# Typical Passing Score (%)?



## jragg (Apr 19, 2009)

I'm curious as to what a typical passing score is on the Mechanical PE.

I'm taking the Fluids/Thermo depth section, and I just finished up the NCEES practice exam. I missed 4 in Breadth section and 10 in the Depth section. Needless to say, I'm a little nervous about how many I missed in the second half.

I know that the "passing score" floats from year to year and test to test, but I was wondering if anyone knew what a typical passing range would be (e.g. 70% correct "usually" passes or something similar).

I couldn't find anything on the search results.

Thanks,

Jeff


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## cjdecuir (Apr 19, 2009)

You would be good with that, I am on my third go round this time. Had a 64% last time and I was told by NCEES that I was really close.


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## jragg (Apr 19, 2009)

Thanks for the response. Good luck this time around.

I'm hoping for a very small number of combustion/stoichiometry problems. Those things are like black magic to me.


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## Kephart P.E. (Apr 20, 2009)

jragg said:


> Thanks for the response. Good luck this time around.
> I'm hoping for a very small number of combustion/stoichiometry problems. Those things are like black magic to me.



jragg, work the MERM Sample Problems in section 22 if you have it, --I was thinking the same thing I did 5-6 of those and felt much better.


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## mechie_aggie (Apr 20, 2009)

People who have passed PE Mechanical Exam, could you please post your NCEES 2001 sample questions scores ?

It may help April 24th examinees in comparing their preparation. I know it is not directly relevant but still it may help in boosting our confidence.


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## bph (Apr 20, 2009)

mechie_aggie said:


> People who have passed PE Mechanical Exam, could you please post your NCEES 2001 sample questions scores ?
> It may help April 24th examinees in comparing their preparation. I know it is not directly relevant but still it may help in boosting our confidence.


I would also be interested to know, if anyone can remember


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## M.E. Nebraska (Apr 21, 2009)

bph said:


> I would also be interested to know, if anyone can remember


Lindeburg Exam - 47/80

NCEES Exam - 66/80

I passed P.E. Mechanical (Thermo/Fluids) last spring.


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## mechie_aggie (Apr 21, 2009)

M.E. Nebraska said:


> Lindeburg Exam - 47/80NCEES Exam - 66/80
> 
> I passed P.E. Mechanical (Thermo/Fluids) last spring.



Thanks. I am giving the same depth. Was the actual exam similar in difficulty level to NCEES 2001? What was your percentile on the PE Exam?


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## inzinjer (Apr 21, 2009)

One of my co-worker that took ME PE in October 08 told me that he didnt pass becasue he scored 0% on machine designing section on morning exam; my understanding is that they are looking on overall percentage (scoring 0 in one section can be make up in different section).

Please can somebody confirm what is correct?

Thank you


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## bph (Apr 21, 2009)

inzinjer said:


> One of my co-worker that took ME PE in October 08 told me that he didnt pass becasue he scored 0% on machine designing section on morning exam; my understanding is that they are looking on overall percentage (scoring 0 in one section can be make up in different section).
> Please can somebody confirm what is correct?


Yes, the overall score is what counts. machine design is likely around 10-15 questions in the morning (out of 40). If you miss all of them, but score 100% on all the remaining morning and afternoon questions, you should be fine, but that is a difficult way to get it done. You should be able to score 50% on the machine design with a little bit of study (25% just by guessing).

BPH


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## benbo (Apr 21, 2009)

cjdecuir said:


> You would be good with that, I am on my third go round this time. Had a 64% last time and I was told by NCEES that I was really close.


Exactly how did NCEES tell you that your 64% was very close? I've never heard of any such thing before.

Shoot for as many as you can get everyone, don't worry about the cut score because nobody knows it and it varies from exam to exam. In general, people say that a 70% overall should be a passing score, and maybe slightly lower, but nobody knows for sure except the people at NCEES and they aren't supposed to tell. Sorry.


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## Matt-NM (Apr 22, 2009)

I passed the ME PE (Machine Design) in April 2008.

NCEES 2001 exam score 69/80 (Although I had worked through some of the problems months earlier)

Also, I would be amazed if there were any combustion/stoichiometry problems on the exam. Spend your time elsewhere. There were many engineering economics problems on the test when I took it, and not the simple ones like in the NCEES 2001 exam. This is probably a good place to spend some time on.

Good luck!


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## cjdecuir (Apr 22, 2009)

benbo said:


> Exactly how did NCEES tell you that your 64% was very close? I've never heard of any such thing before.
> 
> Shoot for as many as you can get everyone, don't worry about the cut score because nobody knows it and it varies from exam to exam. In general, people say that a 70% overall should be a passing score, and maybe slightly lower, but nobody knows for sure except the people at NCEES and they aren't supposed to tell. Sorry.


I called NCEES and they went over my scores in each section with me. When we figured out the total percentage that I had correct, I was right at 63.75 (51/80) on the actual test. He said a couple of more and I would have been licensed poor me.


