# My Last Friday ME PE test Experience



## Seafever (Nov 3, 2011)

Well, I have just now felt like signing on and thinking about last Friday's exam. I am pretty sure I did not make it.	I started out well. I worked several morning problems and thought this is not too bad. However, I was successfully working problems, but time was my enemy. I had to guess/straightline 8 out of 40. The am was not bad, but I did not pace myself well and ran out of time.	I really regret not taking a timed practice exam before hand to get a feel for how quickly the problems had to be worked.

The afternoon was like a kick in the nuts! I got the exam after lunch determined to work faster, but the problems were more in depth. I could certainly work the problems, but much much slower. There are no "Gimmi problems" in the pm portion. I really "f" up the afternoon portion.	Probably only worked 10 correctly.	This is an open book exam, but if you have to open the book for every problem, you are doomed.

I need to put together a new study plan and get started preparing for april.	New plan will include the following plus?:

1) Working breadth style problems over and over to build speed.

2) taking time to work a couple "timed" sample exams

3) Work as many MD depth style problems as possible.

4) Keep a log of study time. I think this might help build confidence knowing how much you studied.

Let me know if anyone has any advice.


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## Trev... P.E. (Nov 3, 2011)

Well, I'd probably relax and hope for the best for now, it's out of our hands now. Sounds like you did okay in the AM, so who knows?

Worry about what to do after results come out ... And hopefully it's figuring out how to write good thank you notes to your references.


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## WV_Boiler (Nov 3, 2011)

I studied about 300 hours over 12 weeks for the ME-Machine Design. The key is doing lots of problems. I used MERM and the practice problems book that accompanies it. Work everything from Ch. 14 - 59 and also Ch. 69 (economics). After doing this I did the NCEES practice exam and felt great. Then I did (or attempted more like it) the Lindeburg practice exam which is impossible.

I feel like I did very well, especially in the morning. I used MERM for 90% of the questions and have the index printed separately, alphabetically tabbed and put in a binder. Use this throughout your study to get your speed up in looking up things you don't know. I used Mark's Handbook once, the Machinery Handbook 2-3 times and Shigley once or twice. MERM covered nearly everything.

I think MERM is a weak in bearing design and gear design. So you will need Shigley in case some of those questions come up. Also I loved having a really good conversion book. It can be a tremendous time saver.


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## maryannette (Nov 3, 2011)

Seafever said:


> Well, I have just now felt like signing on and thinking about last Friday's exam. I am pretty sure I did not make it....
> 
> Let me know if anyone has any advice.


The most important thing is NEVER give up. There is a possibility that you passed, but it sounds likely that you didn't. You have a good plan for next time. Work a LOT of problems. Hoping for the best.


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## Surfer357 (Nov 13, 2011)

I also took MD depth. I felt decent about it in the end. Having to use the book for every problem isn't a problem as long as you can find the correct info in a matter of seconds. I agree with WV_Boiler, MERM has what you need in almost every case but don't go in without Shigley's. I also took my materials book in and used it once, wish I'd have had my manufacturing process book as well. The biggest thing is work as many problems as possible and get to know your references inside and out. My MERM was tabbed like crazy but I was able to quickly find things because I'd used it so much doing practice problems that I knew roughly where the tabs for different info were. NCEES practice test is also a great exercise. As mentioned above, the PPI practice test is impossible. I walked out of my attempt at the PPI AM portion completely depressed and convinced I was screwed. Didn't even bother with the PM portion. When I took the NCEES practice two weeks later I walked out feeling pretty well prepped.

I tracked my time and at times it was a confidence booster and at times I felt like I hadn't studied nearly enough but I think it helped motivate me to really push it that last month to maximize my hours. I also made up a schedule the last 6 weeks to make sure I could hit every topic at least a little with the time I had remaining. That really helped me keep moving forward even though I didn't have time to hit each topic as well as I could have given more time. Had I used a schedule like that the entire 4 months I was studying I would have been much better prepared. As is, hoping I won't have to do this again. Good luck to all of us.


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## tmacier (Nov 13, 2011)

Surfer357 said:


> The biggest thing is work as many problems as possible and get to know your references inside and out. My MERM was tabbed like crazy but I was able to quickly find things because I'd used it so much doing practice problems that I knew roughly where the tabs for different info were.


Double star for this portion - this was key on my success.

I litterly wore the binder our in the MERM.

Tim


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## Seafever (Dec 1, 2011)

Thanks everyone for the kind words. I certainly appreciate it. I hope someone will benifit from my post explaining my mistake of not taking timed practice exams. Anyway, it has been a month now. Thinking about my recent (October) exam experience again. I have taken a month off, but I think I will go ahead and start preparing for April. We do not have the exam results, but I really do not see how I could have passed the afternoon portion short of a devine intervention.

I do feel like I have retained a fair portion of my previous studies. Hopefully I can build on that and really just focus on working tons of mechanical design problems and take several timed practice exams. I do need to see about getting another reference book. Maybe Shigley Machine design handbook. I do have an old college Shigleys text book. Is this diffent than the Shigley machine design handbook? Also, I have the MERM which has a few examples in the book, however, is there seperate MERM book of practice problems?

Please edumacate me on Shigley and MERM practice problems if you can. Thanks again for everyones help.

Seafever


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## tmacier (Dec 2, 2011)

I would get this book:

http://compare.ebay.com/like/260879132762?var=lv&amp;ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&amp;var=sbar

Also be sure to have the NCEES practice problems.

I also signed up for an online course thru PPI that included many more practice problems.

Good luck!

Tim


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## WV_Boiler (Dec 2, 2011)

tmacier said:


> I would get this book:
> 
> http://compare.ebay....mTypes&amp;var=sbar
> 
> ...


Tim, I was in the Passing Zone with PZRich this past time. What was your screen name?


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## tmacier (Dec 2, 2011)

I was in the passing zone for the April Exam - name was tmacier.

Tim


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## jamiecta (Dec 14, 2011)

Just saw that I passed!!11


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## thwlruss (Dec 15, 2011)

jamiecta said:


> Just saw that I passed!!11


Congrats. me too!!


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## Trev... P.E. (Dec 15, 2011)

Congrats guys, I still got some waiting to do


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