# Oct 18 PE Exam



## Travis113

Hey Guys how do you think y'all did today? 

I'm just here to vent a little. 

Was it just me or did any else feel completely unprepared for this exam?? 

 I was averaging 80's-90's on all section reviews. I took the NCEES official exam and got an 83. I walked out today feeling completely blindsided. 

I feel confident in saying that I completely guessed on about 30% of the exam and was unsure about an additional 20%. A majority of the questions seemed completely out of left field compared too all the studying I did from Zach's PE Review, official ncees, complex, graffeo. 
 
Honestly I feel a bit disgruntled. I try to be self-aware and I feel that I have a solid grasp on the fundamentals, and excelled in university, but this test kicked my ass. I truly felt that I prepared as well as I could have. The practices test and programs felt worthless compared to this exam. Am I just being dramatic here? If anyone who took it this October can give me some perspective it would be much appreciated.


----------



## P.U.18

The morning session was not too bad, but there Were some weird questions. The aftet noon session sucked gussed alot of questions. I think the electronic one was easier


----------



## DLD PE

Same here.  Morning not bad.  Afternoon much tougher.  There were questions I thought I knew from the back of my hand from practice exams and the online course and then I see a problem on the same topic and I have no clue how to do it.  Then there were some simple ones, ones we never saw but I was able to solve them. It was a strange experience.  Lots of qualitative problems.

I was wondering if my brain had just turned to mush in the afternoon or it was just harder but seeing the early responses on here i realize that's not the case.

I'm giving myself a 40-50% chance of passing, maybe because I'm guarding against being too disappointed if i don't.

Not sure what i could have done differently to prepare better.  I put in a LOT of time. I'll have to give it a little more thought.


----------



## rmsg

Same here, I think on AM session I am confident on 23 questions and guessed or educated guesses on 17.

In PM session vice versa of the 2 numbers . I also give myself 40-50 percent chance of passing


----------



## BirdGrave

April 2018 examinee here, the sentiment after the test was exactly the same for me and most people on here when we came back to regroup.  I left the exam thinking that I bombed it but then I passed.  

I would hold your powder when it comes to deciding how you did on your own.  You don't know if your guesses were right more often than not or what the cutoff score will be for this particular exam.


----------



## DLD PE

Birdgrave I remember reading yours and others comments, which really helped me not panic nor get surprised during the exam.


----------



## ellen3720

Apparently I woke up in the middle of the night last night, rolled over, asked my wife if I needed to divide by the square root of 3 then rolled back over still asleep.

I think I was still trying to figure out some of the problems in my sleep...


----------



## RadioBox

travishans08 said:


> Hey Guys how do you think y'all did today?
> 
> I'm just here to vent a little.
> 
> Was it just me or did any else feel completely unprepared for this exam??
> 
> I was averaging 80's-90's on all section reviews. I took the NCEES official exam and got an 83. I walked out today feeling completely blindsided.
> 
> I feel confident in saying that I completely guessed on about 30% of the exam and was unsure about an additional 20%. A majority of the questions seemed completely out of left field compared too all the studying I did from Zach's PE Review, official ncees, complex, graffeo.
> 
> Honestly I feel a bit disgruntled. I try to be self-aware and I feel that I have a solid grasp on the fundamentals, and excelled in university, but this test kicked my ass. I truly felt that I prepared as well as I could have. The practices test and programs felt worthless compared to this exam. Am I just being dramatic here? If anyone who took it this October can give me some perspective it would be much appreciated.


There’s a cut score for this exam. It’s not over until the fat lady sings.      

It is true the exam was different than the study prep. I am with you on that, and trust me we are not the only ones who feel that way.  However, having said that my resources did help me answer a good portion of the exam.

Zach stones Live webinar/course,

Graffeo(I’m surprised that I found something here that helped),

Wildi( I bought the cheap international version that has a terrible index, but I managed to answer a couple of theory questions since I had it tabbbed)

Justin engineer pro guide. I had his formula sheet. Saved my ass on 3 questions.

Didn’t take Blackburn. Regret it. Lol. There were few easy points that I gave up. I’m sure.

NEC wasn’t too bad.

Eveyone chime in on the exam. 

Am portion: I did well. 

Pm portion: gave me a run for my money. Lol

whats the consensus?


----------



## BirdGrave

MEtoEE said:


> Birdgrave I remember reading yours and others comments, which really helped me not panic nor get surprised during the exam.


Out of curiosity which resources did you find yourself using the most?


----------



## alorrence

That was fun!  Couple of questions no clue even with the bajillion resources I had.  Camara actually helped with a lot of the weird physics-y stuff.  Wildi amazing ( Note don’t use the index, just the TOC and figure it out),  Graffeo of course.  Justin’s book gave me a few too.  Blackburn and Grainger - super good resources but need to be read and learned over time.  

I dunno tough but a good challenge and a good day.  All the best to you all.


----------



## DLD PE

BirdGrave said:


> Out of curiosity which resources did you find yourself using the most?


I had formulas and phasor diagrams at the front of one of my binders with the eng pro guides cheat sheet right behind those.  Those were my #1 most used.  After that it was Graffeo, class notes and Wildi. All class notes and quizzes (Zach Stones) organized by topic was a biggie, probably #2 before Graffeo.  I kept NEC, Npfa 70E, and NESC in a separate pile and used those all at once to do those types of problems on the second pass. 

I used Blackburn for maybe 1 or 2 problems.  Grainger was a paperweight to keep my authorization and ID from slipping off the table.  Used NCEES practice exams a little but not much. Engineering Economic Analysis was good for 1 problem.


----------



## Engineer7

I studied for about 7 months. Took a review course, took 9 practice tests, basically studied a lot.I was feeling very prepared going in to the test. 

The morning was ok, felt unsure of about 6-8 questions. 

Afternoon was tough. Felt unsure of about 9-10 questions. 

Now I feel a little discouraged.


----------



## DLD PE

Engineer7 said:


> I studied for about 7 months. Took a review course, took 9 practice tests, basically studied a lot.I was feeling very prepared going in to the test.
> 
> The morning was ok, felt unsure of about 6-8 questions.
> 
> Afternoon was tough. Felt unsure of about 9-10 questions.
> 
> Now I feel a little discouraged.


Even if you completely guessed on that many questions, if you felt confident on the rest you're probably in really good shape, especially with the time you spent studying.


----------



## BirdGrave

MEtoEE said:


> I had formulas and phasor diagrams at the front of one of my binders with the eng pro guides cheat sheet right behind those.  Those were my #1 most used.  After that it was Graffeo, class notes and Wildi. All class notes and quizzes (Zach Stones) organized by topic was a biggie, probably #2 before Graffeo.  I kept NEC, Npfa 70E, and NESC in a separate pile and used those all at once to do those types of problems on the second pass.
> 
> I used Blackburn for maybe 1 or 2 problems.  Grainger was a paperweight to keep my authorization and ID from slipping off the table.  Used NCEES practice exams a little but not much. Engineering Economic Analysis was good for 1 problem.


Did you make use of the NCEES FE Handbook at all?  I was surprised by how often I found myself referencing that.


----------



## DLD PE

I brought it but didn't look at it much.


----------



## Nashi

I don't know how I'm going to wait so long for the results. Its been one day and I need to know.


----------



## Invisible

By any chance, can the cut off for passing be 50 or less than 50? What do you guys think? I'm new to the forum


----------



## Engineer7

There is something I’m worried about, but it’s probably not a big deal. 

In the morning when I opened the exam book, a small tear was made on my answer sheet. I called the proctor and asked if it’s ok because it said no fold or tears on that sheet. She went and checked with someone and came back with a new answer sheet. It was in the beginning of the exam so I had filled out just two answers. I had to transfer the info pre printed on my original sheet like my name and stuff, plus those two answers onto my new sheet. After I transferred the info on my new sheet, she took the old one with a small tear, and I guess has to send it back to them. My new sheet was submitted with the test book. I just hope there is no mixup!


----------



## DLD PE

Someone asked if my son had picked out a scary Halloween costume. I said, "Yeah, he's going as the PE exam!"


----------



## AruT

For me, I ran out of time in the first half and overall it was rough for me! second hanf was better, but from yesterday I am having this nightmare-ish reminder from the back of my brain about how much I tanked the exam every few hours! I did a lot of studying this time (this is my second attempt) and if I fail, I have no idea how and where I can improve my prep! 


*travishans08, *my feeling are almost like yours! Very disgruntled! You are not alone!


----------



## RadioBox

Invisible said:


> By any chance, can the cut off for passing be 50 or less than 50? What do you guys think? I'm new to the forum


Nope. I wish I could tell you other wise. 

But it’s safe to assume 75% is passing. So, you can miss 20 questions and pass.


----------



## Enginer282

What do you guys realistically think the cutoff score is?


----------



## Drewism

Pretty much the morning and afternoon sessions were the same for me.

A few WTF type questions which I expected. Some straight forward, others were educated guesses and the others were complete guesses. I would say I knew about 3/4 of the exam material. The other 1/8 were educated guesses and the other 1/8 were complete guesses. This is pretty spot on to what others have said with previous exams.

For the straight forward questions, my muscle memory kicked in but still confirmed it with some references like Wildi, Graffeo and Eng Pro Guides. Educated guesses were made based on reading reference material and eliminating choices. My most used references were NEC, Wildi, Graffeo, EngProGuides and NESC in order of importance. A few uses of my IEEE Green Book and Power Systems Analysis book but not that much. My school of PE notes were kind of useless. They were too generic based on the questions asked.

Lots of qualitative questions and not so much quantitative. I feel 50/50 about it. 50% I passed and 50% I failed. It can go either way.  I guess time will tell. I'm just disappointed most of what I studied really wasn't covered. That's all I can say about that. Just don't give up hope people. It isn't over until it's over.


