# I want to buy NCEES pencils...



## DrivingSideways (Mar 10, 2015)

You can go ahead and mock me now.

I passed the exam in 2008. I've been using my (white) pencil since then and it's kind of my lucky pencil. However, this past week, the lead ran out. I tried to refill it with the 0.7mm lead refills - too thick. So I bought some 0.5mm refills - too thin, they fell out! Do these pencils have a special NCEES sanctioned width?

So I went on eBay bc I figured somebody would be selling these things... but nope! Does anybody know where I can get new NCEES pencils? I feel like all of my career success over the past 7 yrs has been due to this pencil and am scared of the failures ahead if I don't replace it!


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## matt267 PE (Mar 10, 2015)

I recommend becoming a board member. Then you can have wll the ncees pencils you want.


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## Ramnares P.E. (Mar 10, 2015)

Actually Matt he has to become a supporting member in order to receive the pencil. Every year, when he renews his support, he will receive a packet of the special lead refills.


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## Ship Wreck PE (Mar 10, 2015)

I will sell mine for "one million dollars"


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## The Wizard (Mar 10, 2015)

Inbeforeptatohedpostsinthisthread

In case you didn't know, NCEES does has special sanctioned width of .6255mm lead. They import it and fly it in from South America. This is why our exam fees went up like 250% in the last 2 or 3 years.


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## Road Guy (Mar 10, 2015)

They are so f'n paranoid I wouldn't doubt it.....


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## matt267 PE (Mar 10, 2015)

Ramnares P.E. said:


> Actually Matt he has to become a supporting member in order to receive the pencil. Every year, when he renews his support, he will receive a packet of the special lead refills.


WTF, RG. I'm a supporting member, where the hell is my NCEES pencil?


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## Road Guy (Mar 10, 2015)

Your membership has expired. Thanks for the reminder


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## matt267 PE (Mar 10, 2015)

Road Guy said:


> Your membership has expired. Thanks for the reminder


Sh!t, did I just get banned?


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## ptatohed (Mar 11, 2015)

DrivingSideways said:


> You can go ahead and mock me now.
> 
> I passed the exam in 2008. I've been using my (white) pencil since then and it's kind of my lucky pencil. However, this past week, the lead ran out. I tried to refill it with the 0.7mm lead refills - too thick. So I bought some 0.5mm refills - too thin, they fell out! Do these pencils have a special NCEES sanctioned width?
> 
> So I went on eBay bc I figured somebody would be selling these things... but nope! Does anybody know where I can get new NCEES pencils? I feel like all of my career success over the past 7 yrs has been due to this pencil and am scared of the failures ahead if I don't replace it!



^

I

I

I like this guy!


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## DrivingSideways (Mar 11, 2015)

Well it's Day 2 without the pencil. I've already lost my Greenbook and I accidentally signed Kelly Clarkson's name instead of my own on some civil plans. This is a serious problem, you guys. No more jokes. The NCEES pencil has Excalibur-like qualities.


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## matt267 PE (Mar 11, 2015)

Maybe she can help:


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## knight1fox3 (Mar 11, 2015)

Different lead manufacturers have different tolerances. Perhaps a different manufacturer would fit the NCEES pencil. IIRC, I've re-filled the few that I have.


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## knight1fox3 (Mar 11, 2015)

ptatohed said:


> DrivingSideways said:
> 
> 
> > You can go ahead and mock me now.
> ...


I'm trying to think of that thread we were discussing who had which pencils and how many. I think I posted a picture of the ones I had found.


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## ptatohed (Mar 11, 2015)

knight1fox3 said:


> ptatohed said:
> 
> 
> > DrivingSideways said:
> ...


Yeah. I think we discussed once that we'd try to show a pic of every single pencil from every single administration going back to when they started issuing pencils (Spring '02, I think). I do have an awful lot (that's all I'll say) so I could start it and I'd get us maybe 25 - 33% there and I'd need to rely on members to help fill in the gaps. It might be hard for the early years as I don't think the administration date was printed.


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## Lomarandil (Mar 11, 2015)

Wasn't it mentioned that during engineer's week or some other event NCEES was giving pencils out in DC as a publicity/awareness thing?

We just need to chip in to get one of the local EB.com members to drive over and grab a bunch.


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## iwire (Mar 15, 2015)

Lomarandil said:


> Wasn't it mentioned that during engineer's week or some other event NCEES was giving pencils out in DC as a publicity/awareness thing?
> 
> We just need to chip in to get one of the local EB.com members to drive over and grab a bunch.


ya unfortunately for him, he is a day late a dollar shot lol...maybe next year.

