Failed ME TF April 2016 - Advice

[landolakes]

Little background, I am an EE working in a gas compression operations since 2008. My work is focused around small projects that revolve around mechanical/civil work, almost no EE type work. I have hit the glass ceiling in my company as senior level is only achieved by obtaining your PE. I was accepted to take the PE in August 2015 and decided to try for the Control Systems PE since it does touch base with many aspects of both EE and what I do at work (transmitters, measurement, etc). I took a ISA prep course and bought all the study materials...did not feel too great after the exam, but felt I at least passed....I did not... 64. So I tried again this time for the ME TF and took Dr Toms Classroom, good course and helped me get organized. I did a massive amount of problems (could have done more/repeat) and felt like I did very well on the exam other than TIME! I was shocked and heartbroken when I saw that I failed. I'm hoping third time is the charm and want to see if there are any recommendations out there for my study plan I have below:

- School of PE on-demand courses as a re-refresher plus doing their examples/problems

- In addition to NCEES TF/MM practice exams which I used last time, purchase HVAC as well

- MERM problems

- SMS TF and MM 

- Goal is to get MINIMUM 2hrs a day of problem solving (around what I was doing before)

Time is what killed me on the exam, I was plowing through problems and if I had to skip one "OK"...skip 2 or 3 in a row...my mind starts racing/panicing and I lose focus on the problems ahead. 

I have read the Ramneres (sp?) thread on how he passed the ME TF and will use that as a template again...any other advice would be helpful. Thanks in advance!

BTW if anyone is wondering why I did not end up with an EE job is because I was one of those 8 year engineers in college who changed to business. Back in 2007-8 I was desperate for employment and joined this gas company working as a hand in the field...I finished up my EE degree while working there and doubled up finishing my business degree as well....though PE licensing is really the only key to any advancement.

 

[JHW 3d]

Did you have any specific areas of weakness according to the diagnostic report? Time management could be either: you understand the problem and are just slow executing, or you don't understand the problem and need time hunting down what you think is the right equation/principle etc to solve it. IMO these take different paths for resolving: the former requires that you get more comfortable executing faster (practice practice practice). For the latter, you need to get down to the basics and study the principles... Read and understand the MERM. Focus on your weak areas and own it.

 

[scatsob]

Do you have to have an ME PE?  I have been working in the civil field since graduating almost 6 years ago but took the TF exam because my degree is in aerospace and that's the closest thing NCEES has for us aeronautical engineers. So even though it's been a bit, it was much easier for me to study the TF materials because a good bit of it was still trapped. Though for my job it doesn't matter what my PE is in, just that I have one. 

 

[P-E]

I'd think it would be easier, lando, if you went for one of the EE exams.  

 

[Ramnares P.E.]

I think you need to identify what areas of your current job are most related to the PE exam and choose the discipline that is most reflected of those areas.  I know at least one person on this board who took Dr. Tom's course and passed.  Like others have said, you need to also look at your diagnostic report and identify the areas you are weak in.  

Time management will come with practicing as many problems as you can.  Again, as others on here have stated, work through the MERM problems AND the MERM practice problems, in addition to the SMS and NCEES practice exams.  The key when working these problems, particularly the areas that you are weak in, is to understand the methodology and be able to apply it, particularly in your weak areas.  For example, stoichiometric problems were always a weak point of mine so I spent extra time doing, and REDOING, as many of those problems possible until I understood the method behind the problems.

Good luck.

 

[Audi Driver P.E.]

I just don't think the work experience is giving you enough of the background you need to fully understand the "whys" of the solution process for the ME exam, which is of vital importance for passing.  Obviously, this is just my opinion without knowing you, but it seems the exam experience is bearing this out.  You're going to have to delve pretty deep into the theory and fundamentals to get over that passing hurdle.  Furthermore, TFS is, IMO, one of the more challenging problem sets within ME because of the underlying theory for things like heat transfer especially and fluid dynamics (which, once learned well makes the problem solving pretty easy, actually because there are only so many ways that certain topics can be asked).  Not saying you can't do it, but you have a tough road ahead.  Your switch from one exam discipline to the other is really puzzling to me.  Basically, you started completely over.

I've looked at a few of Dr. Tom's videos on Youtube.  Seems legit.  There were a couple videos that helped me tackle a problem type I was reviewing.

Aside from the exam, the other thing that stands out to me is simply: have you thought of changing jobs?  Usually, the best way to break a glass ceiling is not via licensing, but via job hunting.  Getting your PE is a noble goal, for sure, but are you sure it's going to get you what you want?

