they are having networking problems that is preventing me from being able to log in...ahhh!
> Dr. Callen is the person that persuaded me into taking the course. I also looked at other options but he seemed confident that taking his course and reviewing the practice problems that come with the course would best prepare me to pass the exam.
> 
> I have read through the 7th Edition EERM (ppi) for the first time and was wanting to get started with the Georgia Tech class tonight but seems to be delayed a night.
> 
> I've studied ~24 hours since the first of the month with plans to begin ramping up a bit over the next 10 weeks or so. Do you think that is enough? I've read that doing problem after problem is the only way of truly preparing for the exam.
> 
> I'd like to get it done the first time, but am not getting my hopes up.


You're on the right track...from my experiences in the past, whenever you think you've studied enough - do it some more. Utilizing all the extra studying time between now and the day before the exam is ESSENTIAL&gt;

Think positive - you will pass it.

I'm signing up for the GA course today too - it's good to hear several other people are as well.

-J


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## HopefulFirstTimer

I've watched the first 4 parts of Module 1 (GT), but am still waiting on the notes also. So far so good.

Dr. Callen seems to be very up to date on the material and is dedicated to this course and being available for students if questions arise.


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## jbro02

HopefulFirstTimer said:


> I've watched the first 4 parts of Module 1 (GT), but am still waiting on the notes also. So far so good.
> Dr. Callen seems to be very up to date on the material and is dedicated to this course and being available for students if questions arise.


I'm still waiting on my _Log In_ information to be sent to me so that I can start viewing the modules...hopefully I'll be online by tonight

I called and spoke to Dr. Callen yesterday - seemed to be a very nice guy and helpful with making my decision on this course.

-J


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## jbro02

thewalt33 said:


> I'm enrolled in the GT class as well. I watched the intro last night and am anxious to get going with the rest. I'm a little bummed that they haven't sent out the notes yet. It would be nice to follow along with the notes.
> Seems promising though.


I called and asked about that - they said it could take a week or so to get all the study material (class notes / NCEES Sample Exam).

Here's a number to call if you're still having issues after a week:

404-385-3501

-J


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## knight1fox3

jbro02 said:


> thewalt33 said:
> 
> 
> 
> I'm enrolled in the GT class as well. I watched the intro last night and am anxious to get going with the rest. I'm a little bummed that they haven't sent out the notes yet. It would be nice to follow along with the notes.
> Seems promising though.
> 
> 
> 
> I called and asked about that - they said it could take a week or so to get all the study material (class notes / NCEES Sample Exam).
> 
> Here's a number to call if you're still having issues after a week:
> 
> 404-385-3501
> 
> -J
Click to expand...

Thanks for all the info everyone. I also registered for the GT class. Nice to see a handful of us are registered for it in case there are questions/problems down the road. Here's to some hopeful and positive studying. Good luck!


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## sam314159

Any feedback on the GA Tech class so far? A few of us at my firm are considering signing up but we don't know a whole lot about it.


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## jbro02

sam314159 said:


> Any feedback on the GA Tech class so far? A few of us at my firm are considering signing up but we don't know a whole lot about it.


So far so good.

The course is organized into modules - one per week. Each module has about 5 - 6 videos in it. The videos range in lengths of time - some are 25 to 30 mins long...others are 1 to 1.5 hrs...just depends on the subject.

The modules are set up at a nice pace that flows well with the material presented. At any time, just hit pause or rewind if you're unsure about something and simply watch it again.

Its setup in a split screen mode, so on one side you can see the professor (Dr. Callen) as he is talking and on the other side you are looking at the notes (images from the overhead projector)...so it's just like you are in the classroom.

The first module is a solid review in mathematics. I personally didn't spend too much time reviewing the mathematics sessions since I felt pretty good about that stuff already. I watched all the videos, scanning through them and catching the highlights.

The second module is a solid review in circuit analysis and basic power theory fundamentals. I thought that some of the circuit theory was a little overkill, but very informative nonetheless. From my experience taking the exam this past April 2010 - they're a few problems on the test related to circuits...even an OP-Amp problem that caught me by surprise, but certainly not enough of those types of questions to kill yourself trying to re-learn circuit theory. I would honestly say, just familiarize yourself with the basics and move on.

The third module and beyond is where the real Power knowledge begins. This is currently where I'm at this week studying and so far the information has been very helpful in solving problems.

The theory is important - but problem solving is the key.

