Oct 18 PE Exam

[DLD PE]

At the exam there was a mix of civil, structural, mechanical and a few of us crazy electrical exam takers.  We sat at long tables with 2 examinees each.  For whatever reason, the guy sitting next to me never showed up.  It was strange watching the proctor go through the ritual of placing the exam booklet on the table and picking it up again a minute later right before the exam started.  Anyway, I had a table all to myself which was great for spreading out all my references (I had enough room to do that anyway but at least I didn't have to worry about distracting the guy next to me).

During halftime I ran into a guy in the parking lot who had locked his keys in the car.  I noticed his tag was in the same county I live in so I offered him a ride after the exam if he needed it.  He was able to call a locksmith (don't know how since we weren't allowed to take our cell phones inside ) so he got the help he needed before the second half started.  He didn't seem happy about the exam (he wasn't taking the electrical), and he was sitting right in front of me so I noticed he got up and left WAY early during the second part of the test. 

My point is as bad as you might feel about the exam, you at least did better than someone who didn't bother to show up or got so disgusted they left early with maybe little chance of passing.

Relax everyone!  Nothing we can do between now and getting the results so best thing to do is stop thinking about the results part.  There are a few topics I felt I was weaker on than I realized and I actually enjoyed learning and doing those problems so in the meantime I'm just going to read up more on those topics and start going through sample problems.  I found a lot of this stuff fun to learn anyway.  

Oh, and in the meantime I'm going to spend more time with my wife and son, start playing golf again and pre-order Battlefield V.

 

[Szar]

Actually, if you received it on an even minute on an even hour, you failed. If you received it on an odd minute in an odd hour, you passed. If you received it on an even minute on an odd hour, your Scantron jammed the machine and delayed results for everybody and yours got irrecoverably destroyed by the machine. If you received it on an odd minute on an even hour, then it's irrelevant because you accidentally sat for the CPA exam.

But if your XOR ASCII checksum of the email date and time results in a prime number, you can file a TPS Report with NCEES and protest your failing score.  

My Sister's ex boyfriend's boss passed that way.  

 

[ME_VT_PE]

Relax everyone!  Nothing we can do between now and getting the results so best thing to do is stop thinking about the results part. 

not true. You can call NCEES and ask for your results.

 

[a4u2fear]

from https://www.nspe.org/resources/pe-magazine/march-2016/the-ultimate-test

i found interesting

The PE Exam: Myths and Truths

MYTH NCEES holds repeat takers to a higher standard than first-time takers. That’s why repeat pass rates are so low.
▼
TRUTH All examinees are graded to the same standard of minimum competence. In looking at the pools of exam takers, the first-time taker pool comprises high-ability, mid-ability, and low-ability examinees. When the exam is given, most of the high-ability examinees, some of the mid-ability group, and very few low-ability examinees pass and leave the examinee pool.

Examinees who fail the exam move to the repeat-taker pool. Unless they significantly change their preparation methods, history has shown that they will fail again. When they take the next exam, some of the mid-ability examinees pass and perhaps a few of the low-ability examinees who made a significant change in their preparation pass. That’s why repeat passing rates are lower.

MYTH Exams administered in the fall are more difficult than those in the spring (or vice-versa).
▼
TRUTH The scoring process negates any differences in difficulty. Examinees are graded against a standard of minimum competence. If the exam is more difficult, the required passing score is lowered. Conversely, if the exam is less difficult, the required passing score is raised. An examinee is neither penalized nor rewarded for the difficulty of the exam.

MYTH NCEES “throws questions out” of the exam, which alters the final results.
▼
TRUTH After an exam, subject-matter experts review questions that have statistical anomalies or receive comments from examinees. If a question is found to have two correct answers, all examinees with either answer are marked correct. If a question is deemed to not have a correct answer, all examinees with any answer are marked correct.

MYTH The required passing score varies from state to state.
▼
TRUTH The passing score does not vary from state to state. Examinees in all jurisdictions have the same required passing score for their discipline for that administration.

MYTH NCEES grants PE licenses.
▼
TRUTH NCEES develops, publishes, and scores the exams on behalf of the state licensing boards to determine minimum competency. State licensing boards grant licenses to candidates in their jurisdiction based on that jurisdiction’s requirements.

MYTH NCEES sets the pass score so only a certain number of people pass—thereby controlling entry into the profession.
▼
TRUTH The pass score is set at the level of minimum competence. Examinees that exceed the score will pass.

MYTH A passing score is 70%.
▼
TRUTH Before results were reported as pass-fail, examinees received scaled scores. The passing raw score (different for each discipline and varying from administration to administration based on difficulty) was “set” at 70, and all scores were scaled accordingly. In 2005, NCEES voted to provide only pass-fail results. Somehow, over time, an urban legend developed and the scaled score of 70 erroneously turned into a 70% raw score being required to pass.

MYTH “My exam prep class instructor says I only need 50% to pass.”
▼
TRUTH Exam preparation instructors are not involved in the exam process (an NCEES policy) and don’t know the score required to pass.

 

[RadioBox]

Great article. This quote from the article sums up everything neatly.

“We know that there are people who are not competent, and it’s our responsibility with this exam process to keep them from being in responsible charge of engineering projects.”

 

[Szar]

Great article. This quote from the article sums up everything neatly.

“We know that there are people who are not competent, and it’s our responsibility with this exam process to keep them from being in responsible charge of engineering projects.”

Clearly the test needs to be harder based on a few individuals I've had the honor of coming across in my career!

oop2:

 

[tpkjr2006]

 am glad to see i feel the same way as everyone on this forum. I took a review class https://powerpeprepclass.com/.  I found the review to be very good. But it seems NCEES likes to throw some curve balls.

