# Power - CBT vs Paper/Pencil Exam



## DK12 (Dec 30, 2020)

Now that people have started taking the CBT exam and getting results, I want to get an honest opinion for those that took both exams, which one is easier?  It would seem to me that the CBT would almost have to be a little less complex, but want to hear from people that have taken both.  Is there more theory type problems on CBT?


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## snickerd3 (Dec 30, 2020)

just remember no one takes the same exam anyone with CBT.   Each person gets a unique set of questions from the question bank.  Same topics and percentages of each subject, but the algorithm sets the test.


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## LyceeFruit PE (Dec 30, 2020)

@DuranDuran


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## DK12 (Dec 30, 2020)

@snickerd3 Fair enough, but I assume all of the problems should have a similar level of difficulty.


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## DLD PE (Dec 30, 2020)

@DK12, please don't take this the wrong way.  I don't mean to come across as a jerk, so please forgive me if this response comes across as such.  And sorry if I get wordy as I tend to be:

The paper and pencil is no longer offered vs the CBT as far as the Electrical "Power" exam goes, so I really don't see the point in comparing the two exams. 

I've been told evidence suggests (or in fact, shows) that the overall passing rate has crept higher for most disciplines across the board which have transferred from paper/pencil to the CBT.  This may imply that for the most part, overall the CBT is slightly easier than the paper/pencil exam.

As for my personal experience (I took the paper/pencil in October 2018 and October 2019, and the CBT in December), I felt the *overall difficulty* of the questions and the wording of the questions *was about the same* (paper/pencil vs CBT).  What helps is not having to spend as much time opening a book and flipping to a page to find what you're looking for, versus using the search function on the computer and knowing you have limited resources to look through. 

I found the overall process of taking the CBT a bit easier than the paper/pencil.  The time starts when YOU start the exam (not the proctor) and the search functions allowed me to finish the exam faster, so I could spend more time on problems I wasn't sure of.  

Here's an example:  On paper/pencil exam you get a qualitative (theory/conceptual) type problem.  You know you have 2-4 reference books which could point you toward the answer, and even if you've tabbed the right section, you could either get lucky and find it in the first book you open (30 seconds), find it after opening 2-3 books (a couple mins), or go through 4+ books and never find the answer and have to guess or narrow it down to 2 choices (5+ minutes).  This won't happen on the CBT.  If it's not in that particular section of the NCEES reference guide when you search for it, you either know it or you don't, and you have to rely on your memory or your understanding of the concepts.  Therefore, there is a balance between being able to quickly search (a little easier because of the CBT format), and having to rely on memory/concepts on what you've learned (harder because of the CBT).  

Overall the amount of theory/conceptual problems was about the same.  The topics and percentages of each subject was about the same.

I hope I answered your question(s)!


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## akyip (Dec 30, 2020)

DuranDuran said:


> @DK12, please don't take this the wrong way.  I don't mean to come across as a jerk, so please forgive me if this response comes across as such.  And sorry if I get wordy as I tend to be:
> 
> The paper and pencil is no longer offered vs the CBT as far as the Electrical "Power" exam goes, so I really don't see the point in comparing the two exams.
> 
> ...


This is very helpful.

It's why when I study and do conceptual qualitative questions, in addition to choosing the right answer, I also write down why the other wrong answers are incorrect. It helps me better drill conceptual items into my memory.


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## DLD PE (Dec 30, 2020)

akyip said:


> This is very helpful.
> 
> It's why when I study and do conceptual qualitative questions, in addition to choosing the right answer, I also write down why the other wrong answers are incorrect. It helps me better drill conceptual items into my memory.


Yes.  It's important to not know just the answer, but why.  Also why are other answers not correct.  Maybe even research other ways the question could be asked.


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## rburns18 PE (Dec 30, 2020)

Thanks @DuranDuran, I already took the exam (passed thankfully) but thanks for the info. I will say I had a good bit of time left in the morning and afternoon for those reasons - I didn't have a bunch of references with me to try and find the answer. So I was able to go back through all of the questions and actually find a couple silly mistakes that could have cost me points. At the same time, I knew where a piece of info was in my references during the exam that could have helped but nothing we can do about that now. 

I also think after finding out the October exam was cancelled, I got a better understanding of the core/fundamental concepts. Before, I would remember where to find info or an example problem without actually understanding why something is the way it is (delta/wye connections, does Iline lag Iphase for delta?, does Vline lead Vphase for Y, what does shunt compensation do?) Knowing I couldn't just go to the answer, I spent time understanding those concepts on my own and could reproduce by myself and apply to problems. Also that info is not in the handbook so you better understand the basics. I also spent a little more time reading in the textbooks to really understand the qualitative material (especially for motors, generators, t-lines)


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## tmntjmc (Jan 10, 2021)

I have taken the pencil and paper one multiple times and just took the cbt this past weekend. I think the reason the pass rate is higher is because you're eliminating a lot of carefree test takers. $225 is easier to swallow to "wing" a test compared to $375 now for CBT. Also, I felt the exam was much more code and theory based as others have mentioned. 

I will say it was way less stressful trying to navigate the references since they are searchable and the environment is a lot more intimate too. I will know my results in the next week or so and update. I would say overall I'll take the CBT over pencil and paper anytime. Having taken the FE twice pencil and paper and twice CBT before passing, i can attest to that even more. The flexibility and lack of stress just getting to the site helps mentally. Hope that is insightful for all.


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