Pass/Fail ONLY determined by NCEES?

[JNMeister]

While I continue to WAIT for my PE results, I have started to wonder about some RUMORS I have heard and was hoping someone on here can clarify them for me. I am new to North Carolina and just sat for the Civil/Transpo exam for the first time (October 2011). I have heard two consistent rumors since I moved to North Carolina:

Rumor #1: The NC Board establishes their own cut score after given the scores from NCEES. (I don't believe this is true due to the timing of the scores, I would just like to hear it from someone.)

Rumor #2: It doesn't matter if you aced your depth module and one or two sections of your breadth module, you have to correctly answer a certain percentage in each of the sections of the breadth exam to 'Pass' the exam.

On a side note, how is it that NCEES posts a 69% pass rate for first time takers (40% for repeat takers) yet I see some states have a overall 50-60% pass rate? Are there that many repeat takers or do some states have a 70-90% pass rate to bring up the average?

Any help would be appreciated and would help to ease my nerves. Thank you.

 

[Dexman PE PMP]

1) Each state can set their own score, but most defer to the NCEES recommendations.

2) False. Each question is weighted equally. You could ace your morning breadth session and only score a 50% in the afternoon (or vice-versa) and still pass.

On a side note, how is it that NCEES posts a 69% pass rate for first time takers (40% for repeat takers) yet I see some states have a overall 50-60% pass rate? Are there that many repeat takers or do some states have a 70-90% pass rate to bring up the average?

There are a fair amount of repeat takers. Remember, most of the people who take this exam want/need their PE for their career, so they aren't going to give-up after only one attempt. I know people who have taken the exam 5+ times, but they kept taking it because they knew it was a big key to career advancement.

 

[snickerd3]

yep. We have quite a few 6 timers here at work. We also have several one timers too. and we don't even need it to do our work here.

 

[DS58]

yep. We have quite a few 6 timers here at work. We also have several one timers too. and we don't even need it to do our work here.

6??? NOoooooooooooo

That would be .... years

NOW I'm psyched out

 

[jco0518]

Some states require that you should have passed all your exams no more than 4 tries (fe&pe combined that is), it would suck for repeat takers if all states start doing this.

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

On a side note, how is it that NCEES posts a 69% pass rate for first time takers (40% for repeat takers) yet I see some states have a overall 50-60% pass rate? Are there that many repeat takers or do some states have a 70-90% pass rate to bring up the average?

We go through this every time...

On the first attempt, the people that are naturally talented and/or well studied are likely to pass.

This leaves people who studied inadequately, people that are poor standardized test takers, and people who shouldn't be there in the first place. Some people will adopt a better strategy, some people will be more comfortable the second time around. Others will simply never 'get it' or be up to the task. Hence, your 14 timers.

 

[STEEL MAN]

this is case to case some people wrote FE in their senior year for fresh out of university, some people wrote it several years later and forgot the the basics and had to relearn whats in the exam, some people from outside of North America had to study some courses that arent included in their engineering curriculum.

In PE exam, it is broad and also case to case basis, and most people wrote it after years of engineering practice and forgot the courses that arent used at work. Relearning and Code updates happened to most examinees.