FAILED Mechanical PE exam (Mechanical Systems/Materials). Advice needed.

[SacMe24]

[SIZE=12pt]Hello everyone,[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Yesterday I received the sad news that I did not pass the Mechanical PE exam. According to the NCEES diagnostic report my score was 38/80 which was about the same as what I scored during the practice test. My discipline was Mechanical Systems/Materials.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]This is obviously not the result that I was hoping for especially after all the time, effort and dedication that I put into this. When I saw the word “Fail” in that little red box next to my result, I was crushed. From the get-go I knew this wouldn’t be easy as I graduated 20 years ago and haven’t touched this stuff much since. I felt at a significant disadvantage when compared to more recent grads. so I decided to enroll in a refresher course that would provide the structure needed to prepare for the exam. I chose PPI’s Mechanical PE review course and this was my general approach:[/SIZE]

• [SIZE=12pt]Was very diligent about completing all homework assignments.[/SIZE]
  
• [SIZE=12pt]Read subject matter ahead of lectures in order to get the most out of each class[/SIZE]
  
• [SIZE=12pt]As time allowed I went back to review previous lectures/homework problems to make sure I stayed current on those topics[/SIZE]
  
• [SIZE=12pt]1.5 weeks prior to the exam I took the NCEES practice test and scored 39/80. This pointed out my weaknesses which were mostly in the PM session so I went back and practiced more problems in those areas to reinforce concepts.[/SIZE]
  
• [SIZE=12pt]The last 2 weeks prior to the exam I also went back to review some HW problems that I felt emphasized key concepts I needed to reinforce.[/SIZE]
  

[SIZE=12pt]At this point I’m wondering what I need to do BETTER and/or DIFFERENT for next time because obviously, my methodology didn’t work. Maybe now that the exam is more discipline focused I’ll have extra time to do more problems and review old exams to gain practice and speed.  [/SIZE]I’m already enrolled for the April’17 exam, same discipline, and any advice this group could offer would be much appreciated.

[SIZE=12pt]Thanks in advance.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt][/SIZE]

JV

 

[loudog]

JV, 

I'm really sorry to hear this. But as with much of the group, keep chugging along and the license will be yours. 

I took the mechanical systems test this October too, and fortunately passed. 

My recommendation would be to take another class, provided by another entity, to broaden and diversify your knowledge-based. I tool Dr. Tom's review course and felt very well prepped for the test. When I took the NCEES sample exam, I scored a 76/80, no doubt in part because I had seen some of the problems before, but I think that shows, to an extent, how the review course covered the material. 

The Dr. Tom class also ensures that you're well organized for the test. I did very little flipping and fumbling during the test. 

From what I understand, the WHOLE test in April is going to be more similar to the afternoon session you were faced with in October...so you'll have to make darn sure you've got those topics mastered. That's going to make studying a bit more difficult for the next round too, since most of the educational providers are going to have re-vamp their classes, and might not have them done in time for April studying. 

Anyway, I recommend the DTC classes, and wish you luck. Make sure you pick up the new NCEES practice exam, which I think addresses the new structure. 

 

[Rohsid]

I would like to share my experience and strategies which I used to prepare for OCT 2016 PE exam (Mechanical systems and materials). Hopefully, this will help you too.

I graduated 10 years ago and was very tough to prepare for the exam. Extremely thankful to my family and employer who supported me. 

Preparation: (Self-study and YouTube videos for special matters)

I started preparing for the exam 4 months ago with 2-3 hours every day, minimum 4 hours over the weekends and then slowly stretched myself for more study hours. After the office hours I used to study in office and the same over weekends.

I went through each and every line of the MERM book, in case of different formulae I used to ask myself that what are the different combinations that could be possible and used to prepare different problem statements.

Also, I have solved all the problems given in the book twice and mostly struggled with unit conversions. I have never used English units in school. While solving the same problem I used to make different mistakes every time and that helped me to realized that in exam I have to be careful with those important steps.

I took two weeks leave before the exam so that I can prepare for the Big day.

Strategies:

1.Print MERM index in a separate binder and tag alphabetically. Extremely useful and could save few seconds.

2.Purcahse unit conversion book and tag alphabetically (Optional) or use conversion table given in MERM book

3.Use separate sheet to mark Important/extensively used formulae, tables, values of E & G, important material properties etc

4.Tag important topics in MERM book in alphabetically and familiarized yourself with all table values and its content.

5.Use NCEES practice exam book (helpful).

