How you did AM/PM October 2013 (All)

[vijay6666]

AM is OK, Transportation PM little tough.

 

[macclenny07]

I agree. PM Transportation was tough.

 

[ofareggie]

As I was taking the AM Mechanical I kept thinking "I can't wait for the PM, where my expertise will shine" ...and then the PM came around (Mechanical Systems) and I was eating my words, it was more involved than I thought. That being said, the material that I wasn't prepared for, I would never have thought to prepare for, so I did the best I could. It is out of my hands now, just need to wait until December.

 

[nicoga3000]

I did PM Structural.

AM was relatively easy - I felt like maybe 3-4 questions were tough, but that's because I don't deal with that aspect of Civil.

I felt like the PM Structural was NOTHING like the sample and prep material that is available from PPI or NCEES. I don't feel like I was underprepared, though. I simply think that the sample problems and exams and such really dropped the ball in terms of getting me ready for what the PM questions were going to ask. I thought that the 6-Minute Solutions book was pushing the envelope in terms of difficulty, but even those problems were what I considered to be the "right kind of difficult." The test problems were just way out in left field I felt.

Maybe it was just me, though.

 

[kchinger]

I took Power, so it was the same AM/PM stuff, no breadth. I felt like the morning I crushed. I finished about 10 AM, and went back over it and caught a couple little mistakes and was out by 10:45 or so. I feel like probably 85% if not more morning, then again, they make you feel that way by giving you all the plausible wrong answers you could arrive at.

Afternoon was decidedly different. I worked right up until time was called, and I could probably have used a little more time. They definitely saved all the hard stuff for the afternoon. I felt like I was relatively well prepared, although there was one set of questions on a particular topic (not sure if I can say which one?) (4 maybe) that I felt I wasn't at all prepared for and I couldn't find the right info in my references. There was another question that I have notes and equations on, but I left them at home because I didn't think there was any way it would be on the exam. Afternoon I maybe got 70% or something.

Some stuff you just don't learn in school, and I haven't really done any power engineering yet, mostly SCADA stuff so far, so I haven't been exposed to some of the harder, more specific stuff.

Certainly was more code than I thought there would be, but I studied it a lot and I kind of enjoy the code stuff, it's like a treasure hunt looking through the book, so I think I did fine on that part.

Should be good enough to pass, but we'll just have to wait and see. It feels like it's going to be forever.

 

[NJmike PE]

WR & E

AM was pretty easy. PM was pretty crazy. Agreed that there were topics never covered in classes. I feel like 35~37/40 in the AM and 20~25/40 in the PM.

 

[ricochaz]

Civil/Construction morning was fair and went well. Pretty close to the sample problems by NCEES and 6-Min Solutions. The afternoon was difficult and has me very concerned that I may get to have the pleasure of sitting again! Uggg.... :beat:

 

[NJmike PE]

Well how many do you think that you got correct in each?

 

[ricochaz]

I'm not sure but maybe 30/23

 

[NJmike PE]

It might be close.

 

[johnnyusma08]

Yes I also thought the construction afternoon was tough. I took 4 practice exams prior to the test and scored around 35/40 on each of them only taking 3 hours. For the real thing I finished just in the nick of time, completely guessed on one, which I have never had to do during any of the practice exams, and it really has me worried. I think I did fine in the morning though, which might be my saving grace. Does anybody else feel the same way? If so, it might make the next 8 weeks for me much easier.

 

[NJmike PE]

Yes. I took the pm wr & e. Am was cake. Feel like I got 35-37 in the morning and about 20-25 in the pm. Feel like its good enough tho

 

[engrstructural11]

I did PM Structural.

AM was relatively easy - I felt like maybe 3-4 questions were tough, but that's because I don't deal with that aspect of Civil.

I felt like the PM Structural was NOTHING like the sample and prep material that is available from PPI or NCEES. I don't feel like I was underprepared, though. I simply think that the sample problems and exams and such really dropped the ball in terms of getting me ready for what the PM questions were going to ask. I thought that the 6-Minute Solutions book was pushing the envelope in terms of difficulty, but even those problems were what I considered to be the "right kind of difficult." The test problems were just way out in left field I felt.

Maybe it was just me, though.

Agreed. I took the PM Structural, as well. I thought the morning session was a cake walk. The afternoon session in my opinion was a very random array of questions that did not adequately test your ability to "design". It seemed like the intent of the afternoon session was to test your experience, that is, if you have adequate design experience you should have code familiarity and be able to locate the information required to solve some of the odd ball questions. I thought it was a poorly constructed array of questions that did not test the fundamentals of structural engineering in a large enough percentage to be honest, but I still think I easily passed.

Several times I was left scratching my head wondering why the heck they would select this particular question over any other plethora of questions that would have better tested your ability to design and apply the fundamentals.

 

[commentforboard]

Water/Enviro Civil

Agreed, AM seemed pretty reasonable. Each question was straight forward. (~35/40 correct)

PM was a little more difficult. (30/40 correct)

But we'll see in about 8 weeks....

 

[STEEL MAN]

^ looks like you did well and you passed the exams, that's how NCEES measure examinees mostly by SURPRISE and those review courses mostly over prepare the examinees.

 

[STEEL MAN]

For structural PM, if you're not familiar with the codes used and where to find them in the references outlined by NCEES, you will have a hard time answering them, 6 mins isn't enough to answer a question.

 

[nicoga3000]

Agreed. I took the PM Structural, as well. I thought the morning session was a cake walk. The afternoon session in my opinion was a very random array of questions that did not adequately test your ability to "design". It seemed like the intent of the afternoon session was to test your experience, that is, if you have adequate design experience you should have code familiarity and be able to locate the information required to solve some of the odd ball questions. I thought it was a poorly constructed array of questions that did not test the fundamentals of structural engineering in a large enough percentage to be honest, but I still think I easily passed.

Several times I was left scratching my head wondering why the heck they would select this particular question over any other plethora of questions that would have better tested your ability to design and apply the fundamentals.

I can't say that I walked away feeling like I easily passed, but I didn't feel like I bombed it. I am POSITIVE more studying wouldn't have helped - I never once got that feeling of, "Man, I really should have studied that more." So that's good.

But I agree entirely with your last sentence - many of the problems on the PM Structural felt really out of place.

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

^ looks like you did well and you passed the exams, that's how NCEES measure examinees mostly by SURPRISE and those review courses mostly over prepare the examinees.

What surprise? The exam syllabus is spelled out in plain English and there is a litany of exam type practice problems.

 

[GTOShoota]

POWER - Morning felt good and confident, but PM was a different story. One topic I ignored going into too much detail while studying thinking it wouldn't make an appearance, but SURPRISE! I skipped that topic and came back to it at the end. IF, I have to retake this, I'll be investing in a book on that topic. I had a good pace in the AM and reviewed all answers with plenty of time left, but worked up until the 4:00 mark in the PM. And now I wait......

 

[woodslegend]

Civil (Transportation)

AM was relatively easy...

PM was tough and I screwed up two easy questions, with my bad time management. It felt like 30/25 for AM/PM.