# MERM review time?



## JeamBeam (Dec 8, 2009)

Hello~

Is it possible to review MERM within 4 months with 3hours per week and 15 hours per weekend ?

I’m hesitating to apply upcoming April exam because I want to review MERM twice but I’m sure I can do this within 4 months. My sutdy method is that I tried to solve sample problem first and understand how to apply formula to the problem. On second review, I tried to review more details.

Please give kind advice.


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## JoeysVee (Dec 8, 2009)

Yes it can be done.


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## chadesullivan (Dec 9, 2009)

JeamBeam said:


> Hello~
> Is it possible to review MERM within 4 months with 3hours per week and 15 hours per weekend ?
> 
> I’m hesitating to apply upcoming April exam because I want to review MERM twice but I’m sure I can do this within 4 months. My sutdy method is that I tried to solve sample problem first and understand how to apply formula to the problem. On second review, I tried to review more details.
> ...


The time you plan to put in seems sufficient, for a once through, but may not be enough time for a second review. A lot of the problems in MERM are not in the exam, so I recommend that you take the NCEES sample exam after your first MERM review to target your weak areas for a more specific 2nd MERM review.


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## chadesullivan (Dec 9, 2009)

JeamBeam said:


> Hello~
> Is it possible to review MERM within 4 months with 3hours per week and 15 hours per weekend ?
> 
> I’m hesitating to apply upcoming April exam because I want to review MERM twice but I’m sure I can do this within 4 months. My sutdy method is that I tried to solve sample problem first and understand how to apply formula to the problem. On second review, I tried to review more details.
> ...


The time you plan to put in seems sufficient, for a once through, but may not be enough time for a second review. A lot of the problems in MERM are not in the exam, so I recommend that you take the NCEES sample exam after your first MERM review to target your weak areas for a more specific 2nd MERM review.


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## buick455 (Dec 9, 2009)

For my first PE attempt I put in about 350 hours and did all the six minute problems and the machine design problems in the NCEES exam and took the PPI exam.

For my second attempt I read the entire MERM and did all the problems within the chapters and worked the 2001 NCEES problems and this took about the same time (350 hours).

For this last attempt I just worked problems from PPI, the NCEES 1995, 2001 and 2008 books. I again put in about 350 hours.

To be honest it really depends on how long you have been out of college and what you do at work. The exam problems are more fundamental than the PPI problems and are more in line with the NIECES problems or what you would find in some college physics books. There is minimal problems that you really need experience to solve which is my main problem with the PE exam. I have 22 years of engineering experience and had to go back and re-learn what I never used in the 22 years as an engineer. Look at it like a cumulative exam of your 4 years in college but the problems are not as hard as you may have had in college.

Bottom line, do as many short problems as you can find covering all the areas that are on the exam. If you can not remember the concepts go back and brush up on it from your college textbooks. Just reading or watching someone work problems does not work for me I have to work problems on my own. I think 4 months is enough time to work problems and get through the MERM once.


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## Kephart P.E. (Dec 9, 2009)

buick455 said:


> For my first PE attempt I put in about 350 hours and did all the six minute problems and the machine design problems in the NCEES exam and took the PPI exam.
> For my second attempt I read the entire MERM and did all the problems within the chapters and worked the 2001 NCEES problems and this took about the same time (350 hours).
> 
> For this last attempt I just worked problems from PPI, the NCEES 1995, 2001 and 2008 books. I again put in about 350 hours.
> ...


I did some review earlier on, but I really did not start studying for the April Exam until January. I also took a review class.

As far as what studying helped me on problems the most I would break it down like this:

MERM review helped me get about 30% of my correct answers.

Review course helped with about 15%

Got about 10% from my Thermo and fluids books and stuff I remembered how to do from college.

NCEES Sample Exam helped with about 30%

Work Experience helped with about 15%. I do a lot of pump and heat loss calcs.

So the MERM is important, but I will admit I did not go thru the entire thing.