Advise:

In exam, firstly, they want to scare student with problem statements, Do not panic and approach one problem at a time. List down all the given variables along with their units and required unknown & unit.

If you have difficulty in understanding/visualizing the problem then read for second time or third time.

Surely, you will get hint and starting point.

Give yourself enough time for preparation and evaluate your own strength and weaknesses.

Do enough practice problem and do not worry if you make mistakes but “do not repeat the same mistakes”.

Wish you good luck!

Roh

 

[SmilinEd]

While I didn't take the Mechanical Systems / Materials PM (I am a TFS guy), the strategies to do well cross over disciplines. @Rohsid and @loudog covered the most important points! 

Take PPI up on there passing guarantee, but select a different teacher. A friend of mine did this and it helped a ton. He just connected (and therefore, understood) one teacher better than the other (no slight against his first teacher, of course). Second, if you didn't already do this, minimize the material you need for the exam. Personally, I would take MERM, Engineering Unit conversions (tab it like @Rohsid suggested, very helpful), the Mechanics/Materials book you are the most comfortable with (i.e. Roarks, Shigley, etc.), and the NCEES practice exams. The NCEES practice exams, although rarely from what I have been told, contain questions that are very, very similar to the questions on the exam you sit for, and the methodology can be applied (this got me the answer to a question, substitute plug-and-chug). IMHO, the clock is your biggest enemy. I tried to emphasize speed in my test preparation, and it was even more important than I realized. 

Best of luck to you in April!

 

[Mr_Duct]

I took the October 2016 HVAC+R exam and passed it on the 1st try.  

There's good news if you did poorly in the other 2 categories (Thermal/Fluids and HVAC+Refrigeration).  The problems from those categories will not be on the April 2017 MD+M exam.

http://ncees.org/wp-content/uploads/PE-Mech_Machine-Apr-2017.pdf

However, expect to see more difficult problems in the morning session. 

What worked for me:

• 8 tabbed binders with notes, sample problems, MERM appendix, and important charts. 
  
• Studying over 5 months (and on/off studying before that, but never taking the exam) and over 450 hours
  
• Bring textbooks (I even brought Shigley's), codes, and standards.  
  
• Do lots of practice problems, even from textbooks and old school practice exam problems with multiple parts.
  
• MERM is still important, even if the material on the April 2017 exam has been reduced.
  
• Mark's Standard Handbook is valuable, you can count on it helping you on at least a couple problems.
  

I knew this wouldn’t be easy as I graduated 20 years ago and haven’t touched this stuff much since. I felt at a significant disadvantage when compared to more recent grads. so I decided to enroll in a refresher course that would provide the structure needed to prepare for the exam.

You need to relearn some things yourself.  You cannot depend on the course to carry you through.  

October 2016 Morning Breadth Specs:

. Basic Engineering Practice 12
A. Basic Engineering Practice 12
1. Engineering terms and symbols
2. Economic analysis
3. Project management
4. Interpretation of technical drawings
5. Electrical concepts
6. Units and conversions
II. Mechanical Systems and Materials 8
A. Principles 5
1. Statics and dynamics
2. Strength of materials
3. Stress analysis
4. Fatigue theory
2
B. Applications 3
1. Mechanical components (e.g., springs, gears, pressure vessels)
2. Joints and fasteners (e.g., welding, bolts, adhesives)
3. Vibration/dynamic analysis
4. Materials selection (e.g., corrosion, weight, strength)
III. Hydraulics and Fluids 7
A. Principles 3
1. Compressible flow
2. Incompressible flow
B. Applications 4
1. Hydraulic and fluid equipment (e.g., pumps, turbines, compressors)
2. Piping systems and components
IV. Energy/Power Systems 6
A. Principles 3
1. Thermodynamic cycles
2. Thermodynamic properties
3. Energy balances
4. Mass balances
5. Heat transfer
6. Combustion
B. Applications 3
1. Power conversion systems
2. Energy/power equipment (e.g., turbines, boilers, engines)
3. Heat exchangers
V. HVAC/Refrigeration 7
A. Principles 4
1. Psychrometrics
2. Refrigeration cycles
3. Heat transfer
B. Applications 3
1. HVAC/refrigeration systems
2. HVAC/refrigeration components (e.g., air handlers, compressors)
3. Heating/cooling loads
 

 

[JHW 3d]

Best advice I can give is: work the practice problems until you get them right. By this, I mean... work the problem blind, then read the answer. If you get it wrong, try to understand why, then rework it. Don't be satisfied that you understand how to work a problem just by reading the answer.

