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That was pretty much me today with survey and it was the first time I took it as well. CA can keep their license. I'll go back to MA and take the 8-hour again. Should have done that before moving here. 

I managed to skip 2 problems that were intentional time-suckers and still had 12 questions left at the end. Had to guess most of them in 10 minutes. 6 problems out of 55 were quick concept ones. Half of the rest needed 3+ step calculations. They were not hard. I didn't even need my reference book. And I thought maybe last time I just didn't know as much as I thought I did. Yeah... still came down to time. 

Whatever! Beyond frustrated. 
When I took Survey (and Seismic), there were only 50 questions and I think I only managed to solve mid/high 30s - guessed the rest.  I passed.  You only need about a 55-60% to pass.  It's difficult to answer all the questions in the given timeframe, even though they aren't difficult questions.  Don't feel bad if you had to guess on a handful.  Hopefully (most of) the ones you did answer, you got correct.  That will be enough.    

 
Here is a table that I created (based on an old posting). Basically, it is trying to predict the probability of passing based on questions you think you are worked out correctly. To be conservative, I am assuming that 75% of those are correct. Also, inside the table, I assumed that 25% of the questions guessed are correct. However the caveat is, don't depend on statistics too much, the recent polls are a prime example. Sorry for the tongue and cheek comment, but it serves as a good reminder.

Let me take an example, 


42


32


13


1


87.33%

If you answered 42 questions, then 75% of them being correct is 32. As the passing grade is 60%, you need 33 (=55*0.6) questions to be correct. So, just one question out of the 13 you guessed needs to be correct. The probability is based on Binomial Distribution and is trying to predict basically what is the probability that you got one correct out of the 13 guessed, assuming the 1/4 chance to be correct. At least that is how I understood how the initial formula was set up from which I used as the basis of this table.

Please let me know if something is wrong and I will try to look at it more carefully. 

I hope this is self explanatory. 


t=


total number of questions


n=


number of questions  you think you answered correctly


m=


fraction of "n" that were really correct (m=0.75 is a starting guess)


x=


number of questions answered correctly


y=


the number of questions guessed (t-n)


z=


number of questions that must be guessed correctly for passing


p=


percentage needed to pass


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


t=


55


 


 


 


 


 


m=


0.75


 


 


 


 


 


p=


60%


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


n


x


y


z


Probability of Passing


 


 


0


0


55


33


0.00%


 


 


1


1


54


32


0.00%


 


 


2


2


53


31


0.00%


 


 


3


2


52


31


0.00%


 


 


4


3


51


30


0.00%


 


 


5


4


50


29


0.00%


 


 


6


5


49


28


0.00%


 


 


7


5


48


28


0.00%


 


 


8


6


47


27


0.00%


 


 


9


7


46


26


0.00%


 


 


10


8


45


25


0.00%


 


 


11


8


44


25


0.00%


 


 


12


9


43


24


0.00%


 


 


13


10


42


23


0.00%


 


 


14


11


41


22


0.00%


 


 


15


11


40


22


0.00%


 


 


16


12


39


21


0.00%


 


 


17


13


38


20


0.01%


 


 


18


14


37


19


0.01%


 


 


19


14


36


19


0.01%


 


 


20


15


35


18


0.02%


 


 


21


16


34


17


0.04%


 


 


22


17


33


16


0.10%


 


 


23


17


32


16


0.06%


 


 


24


18


31


15


0.13%


 


 


25


19


30


14


0.27%


 


 


26


20


29


13


0.56%


 


 


27


20


28


13


0.38%


 


 


28


21


27


12


0.78%


 


 


29


22


26


11


1.55%


 


 


30


23


25


10


2.97%


 


 


31


23


24


10


2.13%


 


 


32


24


23


9


4.08%


 


 


33


25


22


8


7.46%


 


 


34


26


21


7


12.99%


 


 


35


26


20


7


10.18%


 


 


36


27


19


6


17.49%


 


 


37


28


18


5


28.25%


 


 


38


29


17


4


42.61%


 


 


39


29


16


4


36.98%


 


 


40


30


15


3


53.87%


 


 


41


31


14


2


71.89%


 


 


42


32


13


1


87.33%


 


 


43


32


12


1


84.16%


 


 


44


33


11


0


95.78%


 


 


45


34


10


0


99.00%


 


 


46


35


9


0


99.00%


 


 


47


35


8


0


99.00%


 


 


48


36


7


0


99.00%


 


 


49


37


6


0


99.00%


 


 


50


38


5


0


99.00%


 


 


51


38


4


0


99.00%


 


 


52


39


3


0


99.00%


 


 


53


40


2


0


99.00%


 


 


54


41


1


0


99.00%


 


 


55


41


0


0


99.00%


 


 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Here is the same table assuming the passing grade is 55%.


t=


total number of questions


n=


number of questions  you think you answered correctly


m=


fraction of "n" that were really correct (m=0.75 is a starting guess)


x=


number of questions answered correctly


y=


the number of questions guessed (t-n)


z=


number of questions that must be guessed correctly for passing


p=


percentage needed to pass


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


t=


55


 


