How is everyone making out?

[tmacier]

With less than four weeks to go how are you all making out?

You should be spending nearly every day preparing at this phase and maybe all day once or twice a week.

Tim

 

[Peele1]

Playing games today.

 

[jamiecta]

I'm actually super burned out at this point (starting studying in March/April) so the only thing I'm really doing is taking/retaking practice tests on the weekends.

 

[thwlruss]

Im on target. Getting more confident every day and trying not to bet burnt out. I'd initially asked for two weeks off prior to the exam for add'l study time but that seems excessive at this point. I'll probably reduce it to 1 or 1.5 weeks.

 

[jamiecta]

Im on target. Getting more confident every day and trying not to bet burnt out. I'd initially asked for two weeks off prior to the exam for add'l study time but that seems excessive at this point. I'll probably reduce it to 1 or 1.5 weeks.

How long have you been studying for?

 

[tmacier]

I'd initially asked for two weeks off prior to the exam for add'l study time but that seems excessive at this point. I'll probably reduce it to 1 or 1.5 weeks.

I worked half days the three weeks before the exam.

Basically after lunch I shut my office door and studied until 5pm.

Keep at it guys!

Tim

 

[jamiecta]

How early did you start studying? That would just burn me out! I did the Lindeburg full test today and now I just plan to do the NCEES full HVAC, NCEES T+F depth, and 6MS one more time each between now and the test. Throw in some random MERM MD and 6MS MD problems and I'm done. If I tried to cram every day for half a day for the next 3 weeks I think I would just be too stressed out by test time!

 

[tmacier]

I had to take it twice - both times I started studying three months before the exam.

It certainly sounds like you are on the right track. Just keep working those problems and know your referances!

Good luck!

Tim

 

[thwlruss]

I put in 6 weeks for the April exam but never registered. I began studying again sometime in July. I was feeling pretty confident until today. I tried to take the Lindburg practice exam and it kicked my ass so bad I had to quit timing myself and just started solving problems. Perhaps I'll take those two weeks off prior to the exam after all.

 

[jamiecta]

I put in 6 weeks for the April exam but never registered. I began studying again sometime in July. I was feeling pretty confident until today. I tried to take the Lindburg practice exam and it kicked my ass so bad I had to quit timing myself and just started solving problems. Perhaps I'll take those two weeks off prior to the exam after all.

Which depth are you taking again? I know you've said on here but I forgot. The Lindeburg exam is definitely more difficult than all the others and especially so on the morning portion I think.

I had to take it twice - both times I started studying three months before the exam.

It certainly sounds like you are on the right track. Just keep working those problems and know your referances!

Good luck!

Tim

Thanks!

 

[thwlruss]

T/F. Yea I just finished the morning portion and I'm calling it a day.

 

[jamiecta]

T/F. Yea I just finished the morning portion and I'm calling it a day.

I wouldn't worry too much about the morning portion. I struggled with that some as well and had to guess on several machine design related problems. I did finish with 27/40 correct after 4 hours on the morning but that number definitely included a handful of guesses that went in my favor. However, I then went on to finish the afternoon early and get 33/40 correct (and half the problems I missed I actually did correctly but made a small error). Based on people I have talked to and the NCEES practice exam, I really feel than the Lindeburg morning portion is an order of magnitude harder than the real morning portion (I hope I'm right )

 

[tmacier]

Keep working those Lindeburg problems, while they may be more difficult they do teach you valuable tools and expose you to new problems.

I worked all the ones I could get my hands on, over and over and over. Time will be your enemy on this exam so you need to get to the point were you see a problem and know right were to go to solve it, or you see it and think you might be able to solve it, or you see a problem and know you have no chance -

Tim

 

[thwlruss]

yea... I liked the problems but trying to do them under time constraint was killing me. I'll keep working on them along with 6MS until its routine

 

[Trev... P.E.]

I had a less-than convenient lead-in to the exam. We just moved from NY to CA. With all the apartment hunting, moving, packing/unpacking, I was just too distracted to start when I should have. So I've given myself only around 5 weeks of real studying to get it all down. I'm doing around 3 hours each night, and 5-7 on weekend days. Should get in around 100-120 hours total I think. I work in pumps, so a lot of the fluids side of the T/F depth is second nature to me, but I am having a much more difficult time with the heat transfer & power cycles side of things. On the breadth, I've skimmed through the MD & HVAC stuff to have a reasonable understanding of the basics and get as many useful tabs down in the MERM as possible. I just started the NCEES 2001 exam last night and got through around 20 questions in good time. Found a few holes in my knowledge and understanding which has been helpful (phase/line power in motors & when to use correction on a heat exchanger). Tabbing system is working very well (thanks Shaggy).

Plan for the next couple of weeks is:

• Complete 2001 test
  
• Review T/F depth MERM problems again
  
• Work SMS books (3x breadths, 1x depth)
  
• Complete 2008 test in two timed sittings
  
• Keep tabbin'
  

 

[chaocl]

The Lindeburg problems are very well. The only problem is the print is too small and the space provide is not big enough. I think it is good idea that you scan those problems and make the size and space bigger to other sheets and work on there.

Bind or 3 ring folder for the NCEES problems+your answer, Lindeburg problems+your answer, and special notes(important table,and formula)

MERM - I also put tabs for important stuff showing there and the end of MERM the tables is very important ......be sure you can find your table during the exam.

Organized - make more effiency to find similar problems during the exam.

 

[thwlruss]

I was considering organizing a binder of 6MS, NCEES and Lindburg Practice Exam problems and solutions with the tricks highlighted. My biggest problem with the Lindburg test was the unit conversions, and obscure references. They asked about Freon 12? Am I supposed to pack data tables on Freon 12 now?

 

[jamiecta]

I was considering organizing a binder of 6MS, NCEES and Lindburg Practice Exam problems and solutions with the tricks highlighted. My biggest problem with the Lindburg test was the unit conversions, and obscure references. They asked about Freon 12? Am I supposed to pack data tables on Freon 12 now?

Freon 12 (R-12) information is found in the MERM. It is one of the two pretty common refrigerants they will probably use problems from (R-22 being the other) along with R134a and Ammonia being fair game as well. Since you are not HVAC depth though I would not worry about a chart and table for R-12...if it is on a morning problem they will almost definitely include the information needed in the problem I believe. Otherwise it is covered in a MERM appendix. If you are really worried about it, the "data tables" for all refrigerants can be entirely covered in 1 front to back sheet per refrigerant (front side being saturation table and backside being the full saturation and superheat P-h curve), all of which can be found in ASHRAE Fundamentals.

 

[chaocl]

I was considering organizing a binder of 6MS, NCEES and Lindburg Practice Exam problems and solutions with the tricks highlighted. My biggest problem with the Lindburg test was the unit conversions, and obscure references. They asked about Freon 12? Am I supposed to pack data tables on Freon 12 now?

Freon 12 (R-12) information is found in the MERM. It is one of the two pretty common refrigerants they will probably use problems from (R-22 being the other) along with R134a and Ammonia being fair game as well. Since you are not HVAC depth though I would not worry about a chart and table for R-12...if it is on a morning problem they will almost definitely include the information needed in the problem I believe. Otherwise it is covered in a MERM appendix. If you are really worried about it, the "data tables" for all refrigerants can be entirely covered in 1 front to back sheet per refrigerant (front side being saturation table and backside being the full saturation and superheat P-h curve), all of which can be found in ASHRAE Fundamentals.

Yeah, I was doing the T&F in my PE exam and I also bring my ASHRAE fundamental.

 

[thwlruss]

I did not realize Freon 12 and R 12 were the same thing... now im embarrassed =)