 

[RBHeadge PE]

Test was over only on Friday. Do you really think they would decide who passed and who failed in just 1.5 working days? And if they can do so, do you think they will hold the results for 42 days after figuring out who passed and who failed in just 2 days.

They've got a pretty good idea who passed and failed after the initial scoring. It's those with scores in the 50s/80 that can go either way.

I posted a summary with links to other threads on how things are done here:

Results are determined quickly. Its the review to determine cut score that takes forever.

...

With that said, if you got 20/80, you failed and they can toss your exam into that pile for sure.

^this

The cut score meeting usually only happens after the first session of a new test. This year, FPE will be the 'holdup'.

What about 50/80? 

Almost certainly a fail

what about 55/80?

Borderline

I heard it used to take 6 months to get results way back when. Thank goodness that isn't the case these days.

I don't think it was ever that long. Back in the blue book days I heard it would take 3-4 months.

Relax everyone!  Nothing we can do between now and getting the results so best thing to do is stop thinking about the results part. 

Not ture. I heard that you lose points if you don't fill out the survey within 48 hrs.

You have the right idea hanging out with family. For everyone else, there's the semi-annual spam thread:

 

[DerekJeter]

Relax everyone!  Nothing we can do between now and getting the results so best thing to do is stop thinking about the results part. 

Not ture. I heard that you lose points if you don't fill out the survey within 48 hrs.

This drives me crazy. And to say a 55/80 is borderline when literally nobody actually knows the numbers is crazy too. I can't take the trolling and I think I should get off EngrBoards for a while to relax.  

 

[Invisible]

Not ture. I heard that you lose points if you don't fill out the survey within 48 hrs.

You have the right idea hanging out with family. For everyone else, there's the semi-annual spam thread:

Well. I was really thinking this was a serious post for 1 minute. Well done. Happy to meet someone with the same sense of humor like me.

 

[DLD PE]

Loving all the humor!  

 

[RBHeadge PE]

This drives me crazy. And to say a 55/80 is borderline when literally nobody actually knows the numbers is crazy too. I can't take the trolling and I think I should get off EngrBoards for a while to relax.  

That wasn't trolling. Feel free to go through the all of the old "failing score" threads from the last decade. The cut score, of course, varies from session-to-session and discipline to discipline, but the general trend is that the cut score is [52-57].

I'm just a nuclear engineer, but I'm pretty sure that 55 is between 52 and 57.

checks math, counts fingers.

Yup it is. In fact, right in the middle of that range is 54 and 55. The cut score could be at or above 55, or below 55. So yeah, 55 would be borderline.

Well. I was really thinking this was a serious post for 1 minute. Well done. Happy to meet someone with the same sense of humor like me.

Thank you! Yes, everything above that last bit was serious, the last part was an obvious joke and an invitation to blow off steam not obsess about the exam.

 

[Drewism]

Clearly the test needs to be harder based on a few individuals I've had the honor of coming across in my career!

oop2:

My former screwball coworker took the Electrical Power PE in April of 2018 and passed. He made so many mistakes on projects that we're still coming across and cleaning up months later so it all means nothing.

 

[RadioBox]

My former screwball coworker took the Electrical Power PE in April of 2018 and passed. He made so many mistakes on projects that we're still coming across and cleaning up months later so it all means nothing.

- screwball passed power P.E. exam

-it all means nothing

Having these sentiments are strong indications you failed the October power P.E. exam. Lol

 

[Drewism]

- screwball passed power P.E. exam

-it all means nothing

Having these sentiments are strong indications you failed the October power P.E. exam. Lol

I believe it. I already know I failed. I took a real swing for it, you know? That's all that matters. 

 

[EE Power Guy]

Took the test after studying hard for about 4 months. Studied the TestMasters material in great detail. Did all 4 Complex Imaginary exams, PPI exam, Graffeo Exam and NCEES 2011 exam.

The new 2018 Exam Specifications outlined more Protection problems (None of the above tests focused on this). And that is what happened on D-Day - So many protection and relaying/setting questions. None of the practice exams were on par with how hard the actual test was. Even the NEC questions were not straight forward (either that or I can't remember anything of what I read/answered that day.)

Other EE's taking the test said the same - Exam was hard. Over the past few years, I know about 8/10 engineers who took TestMasters and passed in the first shot. How the heck did they do it? 

Pass rate for April 2018 was 48% in Texas! Thats crazy! 

Sadly, I discovered EB after the test. Lot's of good information on here. I'll be going through it to prepare for April 2019.

 

[RBHeadge PE]

I believe it. I already know I failed. I took a real swing for it, you know? That's all that matters. 

Sadly, I discovered EB after the test. Lot's of good information on here. I'll be going through it to prepare for April 2019.

Welcome to Phase 4.

It couldn't have been that bad.

 

[Nashi]

We haven't even gotten through one week yet...this is torture.

I wonder what was the quickest time someone has heard the results...4 weeks?

 

[ME_VT_PE]

We haven't even gotten through one week yet...this is torture.

I wonder what was the quickest time someone has heard the results...4 weeks?

No. Its never that quick. 6 weeks minimum, but the Fire protection review could hold it up much longer.

EDIT: I'm not joking

 

[RBHeadge PE]

We haven't even gotten through one week yet...this is torture.

The stress gets so,  so much worse as time goes on! I can't emphasize enough that come December it will get geometrically worse every day. I really recommend finding a distraction. Spend time with family and friends, kill time in the spam thread. Me personally: I went to the gym to burn off the stress and get back in shape; which was a super good and successful idea in the long run.

I wonder what was the quickest time someone has heard the results...4 weeks?

The link I provided above is an index for other useful threads and discussions for background, its a semi-humorous post-exam FAQ. It includes this one, which shows the release dates for most states and sessions going back to 2005. @Duckdude put a lot of excellent work into it and it answers your question.