----------



## DLD PE

Drewism said:


> Pretty much the morning and afternoon sessions were the same for me.
> 
> A few WTF type questions which I expected. Some straight forward, others were educated guesses and the others were complete guesses. I would say I knew about 3/4 of the exam material. The other 1/8 were educated guesses and the other 1/8 were complete guesses. This is pretty spot on to what others have said with previous exams.
> 
> For the straight forward questions, my muscle memory kicked in but still confirmed it with some references like Wildi, Graffeo and Eng Pro Guides. Educated guesses were made based on reading reference material and eliminating choices. My most used references were NEC, Wildi, Graffeo, EngProGuides and NESC in order of importance. A few uses of my IEEE Green Book and Power Systems Analysis book but not that much. My school of PE notes were kind of useless. They were too generic based on the questions asked.
> 
> Lots of qualitative questions and not so much quantitative. I feel 50/50 about it. 50% I passed and 50% I failed. It can go either way.  I guess time will tell. I'm just disappointed most of what I studied really wasn't covered. That's all I can say about that. Just don't give up hope people. It isn't over until it's over.


Very close to my experience, even on references. I definitely did better on the morning session though.


----------



## Invisible

Finally someone spoke what I felt. Even I felt that first and second half were equally difficult for me. In fact I felt second half was better than the first half which I felt was really bad. But was surprised to c everyone saying otherwise. For some reason, I didn't count the questions I answered confidently. So unable to get an estimate of how much I may score. But honestly not having a huge hope on the exam. But I have seen everyone telling that the exam was difficult and they have no hopes on passing but still end up passing the exam. Hope the same thing happens to me


----------



## ellen3720

There are several questions I can't stop thinking about and I still can't figure out what the right answers would have been...


----------



## Drewism

Invisible said:


> Finally someone spoke what I felt. Even I felt that first and second half were equally difficult for me. In fact I felt second half was better than the first half which I felt was really bad. But was surprised to c everyone saying otherwise. For some reason, I didn't count the questions I answered confidently. So unable to get an estimate of how much I may score. But honestly not having a huge hope on the exam. But I have seen everyone telling that the exam was difficult and they have no hopes on passing but still end up passing the exam. Hope the same thing happens to me


Yes same here. Afternoon was slightly easier for me. I just want to pass. These days I rarely want anything out of life. This would be one of the biggest things I want. I don't want to go through the whole procedure again.


----------



## DLD PE

Pack_Man said:


> I thought the morning was a little better but they were pretty close.  The afternoon session started great but then the questions got tough real quick. Luckily a huge chunk of the end of both sections was relaying/protection stuff which I know like the back of my hand because that’s what I do for work.
> 
> I’m kicking myself because I know I got 5-6 questions wrong having looked up the answers afterwards or noticing something during the afternoon session that shedded light on a morning question.  Qualitative questions, of course.  In addition, I flat out guessed on 2-3.  The rest are a spectrum of totally confident to somewhat confident.  I feel pretty good about getting more than 56 right which from what I’ve read should be good enough but we’ll just have to see.  This isn’t graded on a curve so hoping the best for you all!


If it's not graded in a curve, then why is there no set passing score?  If there was a set passing score/%, it would make sense to run the answer sheets through a computer (scantron) and we would have our results in a day or two.  There would be nothing to analyze.


----------



## Invisible

If u r expecting More than 56 and you'll pass dude. I'm expecting something around 50 or 51 and if lucky 52-55. Not more than 55 at any cost. And I'm still expecting to pass Lol. Just thinking being positive and having faith may give a lot of good things in life. Hopefully I come back after the results and say that I passed(though the chances don't look as of now . I know people may think I'm funny. But I'm hoping for a miracle. I've heard that people can pass with 51. Btw. If v gonna get results after 42 days, v have already gone past 1 day. And guys just relax. This exam could heavily change my career too since I'm working in a field where going up the ladder highly relies on this exam. But still, this is not the end if the world. So don't stress out a lot.


----------



## BirdGrave

Enginer282 said:


> What do you guys realistically think the cutoff score is?


Seems to hover around 56 correct answers.  Sometimes a little more or less depending upon the difficulty of the exam.


----------



## Invisible

Enginer282 said:


> What do you guys realistically think the cutoff score is?


I guess its gonna be 50.My intuition is mostly right in many things.Let us see after 6 weeks if I am  right.Remember my name if I am right


----------



## Szar

Invisible said:


> I guess its gonna be 50.My intuition is mostly right in many things.Let us see after 6 weeks if I am  right.Remember my name if I am right


Your name is not Baconator.  You do not pass go. 

You drift slowly into the dark realms of ambiguity, this post forgotten and discarded like a politician's pre-election promise, never to be uttered again in light of day.


----------



## ME_VT_PE

MEtoEE said:


> If it's not graded in a curve, then why is there no set passing score?  If there was a set passing score/%, it would make sense to run the answer sheets through a computer (scantron) and we would have our results in a day or two.  There would be nothing to analyze.


Just calm down buddy...


----------



## Phenomenon083

Engineer7 said:


> I studied for about 7 months. Took a review course, took 9 practice tests, basically studied a lot.I was feeling very prepared going in to the test.
> 
> The morning was ok, felt unsure of about 6-8 questions.
> 
> Afternoon was tough. Felt unsure of about 9-10 questions.
> 
> Now I feel a little discouraged.


Based on your experience what do you think how to prepare best for a April 2019 examinee?


----------



## RBHeadge PE

Invisible said:


> If u r expecting More than 56 and you'll pass dude.


Most likely. We've seen a cut score about 56 a couple times before though.



Pack_Man said:


> From what I can gather, the final cut score is determined after evaluating all the results to find things like errors, bad question wording, or multiple correct answers.  Speculating a bit, I would wager a tentative cut score is set prior to the test based on how PE’s do on it (or whatever criteria) but they still want to do their due diligence with all the results data available to adjust that if appropriate.  Hell, maybe this happens after the test as well since it takes so damn long to get our results back.


Welcome to Phase 2-A! The thread below should provide some decent background for everything you described:



The EE exams already had their cut score meetings. So unless things are wildly off (*don't bet on it*), the EEower isn't the cause of a 'delay'.



BirdGrave said:


> Seems to hover around 56 correct answers.  Sometimes a little more or less depending upon the difficulty of the exam.


See thread above. For background only: we've seen cut scores from ~52/53 to 57, from after the fact posts. Since we don't have hard data for every test we can't do the statistics, but anecdotally the mean, median, and mode is below 56. Rarely is it ever 56 or higher. Take all of this with a huge grain of salt.



Invisible said:


> I guess its gonna be 50.My intuition is mostly right in many things.Let us see after 6 weeks if I am  right.Remember my name if I am right


See above.


----------



## Invisible

RBHeadge PE said:


> Most likely. We've seen a cut score about 56 a couple times before though.
> 
> Welcome to Phase 2-A! The thread below should provide some decent background for everything you described:
> 
> 
> 
> The EE exams already had their cut score meetings. So unless things are wildly off (*don't bet on it*), the EEower isn't the cause of a 'delay'.
> 
> See thread above. For background only: we've seen cut scores from ~52/53 to 57, from after the fact posts. Since we don't have hard data for every test we can't do the statistics, but anecdotally the mean, median, and mode is below 56. Rarely is it ever 56 or higher. Take all of this with a huge grain of salt.
> 
> See above.


Ya buddy. I'm not making a blind assumption. Texas gives u percentage. And NCEES gives a diagnostic report if you fail. The number I gave you was from what I heard from someone who failed at Texas last time. I've seen some posts in this forum too. And still. V will know in 40 more days.


----------



## RBHeadge PE

Texas artificially curves the reported percentage to a passing score=70. So if the passing score is, hypothetically, 54, it gets reported as a 70%, and not 67% or 68%.

But yes, based on past observation, getting above 56/80 has always been a pass.


----------



## Engineer7

Phenomenon083 said:


> Based on your experience what do you think how to prepare best for a April 2019 examinee?


I started off with Zach Stone's course. Made a custom binder for myself organized with the course materials. Tabbed the NEC book, and obtained the remaining code books (didn't tab those). Then started practice tests.


----------



## DerekJeter

I am also kind of surprised how many people were saying the morning session went well. For me, the morning session was a massacre and the afternoon session was so much easier. I guarantee I was at least 10 questions more correct on the afternoon session than the morning. I'm also kicking myself knowing a few questions I answered incorrectly and highly doubtful I passed but there's not much I can do about it now. 

Also, when others on this board are saying a "cut score" of 56, are they referring to a hard cutoff pass/fail for 56/80 or 56/100?


----------



## JohnLee

DerekJeter said:


> I am also kind of surprised how many people were saying the morning session went well. For me, the morning session was a massacre and the afternoon session was so much easier. I guarantee I was at least 10 questions more correct on the afternoon session than the morning. I'm also kicking myself knowing a few questions I answered incorrectly and highly doubtful I passed but there's not much I can do about it now.
> 
> Also, when others on this board are saying a "cut score" of 56, are they referring to a hard cutoff pass/fail for 56/80 or 56/100?


56/80  70%


----------



## Drewism

I've already accepted the fact that I will see the giant red *FAIL *logo on my account. So, I'll try to act surprised when I do.


----------



## DLD PE

Drewism said:


> I've already accepted the fact that I will see the giant red *FAIL *logo on my account. So, I'll try to act surprised when I do.


Same here.  I figure that's mentally the safest approach lol.


----------



## Drewism

MEtoEE said:


> Same here.  I figure that's mentally tye safest approach lol.


Just keep expecting to see red. I'm seeing red.


----------



## CATSALES97

I am in agreement as well about this test.  I also took the test in April for the first time, but felt like I didn't prepare well enough for that test and made a 64.  This time, I started studying in June and then took the Testmasters prep course.  Like some of you, I also took 2 practice tests and scored near 80 on both.  I felt really good going into the test like I was prepared enough to pass.  But, my preparation wasn't enough and/or appropriate given the types of questions they asked.  I did well on the code questions.  Morning and afternoon, probably guessed on 20 or so questions.  Hopefully this is enough to pass, but won't know for another 6-7 weeks.


