Highest number of Questions right to fail?
- Thread starter steve1997
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D
Dexman PE
This is one of those topics that has been beaten so many times from so many different angles that this poor horse is unrecognizable.
The problem with trying to find the minimum or the cut score is that is does vary from discipline to discipline and exam to exam, and we have such incomplete data to work from we've just come to the conclusion that its just not worth it.
I will say that if you're at around a 53/80, youre damn close to passing. That being said, i would still recommend studying your ass of for the next go around, because typically only 25% of the questions are reused, meaning the other 75% can be completely different from what you saw before.
The problem with trying to find the minimum or the cut score is that is does vary from discipline to discipline and exam to exam, and we have such incomplete data to work from we've just come to the conclusion that its just not worth it.
I will say that if you're at around a 53/80, youre damn close to passing. That being said, i would still recommend studying your ass of for the next go around, because typically only 25% of the questions are reused, meaning the other 75% can be completely different from what you saw before.
I know that this topic has been beaten and it is hard to determine. But what I am asking is for is pretty straight foward. For the people on this board who took the October 2010 Structural 1 PE exam what was the highest number of problems you got right and still failed. Basically I want to know if anyone who took this test this past October failed with a 54/80
Steve1997,
I failed with 53/80 as well. I will be so upset if it is 54/80.
Honestly,I do not wanna know
D
Dexman PE
But what good would come of you knowing it was 54? Its not going to change anything, unless you plan on wasting the $75 for a recheck (which btw has never changed a score).
I know it boils down to a "I just want to know" thing, but its pain and torment that wont produce anything productive. Its like "rabbit hunting" in poker (where you fold, but want to see the next card that would have come if you had called instead). Regardless of what comes, you still lost the hand, and if the card you needed would have come, youre tormented with the "what might have been".
Either way, you're better off knowing you were close, what things you need to work on, and to keep on grinding through it until you get it.
I know it boils down to a "I just want to know" thing, but its pain and torment that wont produce anything productive. Its like "rabbit hunting" in poker (where you fold, but want to see the next card that would have come if you had called instead). Regardless of what comes, you still lost the hand, and if the card you needed would have come, youre tormented with the "what might have been".
Either way, you're better off knowing you were close, what things you need to work on, and to keep on grinding through it until you get it.
The reason I want to know is if I was that close I would dispute my exam, I am still not convinced I could have failed that exam and I would like to see the questions I got wrong. The problem with that is that they will allow you to see the questions you got wrong but they will not tell you what you answered and what the correct answer is....so what the hell is the point of that. How do you call that a dispute when I cant agrue the answer because they wont let me see what the correct answer is. Because you all know that there are questions on that test that could go either way, those questions where you are fighting in your head....is it "b" or "c" becuase the answers are so close it could go either way. I know for a fact there where a few on this last exam and I would like the opportunity to argue them.
Steve,
One small word of advice, you won't get anything helpful for disputing the exam. You are right, you won't be able to go and say that a specific problem had errors in it. The NCEES gives something like a 10 day window just after any exam to complain about specific questions or to let them know that something unbecomming an engineer went on inside the exam room.
More people than you realize have gone through this.
I'm sorry that you have failed, but pick yourself back up and take the PE Civil or 2 day SE.
:2cents:
One small word of advice, you won't get anything helpful for disputing the exam. You are right, you won't be able to go and say that a specific problem had errors in it. The NCEES gives something like a 10 day window just after any exam to complain about specific questions or to let them know that something unbecomming an engineer went on inside the exam room.
More people than you realize have gone through this.
I'm sorry that you have failed, but pick yourself back up and take the PE Civil or 2 day SE.
:2cents:
Nobody else thinks it is funny that they allow a review but they wont allow to see the correct answers or what you answered? Doesnt seem right to me......I (or any of us) should be able to have the opportunity to dispute certain problems. I remember one specific problem that two of the answers were so close that you basically just had to pick one because in reality the answer could have been both but instead I could have got that question wrong. I should be able to plead my case especially if I was that close to passing. You want to say "pick yourself up and do it again" well now I have to face a 16 hour exam w/ a $1000 price tag instead of taking the same exam. It is not even in the same ballpark, it is a totally different test and I feel like I am back to square one....... I just dont htink that the process is fair especially when you wait 73 days to find out you failed and have to immediately start studying again to prepare for a totally different test that no one has seen before and the fact that you dont even get the opportunity to argue certain problems is just not right......
D
Dexman PE
Say you got that "really close" one correct, what then? Or what if you were way off and both of the "really close" answers were wrong?
