# FE April 2009



## wvgirl14 (Apr 27, 2009)

How did everyone think it went? I don't feel as confident as I did last time when I finished. I just don't know. I did finishe under time in both morning and afternoon section so I did better on time management. I talked to a guy I graduated taking it too and he said it was his 8th time. I don't want that to be me. Last time I felt the afternoon was easier and I did better in the afternoon. This time I felt they were both the same. Boy I sure hope I passed, but I don't feel great about it.


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## cpy911 (Apr 27, 2009)

wvgirl14 said:


> How did everyone think it went? I don't feel as confident as I did last time when I finished. I just don't know. I did finishe under time in both morning and afternoon section so I did better on time management. I talked to a guy I graduated taking it too and he said it was his 8th time. I don't want that to be me. Last time I felt the afternoon was easier and I did better in the afternoon. This time I felt they were both the same. Boy I sure hope I passed, but I don't feel great about it.



I took the FE exam this weekend, 12 years out of college.

I made the big mistake of not taking the FE in college. Various excuses, but that is in the past now!

I spent the last 6 months studying about 5-10 hours a week. I probably put in about 150 hours of prep time, which included working a lot of problems and several mini mock exams.

So, the morning exam went ok. I worked the majority of the problems and guessed on about 20-30% of them.

Now, on the afternoon test I took the "general" exam. I bombed this test. I maybe worked 20/60 problems and had to guess on the other 40!!! I was blown away. It was very frustrating.

I have heard that the raw score for passing is about 90/180 points, or somewhere around 50%. So, I am thinking I might still have a chance, since the morning could carry me.

What is your experience? Do I have a prayer in passing?

Thanks.

cpy911


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## tuzziet (Apr 27, 2009)

cpy911 said:


> I took the FE exam this weekend, 12 years out of college.
> I made the big mistake of not taking the FE in college. Various excuses, but that is in the past now!
> 
> I spent the last 6 months studying about 5-10 hours a week. I probably put in about 150 hours of prep time, which included working a lot of problems and several mini mock exams.
> ...





Same here! I've been studying for this test since the beginning of December using Lindeburg's FE Review Manual. I thought the first half of the test was pretty easy. At lunch, I was super excited. Thought I was going to pass the exam for sure. But after lunch, I took the general exam and couldn't answer half of the questions. So i'm praying that the first half of the test was high enough to cover my horrible performance on the second half.


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## abel71 (Apr 27, 2009)

Hello

I'm sure I did a pretty good morning, but the afternoon was painful to me. This is my third time although this was the first time that I really sat down and studied. In the morning I surpassed my expectations and I did most of the problems, even in my weakest courses (Thermodynamics and Strength of Materials). I usually get very nervous, and I felt very confident as the hours went by. I said to myself, "wow, I'm really nailing this test". But when the P.M. part started all that confidence crashed and burned.

In the review course that I took, the professor's advice for everyone was: "If you've been more that 2 years out of your B.S., go general in the afternoon". Since I graduated in 2005, I felt that to study for my discipline (electrical) was like studying for two different tests, so I went for the general exam, and I regret it.

I wanted to have at least 30 problems in which I believed were correct, and I got as far as 23 problems out of 60!!! , I had to guess everything else. But I have to admit that the math portion of the afternoon was very easy...but Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer, and Mechanics, and even economics...oh god!!!

I hope I passed...but judging from my afternoon performance...I really don't know

Hope everyone went well


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## tejpathak (Apr 27, 2009)

This was my 2nd time. But this time I took (DS) Electrical for PM.

I think I got 68/120 for AM and 27/60 for PM correct and remaining all guess. What are my chances?


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## cpy911 (Apr 27, 2009)

tejpathak said:


> This was my 2nd time. But this time I took (DS) Electrical for PM.
> I think I got 68/120 for AM and 27/60 for PM correct and remaining all guess. What are my chances?



If 50% is passing, a raw score of 90/180, then you probably passed, especially when you factor in some of your guesses will be correct.