If you feel the need for a good refresher course then look no further. There are obviously multiple ways to solve a given problem...the solutions provided in the NCEES sample exams and other texts may not always be the shortest, fastest, or most efficient way of arriving at the correct answer. I've already discovered new ways of solving certain problems - eliminating several steps along the way.

For money, I think it's worth it and here's why:

_*It's online = Self paced = Watch it over and over = Win*_

-J


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## sam314159

Jbro, thanks so much for the detailed update man. We're actually meeting with Dr. Callen today to discuss the class.

Here's what I am still curious about: You mentioned that on your first go around, you studied:



> EERM manualNCEES Sample Questions
> 
> Camara - EE Practice Problems
> 
> Camara - EE Quick Ref. Guide
> 
> 2007 NESC
> 
> 2002 NEC
> 
> Ugly's EE Ref. Guide


That seems like an awful lot, I hate that you are having to take it again. Is the class offering anything new beyond all those books? I would have thought that studying from the above references was a sure bet.


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## jbro02

sam314159 said:


> Jbro, thanks so much for the detailed update man. We're actually meeting with Dr. Callen today to discuss the class.
> Here's what I am still curious about: You mentioned that on your first go around, you studied:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> EERM manualNCEES Sample Questions
> 
> Camara - EE Practice Problems
> 
> Camara - EE Quick Ref. Guide
> 
> 2007 NESC
> 
> 2002 NEC
> 
> Ugly's EE Ref. Guide
> 
> 
> 
> That seems like an awful lot, I hate that you are having to take it again. Is the class offering anything new beyond all those books? I would have thought that studying from the above references was a sure bet.
Click to expand...

It seems like a lot yes - but not really when you focus on the big picture. I saw guys bringing in several duffle bags full of reference material into the exam...just insane amounts of books!

All I brought with me was the:

NCEES Sample Book - _used this a ton_

2007 NESC - _used this a ton_

2002 NEC - _hardly even used_

Ugly's EE Ref. Guide - _used this a lot for quick formulas_

Truthfully, you can have all the references in the world - but if you can't access the information that you need quickly and efficiently - then what good are they?

Here's the deal - work problems over and over until your sick of them. Then...work them some more. I think people feel compelled to utilize a wide array of resources BECAUSE they're available...why not right. Sometimes thumbing through a different text can help to shed light on one particular problem here and there...but in the end it comes down to what you feel comfortable with.

I said this before in a previous post - a lot of the test is formulated around the general knowledge of Power Systems. It is this knowledge that is not necessarily obtained from reading books, but rather it is derived from years of experience in the field or at your job. You either have it - or you do not.

I missed not passing by a small amount - and I mean barely...maybe 3-5 questions.

It's frustrating when you look back at it and ask yourself "what could I have done differently?" Maybe, guessing a little different here and there on few problems...blah blah.

It is definitely an *EGO crusher* to say the least.

As for the class - we'll it's hard to say since I'm just starting to get into the thick of it right now - only time will tell. What I can say, is the structure of the course - as others have pointed out, seems to help me maintain my focus better. It keeps me organized and allows me utilize my time more efficiently and thus have more productive studying sessions.

It's strange b/c it would be like asking a friend for advice - _they give it you, but it doesn't really 'click' in your head all the way_...then you go and ask another friend - _they tell you basically the same thing, just in a different way_ - guess what...*it clicks this time.* Go figure?

I hope you understand my analogy -- that is best way I can describe it.

Good luck with your decision on the course.

-J


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## knight1fox3

jbro02 said:


> Truthfully, you can have all the references in the world - but if you can't access the information that you need quickly and efficiently - then what good are they?


Indeed, very important. Probably brought too many references that I simply did not use. Although I had a more secure feeling by at least having them there.



jbro02 said:


> Here's the deal - work problems over and over until your sick of them. Then...work them some more. I think people feel compelled to utilize a wide array of resources BECAUSE they're available...why not right. Sometimes thumbing through a different text can help to shed light on one particular problem here and there...but in the end it comes down to what you feel comfortable with.


In other posts by jbro02, this is something I'm really trying to improve on.



jbro02 said:


> It's frustrating when you look back at it and ask yourself "what could I have done differently?" Maybe, guessing a little different here and there on few problems...blah blah.It is definitely an *EGO crusher* to say the least.


 WELL SAID! Especially the ego crusher part.



jbro02 said:


> As for the class - we'll it's hard to say since I'm just starting to get into the thick of it right now - only time will tell. What I can say, is the structure of the course - as others have pointed out, seems to help me maintain my focus better. It keeps me organized and allows me utilize my time more efficiently and thus have more productive studying sessions.