Anyway, you specifically asked about your proposed study regimen, and I would be remiss if I didn't comment on the one thing that seemed to be lacking from my vantage point.  Looks to me like you need to do more timed tests, since pacing was an issue.  Block out a few days at the outset and take full 8 hour timed tests using NCEES or SMS.  Grade yourself and focus your study on areas you're missing (also those from your exam diagnostic). Do this again halfway through your study timeframe, and then a couple weeks prior to the exam as well.  Good news is you have a lot of study time and you've already taken the test once, so you know a lot about what to expect.

Good luck, and I will surely be glad to help answer any subject area questions that may come up.

 

[starquest]

Very sorry to hear the news that you have to take this exam a third time.   It sounds like you were really close though based on your feelings leaving the exam. 

I second Ramnares' study guide as well as Audi's suggestion on timed tests.   The one negative on Ram's guide is that it doesn't include timed practice tests, for instead uses the ncees practice exams as more problems to process similar to the MERM and SMS.   However, where the 'timing' comes in is on the repetition.   If you can complete one of the SMS books in under 8 hours (even if it takes several repeats),  you are gaining the time management techniques.   With 80 complex problems, there is enough 'break' between repetition to reset your mind.  Even though you have 'seen' these problems a couple times prior, they still require assessment and processing.  I did the MSM SMS book 4 times and, believe me, I didn't have it memorized by any means (maybe with exception to a few of the simpler problems).   So, I'd simply recommend more repetition as you stated in your original post.  

 

[Karissa]

I would be careful of pushing yourself too much. I tried to have so many hours per day and ended up getting sick, probably due to the stress when I saw I was falling behind my plan. I recommend taking a day off a week from studying to try to recuperate/sleep/have a life. I also agree timed tests are very important for practice.

The one thing I forgot to bring the day of the exam was a watch and there was no clock in the test room either. I'm super glad that I had practiced taking timed tests because I timed the morning and afternoon just right where they called 15min and I had 2 problems left both times.

Not sure if it will help at all but my studying consisted of:

•  basically reading the whole MERM (probably not necessary but I don't do a lot of true ME work daily so I forgot a lot of it and I'm bad at tests)
  
  I would try to answer the problems in the MERM as I read
  
• After reading a chapter I was doing all the problems in the MERM practice problem book. I was told that these problems were much worse than what was on the exam so if I didn't get many right I tried to not get discouraged and just continue on. On the bright side if you can do those problems you should be much better off
  
  I would later go back and re-read chapters of the MERM I did very bad at the chapter problems and redo the problems
  

• After I read the MERM and felt ok which were I was, I would go to the local library on Sat and Sun. and do 4 hours of problems at a time to condition myself to be used to taking exams again. Problems consisted of SMS, half a practice exam, or MERM problem book.
  

• 2 Months away I would try to do 8 hours at a time on Sat of SMS or the practice exam. Then on Sun spend 4 hours redoing all the problems I got wrong and re-read sections of the MERM I was struggling with.
  

• While I did problems or read I would tab my MERM of what I thought was important. I tabbed the crap out of the book and to someone else I'm sure it looks horrible but I practiced so much with it I knew pretty much exactly where all the tabs were come exam day.
  

 

[DummyCivilEng]

How about just not working in fields not related to civil engineering. Try oil and gas industry.

 

[Ramnares P.E.]

I do not recommend reading the entire MERM.  A lot of it is not pertinent or applicable to the mechanical exam.  Time spent reading the MERM is much better spent working practice problems.  If you run out of practice problems (highly unlikely), work problems from your undergrad text books focusing on the areas you are weak on.

 

[Karissa]

I do not recommend reading the entire MERM.  A lot of it is not pertinent or applicable to the mechanical exam.  Time spent reading the MERM is much better spent working practice problems.  If you run out of practice problems (highly unlikely), work problems from your undergrad text books focusing on the areas you are weak on.

I agree, I was overwhelmed on where to start and I felt like had to relearn the basics. Looking back on it, it wasn't necessary and I could have done a better job of laying out my study plan but in the end it all worked out. Makes me wish I found this site earlier and your study plan.
 

 

[JayhawkerME]

I agree, I was overwhelmed on where to start and I felt like had to relearn the basics. Looking back on it, it wasn't necessary and I could have done a better job of laying out my study plan but in the end it all worked out. Makes me wish I found this site earlier and your study plan.
 

You're in good company-- I fell into this trap early on. It turned out to be too much of a time sink. I found it better to work problems, diagnose my weaknesses, and then hit the MERM chapters that were common stumbling points.