How did it go - Construction PM Module?

SPSUEngineer · Apr 27, 2009

Well I took the construction afternoon and came out pretty disappointed with my exam preparation. Don't get me wrong I studied my tail off I just apparently didn't study the correct types of problems.

I studied the CERM and the Ruwan Book among many other references. Without going into any kind of specific detail or discussing the exam per our agreement with NCEES, the exam was much more detailed in the afternoon than I prepared for.

I found it to be very difficult and the Ruwan book did not help me at all. The Ruwan book may have helped me with one or two questions but that is it. It was not in depth enough for the problems on the exam. I was kind of concerned the last several weeks that I did not have enough proper material to adequately prepare for the construction PM. I was definitely correct in that accessment. I hope some better study materials will come out soon. The market is wide open for it.

Anyone else out there take the construction afternoon? What did you think about it?

I believe I got 35/40 in the morning and maybe 20/40 on the afternoon if I'm lucky and the Good Lord helped a few of my eductated guessed be correct. I'm thinking I really didn't score enough to pass it....only if I really luck out and the cut score is low.

ARLORD · Apr 27, 2009

Michael Miller said:
I believe I got 35/40 in the morning and maybe 20/40 on the afternoon if I'm lucky and the Good Lord helped a few of my eductated guessed be correct. I'm thinking I really didn't score enough to pass it....only if I really luck out and the cut score is low.

I would think a score of 55/80 is passing, that's close to 70% rawscore.

Adrock · Apr 27, 2009

Wow 35/40 in the morning? You probably did pass then.

SPSUEngineer · Apr 27, 2009

I'll hold out hope that I made it. But I think I would be lucky if I got 55/80 correct actually.

humner · Apr 28, 2009

I studied my butt off, had the luck with work being slow and being able to crack the books for at least couple hours a day there and another couple at home. I personally felt real good about 30 of the morning questions and 20 in the afternoon. The problem with the afternoon was the questions were more intense then I would have expected and some as earlier commented on, no available reference material. Time will tell.

dastuff · Apr 28, 2009

So what would you recommend for future construction test takers? Since construction is rather new and there isn't very much info on it just yet?

Remember not to go into too many details since NCEES is everywhere.

pugsx · Apr 28, 2009

dastuff said:
So what would you recommend for future construction test takers? Since construction is rather new and there isn't very much info on it just yet?
Remember not to go into too many details since NCEES is everywhere.

OSHA

Green Book

ACI 347

Formwork for Concrete SP-4 by M. Kurd

I though the PM Construction was easier than I had imagined. But I bombed the AM portion so I'll probably take it in Oct again.

EnvEngineer · Apr 28, 2009

I am pretty sure I passed, the question were what I expected altough they did require alot of work. I disagree with your assessment of Ruwan, there were a couple of topics that he covered that were really helpful and I did not see the same coverage in CERM. He also bailed me on a OSHA question that I did not have a full reference for. Until someone comes up with a more detailed look at the construction section you will need all the refs you can get.

Over all it was a fair test and I am pretty sure I passed both morning and afternoon

Dexman1349 · Apr 28, 2009

I'm not sure how the exam has changed since I successfully took the exam this time last year, but the one thing I remember most about the afternoon portion of the exam is that it was alot more "experience" based than "reference" based unlike the other disciplines (or so I've heard). The only references I remember using were the CERM, OSHA, MUTCD, and a small rigging /crane selection hand book.

Adrock · Apr 28, 2009

Dexman1349 said:
I'm not sure how the exam has changed since I successfully took the exam this time last year, but the one thing I remember most about the afternoon portion of the exam is that it was alot more "experience" based than "reference" based unlike the other disciplines (or so I've heard). The only references I remember using were the CERM, OSHA, MUTCD, and a small rigging /crane selection hand book.

Your right. Its alot more experience based. You have to be experience in working with cranes, placing and testing concrete and asphalt, rebar, designing safety equipment, etc. What rigging/crane selection handbook did you have? That may be valuable.

SPSUEngineer · Apr 28, 2009

humner said:
I studied my butt off, had the luck with work being slow and being able to crack the books for at least couple hours a day there and another couple at home. I personally felt real good about 30 of the morning questions and 20 in the afternoon. The problem with the afternoon was the questions were more intense then I would have expected and some as earlier commented on, no available reference material. Time will tell.

My thoughts exactly Humner. They were tough questions and much more detailed than I expected. I studied hard as well.

SPSUEngineer · Apr 28, 2009

dastuff said:
So what would you recommend for future construction test takers? Since construction is rather new and there isn't very much info on it just yet?
Remember not to go into too many details since NCEES is everywhere.