How are you liking the course thus far? I am really liking it. I can review certain parts of different modules as I see fit. Dr. Callen is VERY responsive (by email) on any questions you have along the way. I actually emailed him to ask how to supplement the class modules with practice problems because it felt like I was just listening to certain concepts rather than getting any real practice on example problems. He suggested to alternate a bit in watching specific modules, then applying those concepts to various practice problems. Are you doing this as well or just trying to first get through all the modules?


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## jbro02

knight1fox3 said:


> How are you liking the course thus far? I am really liking it. I can review certain parts of different modules as I see fit. Dr. Callen is VERY responsive (by email) on any questions you have along the way. I actually emailed him to ask how to supplement the class modules with practice problems because it felt like I was just listening to certain concepts rather than getting any real practice on example problems. He suggested to alternate a bit in watching specific modules, then applying those concepts to various practice problems. Are you doing this as well or just trying to first get through all the modules?


I like the course - very in depth so far...which is good for the theory side of things. Yeah - so far, that's what I've been doing is watching a module part each night, then working some problems related to the topic that I just saw.

I deviate a little here and there to make sure I cover the areas that I know I'm a little weaker in.

I will spend a lot of time going through the NEC backwards and forwards to make sure I fully understand the broad range of questions that are associated with that thing.

Other than that - so far so good.

-J


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## Mary Faye

Is there a time limit for the GA Tech course? I plan to take the test in April 2011 but I would like to start this kind of course now because I have been out of school for some time. Thanks!


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## knight1fox3

Mary Faye said:


> Is there a time limit for the GA Tech course? I plan to take the test in April 2011 but I would like to start this kind of course now because I have been out of school for some time. Thanks!


You can check the website for more information. From what I gather, the registration and time period to view the class modules is dependent on which exam period is next. So because the Oct. exam is the next exam, the course runs from Aug. 17th to Nov. 15th. For people taking the Oct. exam, I'm guessing most will probably not need to access the class modules anymore after Oct. 29th. And if you registered now in preparation for the April exam, your viewing access time would be severely limited as you would probably be grouped with the Oct. exam takers. I think after each exam the course is re-evaluated and adjusted as necessary to account for new/different material. After the Oct. exam, I'm guessing there will be a development period for the online course to make any changes as necessary. Then I'm guessing there will be a new access time period set specific for the April exam. I would either wait until after the Oct. exam is complete or email GA Tech with your specific questions. They are pretty responsive and helpful. You could contact Dr. Callen (course professor) directly who is also pretty responsive and helpful. Hope that helps.


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## LMAO

jbro02 said:


> Hello -
> I've been trolling through the boards for a while but this is my first time posting lol.
> 
> I just took the PE -Power Exam in April 2010 and unfortunately I will be taking it again (missed it barely) in OCT 2010 :smileyballs:
> 
> I'm on the fence in regards to taking a review course for this thing to help polish up and refine a few of those areas that I'm a little weak in.
> 
> I live in the DFW area of Texas. _*Test Masters*_ offers a review course which is only offered in Houston, TX and is about a 4 hour drive....blah. Not only that, it's very expensive at around $1700 plus the hotel charges.
> 
> I actually took the Test Masters course for the FE exam about 3 years ago after my first unsuccessful attempt on the FE flying solo. Ultimately, there course helped me tremendously as I passed the second time no problem.
> 
> I've seen some other online courses offered for the PE - Power Exam such as _*GA Tech's Review Course. *_ It's around $875 for the course and it's pre-recorded lectures and review sessions. They provide you with the class notes and a copy of NCEES Sample Exam Questions as part of the course fee. The good thing about this particular course is that is self-paced and you can watch the sessions over-and-over again as needed.
> 
> GA Tech's Review Course
> 
> I'm curious if anyone has any experience with this particular course or any others...good or bad experiences as I'm just looking for feedback at this point.
> 
> I used these books for studying on the first round:
> 
> EERM manual
> 
> NCEES Sample Questions
> 
> Camara - EE Practice Problems
> 
> Camara - EE Quick Ref. Guide
> 
> 2007 NESC
> 
> 2002 NEC
> 
> Ugly's EE Ref. Guide
> 
> I just got the updated 2008 NEC edition.
> 
> I'm thinking about picking up Schaum's book and Wildi's book as additional references.
> 
> Thanks in advance for everyone's opinions / suggestions.
> 
> -J



Will you tell us what problems you think you missed on the exam?

thanks


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## knight1fox3

LMAO said:


> Will you tell us what problems you think you missed on the exam? thanks


For me it was circuit analysis and transmission &amp; distribution as the areas I needed to largely improve on.


