# PE HVAC/Refrigeration Exam



## Bigwiggz (Oct 29, 2012)

Hello Everybody, I just took the HVAC and Refrigeration and I thought the afternoon section was HARD!!!! I know I missed *at least *13 out of 40 questions in the afternoon (it is most likely more). I also know I missed 2 out of the 40 morning session questions. Boy I sure hope that I did good enough to pass.

Did any of you happen to take the Oct 2012 PE Exam with the HVAC/Refrigeration Depth?

If so, how did you make out?


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## Dawg Pound (Oct 29, 2012)

I as well took the HVAC afternoon section and thought is was hard!! I can tell it will depend on where the pass rating is at if I will pass or not. I sure hope it is a low number. What is the typical number of correct answers we have to get right to pass?


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## Bigwiggz (Oct 29, 2012)

Don't quote me on this Dawg Pound but I think overall a 56/80 is considered passing.


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## ikesdsu (Oct 29, 2012)

Bigwiggz said:


> Don't quote me on this Dawg Pound but I think overall a 56/80 is considered passing.


You are right, in very general terms it is around 56. It can vary slightly from 54 to 58.


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## Bigwiggz (Oct 30, 2012)

I hope it is more on the 54 side than the 58 side.


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## ikesdsu (Oct 30, 2012)

Bigwiggz said:


> I hope it is more on the 54 side than the 58 side.


You never know, if the test was harder than the "typical" test like the conversations on here seem, some questions maybe thrown out.


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## Bigwiggz (Nov 1, 2012)

Is there anybody else that took the HVAC/Refrigeration depth? How did you think you did?


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## Bigwiggz (Nov 30, 2012)

Wow I guess there was no one else that took the HVAC/R Test?


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## sumpnz (Nov 30, 2012)

I did Mechanical Systems and Materials for the afternoon.

Maybe it was just me, or maybe I'm just overconfident and about to eat crow, but I didn't think the test was _toooo_ bad. Intense, long, and challanging it certainly was. I did get rather drunk that night afterwards. But there was only 1 question in the afternoon I flat guessed on, and only one or two in the morning section I guessed on as well.

In a couple weeks (hopefully anyway) we'll all know for sure.


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## Bigwiggz (Nov 30, 2012)

Well, In about a week or two, I have the feeling I'm about to eat a lot of crow.


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## ikesdsu (Dec 3, 2012)

I took HVAC afternoon section in October and I passed. I didn't think it was too bad, it was a lot harder than the morning but I only got hung up on 5 or so problems.


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## Bigwiggz (Dec 3, 2012)

ikesdsu,

The morning section was easy, but the afternoon section for me was difficult. There were a lot of problems I would expect to see on the Thermal/Fluids portion and not the HVAC portion. However, I hear that to take the HVAC portion you should know a lot about Thermal/Fluid systems and applications which makes sense. But, in general, I should have studied more broadly. Oh well. Two more weeks and I will find out if I have to fill out the exam application again. By the way, did you take the exam last year?


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## Charlie Plumb (Dec 5, 2012)

I took the HVAC depth in April of this year and afternoon was pretty difficult. Some of the questions were so hard it wouldn't have mattered how much I studied. In fact I presented some similar problems to some seasoned PEs back at the office and they didn't know where to start. Then there were a few that had a somewhat hidden step that once you got it you could solve the problem. I remember I had about 6 questions in the morning and about 8 to 10 in the afternoon I had to guess on. I passed, but don't know by how much.

There is a ton of discussion on the cut off score on this forum and here is my 2 cents worth after reading through many posts of unpassing scores. I think the mechanical passing score is typicially right around 50 out of 80. I have not seen many...if any...people post unpassing scores with a score in the 50s on the mechanical PE at least. Plus I have personally seen a score of 44/80 that was scored as 66%. So for that test a score 47 or 48/80 would have been scored as above 70%.


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## ikesdsu (Dec 5, 2012)

Bigwiggz said:


> ikesdsu,
> 
> The morning section was easy, but the afternoon section for me was difficult. There were a lot of problems I would expect to see on the Thermal/Fluids portion and not the HVAC portion. However, I hear that to take the HVAC portion you should know a lot about Thermal/Fluid systems and applications which makes sense. But, in general, I should have studied more broadly. Oh well. Two more weeks and I will find out if I have to fill out the exam application again. By the way, did you take the exam last year?


I took the exam in April of this year. I agree there were a lot of thermo type problems but luckly I also do a lot of hydronics on a weekly basis.


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## Bigwiggz (Dec 6, 2012)

Yea, I hardly do much of that. The type of work I usually am assigned is drafting work and sizing specs for AHUs. Also I did more electrical work with switchgear bus design for heat consideration applications at my previous job (i.e. ventalation requirements for cabinets, space heaters for humidity sensitive controls, desicants etc). So I am familiar with the applications and sizing but not with specifics. I took the practice NCEES test and I got more than a passing score on it and I got overconfident. Oh well.


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## ikesdsu (Dec 6, 2012)

Bigwiggz said:


> Yea, I hardly do much of that. The type of work I usually am assigned is drafting work and sizing specs for AHUs. Also I did more electrical work with switchgear bus design for heat consideration applications at my previous job (i.e. ventalation requirements for cabinets, space heaters for humidity sensitive controls, desicants etc). So I am familiar with the applications and sizing but not with specifics. I took the practice NCEES test and I got more than a passing score on it and I got overconfident. Oh well.



Don't write yourself off yet, the results aren't out yet.


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## Bigwiggz (Dec 13, 2012)

ikesdsu,

I am supprised but I actually passed! I can't believe it!! I know that I missed so much problems in the afternoon HVAC Depth. NCEES must have thrown out ALOT of problems due to ambiguity or for being just plain too hard. But that doesnt matter, All that matters is that I Passed!


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## Leon (Dec 13, 2012)

I have passed PE mechanical HVAC exam in Delaware. I just got information from NCEES this morning. The conclusion message only displayed with pass or fail without any score.


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## Bigwiggz (Dec 14, 2012)

Congrats Leon,

I just found my name listed in the licensed registry.


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## Leon (Dec 16, 2012)

congratulation to you too. bigwiggz


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## MetsFan (Dec 19, 2012)

Congrats guys! I know it must be a huge weight off your shoulders. Those couple of months waiting and second guessing yourself are horrible.


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