# How many answers were just wild guesses?



## FairhopeEE (Aug 3, 2008)

I am trying to mentally formulate my strategy for the October exam (first attempt). Back in school, I would always work the easier problems first and come back to the more difficult ones later. I could see getting a few problems on the PE that might take me longer than I want to spend when I could be focusing on the more doable ones. That got me to wondering; did you guys just take a SWAG on any of your questions? If so, how many?


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## maryannette (Aug 4, 2008)

FairhopeEE said:


> .... That got me to wondering; did you guys just take a SWAG on any of your questions? If so, how many?


I probably did wild guess on 2 or 3 total for morning and afternoon. You're right about the strategy, easy ones first, then move on to the ones you have a good chance to get right, saving the most difficult until last. If you can eliminate 1 or 2 answers, that's better than SWAG. Good luck.


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## sehad (Aug 4, 2008)

About the same for me.


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## bulldog_ee (Aug 8, 2008)

I 100% agree with your strategy. I have two experiences with strategy because I implemented different strategies in the morning and afternoon sessions.

I worked the morning straight through working every problem as I came to it. As a result, I spent more time on many problems than I should have. I felt very rushed and guessed on a few that I could have worked at the end.

In the afternoon, I started with a modified strategy. I read the question if I knew how to do it or exactly which reference and where, I would work the problem. Otherwise, I skipped it and jotted down a list of skipped questions by type and difficulty. Upon working the exam through, I went back to work on the list in order of perceived difficulty. As a result of the new strategy, I finished the afternoon session with time to spare. I still had to make educated guesses on a few and I think that is typical of most.


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## Dexman1349 (Aug 8, 2008)

My approach was similar to bulldog.

I worked each problem 1-40 in order in each session. If I had no clue how to do it, I would skip it and return to it later. If I had an idea, I would look up the references and start to work it. If after 5 minutes I wasn't significantly close to an answer, I would jot down a few notes (references, chapter numbers, page numbers, thought processes, etc) and go on to the next one. If you count each attempt at a question as an individual, I ended up working about 45 questions each session (one question in the morning needed 3 attempts). Some of the questions may be able to help you towards your processes used in another, but don't count on it. Each question was independent and no two questions utilized the same data (for the construction depth anyways).

In the grand scheme of things I had about 3-4 questions in each session that were pure guesses. I have seen statistical analysis that suggest picking a single letter as your guess response (mine was "B"), but I have also seen analysis saying throwing a dart is just as effective.


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## snickerd3 (Aug 8, 2008)

I had more outright guesses in the afternoon (4 or 5), as there were quite a few qualitative questions that I had absolutely no clue and none of the references helped bc they were experience type questions I haven't dealt with or information you would receive from a manufacturerer which you wouldn't necessarily bring with to a test.


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## jproctor6 (Aug 8, 2008)

I've read many sound strategies from folks who've passed. They all sound like good ways to go about it. I would recommend working a sample test (or at least part of one) with a running stop watch to figure out which may work best for you personally within the constraints of time.

I took the Electrical/Power exam this April and passed it as well, though like many I wasn't at all sure until I actually recieved notification via my state board's website.

Anyway, my personal strategy was a little different than what others have posted here but I can't say it was any better or worse, only that it apparently worked for me.

Being my first attempt and with no idea what actual test conditions would be like, I was very concerned about leaving any unanswerred questions and then running out of time at the end to go back. Therefore, I worked each question in order from start to finish.

I had a running stop watch on my wrist to prevent me from spending an inordinant amount of time on any one question. If I could work it, I worked it, filled in the bubble and moved on. If I had some idea but wasn't sure then I did my best to eliminate answer choices, made an educated guess, filled in the bubble but also marked the question in my test booklet so I could come back later if I had time, then I moved on. If I had absolutely no clue (there were a few in the afternoon but none in the morning) then I took a wild guess, filled in the bubble but didn't bother to mark the question in the booklet or come back later because my first guess is usually my best guess, then I moved on.

I completed the morning session with lots of time remaining so I revisted all of the ones I'd marked. I think I maybe I changed 2 answers based on some digging in my references or noticing something I'd missed in the problem on first pass. Once I'd revisted those then I spent the rest of the morning checking back over my work on all the ones I actually knew how to solve. I was glad I'd done so because I found 2 or 3 dumb mistakes and corrected them. I didn't bother to revisit any of the blind guesses as mentioned above.

After completing the afternoon session I didn't have nearly as much time remaining. I went back over the marked questions and I think I again changed 2 answers based on some deeper thought and digging in my reference material. However, I had no time to check my work on any of the others. Perhaps checking my work would have been more fruitful but who knows?

Anyway, once you decide on a strategy don't second guess yourself. Feel confident that it's the right one for you and roll with it. Keep track of time and control your nerves. You can do it.

Good luck!


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## hrun (Aug 8, 2008)

I tried to follow the advice of easiest first, then more difficult than extremely hard last.

But I could not follow it during the test, on top of that the two first topics of the civil were my weakest.

I spent alot of time on the first couple of questions,it seemed like I could get them but I could

not. So, try do go thru and do all the easiest first (resist spending too much time on a problem

specially at the beginning).

Also, I would suggest if you have no clue on a question, go ahead and take a guess.

I think I left three unanswered in the afternoon when I ran of time. So take a

guess if you have no clue, don't leave blank and think you will go back to it. you might run out of time.

If I would of not pass, I would be hating myself for that.

good luck.


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