Mechanical PE

[chaocl]

When I took exam in October 2009 (MD Depth), I found 1.5 to be an average multiplier. Had I got 2 more problems, I would have passed and I hope that I got that many (~47) correct this time....

I think you will pass this time with 47/80. I guess if you can get around 18 to 20 in the afternoon this time that you should be safe.

 

[Shanks]

Thanks chaocl ...I am guessing that I got 30 in AM and around 20 in PM ...it'll be tight again for this year...but I hope that the score falls on the +ve side

 

[Rob8rich]

Now that I have been through the exam cycle for four consecutive times (once for FE then three times for PE), I have a different perspective.

I know that about 60% of the MEs pass on the first try. But many examinees, for many different reasons, do not.

I think it is a two year task to learn the material well enough to pass. If you make it in less time, then great. But you keep testing until you've learned it well enough to pass. They don't just give the PE title away to anyone!

Good luck! (one examinee told me that luck is for the unprepared, ... well yes, but luck does apply to all the guesses)

RR

 

[ecoli946]

I found the morning to be really easy, much easier than I thought. I think I passed because of the morning. Probably 90% morning/70% in the afternoon.

This was my third time. Twice back in the 90's and finally after 14 years, I tried again. this time all multiple choice, which is a completely different strategy than studying for essay type.

Spent 400+ hours. Used Lindeburg's newest addition. New edition has a lot of new stuff. I did all 500 problems in the practice book, I did all the six-minute questions from 3 module. I took both ncees sample exam and did 80%. I took Lindeburg's practice exam and only did 55%. I was worried, but the exam was very similiar to ncees sample exam.

If you don't do well in the morning section, you won't have a chance to pass because you need all the points in the morning because afternoon is time consuming and trickier.

Here's my rule of thumb on hours studying :

200-300 = probably 65-70%

300-400 = probably 70-75%

400+ = probably 75-80%

So if you want to feel good after the exam, study 400+.

Also I brought a seat cushion, and that helped a lot because the chairs were so low, it was ridiculous. The cushion added some height so I wouldn't feel like a midget.

I also studied all three module so I could pass the afternoon module. Don't have an area of weakness, that will kill you.

Read Lindeburg at least 2 times thoroughly. The 2nd time, you should be writing bunch of notes.

 

[Shanks]

I found the morning to be really easy, much easier than I thought. I think I passed because of the morning. Probably 90% morning/70% in the afternoon.
This was my third time. Twice back in the 90's and finally after 14 years, I tried again. this time all multiple choice, which is a completely different strategy than studying for essay type.

Spent 400+ hours. Used Lindeburg's newest addition. New edition has a lot of new stuff. I did all 500 problems in the practice book, I did all the six-minute questions from 3 module. I took both ncees sample exam and did 80%. I took Lindeburg's practice exam and only did 55%. I was worried, but the exam was very similiar to ncees sample exam.

If you don't do well in the morning section, you won't have a chance to pass because you need all the points in the morning because afternoon is time consuming and trickier.

Here's my rule of thumb on hours studying :

200-300 = probably 65-70%

300-400 = probably 70-75%

400+ = probably 75-80%

So if you want to feel good after the exam, study 400+.

Also I brought a seat cushion, and that helped a lot because the chairs were so low, it was ridiculous. The cushion added some height so I wouldn't feel like a midget.

I also studied all three module so I could pass the afternoon module. Don't have an area of weakness, that will kill you.

Read Lindeburg at least 2 times thoroughly. The 2nd time, you should be writing bunch of notes.

It seems like you'd a good plan on your last attempt and I've also started to believe that you can't take any topic lighter. I did on my first attempt and had hard time in AM. I focused more on my weakness and AM was comparatively better but if I don't get through this time then it'll be the time to focus more on my strength (PM).

 

[chaocl]

I found the morning to be really easy, much easier than I thought. I think I passed because of the morning. Probably 90% morning/70% in the afternoon.
This was my third time. Twice back in the 90's and finally after 14 years, I tried again. this time all multiple choice, which is a completely different strategy than studying for essay type.

Spent 400+ hours. Used Lindeburg's newest addition. New edition has a lot of new stuff. I did all 500 problems in the practice book, I did all the six-minute questions from 3 module. I took both ncees sample exam and did 80%. I took Lindeburg's practice exam and only did 55%. I was worried, but the exam was very similiar to ncees sample exam.

If you don't do well in the morning section, you won't have a chance to pass because you need all the points in the morning because afternoon is time consuming and trickier.

Here's my rule of thumb on hours studying :

200-300 = probably 65-70%

300-400 = probably 70-75%

400+ = probably 75-80%

So if you want to feel good after the exam, study 400+.