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## jbro02

knight1fox3 said:


> LMAO said:
> 
> 
> 
> Will you tell us what problems you think you missed on the exam? thanks
> 
> 
> 
> For me it was circuit analysis and transmission &amp; distribution as the areas I needed to largely improve on.
Click to expand...

And for me it was also circuit analysis (which I dislike...but whateva) and transmission / distribution.

It's hard for me to believe because my job is designing T.L. / Distribution systems...either way, just b/c you struggle in one area on the exam - the next time you take it, your areas of difficulty may be completely different.

I remember this happening on several occasions with different people as the exam questions are random and they change from one test to the next. For all I know - the circuit analysis questions could be extremely easy this time around...who knows right?

-J


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## bambooi

How do you guys think the GA tech course prepared you for the exam? Jbro and knightfox, do you think if you took this course the first time that you could have passed the exam the first time?


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## nmh0408

bambooi said:


> How do you guys think the GA tech course prepared you for the exam? Jbro and knightfox, do you think if you took this course the first time that you could have passed the exam the first time?



It is a great course and concentrates on the basics which enables you to solve more complicated problems. As others mentioned Dr. Callen responsive very quickly. The downside that Dr. Begovich was very quick in representing his portion of the course.


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## jbro02

bambooi said:


> How do you guys think the GA tech course prepared you for the exam? Jbro and knightfox, do you think if you took this course the first time that you could have passed the exam the first time?


Agreed with the previous response.

The course is an excellent refresher to the theoretical sides of Power Engineering - thus enhancing your ability to work through tougher problems on the exam that might have been a little 'outside' your normal realm of knowledge.

Overall, was it worth the $875 - sure. I learned a lot. It was like going to a of semester college again and taking all upper level EE - power classes lol.

Like some of the other guys have pointed out - this Oct. exam was way different than what I expected. The exam in Apr. was heavy on PU analysis, voltage drop calcs, power factor correction...etc....just a lot of computation style problems.

So, I prepared heavily for that style of an exam again - and man was I wrong. The exam this time, IMHO was full of theory questions and Power fundamentals that _*you either knew or you did not.*_

There was no looking up the answer in your reference materials....no searching for 'key words' in the indexes...just good old deductive reasoning and common knowledge. I left the exam feeling good about it, as I finished both the morning and afternoon sessions early (probably 45 mins to spare).

Honestly, I thought that this exam was easier than the exam back in April - even though the types of questions were more obscure and didn't really follow the NCEES Exam format.

I guess only time will tell the results. I hope everyone passes this thing, b/c no one deserves to be tortured like that again.

-J


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## knight1fox3

jbro02 said:


> bambooi said:
> 
> 
> 
> How do you guys think the GA tech course prepared you for the exam? Jbro and knightfox, do you think if you took this course the first time that you could have passed the exam the first time?
> 
> 
> 
> Agreed with the previous response.
> 
> The course is an excellent refresher to the theoretical sides of Power Engineering - thus enhancing your ability to work through tougher problems on the exam that might have been a little 'outside' your normal realm of knowledge.
> 
> Overall, was it worth the $875 - sure. I learned a lot. It was like going to a of semester college again and taking all upper level EE - power classes lol.
> 
> Like some of the other guys have pointed out - this Oct. exam was way different than what I expected. The exam in Apr. was heavy on PU analysis, voltage drop calcs, power factor correction...etc....just a lot of computation style problems.
> 
> So, I prepared heavily for that style of an exam again - and man was I wrong. The exam this time, IMHO was full of theory questions and Power fundamentals that _*you either knew or you did not.*_
> 
> There was no looking up the answer in your reference materials....no searching for 'key words' in the indexes...just good old deductive reasoning and common knowledge. I left the exam feeling good about it, as I finished both the morning and afternoon sessions early (probably 45 mins to spare).
> 
> Honestly, I thought that this exam was easier than the exam back in April - even though the types of questions were more obscure and didn't really follow the NCEES Exam format.
> 
> I guess only time will tell the results. I hope everyone passes this thing, b/c no one deserves to be tortured like that again.
> 
> -J
Click to expand...

lusone: jbro02 hits one out of the park! My thoughts exactly. I also agree with nmh0408's response. I thought the GA Tech course content was excellent. By having the class modules to watch, it forced you into a repetitive study schedule, sort of like actually going to a class in college again (only every day). It was great on focusing on the fundamental concepts of power engineering, no matter how "easy" it seemed, it was helpful to review and then work problems using the methods that were demonstrated by the course. I felt Dr. Begovic's section was a little more in depth than was necessary for the exam. And toward the end he really rushed through everything to get through his material.