 


 


 


 


m=


0.75


 


 


 


 


 


p=


55%


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


n


x


y


z


Probability of Passing


 


 


0


0


55


31


0.00%


 


 


1


1


54


30


0.00%


 


 


2


2


53


29


0.00%


 


 


3


2


52


29


0.00%


 


 


4


3


51


28


0.00%


 


 


5


4


50


27


0.00%


 


 


6


5


49


26


0.00%


 


 


7


5


48


26


0.00%


 


 


8


6


47


25


0.00%


 


 


9


7


46


24


0.00%


 


 


10


8


45


23


0.00%


 


 


11


8


44


23


0.00%


 


 


12


9


43


22


0.01%


 


 


13


10


42


21


0.01%


 


 


14


11


41


20


0.03%


 


 


15


11


40


20


0.02%


 


 


16


12


39


19


0.04%


 


 


17


13


38


18


0.08%


 


 


18


14


37


17


0.16%


 


 


19


14


36


17


0.11%


 


 


20


15


35


16


0.22%


 


 


21


16


34


15


0.44%


 


 


22


17


33


14


0.84%


 


 


23


17


32


14


0.60%


 


 


24


18


31


13


1.15%


 


 


25


19


30


12


2.16%


 


 


26


20


29


11


3.90%


 


 


27


20


28


11


2.94%


 


 


28


21


27


10


5.28%


 


 


29


22


26


9


9.09%


 


 


30


23


25


8


14.94%


 


 


31


23


24


8


12.13%


 


 


32


24


23


7


19.63%


 


 


33


25


22


6


30.06%


 


 


34


26


21


5


43.34%


 


 


35


26


20


5


38.28%


 


 


36


27


19


4


53.46%


 


 


37


28


18


3


69.43%


 


 


38


29


17


2


83.63%


 


 


39


29


16


2


80.29%


 


 


40


30


15


1


91.98%


 


 


41


31


14


0


99.00%


 


 


42


32


13


0


99.00%


 


 


43


32


12


0


99.00%


 


 


44


33


11


0


99.00%


 


 


45


34


10


0


99.00%


 


 


46


35


9


0


99.00%


 


 


47


35


8


0


99.00%


 


 


48


36


7


0


99.00%


 


 


49


37


6


0


99.00%


 


 


50


38


5


0


99.00%


 


 


51


38


4


0


99.00%


 


 


52


39


3


0


99.00%


 


 


53


40


2


0


99.00%


 


 


54


41


1


0


99.00%


 


 


55


41


0


0


99.00%


 


 

 
Fingers crossed though! I think you only need about 50-65% of the questions right to pass. Or at least so I am told.  Hopefully we got that many correct and we can all just move on! :)

Any idea how long it takes to find out about these state exams?  Does it really take 6-8 weeks like the national portion?
They will be posted a day or two after national portion results are posted. Follow BPELS on twitter - they usually give post a week before and a day before announcement of sending results out 

 
Engineer through and through, hey! Crazy bunch! lol

I got a new distraction earlier this week so I stopped thinking about CA state specific exams. Now I'm being reactive. Waiting on MA to tell me if they'll give me a license. haha!

 
Engineer through and through, hey! Crazy bunch! lol

I got a new distraction earlier this week so I stopped thinking about CA state specific exams. Now I'm being reactive. Waiting on MA to tell me if they'll give me a license. haha!
Just crazy... :)

 
Here is a table that I created (based on an old posting). Basically, it is trying to predict the probability of passing based on questions you think you are worked out correctly. To be conservative, I am assuming that 75% of those are correct. Also, inside the table, I assumed that 25% of the questions guessed are correct. However the caveat is, don't depend on statistics too much, the recent polls are a prime example. Sorry for the tongue and cheek comment, but it serves as a good reminder.

Let me take an example, 


42


32


13


1


87.33%

If you answered 42 questions, then 75% of them being correct is 32. As the passing grade is 60%, you need 33 (=55*0.6) questions to be correct. So, just one question out of the 13 you guessed needs to be correct. The probability is based on Binomial Distribution and is trying to predict basically what is the probability that you got one correct out of the 13 guessed, assuming the 1/4 chance to be correct. At least that is how I understood how the initial formula was set up from which I used as the basis of this table.

Please let me know if something is wrong and I will try to look at it more carefully. 