Those are both part of the exam. You have to remember that each available answer is plausible if you make "typical" errors, such as wrong units, bad unit conversions, commonly misused equations, etc. I remember at least half a dozen questions where i made the calcs twice and got 2 different answers (both of which were available choices). Only when i ran it a third time did i get the right answer, or at least replicated a previous calc.
please realize that the ncees doesnt give out exam problems for 2 reasons: 1 they follow the same confidentiality clause that they had you sign. It wouldnt make since for them to give out problems after telling you not to, would it? 2. They reuse 25% of the exam for the next one, so you would have a 1:4 chance of seeing that exam question again (probably revised slightly, like numbers used). If they gave you a solved problem, you would essentially have a "gimme" for the next round.
Basically, the ncees doesnt give out this information for the same reason the tell you not to: to preserve the equality and fairness to all testtakers.
I really dont want to sound harsh, but you sould really just focus your energy on the next go around. I know you dont want to sit for another 8 hour (or 16) exam, but those are the cards dealt to you. Either way, you have to remember that this exam is NOT like a college test where you can just go into the professors office and ask for partial credit (at least not anymore).
Those are both part of the exam. You have to remember that each available answer is plausible if you make "typical" errors, such as wrong units, bad unit conversions, commonly misused equations, etc. I remember at least half a dozen questions where i made the calcs twice and got 2 different answers (both of which were available choices). Only when i ran it a third time did i get the right answer, or at least replicated a previous calc.
please realize that the ncees doesnt give out exam problems for 2 reasons: 1 they follow the same confidentiality clause that they had you sign. It wouldnt make since for them to give out problems after telling you not to, would it? 2. They reuse 25% of the exam for the next one, so you would have a 1:4 chance of seeing that exam question again (probably revised slightly, like numbers used). If they gave you a solved problem, you would essentially have a "gimme" for the next round.
Basically, the ncees doesnt give out this information for the same reason the tell you not to: to preserve the equality and fairness to all testtakers.
I really dont want to sound harsh, but you sould really just focus your energy on the next go around. I know you dont want to sit for another 8 hour (or 16) exam, but those are the cards dealt to you. Either way, you have to remember that this exam is NOT like a college test where you can just go into the professors office and ask for partial credit (at least not anymore).
NCcarguy
Well-known member
Steve, Take some advice from a 3 time failer.
I thought I had CERTAINLY passed the 3rd time, I was totally convinced, then I got the analysis letter that left me about where you are....53/80
I started actually looking back at a few of the questions I could remember, and noticed.....I missed something on 2. These were basically "look-up" questions, so it was easy to look back over. I didn't pay attention to details!!! I then realized how I turned a sure-fire passing score into a failure. The next test almost seemed easy to me, and I passed, but it was the realization that I missed a unit, a note, just something easy a couple of times that made me slow down, and get the ones that I knew the answer to correct.
I'll promise you money that you failed. Don't waste time on that test. take my advice and get it right next time.
I thought I had CERTAINLY passed the 3rd time, I was totally convinced, then I got the analysis letter that left me about where you are....53/80
I started actually looking back at a few of the questions I could remember, and noticed.....I missed something on 2. These were basically "look-up" questions, so it was easy to look back over. I didn't pay attention to details!!! I then realized how I turned a sure-fire passing score into a failure. The next test almost seemed easy to me, and I passed, but it was the realization that I missed a unit, a note, just something easy a couple of times that made me slow down, and get the ones that I knew the answer to correct.
I'll promise you money that you failed. Don't waste time on that test. take my advice and get it right next time.
cdcengineer
Sharp as a piece of beach glass
Steve,
Use the report for the tool that it is. It will help you recognize the areas you were weakest. Focus there and crank out as many practice problems as possible until the April exam. It's a tricky multiple choice exam. Re-checking the exam will only drag out the inevitable...
Good luck.
Use the report for the tool that it is. It will help you recognize the areas you were weakest. Focus there and crank out as many practice problems as possible until the April exam. It's a tricky multiple choice exam. Re-checking the exam will only drag out the inevitable...
Good luck.
ptatohed
Licenced to Spell
I understand and I know nothing will come out of questioning my exam but you fail to realize that for me and many others who failed the Structural 1 that it isnt as easy as "take the test again".....now we have to deal with a whole different animal, the 16 hour that costs $1000. I am bummed that I failed and if I had to take the same test again I would say "lets do it" but know knowing that I am going into a whole different test after failing it twice is difficult to grasp.
I understand and I know nothing will come out of questioning my exam but you fail to realize that for me and many others who failed the Structural 1 that it isnt as easy as "take the test again".....now we have to deal with a whole different animal, the 16 hour that costs $1000. I am bummed that I failed and if I had to take the same test again I would say "lets do it" but know knowing that I am going into a whole different test after failing it twice is difficult to grasp.
Because of the low passing rates on the Civil (lowest I've ever seem them: 62%) and from what I've seen here, I'd say the cut score for the Civil was 54/80. I have not seen anyone post here who failed with a 54, assuming these posts represent a decent sample group of failing scores. Better luck next time chaps. And remember:
"Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race."
~Calvin Coolidge
"Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race."
~Calvin Coolidge