Also I brought a seat cushion, and that helped a lot because the chairs were so low, it was ridiculous. The cushion added some height so I wouldn't feel like a midget.

I also studied all three module so I could pass the afternoon module. Don't have an area of weakness, that will kill you.

Read Lindeburg at least 2 times thoroughly. The 2nd time, you should be writing bunch of notes.

You will pass the PE this time according to your study plan and your feeling about the AM/PM PE. 90% AM and 70% PM score will give you the PE license in 100%.

Congratulation to you :bananalama:

 

[VJS]

I took the exam week off and studied MERM mostly. I have seen discussions in this forum that 150-200 hrs is pretty good prep if you have the depth section topic fresh in the mind. I may have spent a total of about 60-80 hrs total in the month before exam. I am an analyst and use MD (incl. vibrations) in my day to day work with Marks, machinery's hdbk and that helped a LOT in the exam. i did not see use of MERM for more than 20 questions in the afternoon session.

I think I may have got about 35+/40 in morning and 32+/40 afternoon. Infact, I was slow in the morning and about 5 mins left to perform final check, but in the afternoon, i finished about 25 completed in 2hrs and had about 20 mins at the end. During re-check I had to change couple of answers and figured I had to guess three questions.

This is my first attempt and definitely would recommend having a strong base using Mark's hnbk. I answered most questions in afternoon MD section with it.

All the best to everyone, let us see how the final results go.

 

[oluade PE]

I found the morning to be really easy, much easier than I thought. I think I passed because of the morning. Probably 90% morning/70% in the afternoon.
This was my third time. Twice back in the 90's and finally after 14 years, I tried again. this time all multiple choice, which is a completely different strategy than studying for essay type.

Spent 400+ hours. Used Lindeburg's newest addition. New edition has a lot of new stuff. I did all 500 problems in the practice book, I did all the six-minute questions from 3 module. I took both ncees sample exam and did 80%. I took Lindeburg's practice exam and only did 55%. I was worried, but the exam was very similiar to ncees sample exam.

If you don't do well in the morning section, you won't have a chance to pass because you need all the points in the morning because afternoon is time consuming and trickier.

Here's my rule of thumb on hours studying :

200-300 = probably 65-70%

300-400 = probably 70-75%

400+ = probably 75-80%

So if you want to feel good after the exam, study 400+.

Also I brought a seat cushion, and that helped a lot because the chairs were so low, it was ridiculous. The cushion added some height so I wouldn't feel like a midget.

I also studied all three module so I could pass the afternoon module. Don't have an area of weakness, that will kill you.

Read Lindeburg at least 2 times thoroughly. The 2nd time, you should be writing bunch of notes.

On an average, 400+ hours of study will translate to how many months of study. Also, it seems that (47-48)/80 will get somone a license.

Thanks

 

[Kephart P.E.]

"Also, it seems that (47-48)/80 will get somone a license."

That seems pretty resonable, I only had to take the PE once, but I was pretty sure I got around 55 correct which 55/80= 68% so without a curve or factor I don't pass.

Also someone commented that you don't want to have any weakness which I mostly agree with, but I had definite weaknesses going into the exam. I think the key is to know your depth stuff forwards and backwards and be able to get all the easy questions from your weak areas. I didn't know many of the subjects from MD, but I could at least work the easier stuff to get a correct answer.

The last piece of advice I would give is that I think the Lindeburgh Sample Exam is worthless to take as a test, it is really hard, but try using it to develop your skills as a guesser. Basically read the hard questions and without really doing any work take 30 seconds and narrow your choices down to 2 possibilities. I think this ability gave me a couple of questions I did not actually know how to work.

 

[benbo]

I had 21 of 40 correct in the morning, and 24 of 40 in the afternoon. Totals for the exam was 45 of 80 correct. That computes to 1.53 points per correct answer.
1.53 x 45 = 69

This is only valid for the Mechanical - Thermal & Fluids Systems, given in October, 2009.

FYI- for the April, 2009 exam I had 43/80 correct. The factor for that exam was 1.465 x 43 = 63.

Good grief. Where in the world does it say there is a linear relationship between these scores? I have seen people with wide ranges of scores all get a 69. I wish people would not just assume things. Do so at your own risk.

I think you will pass this time with 47/80.

Forget it. Anybody who cares, do not count on this. I have seen many, many people on many different exams with diagnostically computed scores well over 50 failing the test. You are highly unlikely to pass with this score.

 

[chaocl]

I think you will pass this time with 47/80.

Forget it. Anybody who cares, do not count on this. I have seen many, many people on many different exams with diagnostically computed scores well over 50 failing the test. You are highly unlikely to pass with this score.

I know that pass the PE with 47/80 is not true but I just want to bring the hope to people.

