Exam Day

[Jayman_PE]

Hi Folks,

This question is mostly directed toward those who have taken the exam. I am taking it for the first time next month and will bring quite a few books (I'm taking code heavy PE Civil Construction). I plan to transport them in my wheeled suitcase. I assume this would be allowed in the exam room?

Thoughts?

thanks,

Jason

 

[bradlelf]

Yes. typically people brought in wheeled luggage or a dolly for their books. They had to place them in the front of the room after they unloaded their books. MY exam was a few years ago in PA. Things may have changed.

It sounds as if you are probably taking too many books though. Just remember an average of 6 minutes per problem; if you have to look everything up you may not finish.

 

[SoCalEE]

Jason, since you will have many books, you will need to reference material quickly, so you need an index. Make a crib sheet that will fit in an allowed binder for each reference. Put page numbers (and how far down each page) where you can find the information you need in your crib sheets. Consider if you want single sided and tabbed crib sheets or double sided ones. The crib sheets will also help you decide what is relevant and what is not when you are studying. They may become a quick reference to your personal engineering library after the test.

 

[Road Guy]

I took civil transportation, and I laid my books out next to me for ones that I thought would be morning pile and afternoon pile, the few seconds it saved my digging through to get the right book was really helpful for me...

Good luck!

 

[TrussGuy85]

In MO they let us keep suitcases and whatnot next to our chairs. I put my books in vertically so that I could easily pull whatever reference I needed quickly. Of course at the end of the test, almost every book was laying on the table and scattered about....

 

[roadwreck]

When I took the exam I had my references in two milk crates. I had the spines of all my books facing out so that I could easily grab the reference I needed. Our exam location required us to keep our references under our desk so that we didn't block walkways and I seem to remember there being some rule about only having one or two references out at a time (i.e. - you couldn't have all your references out on the desk at once, you were only allowed to keep references out that you were using to answer the question you were working on). We were sharing the table with another examinee so I think this rule was instituted so that you didn't have one person taking over the entire table with unused references.

 

[knight1fox3]

There was another thread that discussed this back when I took the exam. Some additional helpful suggestions there.

http://engineerboard...showtopic=15614

 

[csb]

Good link, knight1fox3. Here's my answer from there, which I still stand by:

I used three milkcrate type boxes (the itso boxes from Target) on a folding dolly. When I got to the exam, I set them up like bookshelves right next to me. I was able to put my most used books on the table, the probably used ones on the top shelves and my probably won't use, but can't handle the what-if books/binders on the bottom. It meant everything was organized and I didn't have a pile of books next to me. I know it sounds like a lot, but I was transportation and the HCM, Green Book and MUTCD take up most of a crate by themselves.

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

Better make sure your wheeled suitcase is on the list of NCEES approved baggage...

I took the exam in 2006. I had a giant, flimsy duffel bag and looked like I was hauling in a corpse. Put all my books on the table space, left my drink and snacks in the bag to avoid spilling anything on the exam sheet.

 

[envirotex]

I brought mine in a wheeled suitcase, also. I used every book I brought, and I brought the books I did because I had used them to answer one or more of the practice problems that I had worked. I kept the ones I wasn't using on the floor next to my feet. Also, make sure you leave your cell phone in your car, and not in the pocket of your suitcase...they are very serious about that.

I would just double check what you're state allows...

 

[pbrme]

I brought my MERM and three references in a backpack, and had the whole table to myself. I was able to layer the books open like I was at home on the kitchen table. Food and drink had to be off the table.

 

[YMZ PE]

You might want to make sure your references will fit within the space you're given, or find a way to organize them on the table (like with milk crates). When I took the exam, a few guys fought over table space. It was awkward and distracting for everybody.