Oct 2012 PE Exam (How did you do?)

[RIP - VTEnviro]

I love the town names in western WA. Puyallup, Snoqualmie, Sammamish, Issaquah, etc.

How about my town, Fall City.. lol.

We got enough funky names in upstate NY too.

Heh. I live in NW WA now, but I was born and live until 10 in upstate NY (Rochester). I know what you mean.

Long Island has better town names than here - nothing like a Ronkonkoma and a Happauge.

 

[Mike in Gastonia]

I love the town names in western WA. Puyallup, Snoqualmie, Sammamish, Issaquah, etc.

How about my town, Fall City.. lol.

We got enough funky names in upstate NY too.

Heh. I live in NW WA now, but I was born and live until 10 in upstate NY (Rochester). I know what you mean.

Long Island has better town names than here - nothing like a Ronkonkoma and a Happauge.

Intercourse, PA or Blue Ball, PA.

FTW.........

 

[ee1234]

well let me elaborate a bit. i had to take the FE on friday and the PE the very next day. i studied for the FE to make sure that i at least passed that one which i did. tbh the FE was MUCH harder in my opinion taking them both at age 31, 8 years out of undergrad. also it didnt help that the night before the FE was probably the best game ever played game 6 of the 2011 WS where freese hit the walk off in extras, and then that next night was game 7! so my real goal for last oct was to pass the FE and i really thought i had NO SHOT at passing the PE, turned out it was way easier than i was expecting.

SOMETHINGS IS WRONG HERE FRIDAY IS PE DAY, AND SATURDAY IS FE DAY.

Also, don't you have to pass the FE exam before you are even eligible to apply to take the PE exam? I didn't think you could take them essentially at the same time. That's how it works in California anyways. I remember having to supply my EIT number on the PE application.

 

[Jaylaw_PE]

well let me elaborate a bit. i had to take the FE on friday and the PE the very next day. i studied for the FE to make sure that i at least passed that one which i did. tbh the FE was MUCH harder in my opinion taking them both at age 31, 8 years out of undergrad. also it didnt help that the night before the FE was probably the best game ever played game 6 of the 2011 WS where freese hit the walk off in extras, and then that next night was game 7! so my real goal for last oct was to pass the FE and i really thought i had NO SHOT at passing the PE, turned out it was way easier than i was expecting.

SOMETHINGS IS WRONG HERE FRIDAY IS PE DAY, AND SATURDAY IS FE DAY.

Also, don't you have to pass the FE exam before you are even eligible to apply to take the PE exam? I didn't think you could take them essentially at the same time. That's how it works in California anyways. I remember having to supply my EIT number on the PE application.

no you definitely do not in Illinois, as i took them on back to back days. maybe i did take the PE first then the FE, i dont really remember but i took them both in a 32 hours period in oct 2011 on the days after game 6 and 7

 

[bhook20]

Yeah he's right....some states don't require the FE to sit for the PE. I believe Michigan is one of those states. However, you won't be issued a PE license until you pass the FE

 

[K19]

^ A neighbor of mine told me about his brother taking them both in succession; I seem to recall that he was in gov't work (possibly military), and that his employer was able to get whatever exceptions were needed.

 

[Jaylaw_PE]

^ A neighbor of mine told me about his brother taking them both in succession; I seem to recall that he was in gov't work (possibly military), and that his employer was able to get whatever exceptions were needed.

i didnt need any exceptions, just went in knowing that if i passed the PE and failed the FE i wouldnt be getting my license until i passed the FE. the guy at the illinois idfpr acted like it was common practice when i asked if i could do that

 

[Maddriver20]

I took the Civil/ transportation in NC. Morning was brutal. I didn't bomb it, but didnt do excellent either. The afternoon I smoked it. Lots of design questions and less traffic questions. I feel good about the test.

 

[badwill]

I took power as well. I felt the test was hard. As some of my colleagues said right afterwards "That was a TEST." Like everyone said, there were more conceptual questions than I expected. I wanted to get a bunch of easy econ questions, but no...I'm very glad I borrowed a Schaum's machines book for the test! Also, I had to learn more about relays DURING the test to solve some of those problems. I mean, good thing I had some reference material on it, but sheesh man, I wish I'd fully learned that stuff properly before going into that exam! Also, I would've benefitted from bringing more practical reference material (equipment catalogs, cutsheets, etc). I felt like I prepared the most I could have, yet I'm really on the fence about it. We. Shall. See...

