# The last days: what is your strategy?



## HerrKaLeun (Oct 25, 2010)

Just 3 more days of studying. what are your last day strategies?

My studying so far included (I'm doing HVAC):

- reading through the MERM and marking where i can find what

- same for all 4 ASHRAE books

- also browsed through the IMC, ASHRAE guidelines, IFC (don't have NFPA since IFC is the code in our jurisdiction)

- then I did many of the 500 sample problems in the Lindeburg "Practice Problems..." book. I didn't too many of the MD ones and didn't do many of the 1-hour ones.

- then I did the SMS HVAC

- then I did all Lindeburg and NCEES sample test sections incl. MD and TF. See results here

I'm off today and Thursday. Today I drove by the test site to learn my route and see how parking etc. looks like.

I think I've done the correct amount of sample problems and studying and preparation of my reference material.

My plan for the next days is to do some of the remaining HVAC and TF sample problems from the Lindeburg "Practice Problems..." book. i kind of have the feeling doing more MD things is a waste of time since that part will just be bad for me.

*What are your pans and ideas to use the next days?* I kind of am at the point where I think even if they offered me 2 more weeks of studying I would write the test this Friday since by Friday My brain won't be able to absorb more. I just want to get it over with.


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## Relvinim (Oct 25, 2010)

As for me...I'm done with practice problems/exams. Just finished the PE Sample Exam from Lindeburg over the weekend. I completed the NCEES 2008 exam and the MD SMS ahead of schedule so I reluctantly bought the PE Sample exam. I'm glad I did even though I got roasted from it. I learned a few things and feel like I am ready as can be. I am like you and just want to get this over with and get my life back. Good luck to all.


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## mizzoueng (Oct 25, 2010)

My MERM is tabbed, I have my Machine Design book on hand, my Cameron Hydraulics Book, and I am picking up my Engineering Dictionary tonight.

I am going through the PPI Exam Cafe problems this week. I did 60+ Math problems, 50 statics, and 90+ materials problems over the weekend. I am going though as many problems as I can this week in preparation. The Exam Cafe so far is light, but the problems make you actually think about the minor details that usually trip you up and terminology. So far its been a positive use of $25.

I gotta get my plastic bag with my test material in it. Batteries, ear plugs, etc. I am taking pencils and erasers in a separate baggy just in case they run out. I've heard horror stories of pencil shortages. One of my coworkers is taking lead refills, anyone know what size NCEES uses?


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## roadwreck (Oct 25, 2010)

I plan to PARTY!!!!!!!!!

:multiplespotting: :multiplespotting: :multiplespotting:


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## HerrKaLeun (Oct 25, 2010)

mizzoueng said:


> My MERM is tabbed, I have my Machine Design book on hand, my Cameron Hydraulics Book, and I am picking up my Engineering Dictionary tonight.
> I am going through the PPI Exam Cafe problems this week. I did 60+ Math problems, 50 statics, and 90+ materials problems over the weekend. I am going though as many problems as I can this week in preparation. The Exam Cafe so far is light, but the problems make you actually think about the minor details that usually trip you up and terminology. So far its been a positive use of $25.
> 
> I gotta get my plastic bag with my test material in it. Batteries, ear plugs, etc. I am taking pencils and erasers in a separate baggy just in case they run out. I've heard horror stories of pencil shortages. One of my coworkers is taking lead refills, anyone know what size NCEES uses?


how does the Cafe exactly work? You pay and can login for the paid time and solve questions? Are they similar to real exam questions?

which dictionary are you getting? Is the purpose to know a weird word in case it is on the test?

roadwreck: I hope you either already passed the test, or you talk about AFTER the test


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## navyasw02 (Oct 25, 2010)

I basically hit a brick wall last week and haven't done much more than skim through the MERM. I might do the MD 2008 practice, but at this point I either know it or I dont and I dont really care either way.


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## mizzoueng (Oct 25, 2010)

HerrKaLeun said:


> mizzoueng said:
> 
> 
> > My MERM is tabbed, I have my Machine Design book on hand, my Cameron Hydraulics Book, and I am picking up my Engineering Dictionary tonight.
> ...


So far they have been somewhat cake problems, but like I said, they tend to be tricky. One I remember was about Materials. It asked what out of 4 options, which is NOT a state of steel on the iron-carbon diagram. Bainite was the correct answer but was mentioned in the MERM on another diagram as a state. Bainite is an unstable form, so it doesn't appear on the iron-carbon diagram.