----------



## RadioBox

This isn’t a Spanish exam in high school. If you’re expecting a massive cut score at 50 or below to pass the power P.E. exam then you don’t deserve to pass. 

Accept it. Change study habits. Retake it. 

Simple as that.


----------



## RadioBox

Enginer282 said:


> What do you guys realistically think the cutoff score is?


Now we know who failed. Lol


----------



## daydreambeliever

DerekJeter said:


> I am also kind of surprised how many people were saying the morning session went well. For me, the morning session was a massacre and the afternoon session was so much easier.


I felt the same way. Morning was brutal, afternoon went a lot smoother but that doesn't mean much for me. A couple of times I couldn't figure out how to work a problem so I solved it multiple ways and both answers were available choices! I know that's typical but it still messes with your mind. I had to guess on several just because I didn't have time to dig onto them.


----------



## Nashi

I'm worried that I thought the Code problems weren't bad...that means I might have fell for traps. One problem I found myself doing a lot of work for and I didn't find an answer choice and then I realized I'm working too hard here I must be going down the wrong road. So I reread the problem and realized it was a lot simpler than I thought. I was so pissed that I had spent so much time on it. But it happens.

I keep remembering things I did and wondering. This will be truly torture until we find out results.


----------



## Drewism

daydreambeliever said:


> I felt the same way. Morning was brutal, afternoon went a lot smoother but that doesn't mean much for me. A couple of times I couldn't figure out how to work a problem so I solved it multiple ways and both answers were available choices! I know that's typical but it still messes with your mind. I had to guess on several just because I didn't have time to dig onto them.


Yep. This is pretty much how it went for me. Some I could have done but the calculations would have taken me forever to do. So I had to bite the bullet. Also, some where giving me no answers and multiple answers. Talk about a disaster. I just can't wait to see the giant FAIL logo posted to my account.


----------



## ZZTops

I definitely felt more confident in the AM than PM. I feel like I nailed the standards questions, but there was one that I know I must have missed something since I felt like I needed more info on to answer correctly... and I cant stop thinking about it. haha


----------



## Nashi

In the morning I was working so intently on problems that when they made the announcement "You have 15 minutes left" it scared the beejesus out of me. Then I said to myself ok whatever I don't get to when they call 5 minutes I'm guessing down the line and the ones I have marked as possible figuring out I will spent 10 minutes left trying to do before the 5 minute call.

Which is what I did, then when they said you have 1 minute remaining I was working on the very last one I knew I could do and I got one of the answer choices and put my pencil down. But when I was leaving I was like did I do that KVL wrong? Ugh. So that one might be a wash but I hope not.

Whatever the outcome I worked freaking hard all these months and I'm proud of it. I do have to picture the red fail on my NCEES account as a real possibility.


----------



## knight1fox3

For anyone that took the recent PE exam last Fri., here's a funny exam recap from a previous taker that I typically re-post as being one of my favorites. The intent is obviously to lighten the mood a bit since at this point, there's no changing the outcome (easier said than done, I know, been there). 



bingcrosbyb said:


> EE - Power. "You sunk my battleship."
> 
> *Preparation Time/Materials:* 250 total hours. 5 textbooks, prep coursework notebook, 2 notebooks of graduate class material, calculators, snacks, rolling suitcase.
> 
> *Money:* ~$1,550.
> 
> *General Observations:* Arrived at my site 30 minutes prior to report time. Noticed that many others had literally libraries and libraries of books. Someone had a giant wagon with bungie cords holding all of the books together. Others just had a single piece of paper. Wild. I randomly started thinking of a national geographic special with narration by Morgan Freeman on PE test taking habits. I needed that laugh to clear my head.
> 
> *AM Session:* Felt the AM session was great. Only ended up with 6-7 that I didn't have a single solid answer or couldn't find it in my reference. I finished slightly early and checked only some of my work.
> 
> *PM Session:* Total unadulterated bloodbath. Couldn't seem to concentrate enough to find the equations I needed. Calculator was spitting out answers that were out of this world. Saw stuff that I barely covered in droves. About 2-3 hours into the afternoon, my brain felt like it had been through a dishwasher and I started hopping around from question to question. Not good. I will be lucky if I got a quarter to half right. I might as well have taken another discipline in the afternoon or gone to work. A monkey may have been able to do better.
> 
> *Final Thoughts:* As I left the exam area, I felt numb, dumb, and a little crushed. I felt like I blew the morning session out of the water. Then the PE got off a torpedo as I was heading to collect my stamp, promotion, and better life. I'm not very good at guessing and doing the math in my head all weekend I kept envisioning a percentage score in the upper 60s with an afternoon diagnostic that simply says "monkey". 6 months of neglecting my wife and family might be for nothing in the end except doing it all over again. I know the pass rate for repeaters is low, but what is the divorce rate?
> 
> Oh well. If I recall from a coworker, last years results were released in around 45-50 days following the exam. I think he got his in late May. We shall see. I guess the ultimate decision is now do I crack open another book....or another beer?


----------



## DLD PE

knight1fox3 said:


> For anyone that took the recent PE exam last Fri., here's a funny exam recap from a previous taker that I typically re-post as being one of my favorites. The intent is obviously to lighten the mood a bit since at this point, there's no changing the outcome (easier said than done, I know, been there).


3rd time I've seen this and it still makes me laugh!


----------



## chener16

Nashi said:


> Whatever the outcome I worked freaking hard all these months and I'm proud of it. I do have to picture the red fail on my NCEES account as a real possibility.


^^^

Felt good on the morning portion, definitely was a challenge tho. Glad my brain was working.

Had more guesses and 50/50's on the second half, but thought I had a good shot at passing after calculating my projected score. If all of my guesses were wrong, then I'm screwed.

But anyways, whatever the outcome, it was quite the journey. Pass = hard work paid off. Fail = hard work still in progress, work even harder next time.

Fearfully optimistic.


----------



## Kyle L

I agree with most people's sentiment here that the exam was much more difficult than the NCEES practice exam. It was also much more difficult than when I took the PE October 2016 (this was my second attempt). Typically there were 8-10 quick and easy questions on the practice and previous exam I took, however this time I think there were maybe a 2-3. The first time I also left the afternoon session, after checking over my work, about an hour and a half early. I ran out of time on both this time, as well as had to straight guess about 10. I felt so defeated afterwards. I worked 10x harder than my previous attempt (which I admittedly didn't take super serious), and felt like i probably didn't fare much better this time, and essentially wasted the last three months. So many seemed to come from left field that I wasn't prepared for at all. 

I'm assuming a fail, but I'm forever an optimist. At least I'm not the only one who struggled.


----------



## Zach Stone P.E.

Just want to offer some comfort in this thread.

We know that according to NCEES, that only 57% of first-time takers and 35% of repeat takers passed the previous April 2018 Electrical PE exam.

However, here's some good news that you are free to interpret however you see fit. I speak with a large volume of test takers every year, and guess what? Every single one of them that passes the electrical PE exam is surprised that they did. Every single time. 

If you are feeling dragged down, or a little burnt out, it's natural. You no doubt put a tremendous amount of effort into studying and NCEES did exactly what they do best: surprise you, challenge you, and test you. 

Hang in there until the results come out. Depending on how much you studied, you may be pleasantly surprised in a few months when each state releases their results. If you do find out that you did not pass, the best constructive feedback I can offer is to do your best to leverage the negative emotions into focusing even that much harder the next time around. At the very least, try your best to celebrate the hard work you put in, feel positive about your effort, and be pleased with the new knowledge that you have learned that hopefully betters your career by at least a small amount. I find those that are able to do this tend to be more successful than those that are not.


----------



## LJEngineer

Also, was it just me or were there like 1-2 questions where you re-read, you were trying to figure out WHAT exactly they were asking for.....Sigh, looks like results come out in early December, so until then....let's celebrate.


----------



## EE_Utility_Guy

While I was taking the morning session, I felt like I was doing terrible. I've since had time to think about some of those questions and feel I did pretty well. Maybe unsure on 7-8 of them. I was probably just overwhelmed in the moment.

The afternoon session however was a complete wreck. I worked my way through through all of the problems that I knew without digging through reference material. Once I was done doing that, I did the NEC problems. Finally, I went through the problems that would require some thinking/digging - there around 15-17 of them. I had to completely guess on 2-3; I'm not confident at all on the afternoon session.

Will expect the worse and hope for the best! Good luck everyone!


----------



## Electrical786

So far i have only seen 1 or 2 people who have said AFTERNOON session was easier than the MORNING session, and I am also in favor of that.

Actually one thing i realized is the END questions are easier to move ON if you start in reverse order and thats what i did in afternoon session, i also took a 10 minute break, took some snacks,relaxed my brain and it definitely helped. I would definitely suggest to take a 5 to 10 minute BREAK in both sessions.

I loved the NESC and NFPA 70E questions. the NEC questions were not that easy, and i guessed couple of those ones. Overall i have a 60/40 feeling (Obviously 60 being PASS 

Lets just hope and PRAY for the BEST!


----------



## a4u2fear

just got the post survey, definitely means i failed.


----------



## ME_VT_PE

a4u2fear said:


> just got the post survey, definitely means i failed.


Unfortunately, this is not good news...


----------



## Nashi

I just checked my email I got the survey as well. Do they really only send to those who failed?


----------



## Nashi

Did anybody else get the survey?


----------



## ME_VT_PE

Nashi said:


> I just checked my email I got the survey as well. Do they really only send to those who failed?


That has been the pattern over the past several years


----------



## Nashi

Really? I have seen posts of people who passed who got the survey as well.


----------



## ME_VT_PE

Nashi said:


> Really? I have seen posts of people who passed who got the survey as well.


Everyone gets the survey eventually. Those who failed tend to receive it first.


----------



## Nashi

Wow...I wonder why?


----------



## a4u2fear

Nashi just ask ME_VT_PE if he has his PE from April 18, he received his survey days after that exam :&gt


----------



## Nashi

I would think they would send the survey request in a mass email to all who took the exam.