I hope this is self explanatory. 


t=


total number of questions


n=


number of questions  you think you answered correctly


m=


fraction of "n" that were really correct (m=0.75 is a starting guess)


x=


number of questions answered correctly


y=


the number of questions guessed (t-n)


z=


number of questions that must be guessed correctly for passing


p=


percentage needed to pass


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


t=


55


 


 


 


 


 


m=


0.75


 


 


 


 


 


p=


60%


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


x


y


z


Probability of Passing


 


 


0


0


55


33


0.00%


 


 


1


1


54


32


0.00%


 


 


2


2


53


31


0.00%


 


 


3


2


52


31


0.00%


 


 


4


3


51


30


0.00%


 


 


5


4


50


29


0.00%


 


 


6


5


49


28


0.00%


 


 


7


5


48


28


0.00%


 


 


8


6


47


27


0.00%


 


 


9


7


46


26


0.00%


 


 


10


8


45


25


0.00%


 


 


11


8


44


25


0.00%


 


 


12


9


43


24


0.00%


 


 


13


10


42


23


0.00%


 


 


14


11


41


22


0.00%


 


 


15


11


40


22


0.00%


 


 


16


12


39


21


0.00%


 


 


17


13


38


20


0.01%


 


 


18


14


37


19


0.01%


 


 


19


14


36


19


0.01%


 


 


20


15


35


18


0.02%


 


 


21


16


34


17


0.04%


 


 


22


17


33


16


0.10%


 


 


23


17


32


16


0.06%


 


 


24


18


31


15


0.13%


 


 


25


19


30


14


0.27%


 


 


26


20


29


13


0.56%


 


 


27


20


28


13


0.38%


 


 


28


21


27


12


0.78%


 


 


29


22


26


11


1.55%


 


 


30


23


25


10


2.97%


 


 


31


23


24


10


2.13%


 


 


32


24


23


9


4.08%


 


 


33


25


22


8


7.46%


 


 


34


26


21


7


12.99%


 


 


35


26


20


7


10.18%


 


 


36


27


19


6


17.49%


 


 


37


28


18


5


28.25%


 


 


38


29


17


4


42.61%


 


 


39


29


16


4


36.98%


 


 


40


30


15


3


53.87%


 


 


41


31


14


2


71.89%


 


 


42


32


13


1


87.33%


 


 


43


32


12


1


84.16%


 


 


44


33


11


0


95.78%


 


 


45


34


10


0


99.00%


 


 


46


35


9


0


99.00%


 


 


47


35


8


0


99.00%


 


 


48


36


7


0


99.00%


 


 


49


37


6


0


99.00%


 


 


50


38


5


0


99.00%


 


 


51


38


4


0


99.00%


 


 


52


39


3


0


99.00%


 


 


53


40


2


0


99.00%


 


 


54


41


1


0


99.00%


 


 


55


41


0


0


99.00%


 


 


This is basically how I calculated if I passed or not as I left the 8hr, Seis, and Surv.  But a little simpler.  I gave myself full credit for all the ones I felt super-duper good about, and 25% of the rest.  I was conservative and gave myself only 25% even if I felt "kind of good" about a problem or even if I got it down to 2 or 3 choices.  I put a little mark next to all the "I nailed it" problems and counted them up.  So, for the 8hr, for example, I had 27 in the morning and 28 in the afternoon.  (27 + 28) + .25(80 - (27 + 28)) = 61.25.  61.25/80 = 76%.  It worked for me, I passed.  And it made the wait a lot more tolerable. 

 
This is basically how I calculated if I passed or not as I left the 8hr, Seis, and Surv.  But a little simpler.  I gave myself full credit for all the ones I felt super-duper good about, and 25% of the rest.  I was conservative and gave myself only 25% even if I felt "kind of good" about a problem or even if I got it down to 2 or 3 choices.  I put a little mark next to all the "I nailed it" problems and counted them up.  So, for the 8hr, for example, I had 27 in the morning and 28 in the afternoon.  (27 + 28) + .25(80 - (27 + 28)) = 61.25.  61.25/80 = 76%.  It worked for me, I passed.  And it made the wait a lot more tolerable. 
your method is robust, as it is simple!

 
I'll tell you how I reeeaaally feel depending on if I see green or red on the results form.

But... I'll second Maji. I'm glad I took EET's seismic course. If I don't pass, it won't be Ibrahim's fault. I worked and answered everything. Question is whether or not I answered enough accurately to make it.

Survey is coming up on Monday. It's hard to gauge right now but I know if they load the test with curves questions, I'm definitely screwed. Shape, wording, tricks, everything about them get on my nerves and suck up my time. My plan is to not even look at them until I answer everything else.
I totally concur.  Ibrahim is an excellent teacher.

 
How did people feel on survey? I studied so hard and I felt so confident going into the exam. Had a good strategy, knew my strengths and weaknesses (i.e. which questions I could do quickly enough). But after the exam I felt so disappointed that I didn't complete enough problems and guessed on too many at the end. I felt as if more of the problems this time around (this was my 2nd time taking it) were so heavily worded and took so much more time than before. I don't know...I feel nervous that I didn't pass.

Seismic went very well for me. I took EET also and felt like I definitely passed.
Contact me after survey result I can help you for pass survey. [email protected]

 
ndolap apparently has some magic to help people for pass survey. 
It is not magic, key to pass exam that about your time to do each problems, if you believe me in just one minutes or two you can can finish most problems in survey. But taking CPESR class online is big help to pass. 

This is the magic: email me :)

 
Last edited by a moderator:

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