I am thinking I just have no idea now...I wouldn't be surprised either way now. I am not sure of my plan of action right now.


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## jharris (Apr 28, 2009)

Actually, the scoring is out of 240 (1 pt. for morning, 2 pts. for afternoon problems). Last time (October 08) I was told that the passing score was set at 51.5%, and I got 49% from what I calculated based on the percentages that were given back to me. This time, I feel like if the passing score is the same, I most likely passed. I think I got 80 in the AM, and at least 25 in the PM, which would be 130/240 worse case.

The morning was a breeze after I finally woke up, but the afternoon General kinda took the wind out of my sails.


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## benbo (Apr 28, 2009)

jharris said:


> Actually, the scoring is out of 240 (1 pt. for morning, 2 pts. for afternoon problems). Last time (October 08) I was told that the passing score was set at 51.5%, and I got 49% from what I calculated based on the percentages that were given back to me. This time, I feel like if the passing score is the same, I most likely passed. I think I got 80 in the AM, and at least 25 in the PM, which would be 130/240 worse case.
> The morning was a breeze after I finally woke up, but the afternoon General kinda took the wind out of my sails.


Who told you the passing score was 51.5%? It might be, but they don't officially give out that information. If sopmebody told you they were probably making it up.


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## wvgirl14 (Apr 28, 2009)

I agree with benbo, no one knows what the pass score is. I had a 48% last time. I don't feel as good either this time as the last time. I ended up guess completely on 20 problems in the morning and afternoon. I don't feel I naield either section at all. I picked my booklet letter and went with it on all my guess. In the afternoon I had one row that didn't have any answers with one of the praticular letter in it so that may not be good. I thought the probability questions were alot tougher and the math a little more difficult than last time. The afternoon was more complicated this time than last time. I focused my attention (at least an hour a day) on things I didn't know on the last test and half that stuff didn't even show up this time. It is very discouraging and frustrating. I have studied a year and a half now. All I can say is everyone has a shot whether you guessed on half of it or not cause you never know, so now we just sit back and let the wait drive us crazy. The closer it guess the worse the anxiety and second guessing will get. Trust me I have jumped in the icey water before.


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## John Williams (Apr 28, 2009)

I took the test last October after being out of school 5 years. I was able to do the morning general easy but the afternoon is way harder because I have never had like 1/2 of the stuff on it (i.e. Thermo, Fluids, Mech &amp; Mat, etc.). Based on what a fellow EE told me I took the afternoon Industrial and was very glad I did. 1/2 of them I could just figure out and did not need to even study. I did pick up a sample test from PPI for the industrial section and used that to study. It was much harder than the actual test. I passed and am glad I never have to do that again. Hopefully that is somewhat useful to you.


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## viktarina (Apr 28, 2009)

wvgirl14 said:


> How did everyone think it went? I don't feel as confident as I did last time when I finished. I just don't know. I did finishe under time in both morning and afternoon section so I did better on time management. I talked to a guy I graduated taking it too and he said it was his 8th time. I don't want that to be me. Last time I felt the afternoon was easier and I did better in the afternoon. This time I felt they were both the same. Boy I sure hope I passed, but I don't feel great about it.


morning session was not too bad. guessed on maybe 30 questions. Had to choose from two available,because my calcs show two correct answers.But PM session I think killed me,specially termodinamics,heat transwer. Too many questions from this area.Last october they had too many chemistry questions,so I prepare myself for that,but this time termodinamics.And probablility math was crazy too.Guessed to a lot of them. I know I did better than last time,hopefully next october I'll do better than last saturday. Good luck to everyone.This was my only second time. Hope do not have to take 8 times like you said your friend did.


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## benbo (Apr 28, 2009)

wvgirl14 said:


> I agree with benbo, no one knows what the pass score is. I had a 48% last time.


THe score mystery is a little less for the FE than for the PE.