----------



## Nashi

I just asked NCEES rep if the survey is sent to all those who took the test at the same time and the rep said yes..it is sent to everyone at the same time.

I asked is it sent to those who failed first? and she said no, everyone is sent the survey at the same time.


----------



## knight1fox3

This trend from NCEES is similar in kind to how the cut score is determined. They own the reasoning behind it. We just report the corresponding results from each exam administration.


----------



## knight1fox3

Nashi said:


> I just asked NCEES rep if the survey is sent to all those who took the test at the same time and the rep said yes..it is sent to everyone at the same time.
> 
> I asked is it sent to those who failed first? and she said no, everyone is sent the survey at the same time.


Again, this is contrary to what I was just told by another representative from NCEES.


----------



## ME_VT_PE

Nashi said:


> I just asked NCEES rep if the survey is sent to all those who took the test at the same time and the rep said yes..it is sent to everyone at the same time.
> 
> I asked is it sent to those who failed first? and she said no, everyone is sent the survey at the same time.


Yea I used the chat feature on NCEES a lot too. ALL COOKIE CUTTER RESPONSES. they know nothing. wait until results are released. You could ask them if results are coming out, they'll say they dont know, and 5 minutes later results start trickling out. Just sayin...


----------



## Invisible

Lol. Come on guys. Seriously chill, relax and forget the exam for one full month atleast. Test was over only on Friday. Do you really think they would decide who passed and who failed in just 1.5 working days? And if they can do so, do you think they will hold the results for 42 days after figuring out who passed and who failed in just 2 days. I can understand. V all think so much when we are scared. I would just say forget the test until the end of thanksgiving. As Zach Stone says NCEES might surprise a whole bunch of people here. On Friday I actually thought I failed. Now after taking a small break, I actually think I can pass the test. Still, lets wait for the results.


----------



## ME_VT_PE

Invisible said:


> Lol. Come on guys. Seriously chill, relax and forget the exam for one full month atleast. Test was over only on Friday. Do you really think they would decide who passed and who failed in just 1.5 working days? And if they can do so, do you think they will hold the results for 42 days after figuring out who passed and who failed in just 2 days. I can understand. V all think so much when we are scared. I would just say forget the test until the end of thanksgiving. As Zach Stone says NCEES might surprise a whole bunch of people here. On Friday I actually thought I failed. Now after taking a small break, I actually think I can pass the test. Still, lets wait for the results.


Results are determined quickly. Its the review to determine cut score that takes forever. You can actually look up NCEES meeting schedule to see when the "exam review" is for your particular discipline. With that said, if you got 20/80, you failed and they can toss your exam into that pile for sure.


----------



## Phenomenon083

ME_VT_PE said:


> With that said, if you got 20/80,﻿ you failed and they can toss your exam into that pile f﻿or ﻿sure.﻿


What about 50/80?


----------



## ME_VT_PE

Phenomenon083 said:


> What about 50/80?


FAIL!


----------



## Invisible

what about 55/80?


----------



## Phenomenon083

Invisible said:


> what about 55/80?﻿


Hopefully that is a pass!


----------



## ME_VT_PE

Invisible said:


> what about 55/80?


You'd have to ask @Baconator


----------



## EE_Utility_Guy

Relax guys. Everyone I took the test with, across multiple disciplines, received the email. lol


----------



## Nashi

I heard it used to take 6 months to get results way back when. Thank goodness that isn't the case these days.


----------



## SDB

ME_VT_PE said:


> Everyone gets the survey eventually. Those who failed tend to receive it first.


LOL


----------



## Phenomenon083

2 years later they will publish the result within a week since it will be CBT.


----------



## daydreambeliever

All 4 of us who took the exam on Friday received surveys. Pretty sure at least one or two of us passed.


----------



## ME_VT_PE

daydreambeliever said:


> All 4 of us who took the exam on Friday received surveys. Pretty sure at least one or two of us passed.


I think you're daydreaming


----------



## daydreambeliever

ME_VT_PE said:


> I think you're daydreaming


haha, ALWAYS!


----------



## Szar

daydreambeliever said:


> All 4 of us who took the exam on Friday received surveys. Pretty sure at least one or two of us passed.


You may just need to find friends who are better at passing tests.  :dunno:


----------



## Engineer7

I got the survey as well, it doesn't seem like a big deal at all. It's literally just a survey about your location and if their instructions are easy to follow


----------



## ME_VT_PE

Engineer7 said:


> I got the survey as well, it doesn't seem like a big deal at all. It's literally just a survey about your location and if their instructions are easy to follow


Don't underestimate the timing of the survey. NCEES works in mysterious ways, and they're always on EB lurking...You've been warned...


----------



## daydreambeliever

Szar said:


> You may just need to find friends who are better at passing tests.  :dunno:


:laugh:  I'm good thanks though! 

I received the NCEES survey the next business day after I took the FE. I passed FE obviously! Everyone who took the exam gets the survey at the same time.


----------



## Drewism

I got the survey too. I'm pretty sure they just sent out a mass email to everyone that took it. Even a coworker that took the mechanical with me got it too.

Stop trying to scare everyone even if it is just a joke. We're all still pretty rattled from last Friday.


----------



## knight1fox3

^ No one is trying to rattle anyone. Just merely conveying the over-arching message based on data collected from this forum. :dunno:


----------



## Drewism

knight1fox3 said:


> ^ No one is trying to rattle anyone. Just merely conveying the over-arching message based on data collected from this forum. :dunno:


I actually started crying so thanks for that.


----------



## Invisible

Drewism said:


> I actually started cr﻿ying so thanks for that.


Come on man. Relax. Just an exam. Not ur whole Life


----------



## Drewism

Invisible said:


> Come on man. Relax. Just an exam. Not ur whole Life


I get bad anxiety. I would like to get this out of the way so I don't have to do this again. I want to do other things. Not study over and over again like I'm in prison.


----------



## knight1fox3

^ LOL. You picked the wrong profession if you want to be "done studying". Engineers are always studying. Especially those with PE's (among other certs) which require professional development credits to maintain corresponding certifications. Also, think about the grand scheme of things throughout the progression of your engineering career. Undergraduate school, FE exam, PE exam, and for some graduate school in there too. There will always be the "next big thing" as an engineer in my opinion.


----------



## squaretaper LIT AF PE

knight1fox3 said:


> ^ LOL. You picked the wrong profession if you want to be "done studying". Engineers are always studying. Especially those with PE's (among other certs) which require professional development credits to maintain corresponding certifications. Also, think about the grand scheme of things throughout the progression of your engineering career. Undergraduate school, FE exam, PE exam, and for some graduate school in there too. There will always be the "next big thing" as an engineer in my opinion.


This. And if you're in a state that licenses by discipline, you get to take multiple PE exams if you want to practice another discipline like me! Fortunately, I love stuDYING! Woooo!

Although...Civils also have to take several exams to get their licenses, but then again, Civils are just kind of weird in general... :rotflmao:


----------



## Kalika PE

Nashi said:


> I just asked NCEES rep if the survey is sent to all those who took the test at the same time and the rep said yes..it is sent to everyone at the same time.
> 
> I asked is it sent to those who failed first? and she said no, everyone is sent the survey at the same time.


The trend was that if you receive the survey on even minutes in the hour you failed and those received the survey on odd minutes of the hour passed.


----------



## squaretaper LIT AF PE

Kalika PE said:


> The trend was that if you receive the survey on even minutes in the hour you failed and those received the survey on odd minutes of the hour passed.


Actually, if you received it on an even minute on an even hour, you failed. If you received it on an odd minute in an odd hour, you passed. If you received it on an even minute on an odd hour, your Scantron jammed the machine and delayed results for everybody and yours got irrecoverably destroyed by the machine. If you received it on an odd minute on an even hour, then it's irrelevant because you accidentally sat for the CPA exam.


----------



## DLD PE

At the exam there was a mix of civil, structural, mechanical and a few of us crazy electrical exam takers.  We sat at long tables with 2 examinees each.  For whatever reason, the guy sitting next to me never showed up.  It was strange watching the proctor go through the ritual of placing the exam booklet on the table and picking it up again a minute later right before the exam started.  Anyway, I had a table all to myself which was great for spreading out all my references (I had enough room to do that anyway but at least I didn't have to worry about distracting the guy next to me).

During halftime I ran into a guy in the parking lot who had locked his keys in the car.  I noticed his tag was in the same county I live in so I offered him a ride after the exam if he needed it.  He was able to call a locksmith (don't know how since we weren't allowed to take our cell phones inside ) so he got the help he needed before the second half started.  He didn't seem happy about the exam (he wasn't taking the electrical), and he was sitting right in front of me so I noticed he got up and left WAY early during the second part of the test. 

My point is as bad as you might feel about the exam, you at least did better than someone who didn't bother to show up or got so disgusted they left early with maybe little chance of passing.

Relax everyone!  Nothing we can do between now and getting the results so best thing to do is stop thinking about the results part.  There are a few topics I felt I was weaker on than I realized and I actually enjoyed learning and doing those problems so in the meantime I'm just going to read up more on those topics and start going through sample problems.  I found a lot of this stuff fun to learn anyway.  

Oh, and in the meantime I'm going to spend more time with my wife and son, start playing golf again and pre-order Battlefield V.


----------



## Szar

squaretaper PE said:


> Actually, if you received it on an even minute on an even hour, you failed. If you received it on an odd minute in an odd hour, you passed. If you received it on an even minute on an odd hour, your Scantron jammed the machine and delayed results for everybody and yours got irrecoverably destroyed by the machine. If you received it on an odd minute on an even hour, then it's irrelevant because you accidentally sat for the CPA exam.


But if your XOR ASCII checksum of the email date and time results in a prime number, you can file a TPS Report with NCEES and protest your failing score.  

My Sister's ex boyfriend's boss passed that way.


----------



## ME_VT_PE

MEtoEE said:


> Relax everyone!  Nothing we can do between now and getting the results so best thing to do is stop thinking about the results part.


not true. You can call NCEES and ask for your results.