I did not go this year. But the year before they are giving out red color  Got two not one

http://www.nbm.org/families-kids/festivals/discover-engineering-family.html

So I have a red Oct 2013 for trade...looking for a blue, yellow ones LOL


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## iwire (Mar 15, 2015)

they are giving pencils away see picture


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## ptatohed (Mar 30, 2015)

Looks like they are 0.7mm?

(also, note the last sentence)

NCEES POLICY REGARDING THE USE OF MECHANICAL PENCILS - The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) has adopted a policy which requires all examinees to use the mechanical pencils NCEES provides at the examination site. You cannot use your own personal writing instrument. Examinees must use NCEES-issued mechanical pencils only. These pencils will be distributed at the examination site. The pencil will be pre-loaded with *0.7-mm *HB lead. Examinees may NOT bring lead or erasers. If additional lead or an eraser is needed during the examination, raise your hand and a proctor will issue an additional pencil. After the exam you may keep the NCEES pencils.


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## Ramnares P.E. (Mar 30, 2015)

ptatohed said:


> Looks like they are 0.7mm?
> 
> (also, note the last sentence)
> 
> NCEES POLICY REGARDING THE USE OF MECHANICAL PENCILS - The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) has adopted a policy which requires all examinees to use the mechanical pencils NCEES provides at the examination site. You cannot use your own personal writing instrument. Examinees must use NCEES-issued mechanical pencils only. These pencils will be distributed at the examination site. The pencil will be pre-loaded with *0.7-mm *HB lead. Examinees may NOT bring lead or erasers._* If additional lead or an eraser is needed during the examination, raise your hand and a proctor will issue an additional pencil*_. After the exam you may keep the NCEES pencils.


I specifically asked for a second pencil during the exam and was told they had no extras and that we only had the one pencil.


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## matt267 PE (Mar 30, 2015)

ptatohed said:


> Looks like they are 0.7mm?
> 
> (also, note the last sentence)
> 
> NCEES POLICY REGARDING THE USE OF MECHANICAL PENCILS - The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) has adopted a policy which requires all examinees to use the mechanical pencils NCEES provides at the examination site. You cannot use your own personal writing instrument. Examinees must use NCEES-issued mechanical pencils only. These pencils will be distributed at the examination site. The pencil will be pre-loaded with *0.7-mm *HB lead. Examinees may NOT bring lead or erasers. If additional lead or an eraser is needed during the examination, raise your hand and a proctor will issue an additional pencil. *After the exam you may keep the NCEES pencils.*


We were not allowed to keep our pencils following the October 2013 FE exam.


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## ptatohed (Mar 30, 2015)

I should have been a little more clear, sorry, this is from the CA Agreement. My main point was to show that NCEES pencils apparently use 0.7mm lead size. (but is that last sentence not the sweetest, most poetic, diction ever scribed?)


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## knight1fox3 (Mar 30, 2015)

matt267 said:


> ptatohed said:
> 
> 
> > Looks like they are 0.7mm?
> ...


Ha. Only because you complied. They "told" us the same thing during the WI exam administration. Was going to be a cold day in h#ll had they tried to take it from me.


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## The Wizard (Mar 31, 2015)

ptatohed said:


> Looks like they are 0.7mm?
> 
> (also, note the last sentence)
> 
> NCEES POLICY REGARDING THE USE OF MECHANICAL PENCILS - The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) has adopted a policy which requires all examinees to use the mechanical pencils NCEES provides at the examination site. You cannot use your own personal writing instrument. Examinees must use NCEES-issued mechanical pencils only. These pencils will be distributed at the examination site. The pencil will be pre-loaded with *0.7-mm *HB lead. Examinees may NOT bring lead or erasers. If additional lead or an eraser is needed during the examination, raise your hand and a proctor will issue an additional pencil.* After the exam you may keep the NCEES pencils*.


I did exactly what the NCEES instructed me to do. Why? Because I like to follow directions to the "T". I took my pencil and started swooping up other pencils left behind by other test takers. Surely those who left their pencils behind decreased their chances of passing by at least 10%. And for every pencil I grabbed in addition to my own, I increased my chances of passing by 10% (per pencil). I felt like PacMan scooping up pellets (pencils) before Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde (the Proctors) got to them. haha


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## iwire (Mar 31, 2015)

The Wizard said:


> ptatohed said:
> 
> 
> > Looks like they are 0.7mm?
> ...


I wish I have the balls to do it..I did have extra pencils from people that took the test and gave it to me later after they found out they failed


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## cupojoe PE PMP (Mar 31, 2015)

The Wizard said:


> ptatohed said:
> 
> 
> > Looks like they are 0.7mm?
> ...


Unless someone left behind their unlucky pencil. They increased their chances by 10% by leaving it and you decreased 10% by taking it. I heard they put different amounts of juju in each pencil, a sick joke by NCEES.


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