For the cafe, you just log in, go to the Mech PE section, and then answer questions. I got the 7 day version and you basically have 7 days to do as many problems as possible. As you answer each question you can look at the answer then or later. There is an option to time each question, I haven't figured it out yet. So far I was able to answer most questions in the Math, Materials, and Statics sections without doing hand calcs. I'm not that good, they are just generic questions like "when a beam is simply support at each end and a load is applied to the beam, under what conditions are the cross section of the beam from the center to the top under?"

The questions are good for the basic stuff that you may overlook up to know. Its really helped me with the materials terms that I have forgotten and the y(x), y'(x), y''(x), and y'''(x) terms that are used in beam equations and statics.

I am getting the dictionary just so I can quickly look up terms on identification questions. So when they ask something like "Which of the follow is the ratio between Lateral Strain and axial strain" I can look up the answers instead of looking for each in the MERM which is sometimes hard to find in all that text. I am looking at the McGraw-Hill version tonight at Borders.


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## HerrKaLeun (Oct 25, 2010)

mizzoueng said:


> So far they have been somewhat cake problems, but like I said, they tend to be tricky. One I remember was about Materials. It asked what out of 4 options, which is NOT a state of steel on the iron-carbon diagram. Bainite was the correct answer but was mentioned in the MERM on another diagram as a state. Bainite is an unstable form, so it doesn't appear on the iron-carbon diagram.
> For the cafe, you just log in, go to the Mech PE section, and then answer questions. I got the 7 day version and you basically have 7 days to do as many problems as possible. As you answer each question you can look at the answer then or later. There is an option to time each question, I haven't figured it out yet. So far I was able to answer most questions in the Math, Materials, and Statics sections without doing hand calcs. I'm not that good, they are just generic questions like "when a beam is simply support at each end and a load is applied to the beam, under what conditions are the cross section of the beam from the center to the top under?"
> 
> The questions are good for the basic stuff that you may overlook up to know. Its really helped me with the materials terms that I have forgotten and the y(x), y'(x), y''(x), and y'''(x) terms that are used in beam equations and statics.


since I'm planning to do more problems from the "500 sample questions" I guess buying the Cafe would be redundant. Do you do the Cafe IN ADDITION to doing EVERYTHING else? i think in my case I have enough time till Thursday to work on problems I already have (and paid for). If I had more time I might consider doing the Cafe.

How do you think the Cafe is compared to the NCEES or Lindeburg sample exam? I assume all problems are intended to be solved in 6 minutes?

I'm gonna see if I find a local engineering dictionary store. Not so sure about that since it seems redundant to material I already have. but better than having too little.


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## maryannette (Oct 25, 2010)

roadwreck said:


> I plan to PARTY!!!!!!!!!:multiplespotting: :multiplespotting: :multiplespotting:



Me, too. I hope everyone else can party with us next time.


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## mizzoueng (Oct 25, 2010)

HerrKaLeun said:


> mizzoueng said:
> 
> 
> > So far they have been somewhat cake problems, but like I said, they tend to be tricky. One I remember was about Materials. It asked what out of 4 options, which is NOT a state of steel on the iron-carbon diagram. Bainite was the correct answer but was mentioned in the MERM on another diagram as a state. Bainite is an unstable form, so it doesn't appear on the iron-carbon diagram.
> ...


I haven't done the Lindeberg problems. I did the NCEES problems and those were harder on a calculation basis. The cafe problems tend to be more about you basic undertanding of principles, some of which I have forgotten. Example, the last question I just did was "Ductile materials tend to fail in which of the follwing: A) yielding B) Sudden Fracture C)Shear D) None of the above"

This is probably an easy question for some, but I tend to overthink the easy ones. I chose sudden fracture based on my experience with ductile iron pipe, I know that they break easily as we droped one at work and I watched the flange pop off the pipe. THey say yielding, now thinking back to it I am sure the pipe reached its yield point during impact and thus fractured.

Its problems like this that the cafe offers, simple concepts that help you solidify your base knowledge on the some in depth subjects.

EDIT: So far not impressed by the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Engineering. Hooke's Law isn't in it, how is that NOT in there?


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