Several years ago they did actually reveal the FE cut score for a study a university did - it was somewhere around 50%. More recently I have read on State Board websites that the cut score is usually between 50-55%, but I think those websites have removed the scores. I think that is probably in the ballpark.

But if somebody official actually released the exact cutscore, I have a hard time believing that person didn't just make it up.


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## jharris (Apr 28, 2009)

benbo said:


> Who told you the passing score was 51.5%? It might be, but they don't officially give out that information. If sopmebody told you they were probably making it up.


I was told by a friend who said that he contacted someone at NCEES after the October scores were released back in January. I'm not saying that this will be the same score for April, I'm just assuming that if it is my chances of passing are much better. From what I read in the NCEES Practice Exam booklet, the scoring of the exam changes based on the difficulty. I hope it didnt rise; although the morning was straightforward and not too difficult, the afternoon was very difficult. Hope that's enough to keep the passing score around 51-52%, LOL.


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## benbo (Apr 28, 2009)

jharris said:


> I was told by a friend who said that he contacted someone at NCEES after the October scores were released back in January.


Your friend is probably mistaken, or the person from NCEES just made this up. They don't release this information. I'd be really surprised if this actually happened, and nobody should count on this.


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## Environmental_Guy (Apr 30, 2009)

No sense in worrying now guys, that test is already in the books.

Likewise with most of you, I felt pretty good at lunchtime but pretty disheartened by the end of the afternoon. I took Environmental DS, and although I don't think it could have been as hard as the general, it was still pretty tough.

Now is the time to catch up on all those hours we ignored our loved ones and to have that thing we all forgot about long ago, what was it called, oh yeah, FUN!


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## Katiebug (May 1, 2009)

cpy911 said:


> I took the FE exam this weekend, 12 years out of college.
> I made the big mistake of not taking the FE in college. Various excuses, but that is in the past now!
> 
> I spent the last 6 months studying about 5-10 hours a week. I probably put in about 150 hours of prep time, which included working a lot of problems and several mini mock exams.
> ...


You have a chance. I was out of school for 5.5 years when I took the FE back in October, and my preparation was similar to yours. I was horribly frustrated the one time I took a practice exam and was convinced DURING the test that I'd done poorly. Lo and behold, I passed - although I am VERY glad I never have to study that stuff again!

I figured I'd gotten about 60% of the AM correct, and about 50% of the PM correct. I took the general PM rather than mechanical and was glad I did.


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## Hadad (May 4, 2009)

I took the test for the first time this April. For those how have done it in the past. How long does it take for the results to be released?


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## EM_PS (May 4, 2009)

Typ 8 - 12 wks, depending on State &amp; if email or snail mail notification. some might be quicker. . . .or longer.


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## jharris (Jun 24, 2009)

I had to resurrect this topic, because at this point I'm seriously second guessing my performance. I estimated topic by topic (being a bit modest on a few) that I got 70 correct in the morning. Afternoon I estimated 30, which would give me 130/240 overall points, or 54% which I'm hoping would be enough to pass. A couple more points and I could be just over 55% which I would assume could definetely be passing.

I'm also trying to gauge based on how I felt after the exam in October compared to now. Immediately after the October exam I felt discouraged simply because I had to guess on more than two subjects. When I got my results back, my assumption was correct. I bombed 2 of 3 of the subjects I was worried about. This time I brushed up on those topics and was able to confidently answer a few from each. When I left this time, I didn't know what to think. The morning went extremely well although I honestly thought the questions were harder, but my guessing was kept to a minimum and I was able to confidently answer more questions. But the afternoon was a complete a$$ kicker. So I dont know. Whereas last time I was a bit more confident of failing, this time I think there's a chance but overall I feel like I'm right on the cusp. Last time I scored 49.5% and thought that was pretty close. This time I think I surpassed that but don't know by how much.

I just hope I passed it this time. This was my third try and I think you have to sit out for two years after failing three times. The anxiety is killing me!


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