----------



## a4u2fear

from https://www.nspe.org/resources/pe-magazine/march-2016/the-ultimate-test

i found interesting

The PE Exam: Myths and Truths

*MYTH* NCEES holds repeat takers to a higher standard than first-time takers. That’s why repeat pass rates are so low.
▼
*TRUTH *All examinees are graded to the same standard of minimum competence. In looking at the pools of exam takers, the first-time taker pool comprises high-ability, mid-ability, and low-ability examinees. When the exam is given, most of the high-ability examinees, some of the mid-ability group, and very few low-ability examinees pass and leave the examinee pool.

Examinees who fail the exam move to the repeat-taker pool. Unless they significantly change their preparation methods, history has shown that they will fail again. When they take the next exam, some of the mid-ability examinees pass and perhaps a few of the low-ability examinees who made a significant change in their preparation pass. That’s why repeat passing rates are lower.

*MYTH* Exams administered in the fall are more difficult than those in the spring (or vice-versa).
▼
*TRUTH *The scoring process negates any differences in difficulty. Examinees are graded against a standard of minimum competence. If the exam is more difficult, the required passing score is lowered. Conversely, if the exam is less difficult, the required passing score is raised. An examinee is neither penalized nor rewarded for the difficulty of the exam.

*MYTH* NCEES “throws questions out” of the exam, which alters the final results.
▼
*TRUTH *After an exam, subject-matter experts review questions that have statistical anomalies or receive comments from examinees. If a question is found to have two correct answers, all examinees with either answer are marked correct. If a question is deemed to not have a correct answer, all examinees with any answer are marked correct.

*MYTH* The required passing score varies from state to state.
▼
*TRUTH *The passing score does not vary from state to state. Examinees in all jurisdictions have the same required passing score for their discipline for that administration.

*MYTH* NCEES grants PE licenses.
▼
*TRUTH *NCEES develops, publishes, and scores the exams on behalf of the state licensing boards to determine minimum competency. State licensing boards grant licenses to candidates in their jurisdiction based on that jurisdiction’s requirements.

*MYTH* NCEES sets the pass score so only a certain number of people pass—thereby controlling entry into the profession.
▼
*TRUTH *The pass score is set at the level of minimum competence. Examinees that exceed the score will pass.

*MYTH* A passing score is 70%.
▼
*TRUTH *Before results were reported as pass-fail, examinees received scaled scores. The passing raw score (different for each discipline and varying from administration to administration based on difficulty) was “set” at 70, and all scores were scaled accordingly. In 2005, NCEES voted to provide only pass-fail results. Somehow, over time, an urban legend developed and the scaled score of 70 erroneously turned into a 70% raw score being required to pass.

*MYTH* “My exam prep class instructor says I only need 50% to pass.”
▼
*TRUTH *Exam preparation instructors are not involved in the exam process (an NCEES policy) and don’t know the score required to pass.


----------



## RadioBox

Great article. This quote from the article sums up everything neatly.

“We know that there are people who are not competent, and it’s our responsibility with this exam process to keep them from being in responsible charge of engineering projects.”


----------



## Szar

RadioBox said:


> Great article. This quote from the article sums up everything neatly.
> 
> “We know that there are people who are not competent, and it’s our responsibility with this exam process to keep them from being in responsible charge of engineering projects.”


Clearly the test needs to be harder based on a few individuals I've had the honor of coming across in my career!

oop2:


----------



## tpkjr2006

am glad to see i feel the same way as everyone on this forum. I took a review class https://powerpeprepclass.com/.  I found the review to be very good. But it seems NCEES likes to throw some curve balls.


----------



## RBHeadge PE

Invisible said:


> Test was over only on Friday. Do you really think they would decide who passed and who failed in just 1.5 working days? And if they can do so, do you think they will hold the results for 42 days after figuring out who passed and who failed in just 2 days.


They've got a pretty good idea who passed and failed after the initial scoring. It's those with scores in the 50s/80 that can go either way.

I posted a summary with links to other threads on how things are done here:





ME_VT_PE said:


> Results are determined quickly. Its the review to determine cut score that takes forever.
> 
> ...
> 
> With that said, if you got 20/80, you failed and they can toss your exam into that pile for sure.


^this

The cut score meeting usually only happens after the first session of a new test. This year, FPE will be the 'holdup'.



Phenomenon083 said:


> What about 50/80?


Almost certainly a fail



Invisible said:


> what about 55/80?


Borderline



Nashi said:


> I heard it used to take 6 months to get results way back when. Thank goodness that isn't the case these days.


I don't think it was ever that long. Back in the blue book days I heard it would take 3-4 months.



MEtoEE said:


> Relax everyone!  Nothing we can do between now and getting the results so best thing to do is stop thinking about the results part.


Not ture. I heard that you lose points if you don't fill out the survey within 48 hrs.

You have the right idea hanging out with family. For everyone else, there's the semi-annual spam thread:


----------



## DerekJeter

RBHeadge PE said:


> MEtoEE said:
> 
> 
> 
> Relax everyone!  Nothing we can do between now and getting the results so best thing to do is stop thinking about the results part.
> 
> 
> 
> Not ture. I heard that you lose points if you don't fill out the survey within 48 hrs.
Click to expand...

This drives me crazy. And to say a 55/80 is borderline when literally nobody actually knows the numbers is crazy too. I can't take the trolling and I think I should get off EngrBoards for a while to relax.


----------



## Invisible

RBHeadge PE said:


> Not ture. I heard that you lose points if you don't fill out the survey within 48 hrs.
> 
> You have the right idea hanging out with family. For everyone else, there's the semi-annual spam thread:


Well. I was really thinking this was a serious post for 1 minute. Well done. Happy to meet someone with the same sense of humor like me.


----------



## DLD PE

Loving all the humor!


----------



## RBHeadge PE

DerekJeter said:


> This drives me crazy. And to say a 55/80 is borderline when literally nobody actually knows the numbers is crazy too. I can't take the trolling and I think I should get off EngrBoards for a while to relax.


*That wasn't trolling.* Feel free to go through the all of the old "failing score" threads from the last decade. The cut score, of course, varies from session-to-session and discipline to discipline, but the general trend is that the cut score is [52-57].

I'm just a nuclear engineer, but I'm pretty sure that 55 is between 52 and 57.

_checks math, counts fingers_.







Yup it is. In fact, right in the middle of that range is 54 and 55. The cut score could be at or above 55, or below 55. So yeah, 55 would be borderline.



Invisible said:


> Well. I was really thinking this was a serious post for 1 minute. Well done. Happy to meet someone with the same sense of humor like me.


Thank you! Yes, everything above that last bit was serious, the last part was an obvious joke and an invitation to blow off steam not obsess about the exam.


----------



## Drewism

Szar said:


> Clearly the test needs to be harder based on a few individuals I've had the honor of coming across in my career!
> 
> oop2:


My former screwball coworker took the Electrical Power PE in April of 2018 and passed. He made so many mistakes on projects that we're still coming across and cleaning up months later so it all means nothing.


----------



## RadioBox

Drewism said:


> My former screwball coworker took the Electrical Power PE in April of 2018 and passed. He made so many mistakes on projects that we're still coming across and cleaning up months later so it all means nothing.


- screwball passed power P.E. exam

-it all means nothing

Having these sentiments are strong indications you failed the October power P.E. exam. Lol


----------



## Drewism

RadioBox said:


> - screwball passed power P.E. exam
> 
> -it all means nothing
> 
> Having these sentiments are strong indications you failed the October power P.E. exam. Lol


I believe it. I already know I failed. I took a real swing for it, you know? That's all that matters.


----------



## EE Power Guy

Took the test after studying hard for about 4 months. Studied the TestMasters material in great detail. Did all 4 Complex Imaginary exams, PPI exam, Graffeo Exam and NCEES 2011 exam.

The new 2018 Exam Specifications outlined more Protection problems (None of the above tests focused on this). And that is what happened on D-Day - So many protection and relaying/setting questions. None of the practice exams were on par with how hard the actual test was. Even the NEC questions were not straight forward (either that or I can't remember anything of what I read/answered that day.)

Other EE's taking the test said the same - Exam was hard. Over the past few years, I know about 8/10 engineers who took TestMasters and passed in the first shot. How the heck did they do it? 

Pass rate for April 2018 was 48% in Texas! Thats crazy! 

Sadly, I discovered EB after the test. Lot's of good information on here. I'll be going through it to prepare for April 2019.


----------



## RBHeadge PE

Drewism said:


> I believe it. I already know I failed. I took a real swing for it, you know? That's all that matters.






EE Power Guy said:


> Sadly, I discovered EB after the test. Lot's of good information on here. I'll be going through it to prepare for April 2019.


Welcome to Phase 4.

It couldn't have been _that_ bad.


----------



## Nashi

We haven't even gotten through one week yet...this is torture.

I wonder what was the quickest time someone has heard the results...4 weeks?


----------



## ME_VT_PE

Nashi said:


> We haven't even gotten through one week yet...this is torture.
> 
> I wonder what was the quickest time someone has heard the results...4 weeks?


No. Its never that quick. 6 weeks minimum, but the Fire protection review could hold it up much longer.

EDIT: I'm not joking


----------



## RBHeadge PE

Nashi said:


> We haven't even gotten through one week yet...this is torture.


The stress gets so,  so much worse as time goes on! I can't emphasize enough that come December it will get geometrically worse every day. I *really* recommend finding a distraction. Spend time with family and friends, kill time in the spam thread. Me personally: I went to the gym to burn off the stress and get back in shape; which was a super good and successful idea in the long run.



Nashi said:


> I wonder what was the quickest time someone has heard the results...4 weeks?


The link I provided above is an index for other useful threads and discussions for background, its a semi-humorous post-exam FAQ. It includes this one, which shows the release dates for most states and sessions going back to 2005. @Duckdude put a lot of excellent work into it and it answers your question.


----------



## Phenomenon083

Drewism said:


> I believe it. I already know I failed. I took a real swing for it, you know? That's all that matters. ﻿


I hope you pass. But what materials should you've studied to prepare better?