Very Important: If we do fail the exam with that percentage scores (47/80 to 55/80) that we just need to take the test again and again, study harder and harder or try different methods of studying. Don't think about what I said about the passing score.

 

[benbo]

I think you will pass this time with 47/80.

Forget it. Anybody who cares, do not count on this. I have seen many, many people on many different exams with diagnostically computed scores well over 50 failing the test. You are highly unlikely to pass with this score.

I know that pass the PE with 47/80 is not true but I just want to bring the hope to people.

Very Important: If we do fail the exam with that percentage scores (47/80 to 55/80) that we just need to take the test again and again, study harder and harder or try different methods of studying. Don't think about what I said about the passing score.

That's good and very true. I also want to bring hope to people. I have no doubt that anybody on here who has an engineering degree and works in engineering can pass that test if they study and persevere.

And they will do it with a score closer to 70% than 60%.

 

[chaocl]

I do understand that most engineers that study so hard and couldn't pass. That is why I also said study in different methods than last time.

I took the T&F in both time that I took PE exam.

First try - I start study from April 2009 until the day before the exam of Oct, 2009. I study whole MERM and sample problems in the other book, Lienberg sample for T&F, old MERM edition for the T&F, 2 Old NCEEs samples (they are not in multple choice), 6 mins soluation for T&F, and NCEES 2001 sample. My total study time is more than 700 hours. On the regular day that I study during workdays in the afternoon and the last two month I also study on the weekends. However, I still fail the exam (not even closed)....I end up only score 15/40 in the morning (got only 12% for MD) and 20/40 in the afternoon... I don't know why my morning is that bad? I guess it is because I travel from NY to CA for the exam and the time difference cause my performance or I ran to the exam site in 20 minutes and carry my books also (I am so tired and sweat my t-shirt just there few minutes before the exam start). But after few days of thinking that I am not 100% sure about the questions because I am not too familar with them. During my study that if I am getting the answer by guessing correct that I just don't pay a lot of attention to time. Because the study time period is to long (7 months) I kind forget the beginning sections. I rely too much on the the MERM for the answer and sometimes I couldn't get it afterward. From that time that I set up my study plan and study "smart" for my second try.

Second try - (I got my fail result by 1/25/2010 for the 1st try) so I give myself few days of refresh time and start study by 2/1/2010 for the sencond try. I know the time is less this time so I study day and night on everyday (even the weekend) until the exam day. I study the problems only on the MERM and skip the math, and end sections but I do study the electricty and economic. I highly recommand study before you sleep because when I sleep that I imaging my mind has a blackboard and I wrote down every important formulas and things to remeber on that imaging blackboard. (It helps me a lot because the next week or so I can still remeber the formula by heart)...I print all the important table on several sheet and write important formula regard to those tables there (I did for all three disciplines). I fully understand what I know on those sheet that I wrote. (because I was thinkng it is not point that you bring something that you don't familiar with). Most people will think that if I wrote down all formula in the sheet why don't I just rely on the MERM? My answer is no, because a lot of MERM formula looks very different but they actually the same..because of the converstion, different inputs or asking differently...it is a hard work to clear that and put all important foumula on the sheet...The power cycle that I study a lot with the graphs, effiecny (all different with motor,pumps,turbines,mechanical, and etc...some of them used in different position when you apply them and they are not always in one side when you do the calculation). The thermal and fluid is ok because I am study that everyday because my work....I also print out all those table with G,E,thermal expansion,poisson's ratio, yield strengths, etc on the same paper with important formula that will relate to each other. Also you need to know the important stuff that cause them can use relate to each other.(MERM won't tell you)...plus I book my flight and hotel a day before the exam so I don't need to be very rush to get to the exam site. I choose a different exam site because the one I had in Oct, 2009 is not very convience for me.

People are saying why you have to spent so many time on all 3 disciplines? I said it is because I did so bad on the first try on MD and HVAC. Also some of the sections that relate to each other. I study all 3 disciplines when I prepared my exam. I used MERM, MERM problems set, 2001 NCEES (3 disciplines), 2008 NCEES (3 disciplines), 6 mins solution (3 disciplines), Linderbrg samples (3 disciplines), "Kaplan samples (3 disciplines)--give me a lot of idea of study!!!becaue they have 1 problems all appear on the 3 afternoon disciplines and asking different stuff" and 101 ME problems. I didn't study the old samples because that is different than the real exam. Every question that I used heart and remeber everything with it and study beyond this problem that related to others.

I will have my exam result by Mid July, 2010 and by that time I will know my study method is right or need more improvment. I have a lot of small methods that I haven't list out yet because it might take another couple paragraphs.

It is hard to finish reading every sentance that I wrote but it is really my experience for this time or my last time.