 

[starquest]

Very sorry to hear about your result.  Keep your head up, you'll get it the next time!

More hours of self-study...I really think that is the key.  The review course helps but I'd view it as a supplement at this point.   

Others gave great advice above and there are several proven study plans over in the Mechanical forum.  As pointed out, the Spring 17 exam will be different which leaves a bit of uncertainty but I'd still follow the study approaches defined.     

Here is the link to the plan I followed.  The thread was initially for TFS depth but it is applicable to all three ME exams.  

 

[TxMechEng]

I passed in October after failing twice. Take Testmasters....I took PPI....I thought PPI was a waste compared to Testmasters. Testmasters prepped me for those vibration problems in the PM....remember that most people will barely pass this exam so it's important to look at those afternoon problems in your diagnostic that you had trouble with.

I took the online Testmasters course and it prepped me for things that the PPI review course could not prep me for twice. 

 

[SacMe24]

JV, 

I'm really sorry to hear this. But as with much of the group, keep chugging along and the license will be yours. 

I took the mechanical systems test this October too, and fortunately passed. 

My recommendation would be to take another class, provided by another entity, to broaden and diversify your knowledge-based. I tool Dr. Tom's review course and felt very well prepped for the test. When I took the NCEES sample exam, I scored a 76/80, no doubt in part because I had seen some of the problems before, but I think that shows, to an extent, how the review course covered the material. 

The Dr. Tom class also ensures that you're well organized for the test. I did very little flipping and fumbling during the test. 

From what I understand, the WHOLE test in April is going to be more similar to the afternoon session you were faced with in October...so you'll have to make darn sure you've got those topics mastered. That's going to make studying a bit more difficult for the next round too, since most of the educational providers are going to have re-vamp their classes, and might not have them done in time for April studying. 

Anyway, I recommend the DTC classes, and wish you luck. Make sure you pick up the new NCEES practice exam, which I think addresses the new structure. 

Hello Loudog,

Thank you so much for taking the time to provide me some advice. I did visit Dr. Tom's web site before I decided on PPI's and again after you recommended it. Unfortunately the 20-week class has already started for the April exam and the 3-week course is just too short for me. For now, I will take advantage of PPI's guarantee and re-take the course with a different instructor. I will also supplement their lectures with material from Kahn Academy and other sources I've been looking up on the web. I will also spend more time practicing actual, exam-like problems and hopefully with all these changes, things will line up for me come June of next year.

Once again thanks for your response and suggestions!

JV

 

[SacMe24]

I passed in October after failing twice. Take Testmasters....I took PPI....I thought PPI was a waste compared to Testmasters. Testmasters prepped me for those vibration problems in the PM....remember that most people will barely pass this exam so it's important to look at those afternoon problems in your diagnostic that you had trouble with.

I took the online Testmasters course and it prepped me for things that the PPI review course could not prep me for twice. 

Hello TxMechEng,

I just visited their web site and the course does look pretty good, I'll see if it's not too late to register and take advantage of their discounts. Much appreciated.

JV

 

[JonA2B3]

I also passed in October after failing twice. I recommend the Six-Minute Solutions for Mechanical PE Exam Mechanical Systems and Materials Problems. I believe this put me over the top when it came to preparation and there were a few problems on the exam that were straight from this book. The questions on the exam actually gave more information which made obtaining the answer a little faster.

 

[loudog]

Hello Loudog,

Thank you so much for taking the time to provide me some advice. I did visit Dr. Tom's web site before I decided on PPI's and again after you recommended it. Unfortunately the 20-week class has already started for the April exam and the 3-week course is just too short for me. For now, I will take advantage of PPI's guarantee and re-take the course with a different instructor. I will also supplement their lectures with material from Kahn Academy and other sources I've been looking up on the web. I will also spend more time practicing actual, exam-like problems and hopefully with all these changes, things will line up for me come June of next year.

Once again thanks for your response and suggestions!

JV

You're welcome JV. I took Dr. Tom's 10-week course. Is that still available?

 

 

[SacMe24]

You're welcome JV. I took Dr. Tom's 10-week course. Is that still available?

 

There is no 10-week course, only the 20 week and another one called Fast-Track, but he hasn't updated the class schedule so not sure of the actual start dates.