----------



## DLD PE

Phenomenon083 said:


> I hope you pass. But what materials should you've studied to prepare better?


The Holy Bible.


----------



## Phenomenon083

MEtoEE said:


> The Holy Bible.﻿


That would save you from god not from PE exam!


----------



## DLD PE

Phenomenon083 said:


> I hope you pass. But what materials should you've studied to prepare better?


Are you taking the mechanical exam?  Your "Discipline" says mechanical.  If you are indeed taking the electrical power exam, I would strongly recommend a review course and diversifying your practice exams.  The NCEES practice exams are still #1, since they have the best combination of wording, time it takes to solve problems and difficulty.  Difficulty is relative because even the most simply worded problems are difficult if you don't know them; simple if you DO know them.  I found the Eng Pro Guides practice exam was more difficult and quantitative (more math oriented than theoretical "qualitative" problems).  Graffeo has good problems.  Complex Imaginary I did not spend much time on, since they were shorter and simpler and I didn't want to get any sense of false security.  If I had time I would have done more of those to simulate a quicker pace of problem solving.  I strongly recommend taking a MINIMUM 4-6 self-timed simulated practice exams.  I did 4 and felt like it wasn't enough, but I spent a lot of time doing review class homework problems and reviewing notes, videos and class quizzes.  There are just so many different ways to prepare.  I think doing a healthy mix of different exam problems and going back to class notes/videos to learn concepts you don't understand is the way to go.


----------



## Phenomenon083

MEtoEE said:


> Are you taking the mechanical exam?  Your "Discipline" says mechanical.﻿


I will be taking power PE exam on April 2019. Thanks for the insight.


----------



## DLD PE

Phenomenon083 said:


> I will be taking power PE exam on April 2019. Thanks for the insight.


You're welcome.  Hopefully I won't be taking it with you.  Best of luck to you either way.  I received my degree in ME and been doing electrical design pretty much ever since (although I spent 2-1/2 years in EE before switching majors to ME, so I had _some_ EE background).  You're going to find a variety of responses as to best methods of studying and what resources to use.  I highly recommend going to Zach Stone's website.  He has some free articles you should definitely check out IMMEDIATELY, most notably "Recommended References for the Electrical Power PE Exam" and "What do Successful Engineers that Pass the Electrical PE Exam Have in Common?"  If you can afford it and/or get your company to help pay for it, I highly recommend his course.  If I had to do it over again, knowing what I know now, I would:

1.  You have just less than 7 months until the April exam.  You might think that's plenty of time but you'll be surpised how quickly the exam date approaches.  Use your time wisely.

2.  I would start with the NCEES practice exam, and go through and work EVERY problem between now and the next 1-2 weeks.  Don't spend much time pouring over the problems.  In other words, don't spend 1-2 hours on one problem.  You're not going to have a clue on half of them right now, so just work through them, use the solutions or go online (lots of explanations on this board) and just write out EVERY problem and work them out on separate pieces of paper (keep your practice exam tests blank for future timed practice exams).  Trust me.  You just want to get an immediate feel for how long these problems take, the wording, the language, the material/topics, ect.  Just don't stress and get stuck.  You don't want to get to 2 months before the exam and you've spent so much time on other stuff you haven't yet worked out some of these problems.  

3.  By December you should have at least had worked out all the practice exam problems (even better if you use mutliple sources, .  Make a list of topics you struggle on.  NEC and protection should be a priority regardless since those topics weigh heavily on the exam.  

4.  I really wish I had done this sooner:  I took Zach Stone's online course.  Once a week it's a 3-4 hour live webinar.  After each lesson he gives you homework problems relating to the course.  I spent a lot of time doing those and they really helped, but it became apparent that I would have done better if I made myself go through the online course for the related topic leading to the live webinar.  For example, if "Rotating Machines" was going to be the live class for Tuesday, I should have at MINIMUM gone through the rotating machines articles and quizzes.  Instead I was working through NCEES sample exam problems, or problems from another resource, or taking timed tests, which is fine, but I should have made sure I went through the courses and quizzes.  I would have absorbed the information better.  Once I started doing this my learning curve shortened.

5.  Take timed practice exams sooner, and more often.  I observed a lot of people taking their first timed practice exam (if at all), 1-2 months before the exam.  I took 4 timed tests (2 NCEES, 1 Graffeo and 1 Eng Pro Guides).  I didn't really do all that well on any of them, but I'm glad I did them and wish I had taken the time to do more.  Time is simply not on your side, especially when you have a family, so use your time wisely.  

6.  As good as Zach's class is, you're still going to have topics you struggle with.  Don't get stuck.  Go to YouTube videos or this board to get information or a different perspective on how to approach problems.  Everyone thinks and learns differently.


----------



## Phenomenon083

MEtoEE said:


> Hopefully I won't be taking it with you﻿


Hopefully you wont   Thanks again!


----------



## sayed

i would say don't worry about it, but seeing how last go around there was like a 55% pass rate, seems like it has gotten even harder than before

when i took it, i got so stressed my blood pressure dropped dramatically. i could feel myself turn ghost pale.

i really think i guessed on half the exam and from them like maybe 20 questions complete wild guesses. it was terrible.


----------



## Nashi

I would like to shred all the paperwork I have on my desk at home. One week down...potentially 9 more weeks to go.


----------



## RBHeadge PE

Nashi said:


> One week down...potentially 9 more weeks to go.


11 in Pennsylvania


----------



## Invisible

Nashi said:


> potentially 9 more weeks to go


For the New Year


----------



## Invisible

Congratulations to everyone who survived 1 week. Just 5 more weeks to go. Almost there.


----------



## Szar

Anyone else hear about the NCEES warehouse fire that burned up all the scan-trons and invalidated the last test?


----------



## Nashi

That just isn't right!

Imagine? There would be rioting in the streets...


----------



## Nashi

It felt weird this weekend to not be studying. I got to play cars and avengers with my son. He was used to coming into my office and visiting me studying away. I don't know if I could invest this much time again...waiting for the results is torturous.

A few times I fell asleep on the couch from exhaustion and my husband woke me to go upstairs to bed and I was dreaming and asked me about the square root of 3, the closest answer to mine because of rounding and apparent power. After his response of "oh...dreaming about the test hun"...and I would realize I was talking in my sleep..haha


----------



## DoctorWho-PE

Drewism said:


> My former screwball coworker took the Electrical Power PE in April of 2018 and passed. He made so many mistakes on projects that we're still coming across and cleaning up months later so it all means nothing.


I have one of those too... and to think I struggled with the test, and he passed first time.... ugh.  But, I can rest easy knowing (based on fixing his mistakes) that I am a better engineer.


----------



## tpkjr2006

So anyone want to take a guess on there chances of passing?


----------



## Phenomenon083

vhab49_PE said:


> I have one of those too... and to think I struggled with the test, and he passed first time.... ugh.  But, I can rest easy knowing (based on fixing his mistakes) that I am a better engineer.


Some people are just better test takers.


----------



## RadioBox

vhab49_PE said:


> I have one of those too... and to think I struggled with the test, and he passed first time.... ugh.  But, I can rest easy knowing (based on fixing his mistakes) that I am a better engineer.


Apparently dummies can pass the power P.E. exam. So, then why is everyone here worried about passing the exam, and asking what the cut score is?


----------



## DoctorWho-PE

RadioBox said:


> Apparently dummies can pass the power P.E. exam. So, then why is everyone here worried about passing the exam, and asking what the cut score is?


Well... he didn't take power.  But still.  I don't know why people get worked up about it.  It is just a thing that is done.


----------



## RadioBox

vhab49_PE said:


> Well... he didn't take power.  But still.  I don't know why people get worked up about it.  It is just a thing that is done.


I can tell judging from your posts you are that annoying co-worker we all groan when we have to work together for a project.


----------



## Invisible

I have 75% chances of passing . And 25% chances that I may fail. Hopefully, I must pass this time


----------



## matt267 PE

RadioBox said:


> I can tell judging from your posts you are that annoying co-worker we all groan when we have to work together for a project.


opcorn:


----------



## matt267 PE

RadioBox said:


> Apparently﻿ dummies﻿ can pass the power P.E. exam﻿.﻿


And yes, you're right. There was a guy, a few exam cycles ago, that passed the power pe without any education background. He studied a bit and passed the exam. I think his background was in civil.

It's well known that the power pe is the easiest.


----------



## RadioBox

matt267 PE said:


> without any education background. I think his background was in civil.


Lol


----------



## Szar

matt267 PE said:


> And yes, you're right. There was a guy, a few exam cycles ago, that passed the power pe without any education background. He studied a bit and passed the exam. I think his background was in civil.
> 
> It's well known that the power pe is the easiest.


Lies.

Civil engineer's don't even need to count past 9 to do their job.  Do they even know how to multiply?


----------



## matt267 PE

Szar said:


> Lies.
> 
> Civil engineer's don't even need to count past 9 to do their job.  Do they even know how to multiply?


Civils can multiply. But that Fourier transform stuff is crap.


----------



## Surf and Snow

matt267 PE said:


> ...
> 
> It's well known that the power pe is the easiest.


If that were indeed the case, then why is the pass rate so much lower than others? 

https://ncees.org/engineering/pe/pass-rates/


----------



## matt267 PE

Surf and Snow said:


> If that were indeed the case, then why is the pass rate so much lower than others?
> 
> https://ncees.org/engineering/pe/pass-rates/


Cause people taking it are usually not too smart. Those passes are from other disciplines taking it.


----------



## tpkjr2006

Yes the power pe has one of the lowest pass rates... This makes me question my sanity.


----------



## DoctorWho-PE

RadioBox said:


> I can tell judging from your posts you are that annoying co-worker we all groan when we have to work together for a project.


Thanks.


----------



## Phenomenon083

Surf and Snow said:


> If that were indeed the case, then why is the pass rate so much lower than others?
> 
> https://ncees.org/engineering/pe/pass-rates/


Power PE definitely not easy anymore. Since the recent focus on code and Protection problems pass rate of Power PE exam dropped 8-10%.