As for the Oct. exam, I prepared for it similar to how jbro02 explained. With the thought of the exam being similar to the April exam. Unfortunately this was NOT the case. With the GA Tech course, I feel I probably would have done better on the April exam. I felt pretty good about the morning session of the Oct. exam but the afternoon was brutal. There were a lot of questions that simply were just not covered in the reference materials I had (and I had a lot). And as others have said, time will tell. Good luck to everyone on their results.


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## LMAO

> Hello there,
> If you are trying to take an exam, please review our information online at www.irvineinsitute.org. We have been helping students since 1973. We provide student with gauranteed pass, so what have you got to loose? Many schools lower the price but fail to teach student what they need to know for the exam. We have live seminars and archive through out the country. If you missed anything in class, you can go back to review again and again. The workbooks gave you sample close to the exam. The classes are starting soon. Good luck to you.
> 
> Tammy


booo, no spamming.


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## Dark Knight

LMAO said:


> Hello there,
> If you are trying to take an exam, please review our information online at www.irvineinsitute.org. We have been helping students since 1973. We provide student with gauranteed pass, so what have you got to loose? Many schools lower the price but fail to teach student what they need to know for the exam. We have live seminars and archive through out the country. If you missed anything in class, you can go back to review again and again. The workbooks gave you sample close to the exam. The classes are starting soon. Good luck to you.
> 
> Tammy
> 
> 
> 
> booo, no spamming.
Click to expand...

I guess we can allow one of Tammy's posts about the Invin Institute. You never know if it would be useful for someone. Now, Tammy, next time there are specific areas in the Board to do so.

Thanks


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## Techie_Junkie_PE_LEED_AP

Make sure you check out the MGI Electrical PE Readiness course BEFORE you pay big bucks. I used it and passed first time. Check any of my older posts where I dicuss this ad nauseum.

PDF advertisment: http://www.pelicense.org/PEReadiness-NSPE.pdf

I used the MGI course and some key text books and was well covered.


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## rift

Techie_Junkie_PE_LEED_AP said:


> Make sure you check out the MGI Electrical PE Readiness course BEFORE you pay big bucks. I used it and passed first time. Check any of my older posts where I dicuss this ad nauseum.
> PDF advertisment: http://www.pelicense.org/PEReadiness-NSPE.pdf
> 
> I used the MGI course and some key text books and was well covered.


What Key text books? What was your skill level before taking this class? I don't have an EE degree, so some of this calculus stuff is a little over my head. I've been working on figuring it out, so when I take a class I'm not totally in the dark. I'm sure as I go on I'll freak out more and more. Should I even bother, or just stick to working on the actual power type stuff. Any one's input is appreciated.


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## cableguy

There was no calculus necessary on the EE Power exam I took in October. To be honest, there were very few problems requiring much more math than a simple formula. There was nothing very complicated at all, in fact.

However, there were quite a few questions where you either knew the theory - or you didn't. You either knew how to use the NEC, or you didn't. I took the Testmasters course, and while the problem sections were definitely beneficial, the lecture and class / group discussion brought forth a lot of the "why" type theory that I think helped me on the exam.


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## rift

cableguy said:


> There was no calculus necessary on the EE Power exam I took in October. To be honest, there were very few problems requiring much more math than a simple formula. There was nothing very complicated at all, in fact.
> However, there were quite a few questions where you either knew the theory - or you didn't. You either knew how to use the NEC, or you didn't. I took the Testmasters course, and while the problem sections were definitely beneficial, the lecture and class / group discussion brought forth a lot of the "why" type theory that I think helped me on the exam.


Good to know. I'm looking over some PE refresher stuff from the University of Minnesota that I borrowed off an engineer at work. There's whole sections on Op. Amps, Control theory, tons of logic, communications, etc. There's only three sections on the power part, which doesn't seem to be a lot, being that it's a power exam. The power stuff they do cover, is not nearly as in depth as what I learned in my 2 year design school.


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