October 2013 Test Takers & Which Afternoon?

[SNAPE/SMOTT PE]

Uzairs....looks like we are about the same place on studying. I was planning to do the same, get the TFS chapters reviewed then move on to the MS chapters. I had planned to be moved on to the MS sections by now, but it hasn't happened. It would be great of there was some kind of guide....if your taking the MS afternoon section, you really don't need to spend as much time on "xxx" chapters.

Is anyone familiar with ventrilo? I was thinking it would be a good way to do a long distance study session.

 

[uzairsyedahmed]

Yeah... my pace is going the same, but I fear that I might miss a concept if I rush through since I feel a tad bit confident after having spent sometime on it. If i think that I gained something which I might have skipped in glacing through, I guess that would be worthwhile. The practice problems are hard so that is also good prep I suppose. I wanted to get done with TFS sections by 1st week sept but i guess i would overshoot that by a week. My friend told me that if you are getting done atleast two to three weeks before the exam, that should be good for doing the practice exams and revising/ revisitng problems. He thought that is a good strategy as you dont want to be getting done with it a couple of months before and then revise it again (i suppose). 200-300 hours is what is recommended, as long as we spent more than or on the higher side of it doing quality studying, I think we should be good

 

[uzairsyedahmed]

an adder, my TFS sections include the HVAC since i have lumped the two together. I am shooting to finish everything by end of September max...

 

[uzairsyedahmed]

A guide would be good. actually, I sought out advice from coworkers and friends. They all had different plans and different experiences and (frustratingly, diff recommendations). Majority said that the more things/concepts you cover the better since the morning section is where qs are more diversed but a tad easier and shorter. My friend got hvac and a couple of MS sections in his TFS afternoon too. They all unanimously agreed that you could skip maths and very briefly skim/skip fire protection plant engineering, ethics. At this point, i wished I hadnt spent two weeks on maths

 

[I M A PE]

SMott and Uzairs, what study material and reference books are you using? So far I've been doing practice problems and using my Mark's handbook, 10th edition. I have some specific questions on morning practice problems if you guys have worked through the NCEES sample test.

 

[uzairsyedahmed]

Chris,

I am doing MERM with practice problems. I intend to finish everything before I venture into the sample problems. I was told to do that first as otherwise you would base your study on the problems you came across. I would do lindeburg sample problem first since I have heard that is more difficult. I would do the NCEES sample problems hopefully within a couple of weeks before and try to focus the last few weeks on mistakes and common errors.

I wanted to squeeze in 6MS but doesnt look like I would be able to do it. Lindeburg goes over and beyond and I dont want to go through three of his prep stuff (and neither do ihave the time!).

Would anyone have the NCEES Sample exam 2001? Or any link where it is available? I have been trying to get hold of it but to no avail.

 

[uzairsyedahmed]

Sample Exams*

 

[SNAPE/SMOTT PE]

I'm using the MERM and the companion problems book. I also wanted to do some 6MS problems, but won't have time. I plan to work through the Lindburg problems, then move on to the NCEES sample exams. I have the 2001, 2008, and 2011...but I believe the 2008 and 2011 are the same.

 

[SNAPE/SMOTT PE]

Oh, and I'm also using the engineering unit conversions book by Lindeburg...it really is a must!

 

[uzairsyedahmed]

Yeah.. I got the Engineering unit conversions a week ago on peoples recommendation. Will start using it. It just makes one section less to tab in MERM and has more units. It sure does look like something one can use later on too .

I couldnt find the NCEES 2001, will keep looking. Once you get started/done with sample exams, you can post the difficult/confusing problems and we can discuss that! I think that would really help in the penultimate and final week. I am planning to take a couple of days before the exam off.

 

[uzairsyedahmed]

Since you are doingTFS sections, how hard are you finding Lindeburg problems? It covers alot more angles and concepts so I am glad to be doing it but they dont make it easy. Some of the 1hr problems took me 20 mins and some regular ones took like 1.5 hrs!. I am getting about 60 to 65% right with the wrong ones being silly mistakes and not having a clue.

 

[I M A PE]

So MERM is a must, huh? I was hoping to get by with my Marks' Standard Handbook and avoid the $200+ for MERM. Where is the best place to purchase MERM?

 

[I M A PE]

Which edition of MERM are you guys using?

 

[uzairsyedahmed]

I am using the 12th edition. Actually, I got it before the release of the 13th edition and got it for $99. MERM is a very good reference

 

[SNAPE/SMOTT PE]

I'm finding a lot of the TFS problems in MERM rather time consuming since they aren't my best areas, but I hope spending the time on them will help in the long run. Lot more concepts and lengthy.

I have the 12th edition, but I got it second hand from someone along with some other books.

I'm not sure MERM is a must, but it is highly recommended by just about everyone. And a lot of review courses use it.

 

[I M A PE]

Got it. I'll try to score a MERM very soon and start practicing with it. For now, I'm reading trouble spots in my Mark's handbook. Anybody feel like walking through some of the NCEES problems together? Of the ones I've tried and missed that weren't stupid mistakes, I find some of the solutions confusing. They jump in with some formula or something that I've never heard of and can't find in any reference. *SPOILER ALERT* Like a problem for thin walled pressure vessel stress. They solution uses some Von Mises criteria equation but I cannot find that specific Von Mises equation in any reference manual. Maybe it's in MERM? I assume it's the way Von Mises reduces down for the very particular situation set up in the problem but I can't figure out how I'm going to solve a "similar but different" problem during the exam. It's these kinds of things, where I cannot figure out how to use my references, that I could use some help with on some specific problems.

I think we could help each other out.

 

[SNAPE/SMOTT PE]

I have not worked any NCEES practice problems yet, but yes, von Mises is in the MERM.

 

[uzairsyedahmed]

Smott, have you done the HVAC section? I have heard that it tends to show up alot in the morning sections and afternoon for TFS but MERM doesnt have much stuff on the HVAC. Even the sections are quite small.

 

[SNAPE/SMOTT PE]

No I have not done that section yet. I figured it would be something I would review later, and may not spend a lot of time on. I'm not sure how much will be on the MS/MD exam in the afternoon.

 

[uzairsyedahmed]

is it just me or are the last 5 to 6 problems for chapter 22 immensely complicated and long? I can understand the solution but thats way too long to keep track of