 

[SacMe24]

I also passed in October after failing twice. I recommend the Six-Minute Solutions for Mechanical PE Exam Mechanical Systems and Materials Problems. I believe this put me over the top when it came to preparation and there were a few problems on the exam that were straight from this book. The questions on the exam actually gave more information which made obtaining the answer a little faster.

Hello JonA2B3:

I also have the 6-min solutions book but only had time to review the 1st half of it. I'll definitely spend more time working on the entire book for this 2nd round. Thanks!

 

[loudog]

There is no 10-week course, only the 20 week and another one called Fast-Track, but he hasn't updated the class schedule so not sure of the actual start dates.

I took that, the fast track, and it took me 10 weeks. Highly recommended. 

I suspect he'll have to revamp it for the new structure, so hopefully that happens in time for the April cycle.

 

[SacMe24]

I would like to share my experience and strategies which I used to prepare for OCT 2016 PE exam (Mechanical systems and materials). Hopefully, this will help you too.

I graduated 10 years ago and was very tough to prepare for the exam. Extremely thankful to my family and employer who supported me. 

Preparation: (Self-study and YouTube videos for special matters)

I started preparing for the exam 4 months ago with 2-3 hours every day, minimum 4 hours over the weekends and then slowly stretched myself for more study hours. After the office hours I used to study in office and the same over weekends.

I went through each and every line of the MERM book, in case of different formulae I used to ask myself that what are the different combinations that could be possible and used to prepare different problem statements.

Also, I have solved all the problems given in the book twice and mostly struggled with unit conversions. I have never used English units in school. While solving the same problem I used to make different mistakes every time and that helped me to realized that in exam I have to be careful with those important steps.

I took two weeks leave before the exam so that I can prepare for the Big day.

Strategies:

1.Print MERM index in a separate binder and tag alphabetically. Extremely useful and could save few seconds.

2.Purcahse unit conversion book and tag alphabetically (Optional) or use conversion table given in MERM book

3.Use separate sheet to mark Important/extensively used formulae, tables, values of E & G, important material properties etc

4.Tag important topics in MERM book in alphabetically and familiarized yourself with all table values and its content.

5.Use NCEES practice exam book (helpful).

Advise:

In exam, firstly, they want to scare student with problem statements, Do not panic and approach one problem at a time. List down all the given variables along with their units and required unknown & unit.

If you have difficulty in understanding/visualizing the problem then read for second time or third time.

Surely, you will get hint and starting point.

Give yourself enough time for preparation and evaluate your own strength and weaknesses.

Do enough practice problem and do not worry if you make mistakes but “do not repeat the same mistakes”.

Wish you good luck!

Roh

Hello Roh,

Thank you so much for the advice, much appreciated. I did most of the things on your list but did not take 2 weeks off prior to the exam to study. This 2nd time around I'm definitely going to practice more problems and read other books in the areas where I was weak.

 

[SacMe24]

While I didn't take the Mechanical Systems / Materials PM (I am a TFS guy), the strategies to do well cross over disciplines. @Rohsid and @loudog covered the most important points! 

Take PPI up on there passing guarantee, but select a different teacher. A friend of mine did this and it helped a ton. He just connected (and therefore, understood) one teacher better than the other (no slight against his first teacher, of course). Second, if you didn't already do this, minimize the material you need for the exam. Personally, I would take MERM, Engineering Unit conversions (tab it like @Rohsid suggested, very helpful), the Mechanics/Materials book you are the most comfortable with (i.e. Roarks, Shigley, etc.), and the NCEES practice exams. The NCEES practice exams, although rarely from what I have been told, contain questions that are very, very similar to the questions on the exam you sit for, and the methodology can be applied (this got me the answer to a question, substitute plug-and-chug). IMHO, the clock is your biggest enemy. I tried to emphasize speed in my test preparation, and it was even more important than I realized. 

Best of luck to you in April!

SmilinEd,

I've already taken PPI up on their guarantee offer and thankfully, I will have another instructor for the Jan-Apr course. One thing I must do, as you say, emphasize test preparation and do more problems. Although I completed all homework assignments and did the NCEES practice test, I feel I could've practiced more problems instead of going over the same ones we reviewed in class.

Thanks for your advice!

 

[SacMe24]

I took the October 2016 HVAC+R exam and passed it on the 1st try.  

There's good news if you did poorly in the other 2 categories (Thermal/Fluids and HVAC+Refrigeration).  The problems from those categories will not be on the April 2017 MD+M exam.

http://ncees.org/wp-content/uploads/PE-Mech_Machine-Apr-2017.pdf

However, expect to see more difficult problems in the morning session. 