----------



## Phenomenon083

RadioBox said:


> I can tell judging from your posts you are that annoying co-worker we all groan when we have to work together for a project.﻿


I have one like that. She is not a PE though.


----------



## Nashi

Come on...almost two weeks down. I hounded NCEES and they gave the generic response of 8-10 weeks from test day. 

You know I never unpacked my books from my cart...its still in the garage. Anybody else?


----------



## a4u2fear

it's prob going to be week of Dec 3 or week of Dec 10

you will have a better guess once you start seeing the board meetings within each state.


----------



## RBHeadge PE

Nashi said:


> Come on...almost two weeks down. I hounded NCEES and they gave the generic response of 8-10 weeks from test day.


Welcome to subphases C and E. Try not to spend much time in subphase E.



a4u2fear said:


> it's prob going to be week of Dec 3 or week of Dec 10
> 
> you will have a better guess once you start seeing the board meetings within each state.


Welcome to subphase C.  There is NO connection between board meetings and the initial release of results.


----------



## Nashi

December?!...I kept thinking maybe we will get lucky and hear something by thanksgiving. 

And all this time I was thinking after the test I will be able to enjoy the holidays. Its tough because you want to move on.


----------



## Nashi

How do you know when the boards meet? And how does that help to know when the results would be published? I guess that if they have their usual monthly meeting at that time they would review?


----------



## RadioBox

scores that are reported are scaled. So everyone with a scale score of 70 and above will pass.

The scaled score of 70 can represent 53/80, 54/80, 55/80, 56/80, 57/80, or 58/80. It depends if everyone did well or not on the exam.

If all the examinees for the October bombed the exam then that means a better chance for 53/80 to be scaled as 70.


----------



## RBHeadge PE

Nashi said:


> December?!...I kept thinking maybe we will get lucky and hear something by thanksgiving.
> 
> And all this time I was thinking after the test I will be able to enjoy the holidays. Its tough because you want to move on.


LOL. I promise you the results won't come before Nov 30.

You'll probably get it before Christmas (unless you're in Pennsylvania). Just in time to add to the celebration, or make things miserable.



Nashi said:


> How do you know when the boards meet? And how does that help to know when the results would be published? I guess that if they have their usual monthly meeting at that time they would review?


First, you would benefit from reading the firs two posts of this thread:



Second, welcome to subphase D. If you want to go down that rabbit hole, you can visit every state board and look up their scheduled meetings to try to divine the release date. I wouldn't recommend it, since I'm not aware of any state that requires a full board meeting to actually authorize NCEES to email out the results. Nor will you won't find any mention of it in previous meeting minutes either. But feel free to check all 55 boards and their meeting minutes going back years if you don't believe me. Some states might require a board meeting to issue licenses to people who recently passed the PE, but that would happen AFTER NCEES (or other entity) sends them out.



RadioBox said:


> scores that are reported are scaled. So everyone with a scale score of 70 and above will pass.
> 
> The scaled score of 70 can represent 53/80, 54/80, 55/80, 56/80, 57/80, or 58/80. It depends if everyone did well or not on the exam.
> 
> If all the examinees for the October bombed the exam then that means a better chance for 53/80 to be scaled as 70.


For reference for others, only Texas provides a score to those who pass the test. All jurisdictions  give the raw score to those who fail.

There is no group curve. The overall performance of the greater group of examinees does not affect the cut score for a given session.  The cut score for a given session is set ahead* of time based on the questions asked. It is up to the examine to achieve that cut score.

*Except during the first new exam offering, where standards questions are developed, evaluated, and confirmed.


----------



## Szar

RBHeadge PE said:


> LOL. I promise you the results won't come before Nov 30.
> 
> You'll probably get it before Christmas (unless you're in Pennsylvania). Just in time to add to the celebration, or make things miserable.
> 
> First, you would benefit from reading the firs two posts of this thread:
> 
> 
> 
> Second, welcome to subphase D. If you want to go down that rabbit hole, you can visit every state board and look up their scheduled meetings to try to divine the release date. I wouldn't recommend it, since I'm not aware of any state that requires a full board meeting to actually authorize NCEES to email out the results. Nor will you won't find any mention of it in previous meeting minutes either. But feel free to check all 55 boards and their meeting minutes going back years if you don't believe me. Some states might require a board meeting to issue licenses to people who recently passed the PE, but that would happen AFTER NCEES (or other entity) sends them out.
> 
> For reference for others, only Texas provides a score to those who pass the test. All jurisdictions  give the raw score to those who fail.
> 
> There is no group curve. The overall performance of the greater group of examinees does not affect the cut score for a given session.  The cut score for a given session is set ahead* of time based on the questions asked. It is up to the examine to achieve that cut score.
> 
> *Except during the first new exam offering, where standards questions are developed, evaluated, and confirmed.


So us April-ineans set the test score for ya.

Sucka's!!!!


----------



## RadioBox

RBHeadge PE said:


> The cut score for a given session is set ahead* of time based on the questions asked. It is up to the examine to achieve that cut score.


I believe you. Then I wonder why it takes a month and half to grade a scantron...am i right, fellas


----------



## tpkjr2006

*MYTH* Exams administered in the fall are more difficult than those in the spring (or vice-versa).
▼
*TRUTH *The scoring process negates any differences in difficulty. Examinees are graded against a standard of minimum competence. If the exam is more difficult, the required passing score is lowered. Conversely, if the exam is less difficult, the required passing score is raised. An examinee is neither penalized nor rewarded for the difficulty of the exam.


----------



## tpkjr2006

The grading process


All answer sheets for multiple-choice exams are machine graded; a percentage of answer sheets are also manually verified to ensure accuracy. The essays for the afternoon portion of the SE exam are scored by teams of subject-matter experts.

Read a step-by-step explanation of the scoring process in the Pencil-and-Paper Exams section of the _NCEES Examinee Guide_.


Determining passing scores


When an exam is introduced or when its specifications change, a committee of subject-matter experts works with experienced psychometricians (testing experts with a background in statistics) to determine the level of performance that corresponds with minimal competence in that discipline. This becomes the passing score. NCEES does not publish passing scores because they change with each administration. NCEES scores each exam with no predetermined percentage of examinees that should pass or fail. All exams are scored the same way. First-time takers and repeat takers are graded to the same standard.


Equating


For subsequent administrations of the exam, statistical equating is used to ensure that this level of performance is consistent across multiple administrations of that exam. Essentially, this means that while the numerical passing score may change with each administration, you are not disadvantaged when one administration of a particular exam is more difficult than another. This process accounts for the 8- to 10-week interval between an exam administration and the release of scores to member licensing boards.

Your exam results are determined by the number of items you answered correctly for the exam in its entirety. There are no minimum requirements for particular sections or topics within an exam. You are not penalized for incorrect answers. You may request that your exam answer sheet be manually verified. A fee is charged for this service.


----------



## RBHeadge PE

RadioBox said:


> I believe you. Then I wonder why it takes a month and half to grade a scantron...am i right, fellas


Answered in the aforementioned thread


----------



## Nashi

What was the cut score for April or did I miss it in posts? So then based on them knowing the cut score already and what questions are complete throw outs...then it should be quicker results then?


----------



## DLD PE

Szar said:


> Anyone else hear about the NCEES warehouse fire that burned up all the scan-trons and invalidated the last test?


Since a few days after the exam, I really haven't given the test a whole lot of thought.  I've gone back to review some things and work some problems I felt I was weak on, but that's it.  Aside from that I've been enjoying life.  We've taken our son to the museum, trick-or-treating, a couple of family events, and I've gotten in some Battlefield time on XBox.  A golfing buddy of mine found a few steals (putters to be exact) at an estate sale.  I met him at the course and "borrowed" one of his putters and proceeded to drain 5 birdie putts with it, 3 in a row at one point.  It was nice to discover I could still play after not touching a club for several months.  

However, all the fun I've been having does not compare to the entertainment I get out of these posts.  Keep it up!


----------



## Nashi

It is very entertaining. Especially when people post the same worries from the previous test takers.

I definitely learned a lot about the process after taking the test on here...things I wouldn't have known otherwise.


----------



## RBHeadge PE

Nashi said:


> What was the cut score for April or did I miss it in posts? So then based on them knowing the cut score already and what questions are complete throw outs...then it should be quicker results then?


I can only assume you're just trolling the vets?


----------



## Nashi

I don't really use the term trolling so cant say I'm doing that...haha.

Just passing time and figuring out realistically how long it takes to get results is all. I have friends who have taken it several times and I have friends who have taken it only once. The times for getting results have differed significantly. But then again some of these folks have been engineers for 25+.


----------



## knight1fox3

Nashi said:


> I have friends who have taken it several times and I have friends who have taken it only once. The times for getting results have differed significantly. But then again some of these folks have been engineers for 25+.


And hopefully they all didn't receive surveys from NCEES directly after taking their respective exam(s). :thumbs:


----------



## RadioBox

The pass rate for last April was 48% in Texas.

A repeat taker told me that the October exam was harder than the one he took in April.

Curious to see what the pass rate for this exam cycle is going to be in Texas.


----------



## Nashi

Thanks for the input RadioBox


----------



## tpkjr2006

RadioBox your post is so encouraging.


----------



## a4u2fear

I am a repeat taker.  I would say both exams were about the same in difficulty, but my knowledge and performance were (I think, hopefully) better.  I still walked out feeling beaten down and annoyed; but analytical questions that I mostly guessed on the first time, this time I was able to narrow down to 2 answers and other times select the right answer.

That statement alone is what NCEES is looking for in repeat takers; the amount of preparation and studying hopefully sent me over the line.

My first time taking it I finished the morning and afternoon an hour early; for different reasons.  But this time I had time to recheck my answers in the morning and I found (2) errors that I changed; in the afternoon I took the full time and with 30 secs left found an answer one one I spent nearly 30 mins on.  The first time there were a few of these and I guessed and said "I know i don't have the book or knowledge to solve this" and walked out.  This time I knew i had the knowledge and/or the book somewhere to make a very good guess.


