14 Week Study Schedule in the MERM

[JoeysVee]

Did you follow the suggested 14 week study schedule in the MERM? I'm not so sure those chapters are in the best order....ie. why would he have chapter 22 before chapter 14 and so on?!?!?!

 

[Capt Worley PE]

No, I didn't. I really kinda followed a long, extnded study schedule.

 

[goodal]

I did follow it. although i dont know that their way was better than just going right through.

PS i had nearly 400hrs of study, did all the problems in 10th edition MERM, all sample problems in 12th edition MERM and all the 12th edition practice problems book.

 

[JoeysVee]

Yeah, I had about 400 hrs of study the last time I took it.

 

[Kephart P.E.]

Yeah, I had about 400 hrs of study the last time I took it.

I didn't.

I think I had around 250 or a little more. But I did take a review course at a local Engineering School.

 

[MechGuy]

I didn't use the schedule or go in that order. I just studied each chapter in order from 14 to about 60, and then the Econ chapter. I think I put in about 350-400 hrs total.

 

[JGG]

I did about 300-350 hours of studying total. I read the chapters in the order that the 14 week study schedule had them, but I skimmed them and did it in about 9-10 weeks. Then I pretty much just worked the NCEES 2008 sample test, the 6 minute solutions for HVAC&R, and then did the Lindenburgh sample test (the bredth section and HVAC&R Depth Section). I felt like it was a pretty good way to work it.

While reading in MERM, you need to realize that the information gets way more specific than you will ever need to know on the actual test. For instance in the first fluids chapter (chapter 15) it begins with talking about pressure and forces on submerged objects and manometers, which is all good info for the test, but late in the chapter, it talks about objects that extend above the surface of the water and have a metacenter that is not directly located above the center of gravity for the submerged portion of the object. If you are reading this section in chapter 15 of MERM, then you are wasting your time. You won't see anything like it on the test.

Each subject in MERM gets way too detailed towards the end of each chapter. It makes for a complete reference manual, but not a great study guide....remember this while reading through it.

 

[bph]

.....
Each subject in MERM gets way too detailed towards the end of each chapter. It makes for a complete reference manual, but not a great study guide....remember this while reading through it.

There is also some way outdated stuff in the MERM 12th ed, but it is mostly in areas that you are unlikely to see, such as the section on batteries (10 years behind). Also, the MERM suggested study schedule skips a number of chapters altogether, and I think this is a good except there are sometimes questions on engineering process (see NCEES sample exam) such as critical path planning, which you may want to look over.

The MERM overall is good, but for the Machine design depth, I thought the MERM was seriously week on bearings, nothing at all on ball bearing load / life? Also a bit brief on power screws, which are often on the exams, if the NCEES tests are representative of the real thing, and I think they are. I also felt the MERM was lacking on the basics of vibrations. But otherwise the MERM covers what you need, but as noted by JGG, to many details at times.

 

[JGG]

The MERM overall is good, but for the Machine design depth, I thought the MERM was seriously week on bearings, nothing at all on ball bearing load / life?

bph, Can you recommend some books for the Machine design depth section? One of my good friends is starting to study for that depth section for the October exam. I took the HVAC depth, so I was unsure about what to tell him to take for his section.