What worked for me:

• 8 tabbed binders with notes, sample problems, MERM appendix, and important charts. 
  
• Studying over 5 months (and on/off studying before that, but never taking the exam) and over 450 hours
  
• Bring textbooks (I even brought Shigley's), codes, and standards.  
  
• Do lots of practice problems, even from textbooks and old school practice exam problems with multiple parts.
  
• MERM is still important, even if the material on the April 2017 exam has been reduced.
  
• Mark's Standard Handbook is valuable, you can count on it helping you on at least a couple problems.
  

You need to relearn some things yourself.  You cannot depend on the course to carry you through.  

October 2016 Morning Breadth Specs:

. Basic Engineering Practice 12
A. Basic Engineering Practice 12
1. Engineering terms and symbols
2. Economic analysis
3. Project management
4. Interpretation of technical drawings
5. Electrical concepts
6. Units and conversions
II. Mechanical Systems and Materials 8
A. Principles 5
1. Statics and dynamics
2. Strength of materials
3. Stress analysis
4. Fatigue theory
2
B. Applications 3
1. Mechanical components (e.g., springs, gears, pressure vessels)
2. Joints and fasteners (e.g., welding, bolts, adhesives)
3. Vibration/dynamic analysis
4. Materials selection (e.g., corrosion, weight, strength)
III. Hydraulics and Fluids 7
A. Principles 3
1. Compressible flow
2. Incompressible flow
B. Applications 4
1. Hydraulic and fluid equipment (e.g., pumps, turbines, compressors)
2. Piping systems and components
IV. Energy/Power Systems 6
A. Principles 3
1. Thermodynamic cycles
2. Thermodynamic properties
3. Energy balances
4. Mass balances
5. Heat transfer
6. Combustion
B. Applications 3
1. Power conversion systems
2. Energy/power equipment (e.g., turbines, boilers, engines)
3. Heat exchangers
V. HVAC/Refrigeration 7
A. Principles 4
1. Psychrometrics
2. Refrigeration cycles
3. Heat transfer
B. Applications 3
1. HVAC/refrigeration systems
2. HVAC/refrigeration components (e.g., air handlers, compressors)
3. Heating/cooling loads
 

Hello Mr. Duct,

First of all thanks for your response! From the list of things that worked for you, I definitely need to do 3 things which I didn't do before:

*Start studying a month before the course begins. I will emphasize the areas where I didn't do so well based on the diagnostic report, have already found some good videos via Kahn academy and will also bring back some college textbooks back from retirement.

*Do more practice problems beyond those in homework assignments. I already bought a book that was highly recommended on Amazon for my exam discipline with lots of examples/solutions.

*I've never had to use Mark's standard handbook and I've heard that if you're not familiar with book, it's probably better not to bring it to the exam. I've scanned through a PDF version of it on-line and it seems to have the same principles as MERM. Is that correct?

Thanks again for your time.

JV

 

[SacMe24]

Best advice I can give is: work the practice problems until you get them right. By this, I mean... work the problem blind, then read the answer. If you get it wrong, try to understand why, then rework it. Don't be satisfied that you understand how to work a problem just by reading the answer.

Hello JHW,

One thing has become very clear from the responses I've received so far and yours echoes the same message. I need to practice even MORE problems. So I just bought another book which contains lots of them, all with solutions so I can better prep. for the exam.

Thanks for your time and response!

 

[JHW 3d]

On 12/18/2016 at 9:05 AM, JHW 3d said: Best advice I can give is: work the practice problems until you get them right. By this, I mean... work the problem blind, then read the answer. If you get it wrong, try to understand why, then rework it. Don't be satisfied that you understand how to work a problem just by reading the answer.

Hello JHW,One thing has become very clear from the responses I've received so far and yours echoes the same message. I need to practice even MORE problems. So I just bought another book which contains lots of them, all with solutions so I can better prep. for the exam.

Thanks for your time and response!

Actually, I would say I advocate making the most of the problems you likely have already (MERM companion problems, practice tests, etc).

If you have book with 1,001 worked problems you're just as likely to "**** that" to a hard problem you don't understand and move on, than you are to say "I will understand this problem if it kills me." I advocate understanding concepts over "getting good at solving problems". I realize I may be in the minority here on EB...

Anyway, GOOD LUCK!!