I don't know what I'll do in the future. Probably pick another module to try. I had Testmasters Notes, CERM, and the Ruwan Book. I studied them all and thought I knew my stuff. What I encountered was much more difficult problems that the study materials I had and very time consuming problems.

Dexman1349 · Apr 28, 2009

Adrock said:
Your right. Its alot more experience based. You have to be experience in working with cranes, placing and testing concrete and asphalt, rebar, designing safety equipment, etc. What rigging/crane selection handbook did you have? That may be valuable.

It's called "Bob's Rigging & Crane Handbook - The Hoisting Triangle Millennium Edition"

I got it when I worked for a big highway general contractor through one of their training sessions.

Edit: Quick google search for it found it's for sale for about $10-$15.

Here's a link to it: http://www.donpellow.com/Bobs_Rigging_B2.htm (this is the 6th edition, I had the 5th when I took the exam)

SPSUEngineer · Apr 28, 2009

EnvEngineer said:
I am pretty sure I passed, the question were what I expected altough they did require alot of work. I disagree with your assessment of Ruwan, there were a couple of topics that he covered that were really helpful and I did not see the same coverage in CERM. He also bailed me on a OSHA question that I did not have a full reference for. Until someone comes up with a more detailed look at the construction section you will need all the refs you can get.

Over all it was a fair test and I am pretty sure I passed both morning and afternoon

Glad you were able to nail it. Maybe my problem was the experience factor. I work in site development and not in construction management. The Ruwan Book was not a total waste for me, it was just not very helpful for the level of detail and difficulty of the questions. Of course this is just my personal opinion.

EnvEngineer · Apr 28, 2009

There were no references that could prepare for that level of detail, they really did step it up a notch. I though I had a good background in the basics and had to focus on getting through the problems.

SPSUEngineer · Apr 28, 2009

EnvEngineer said:
There were no references that could prepare for that level of detail, they really did step it up a notch. I though I had a good background in the basics and had to focus on getting through the problems.

I was able to apply my knowledge to many of the problems and figure them out. The problem for me was time though. Several of the subjects in the NCEES outline required a greater knowledge than I was expecting. I was able to figure many of them out with all my references but I just ran out of critical time in the end and had to straight up guess on 10 or 11 of them.

humner · Apr 28, 2009

Adrock said:
Your right. Its alot more experience based. You have to be experience in working with cranes, placing and testing concrete and asphalt, rebar, designing safety equipment, etc. What rigging/crane selection handbook did you have? That may be valuable.

Here is the Department of Energy Hoisting & Rigging

http://www-group.slac.stanford.edu/esh/haz...-17872-1090.pdf

It is 426 pages but a free download, you may want to check the DOE site for the latest and greatest and here is another from Ontario Canada, http://www.csao.org/images/pfiles/4_M035.pdf 182 pages. Being on a shoestring budget I downloaded and printed myself. A friend said I could have gotten them done at Staples or Kinkos and they would have bound them too.

Mech2Civil · Apr 29, 2009

EnvEngineer said:
There were no references that could prepare for that level of detail, they really did step it up a notch. I though I had a good background in the basics and had to focus on getting through the problems.

I agree...the exam was really experience based. Unless you work/worked for a GC, the exam was tough.

SPSUEngineer · Apr 29, 2009

Mech2Civil said:
I agree...the exam was really experience based. Unless you work/worked for a GC, the exam was tough.

I'm thinking ahead toward preparing for the next go round. I worked for a GC while I was in college but I was just a guinea pig. I did do a little surveying/layout as a field engineer and that helps me a little.

Since college +/- 7 years ago, I've been working in civil site development. Given the exam was so experience based, do you think I should try for another module like Transportation? I just don't know of any references that I can buy at this point to better prepare me for an experience based exam. Especially since I do not have project management experience with a GC. I did study with the CERM, Ruwan Book, and Testmasters Construction Notes but all of that didn't help me enough to feel confident about passing the exam.

I'm wondering if the exam is tailered more for those that completed a Construction Engineering Degree. They would have had scheduling estimating, construction management, and safety classes in college where my degree was Civil.

EnvEngineer · Apr 29, 2009

The exam is so broad that I dont think any experice will cover enough areas to put you over the top. I do alot of budgeting and scheduling but it is totally different than what they discuss. I think the study topics are fine for getting the referencing and knowledge necessary the real problem was the depth. Problems I worked were only a fraction in depth compared to the test.

Looking at the other forums I think you will face the same depth vrs. experience issues with any topic. I did not find construction that difficult but I did prepare pretty well and really did not pull from experiece at all.

How did it go - Construction PM Module?

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