----------



## RadioBox

a4u2fear said:


> I am a repeat taker.  I would say both exams were about the same in difficulty, but my knowledge and performance were (I think, hopefully) better.  I still walked out feeling beaten down and annoyed; but analytical questions that I mostly guessed on the first time, this time I was able to narrow down to 2 answers and other times select the right answer.
> 
> That statement alone is what NCEES is looking for in repeat takers; the amount of preparation and studying hopefully sent me over the line.
> 
> My first time taking it I finished the morning and afternoon an hour early; for different reasons.  But this time I had time to recheck my answers in the morning and I found (2) errors that I changed; in the afternoon I took the full time and with 30 secs left found an answer one one I spent nearly 30 mins on.  The first time there were a few of these and I guessed and said "I know i don't have the book or knowledge to solve this" and walked out.  This time I knew i had the knowledge and/or the book somewhere to make a very good guess.


If you don’t mind providing it, what was your given raw score in April?


----------



## a4u2fear

48


----------



## tpkjr2006

So in the event i failed (99% sure) can we collaborate more for the April administration of the exam? I know the code pretty well and have some good references.


----------



## Nashi

2 weeks down...potentially 8 more weeks to go until we know. That's amazing that someone can finish early...I did the multi pass approach and I still ran out of time. But I had already made as many good guesses that I could  by circling the answer in the booklet so I just had to fill in those guesses on the answer sheet. Then I used the last five minutes to try the problems I thought I could figure out somehow and hopefully it helped.


----------



## RadioBox

a4u2fear said:


> 48


I wish you the best of luck this go around. You studied and prepared more for the October exam, so you should be good.


----------



## Invisible

So you would have got 67. You jus because if 2-3 questions. I am very certain you would pass this tim.


----------



## Invisible

Invisible said:


> So you would have got 67. You jus because if 2-3 questions. I am very certain you would pass this tim.


I meant 67%


----------



## Invisible

And Congratulations everyone who survived 2 weeks. We have crossed 2/6th of the path towards the results. Almost there


----------



## RBHeadge PE

Nashi said:


> 2 weeks down...potentially 8 more weeks to go until we know.


Potentially 10 in Pennsylvania.



Invisible said:


> I meant 67%


In all seriousness, the cut score was *not* 51 last session.

Trying calculate the cut score is pointless to begin with, but it can be damaging to long term morale to grossly underestimate the cut score. One shouldn't lull themselves into thinking they passed only because of an unrealistic cut score. It makes the emotional blow so much worse when the results do finally come out.


----------



## Invisible

RBHeadge PE said:


> In all seriousness, the cut score was *not* 51 last session.
> 
> Trying calculate the cut score is pointless to begin with, but it can be damaging to long term morale to grossly underestimate the cut score. One shouldn't lull themselves into thinking they passed only bec﻿ause of an unrealistic cut score. It makes the emotional blow so much worse when the results do finally come out﻿


Wait for one more month to know if I am speaking the truth. Well, if there are any Texas repeat takers who could prove my claim, please do speak out    There would be people who wrote in Texas this time too. But I do not want to be the on who proves it with diagnostics and percentage. I hope I get only a percentage   I will be really fine with 71%


----------



## Invisible

RBHeadge PE said:


> Potentially 10 in Pennsylvania


Seriously 12 weeks to get results in Penn :O Thats pretty long :O


----------



## Full Stack PE

travishans08 said:


> Hey Guys how do you think y'all did today?
> 
> I'm just here to vent a little.
> 
> Was it just me or did any else feel completely unprepared for this exam??
> 
> I was averaging 80's-90's on all section reviews. I took the NCEES official exam and got an 83. I walked out today﻿ feeling completely blindsided.
> 
> I feel confiden﻿t in saying that I completely guessed on about 30% of the exam and was unsure about an additional 20%. A majority of the questions seemed completely out of left field compared too all t﻿he studying I did from Zach's PE Review, official ncees, complex, graffeo.  ﻿
> 
> Honestly I feel a bit disgruntled.﻿ I try to be self-aware and I feel that I have a solid grasp on the fundamentals, and excelled in university, but this test kicked my ass. I truly felt that I prepared as well as I could have. The practices test and programs felt worthless compared to this exam. Am I just being dramatic here? If anyone who took it this October can give me some perspective it would be much appreciated.


Hello Travishans08;

I am October 2018 PE Mechanical exam taker in the field of Machine Design and materials in Kentucky. I felt the exact same way that you feel. I resigned from my company and studied for the exam for 6 months. I used over 30 books, including FE, PE, major textbooks, handbooks, unit conversion books, tonnes of tabs and office supplies etc. I used MERM for almost every question. I scored 80% in practice tests and review questions. I even timed myself in each subject area in order to achieve 6 minutes per question. However, the actual PE test was completely different. Of 80 questions, I am certain that I got 42 questions correctly (AM and PM combined), 20 and 22 in each section. I almost screamed at my proctor for giving me a test which is so difficult. I felt so disappointed of myself. Almost left the building!_ Let's exchange opinions on the exam._


----------



## Full Stack PE

Invisible said:


> By any chance, can the cut off for passing be 50 or less than 50? What do you guys think? I'm new to the forum


Invisible. I took PE Mechanical (Machine design) in October. I am confident that I correctly answered 50% of the questions. I read other people in EE field had the same problem. I would say 55% is cut score, but it is just a guess.


----------



## Full Stack PE

Enginer282 said:


> What do you guys realistically think the cutoff score is?


%55.


----------



## RBHeadge PE

Invisible said:


> Seriously 12 weeks to get results in Penn  Thats pretty long


http://engineerboards.com/topic/24563-pa-results/

Pennsylvania historically sucks at this.


----------



## RBHeadge PE

Full Stack PE said:


> I would say 55% is cut score, but it is just a guess.


I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.


----------



## Invisible

Full Stack PE said:


> Invisible. I took PE Mechanical (Machine design) in October. I am confident that I correctly answered 50% of the questions. I read other people in EE field had the same problem. I would say 55% is cut score, but it is just a guess.


I did not mean 50% or 51%. I meant 51/80 which is around 64%. I am not trying to offend anyone. I am just giving an input from what I know. But we can always argue on that. I have seen a post in this forum where the guy said said he got 39/80 and 58%. He has even posted a screenshot of the same. See this link http://engineerboards.com/topic/28677-i-failed-the-power-pe-please-help/ 
But still, let me not speak about the cut score until the results come in.


----------



## sayed

matt267 PE said:


> And yes, you're right. There was a guy, a few exam cycles ago, that passed the power pe without any education background. He studied a bit and passed the exam. I think his background was in civil.
> 
> It's well known that the power pe is the easiest.


that simply means he wasn't a dummy, genius.

let me guess, you had trouble on YOUR exam based on YOUR background?  (The genius comment was sarcasm. Had to mention that since i'm sure you wouldn't have caught that on your own )


----------



## ellen3720

This wait wouldn't be nearly as bad if I weren't beating myself up because I received the survey email.

Not knowing is one thing. Not knowing but having others indicate I've likely failed is worse.


----------



## tpkjr2006

So many conspiracy theories.


----------



## Invisible

ellen3720 said:


> is wait wouldn't be nearly as bad if I weren't beating myself up because I received the survey email.
> 
> Not knowing is one thing. Not knowing but havin﻿g others indicate I've likely failed is worse.


I thought the sarcastic post about the survey email was pretty outdated and lame. But now I can see it actually worked out. Well this is world. People easily believe facts which are baseless. But when I say something factual, people say I m lying. Phew - The world of reality :-/


----------



## ellen3720

I do hope it was sarcastic. Maybe its a ruse the vets pull on the newbies. PE Exam hazing, if you will.

I worked hard for this - as we all did - and even a stupid joke was apparently enough to shake my confidence. 

Maybe I'll get the results, pass, and look stupid for worrying about this. I'm OK with that.


----------



## RBHeadge PE

ellen3720 said:


> I worked hard for this - as we all did - and even a stupid joke was apparently enough to shake my confidence.
> 
> Maybe I'll get the results, pass, and look stupid for worrying about this. I'm OK with that.


Welcome to Phase 4: Doubt.

All of this has happened before, and will happen again.

There's a few more weeks to go, try to relax. Blow off steam in the spam thread; or with another hobby if your choice.


----------



## daydreambeliever

RBHeadge PE said:


> Welcome to Phase 4: Doubt.


Reporting in with a Phase 4 status. I feel a little bit of tranquility with my acceptance of failure. I mean when I get the NCEES result notification email I might not even check my pass/fail status. I know what it's going to say.


----------



## Nashi

We are almost at the three week mark, half way mark maybe? 

Getting updates on the grading process would be nice but I doubt that would ever happen.


----------



## tpkjr2006

Yes I have accepted im failing that exam


----------



## tpkjr2006

so in the event we do fail anyone want to work together for the spring administration of the exam?


----------



## ME_VT_PE

Nashi said:


> We are almost at the three week mark, half way mark maybe?
> 
> Getting updates on the grading process would be nice but I doubt that would ever happen.


You will get zero information until results are released. That I can promise you.


----------



## tpkjr2006

I mean if you work for the CIA you can find some info.


----------



## RBHeadge PE

tpkjr2006 said:


> I mean if you work for the CIA you can find some info.


I don't work for The Company, but my spies tell me that Maryland will release the results for the Oct 2018 Mechanical: Machine and Materials test on Dec 13, at 14:15 EST.


----------



## Invisible

RadioBox said:


> This isn’t a Spanish exam in high school. If you’re expecting a massive cut score at 50 or below to pass the power P.E. exam then you don’t deserve to pass.
> 
> Accept it. Change study habits. Reta﻿ke it.
> 
> Simple as that.


Well. The most offensive comment I read here. Just look at the cut score for this year from the diagnostics of people who failed in Texas this time. The cut score is 49. I did pass with 89% this time. If you don't know something, don't judge others. I was right all the time.


----------