Oh, one last thing, I spent about 20 hours taking and then reviewing the Lindberg Sample Exam. I think this was a complete waste of my time. It was way, way harder than the real thing to the point where all it did was stress me out. I would not recommend working those problems unless you do all the above and are just bored.


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## chaocl (Dec 10, 2009)

JeamBeam said:


> Hello~
> Is it possible to review MERM within 4 months with 3hours per week and 15 hours per weekend ?
> 
> I'm hesitating to apply upcoming April exam because I want to review MERM twice but I'm sure I can do this within 4 months. My sutdy method is that I tried to solve sample problem first and understand how to apply formula to the problem. On second review, I tried to review more details.
> ...


1. Yes, you can do it.

2. You can do one sample while you starting review it and to see how you does. Went throgh all chapters in the MERM and work the problems after end EACH chapters. Do new samples and redo the first sample while you did before that you start your MERM review.


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## jm_arduino (Dec 19, 2009)

I started 4 months out for the October exam:

- One pass through MERM

- Worked all of the problems in HVAC and Fluids 6 min Solutions books

- Worked morning only for Machine Design 6 min Solutions book

- Worked all of the problems in the 2008 NCEES sample exam morning and Depth for Fluids and HVAC one month out

- Worked morning and HVAC depth for Lindeburg sample exam a couple of weeks before

I didn't have time to make a second pass through the MERM. I averaged around 15-20 hours a week or so. The NCEES sample was an eye opener from a time management standpoint. Do not take shortcuts with units to save time! Working the NCEES sample exam is very important.

I have been out of school for some time, so the process was a great refresher. I needed to work tons of problems to get my speed up. I bought a sample exam from Kaplan, but didn't have time to finish it.

One of the best resources I took with me was Lindeburg's Engineering Unit Conversions book! From now to the exam, only use the calculator you plan to use on the test at work, etc. I chose the HP35S since it uses RPN and I could input a simple linear interpolation program for tables.

I am so happy I passed! I plan to take my wife out to dinner as a big thank you for her support and celebrate! I was either working or studying for 4 months!

:multiplespotting:


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## pelaw (Dec 23, 2009)

In MERM, there are about 50 pertinent chapters. If you dedicate 3 hours a day for half a chapter, then it will take you 100 days to thoroughly go through it. If you go 4-5 days a week, it will take you 24 weeks. That's about 6 months. If you go 1 chapter per day, then you can do it in about 3 months.

IMO, MERM has two great purposes in exam preparation. First, it provides you with structured information, which will facilitate structured learning. Second, it provides some very helpful tables in the appendix.

Under its structure, MERM gives breadth and provides some very good "general" examples of how the theory is applied. For both breadth and more importantly depth, you will need to work out problems from other books. Add another month or month and a half for that.


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## PKT1106 (Dec 29, 2009)

JeamBeam said:


> Hello~
> Is it possible to review MERM within 4 months with 3hours per week and 15 hours per weekend ?
> 
> I’m hesitating to apply upcoming April exam because I want to review MERM twice but I’m sure I can do this within 4 months. My sutdy method is that I tried to solve sample problem first and understand how to apply formula to the problem. On second review, I tried to review more details.
> ...



It really varies from person to person about how much it takes to study. Some people can take a glance and tab the manual and be fine for the exam. Some need 6-8 months of review. I took the Oct 2009 Mechanical with MD afternoon and passed :th_rockon: . I started really studying per a schedule on 7/13/09. I went through the entire MERM and took the NCEES sample and Lindburgh sample exams. I was also in 2 weddings during that time. I tried to study 1-2 hours each day during the work week and 5-6 each weekend day (10-18 hours per week, total). Some chapters are easier than others. Some things you can remember and don't need much review.

My workplace was very accomodating in that I could study at work during slow days, which helped. SO, I effectively went through the MERM, 2 sample exams, and reviewed Shigley in 3 months with 2 wedings and a full time job and passed. So, yes, its possible.


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