Hi Jayache80,

I plan on taking the PE Power Exam in NY on April 2013.

I hope you passed your exam. Good luck.

Could you please be more specific as to what practical material you would've brought to the exam?

Thanks,

Badwill

 

[upstatemike]

I've taken the PE a few times now - actually more than I care to admit. This past October was very difficult, far more difficult than the previous April.

I know nobody will agree with me, but the October exam has always always been far more difficult than the April (I always said that about the FE as well). Everybody always says that it isn't the case, but it is...period.

I took the Civil/Construction, against my better judgement I guess, the construction exam has always been a totally crazy exam without anytype of "normal" question. It was very difficult, there were at least 8 or so questions I had to really buckle down on and "try" to get. Nothing on this exam was even similar to the previous ones.

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

I know nobody will agree with me, but the October exam has always always been far more difficult than the April (I always said that about the FE as well). Everybody always says that it isn't the case, but it is...period.

A new EB conspiracy theory. We'll add this to the list.

 

[STEEL MAN]

I know nobody will agree with me, but the October exam has always always been far more difficult than the April (I always said that about the FE as well). Everybody always says that it isn't the case, but it is...period.

No, untrue check nCEES website, they emphasized that the difficulty is the same in almost all test sessions. Good luck.

 

[bhook20]

Well, I'm not sure if the level of difficulty is the same amongst various tests, but more so how the tests are scored. For example, a harder exam (as deemed by industry and testing experts) may have a lower passing score to compensate for the difference in difficulty and vice versa. Otherwise, they would just post the passing score if the tests were equivalent right?

 

[STEEL MAN]

the passing mark determines the difficulty of each exam module, for example, the geotech as what almost everyone here said its tough, could be lower than Transpo which most of them said its easier and pass mark is higher, so, in the end both modules are fairly assessed to be the same, NCEES made sure they are fair, but it is up to the indivudal how the feel and assess the scenario for each exam session and modules.

 

[32romeo]

I've taken the PE in the past and failed (obviously) so this time I took measures that I haven't taken before. I took the School of PE review and put in at least 200 hours of study/prep time prior to the exam. I felt better this time around then any other in that I actually finished the exam and had time to go back and review my answers. The morning session went ok given that I had taken the review and had the CERM and review notes...that's all I used. The PM session seemed tougher even though it's in my discipline. There seemed to be a lot of word problems on both sessions that required no calculations just familiarization with the concept or code. Also, I was shocked that in the PM session, I never touched the AASHTO bridge code or the PCI handbook. I'm hoping I get an early Christmas present!

 

[DimeADozen]

The morning was interestingly mixed with easy to hard problems not much in between. I am looking at between 10 and 12 wrong in the morning and afternoon WR/Env. I probably got anywhere between 10 and 12 wrong. If they are grading this on a true % system and no cut score below 70% (%< (56/80)) then I just barely made it at 70%. I will take it any day, just need a 70%. I think I did equally the same in the both sessions. Some people do much better in one session than the other. I was a "C" student in the morning and afternoon. Just my opinion, but I will find out in 3 weeks. I love Turkey week because the week goes by extremely quick, it will be December before you know it.

 

[VA Tech Electrical]

I took PE Power in SC. The amount of motor controls, relaying, reliability, and conceptual word problems were unexpected. I don't remember a single NEC question on protection and overload sizing. I don't remember any cable ampacity problems either. Maybe there was one voltage drop problem. Lots of conceptual questions. Brush up on protective relaying and motor controls.

 

[STEEL MAN]

Scoring NCEES explained and on youtube.

www.ncees.org/Exams/Pages/Scoring.php?utm_source=link&utm_medium=homepage_slider_1&utm_campaign=exam_day_policies

 

[dana]

Morning was ok, a little bit tricky some questions, I think I did around 32 questions well, Afternoon Transportation was also ok but I made some mistakes, I am waiting for the results like crazy, I am not sure If I passed, I hope so.

 

[Vinsanity]

I anticipated it to be harder, but AM as easy excluding WR questions, I had a hard time, again anticipated it to be tough PM Structural but it was easy. Overall I think I pass, I counted my answers that I'm sure at least I got 56 numbers were right, I dont want to do this again, and looking forward to getting positive results.