 

[benbo]

It is hard to finish reading every sentance that I wrote but it is really my experience for this time or my last time.

Good luck! Keep at it and you will pass.

 

[oluade PE]

I had 21 of 40 correct in the morning, and 24 of 40 in the afternoon. Totals for the exam was 45 of 80 correct. That computes to 1.53 points per correct answer.
1.53 x 45 = 69

This is only valid for the Mechanical - Thermal & Fluids Systems, given in October, 2009.

FYI- for the April, 2009 exam I had 43/80 correct. The factor for that exam was 1.465 x 43 = 63.

Good grief. Where in the world does it say there is a linear relationship between these scores? I have seen people with wide ranges of scores all get a 69. I wish people would not just assume things. Do so at your own risk.

I think you will pass this time with 47/80.

Forget it. Anybody who cares, do not count on this. I have seen many, many people on many different exams with diagnostically computed scores well over 50 failing the test. You are highly unlikely to pass with this score.

With 1.5 as a mutiplier for the year in question, it is likely that 47/80 (1.5x47=70.7=Pass). This is related to Mechanical. You are likely an Electrical

and the people you met with diagnostically computed scores well over 50 failing the test. Did you ask them theri discipline and what was the multiplier

factor for the year?.

 

[benbo]

With 1.5 as a mutiplier for the year in question, it is likely that 47/80 (1.5x47=70.7=Pass). This is related to Mechanical. You are likely an Electricaland the people you met with diagnostically computed scores well over 50 failing the test. Did you ask them theri discipline and what was the multiplier

factor for the year?.

Sigh. Show me any place, any single place where there is anything official about a so-called "multipler." This is something you made up. There is no such thing as a linear multiplier between the raw score and this computed score. Where do you get this notion? You understand the concept of linear and non-linear relationship?

Why in the world would NCEES guard the raw passing score like the nuclear codes, then give out results in Texas and Virginia that make it so easy to compute that a sixth grader could do it? It makes no sense.

It does not matter which test we are talking about. It has been true for several tests and it dispels the notion of any sort of linear multiplier. Multiple people post they have a scaled score of 69 on their report. Then they compute the raw score. People with 52, 53, 54, 55, and 56 ALL got the same 69. It is a fact, but I'm not going to search back through thousands of posts to find it.

I suspect that anybody who thinks they will pass any of these exams with less than 60% is in for a shock.

 

[Dexman PE]

I'm still curious as to what good knowing the cut score is. I took the exam over 2 years ago, and this is the 5th exam I've been a member of the boards, and this is the 5th exam where people argued about what the cutscore is, and this will probably be the 5th exam where everyone who passed will quickly forget they were even arguing this...

What if I told you in January that the April cut score would be 58/80, would you study differently? Would you approach the exam differently? Would it make the wait any different?

Think of it this way: Remember the multiple choice tests we would take back in school? You knew UP FRONT what constituted an A, B, C, D or an F score. You knew when you took the test how many questions there were. Honestly, how many of you KNEW what grade you got before the teacher handed the graded test back?

Seriously, there are better things to worry yourself with during this time. Go get a puppy.

 

[Shanks]

Seriously, there are better things to worry yourself with during this time. Go get a puppy.

Couldn't agree more...if I don't pass then I need all the energy for prep and it's gonna come from all the fun I am having now or will have for next 2-3 wks. Nobody prepares or sits in the exam with the focus of getting just the passing score, we all try to get as much as we can. The multiplier of 1.5 might be a wash but its just an interpretation of those who got their diagnostic reports. Till NCEES is the father of CIA, there is no way to prove or disprove it either, so believe or leave it!

 

[benbo]

The multiplier of 1.5 might be a wash but its just an interpretation of those who got their diagnostic reports.

If "wash" means a ridiculously unfounded bunch of crap, that's true. Like I said, I have been reading these diagnostics and scaled scores on here (and the other board) for years. I have seen raw scores range over 5 points for a single scaled score. So I know it's a bunch of crap. And like I also said, I'm not going back to search up these posts. But people are entitled to believe a bunch of made up crap if they want.

If you think you will pass the PE exam with a 59%, have at it.

Why 1.5? Why not 1.49? Why not 1.51? How many decimal points for the magic multiplier? How do you round things in this made up world?

What is the exact equation that relates the raw score to the scaled score?

Is it S = MR , where R=raw, S=scaled and M=multiplier. So if I get all 80 correct I get 120?

 

[Mike in Gastonia]

Is it S = MR , where R=raw, S=scaled and M=multiplier. So if I get all 80 correct I get 120?

That's what my boss's ex-wife's father told him when he helped with the exams 35 years ago. So it must be true today, right?

benbo, I'll give you major props for perseverance. You keep a pitchin', but they ain't a catchin'!