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## Kephart P.E. (Apr 22, 2009)

cjdecuir said:


> I called NCEES and they went over my scores in each section with me. When we figured out the total percentage that I had correct, I was right at 63.75 (51/80) on the actual test. He said a couple of more and I would have been licensed poor me.



Anyone know if the 2001 NCEES Sample Test was significantly different than the 2008?

If so what did you find different?


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## Agg97 (Apr 22, 2009)

D. Kephart said:


> Anyone know if the 2001 NCEES Sample Test was significantly different than the 2008?
> If so what did you find different?


Significantly? No. They even use some of the same illustrations. I have both just so I had more questions to work.


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## Capt Worley PE (Apr 22, 2009)

Passed ME (MD) in October 07 and I seem to remember 61/80 on the NCEES practice test.


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## cjdecuir (Apr 22, 2009)

The difference that I found in the two was that the 2001 book would use one situation and base 2 or 3 problems off of that one situation, while the 2008 book each problem has a separate situation.


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## benbo (Apr 22, 2009)

cjdecuir said:


> I called NCEES and they went over my scores in each section with me. When we figured out the total percentage that I had correct, I was right at 63.75 (51/80) on the actual test. He said a couple of more and I would have been licensed poor me.


Wow. That is the first time I have ever heard of this. He actually said if you got 53 out of 80 you would have been licensed, or he was sort of saying you were in the ballpark? Because I've seen many people with 55 out of 80 on here claiming they failed. And NCEES generally guards any information about the cut score with their lives.


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## TXengrChickPE (Apr 23, 2009)

benbo said:


> Wow. That is the first time I have ever heard of this. He actually said if you got 53 out of 80 you would have been licensed, or he was sort of saying you were in the ballpark? Because I've seen many people with 55 out of 80 on here claiming they failed. And NCEES generally guards any information about the cut score with their lives.


I'm thinking that "a couple" here means more than 1... and probably less than 5. I know a lot of people think of "a couple" as strictly meaning "2", but in a lot of places, saying "a couple" is just like saying "a few" or "several".


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## roadwreck (Apr 23, 2009)

TXengrChickPE said:


> I'm thinking that "a couple" here means more than 1... and probably less than 5. I know a lot of people think of "a couple" as strictly meaning "2", but in a lot of places, saying "a couple" is just like saying "a few" or "several".


I use "a couple" to mean a few, not necessarily two. It drives my wife nuts, but it's not uncommon or incorrect.

From dictionary.com

*Couple*

—Idiom

14. *a couple of*, more than two, but not many, of; a small number of; a few: It will take a couple of days for the package to get there. Also, a couple.


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## IlPadrino (Apr 23, 2009)

cjdecuir said:


> I called NCEES and they went over my scores in each section with me. When we figured out the total percentage that I had correct, I was right at 63.75 (51/80) on the actual test. He said a couple of more and I would have been licensed poor me.


Sounds strange... I've never heard of NCEES giving out any scores themselves (even though some states do), much less over the phone. Or do you mean they went over (explained) the diagnostics sheet?


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## IlPadrino (Apr 23, 2009)

roadwreck said:


> I use "a couple" to mean a few, not necessarily two. It drives my wife nuts, but it's not uncommon or incorrect.


Common, sure... correct, maybe... but you're not going to win any nominations to the Pedantists Club with such a loose use. A couple and a few should be two different things!


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## roadwreck (Apr 23, 2009)

IlPadrino said:


> Common, sure... correct, maybe... but you're not going to win any nominations to the Pedantists Club with such a loose use. A couple and a few should be two different things!


Such a loose use? Look it up in the dictionary, "couple" doesn't have to mean two.

from a Merriam-Webster



> 4: an indefinite small number : few &lt;a couple of days ago&gt;


http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/couple

take your condescension elsewhere please.


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## IlPadrino (Apr 23, 2009)

roadwreck said:


> Such a loose use? Look it up in the dictionary, "couple" doesn't have to mean two.
> from a Merriam-Webster
> 
> http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/couple
> ...


You're shiting me, right? You think I'd couple "pedant" and "condescension" in the same post? Please!

&lt;duck&gt;And didn't your mom teach you to not believe everything you read on the internet?&lt;/duck&gt;


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## roadwreck (Apr 23, 2009)

IlPadrino said:


> You're shiting me, right? You think I'd couple "pedant" and "condescension" in the same post? Please!
> &lt;duck&gt;And didn't your mom teach you to not believe everything you read on the internet?&lt;/duck&gt;


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## M.E. Nebraska (Apr 23, 2009)

Matt-NM said:


> I passed the ME PE (Machine Design) in April 2008.
> NCEES 2001 exam score 69/80 (Although I had worked through some of the problems months earlier)
> 
> Also, I would be amazed if there were any combustion/stoichiometry problems on the exam. Spend your time elsewhere. There were many engineering economics problems on the test when I took it, and not the simple ones like in the NCEES 2001 exam. This is probably a good place to spend some time on.
> ...


From my test experience for Thermo/Fluids section I recommend having fundamentals down for combustion/stoichiometry. I believe it helped me get over the passing line last April. It probably is different each year and depending on MECH afternoon section you take.


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