Final Prep and Exam Day

[MetsFan]

Thanks Outlaw. I guess I'll skim through the MERM one last time and make note of things that appear important. One thing I did learn was to mark down the page number for problems I'm coming back to. I spent a few minutes looking through the index again tr ting to look for stuff.

 

[MetsFan]

*trying to look for stuff.

 

[MizzouMatt]

I also made a bunch of stupid mistakes on my first run through. Diameter instead of radius, F instead of K, forgetting to square something. there is a pretty good checklist in the front of MERM for things to look out for.

 

[Krakosky]

I was feeling pretty confident after taking the 2008/2010 morning session a couple weeks ago. I had gotten 30/40 but didn't get a chance to even answer 5 questions and I didn't bother guessing bc I didn't want to count guesses for my practice test. I took the afternoon portion and got a 18/40 again with timing being a huge issue. I realized there were a few topics within my MD depth that MERM skimped out on that I brushed up on since. Took the NCEES 2001 and Chapek practice exams this weekend and was really dissapointed in myself. For some reason the morning section of the 2001 NCEES exam seemed harder than the 2008 exam. Maybe it's just that it touched more of the topics I'm less familiar with. I thought there were more multi step problems than compared to the 2008 exam. I was ok on the afternoon portion as far as material goes but timing is killing me.

I think I'm going to review the 2 practice exams I took, specifically looking at my trouble spots and then try to squeeze in some time to redo some of the portions of the test, morning, afternoon, full test.

I worked the breadth section of the 6MS HVAC and thought the problems were comparable to the 2008 exam. I still have to take the T/F 6MS.

Stressed out and burned out. Ready or not, it's coming.

 

[Outlaw44]

For the AISI material selection, there are a couple of pages at the beginning of the materials section in the MERM that discuss this nomenclature. I'll look tomorrow for the pages exactly.

Page 45-6 has a couple tables with the AISI material designations in it. Also, there is a paragraph in the lower left hand corner of the page describing the nomenclature.

 

[MetsFan]

^^ Yeah, I saw that too. Thanks! I must've missed it while rushing through it. All I had to do was look for steel in the index since its listed there too.

Is 105 confusing for anybody else? I might be over thinking it, but it doesn't make sense to me. Why would they deliver parts from source Y before procuring parts from source Y? And what exactly do they mean by procure?

 

[Outlaw44]

^^ Yeah, I saw that too. Thanks! I must've missed it while rushing through it. All I had to do was look for steel in the index since its listed there too.

Is 105 confusing for anybody else? I might be over thinking it, but it doesn't make sense to me. Why would they deliver parts from source Y before procuring parts from source Y? And what exactly do they mean by procure?

105 is kinda confusing. I missed it my first go round. Procure just means the ordering process. So they order parts from source X and it takes so many days to get processed and out for delivery. Then delivery is listed as a separate item. I think the question you asked is backwards. In the table they procure parts from source x, then procure parts from source y, 2 days later. It is odd, but then they say it takes 7 days to deliver parts from source x AFTER parts are procured from source y. Again, kind of weird, but they list 11 days for delivery of parts from y after the procurement of parts from x. It's weird that the clock starts on the delivery of parts from y the same time that procurement starts, but this could be the same thing as saying the delivery duration includes 2 days for the procurement of parts from y.

I think they list the durations this way just to make you think about the process and how to account for the extra days in the delivery of x. Does the solution make sense?

 

[MetsFan]

Maybe they were trying to simplify it and in turn made it more confusing.

Yeah the solution made sense, I just couldn't understand the process. Thanks again. Can I take you in as my reference??

I can't believe 115 either. It's so easy once you have the equation but it's tucked away under belt conveyors in chapter 64... I doubt I'll have time to find an obscure equation like that during the test.

 

[Outlaw44]

^^ Haha! Not sure I'd be such a good reference, but I appreciate the boost!

I think there are a couple sections on scheduling/processes in the MERM. I can't remember exactly, but I think it was under project management or maybe project controls? I remember seeing flow diagrams and durations similar to the solution.

Yeah, 115 pissed me off. I missed that one on my first run through the sample test. Funny thing is, I got to the right page (56-7), but the way it's listed as Fmax and Fmin just didn't register in my head as I was frantically trying to find the right equation. You're very right though. I'm concerned that something is going to pop up that maybe I'm just a hair unfamiliar with and won't have time to figure it out.

They should make a movie called "P.E. Games." I bet that **** would sellout.

 

[MetsFan]

Dah! I feel dumb now... I guess if I had read the little blurb about belt friction I may have gotten it, maybe. 4 hours goes by way too fast.

 

[Rockettt]

I forgot how i found that equation for belt friction but i found it relatively quickly and have never used before. I tabbed the heck out of my MERM, but I found it quicker and more often I am using the index so I plan to tab that as well. Usually ill look up a topic or something relatively close and It will either put me close to where i need to be, OR It may have a sub topic in the index that points directly to what you are looking for.

For example, (and not sure this is the case as I dont have my MERM here at work), but look up "friction"....then a subset may include "about a radius" or something. I am sure thats not it but you get the idea.

That stupid Days delayed production planning problem got me too. Cripes Ive run a production facility for 4 years and got it wrong! Course we do ship late when we're busy sooo...

 

[Krakosky]

I also got the production problem wrong. Even after reviewing the solution it's still a little confusing. I think it's an all around confusing problem.

 

[ksprayberry]

I think I remember I found the answer for 115 in my physics book of all places. Then stupid me, I was looking at the wrong example and used the radian equivalent for 90 degrees instead of 180 DOH! Like I've told my coworkers, half of learning something is having screwed it up..ONCE.

KS

 

[Krakosky]

Anybody else struggling with timing other than me? It's frustrating to have to "rush" thru the problems to try and finish in time but then end up making dumb mistakes in the process.

 

[Rockettt]

I have slight timing troubles. I fly through all the ones i know. Dont even attempt the ones i cant get a game plan together in say 15 seconds. So ill get through say 35 of em quick. Then the last 5 i took so long that I had to straight up guess as I coudlnt arrive at the right answer. Couple I just didnt know the approach. Come to find out usually onthe right track but screw something up so when the numbers dont work out i get fustered. I missed one just because i didnt convert to RPMs out of rad/sec. Used a whole different solution too but arrived at the right answer minus the units.

Units Units units. I dream about radians and pi and psi.... not sure if its a good thing or a bad thing.

 

[Krakosky]

Yeah I think I need to take your approach of going thru and quickly working all of the problems I know how to do first. I have worked them in order and wasted too much time trying to figure out ones I wasn't sure on. I figure we can probably miss 10 in the am and 10 in the pm and pass so I need to just let the ones that are taking me forever be and come back to them if I have time. I also have made dumb units errors or used the "outside diameter" instead of the "mean diameter". Sigh.

 

[Rockettt]

In reality, If I can get 35 on the PM (Which should be feasible since its my area of expertise), and 25 on the AM (not all in my MD field but should know enough to get 25 right) then i think I SHOULD be good Id say. I realize cut score changes but...in reality thats not bad having 60/80 right. Is it comfortable? No probably not but...

I remember a thread I saw a long time ago. its not like they (state) are against you and trying to keep you from passing. They need to ensure that the test is conducive to weed out the people that flat out shouldnt be PE's. The ones that dont study and wing it or simply dont care well I dont want them in my proffesion anyway, and they will most likely not succeed. Those who care will pass, if not first time then eventually because they care enough to pass. Those are the men and women I look forward to working with. So they are doing a service for us so I try not to get too angry when I fall prey to a question lol.

My two cents.

Sounds like most of us are good to go. Confidence plays a part and we've all studdied from the turn of the new year or even earlier. If that aint enough then....

 

[aneesu786]

Time will be your major problem on this test. I worked on the exam literally to the last second of regulation time. However, the last few problems were ones I had skipped.

My advice is to flip through the whole exam booklet and if possible quickly read each problem. I spend the first 6 minutes reading all the problems. I noticed that the wordy/long-stated problems are the easier ones to get, because they gave alot of superfluous data. The toughest questions were the one line questions.

Spend only 5-6 minutes on each question, if you can't get it in two or three tries move on to the next question. My brain was sub-consciously working on the problems I skipped. So sometimes when I came back to a problem, I got it within a minute. If there is a problem where you are consistently getting the wrong answer even though you think you have done it right, check what units they want the answer in. In my first iteration I had skipped 5-8 questions, and then came back and answered all but 3. The three I had to take an educated guess.

Draw a free-body diagram always!!!

As for cell-phones, they will make a general announcement before the test begins and you have the oppurtunity to give the cell phone to the procter, which will be on their desk. No harm there, just don't keep it on yourself. In pittsburgh, everyone was well staffed and genial.

You have to be in the mindset of getting all question right, don't worry about the cut-score. You will mostly likely make a lot more silly mistakes than you realize. You exact answer should be close to the answer choices, in most cases.

Based on the comments on this board, I think you guys are well prepared. Right after you leave the exam room, you should have a good idea if you passed. I kinda new i passed but as you wait for weeks, that confidence will decline. So remember how you feel right when you leave the exam room.

Oh, also note that they will close down this board Thursday/Friday. They did it last October, so if you have any last minute questions ask now!

Or else Good Luck, and enjoy the experience.

 

[MetsFan]

Yeah, I definitely spent too much time on that 105 problem when I should've just skipped it and go on. I didn't even get it right!

Here are a couple of other cheat sheets that look useful for fluids and HVAC. I'm going to stick them in my binder just in case.

/>http://www.abccert.org/pdf_docs/abcwwtfctable.pdf/>https://nlb4.testrac.com/NITC/Objectives/HVACRStar.pdf

 

[Outlaw44]

Great advice Aneesu. I think skipping a problem I can't figure out will be hard for me to do mentally, but I acknowledge I have to do it to be successful.

I'm actually kind of excited to get this thing going. I've done well on my last couple runs through the NCEES practice test and I figure I'll at least get good exposure to the exam if I don't pass and have to take it again.