Passing PE Mechanical Thermal the first time (study materials and tips)

[gtg532u]

Hey Everyone,

I was able to pass PE Mechanical Thermal and Fluid Systems on my first go!

Simple advice....
At this point in life, you should know yourself and how YOU need to study. Don't look at what everyone else's timeline was. Set that for yourself because you know yourself. No matter what timeline you use, you MUST solve as many practice problems as you can. Get the study material and look over stuff before you schedule the test so you properly access how time you will need. When I registered in Jan. 22, they were already booked out about 4 months FYI. Things could have changed. however.

All of the questions come back to the same basic equations in the reference manual, but you have to learn how discern what info you have in the problem statement, then go to the same equations to solve it. Keywords like adiabatic, isentropic efficiency, or head loss should all be words that get your gears turning and headed to the right equations when you see them. Solve as many problems as you can from all available resources, the take the NCEES practice test LAST, but master every problem in that book. You will be surprisingly comfortable taking the real test at that point.

I'm selling my study material listed below. Everything is in like new condition. NO writing, NO highlighting, NO tears
I'd like to sell it as a bundle and not break it out. Retails prices are listed over, $800 total. The calculator and tabs are still new in the package. All of these are the most UP TO DATE versions, as I just purchased them this year. Based on the CBT version.

I'd sell the entire bundle for $500+shipping. I can ship the next day if it's during the week. Please DM me if interested.

• NCEES PE Mechanical: Thermal and Fluid Systems Practice Exam $39
• Engineering Unit Conversions $49
• Casio FX-115 ES Plus Advanced Scientific Calculator FREE
• PPI Customizable Book Tabs FREE
• Mechanical Engineering Reference Manual 14th Edition $289
• Mechanical Engineering Practice Problems, $130
• Mechanical Engineering Thermal and Fluid Systems Practice Exam $100
• Thermal and Fluids Systems Six-Minute Problems $95.00
• Thermal and Fluids Systems Reference Manual for the Mechanical PE Exam $99
• 101 Solved Mechanical Engineering Problems $95

Good luck to you all!

 

[usernamerequired]

How was the reference manual? I mean is it pdf or some other type program? For example in pdf, if I search chill, Adobe will ask if I want to search just for chill, and will exclude other words such as chiller. That can be useful. Were there pages that you had to rotate? I noticed the latest version had the entire steam table needing to be rotated.

 

[gtg532u]

it's still a searchable pdf. You put the keyword in the search bar and brings up every result containing the word with a hyperlink so be aware of what chapter you want your result to pop up in so you click the right search result. Or get really good at putting in keywords that don't show up everywhere in the manual. Don't search for "steam".

The steam tables were already rotated. If you have to use the psychrometric chart it was a pop up window with a tool to draw dark lines so it's easier to see the intersection point.

 

[Audi Driver P.E.]

Great post and great list of references. If I were taking the exam, I would jump on this. (except that I am I a TI-36X Pro guy)

 

[gtg532u]

I used the TI-36X as well which is why this is still brand new lol

 

[GTGodzilla]

How many hours would you estimate you studied? I am scheduled to take the exam in January 2023. Started studying April 12th. Started the Dr Tom TFS class May 9th. Got about 100 hours in as of today. Working hard want to pass this.

 

[gtg532u]

I registered for the test in the January, looked at a few lectures then skated for February and got back into finishing the lectures in march. By the April I was feeling like "hey the test is coming up soon now, so get on it" all of April, I did practice problems for about 3-4 hours a day. sometimes on the weekend depending on family commitments. Once I hit May, I knew I had 3 weeks and I wanted the final week to be mastering the NCEES test so I planned to take the NCEES test the weekend before. I knew how many problems I had to do a day to go thru them all by the weekend the I wanted to take the NCEES test so I would study( work problems) again for 3-4 hours but a day but also weekends. It may help to work backwards from your deadline and see where you need to be.

Personally, I couldn't stay focused for months on end even if it meant 1 hour a day for 6 months. I have to have a "looming deadline" so I focus. again you have to gauge yourself and how you've learned in the past. there isn't a solution for everyone but I promise you will figure it out once you start studying. better to have more time than not enough but just start studying and see how many problems you are getting right. Overall minimal time on lectures and the majority of the time on solving problems. That's what I meant by studying. Work all the problems you can. Look for keywords. Know where to go in the reference manual.

You will be fine just start working problems

 

[GTGodzilla]

Wow! You had to be hyper focused to knock it out with a little over 2 months time! Kudos man!! I personally could not do that. Too much anxiety. I need a slow methodical approach. Definitely working every problem I can over and over (Drt Toms and the 2019 NCEES practice exam).

 

[TammyK]

Hey Everyone,

I was able to pass PE Mechanical Thermal and Fluid Systems on my first go!

Simple advice....
At this point in life, you should know yourself and how YOU need to study. Don't look at what everyone else's timeline was. Set that for yourself because you know yourself. No matter what timeline you use, you MUST solve as many practice problems as you can. Get the study material and look over stuff before you schedule the test so you properly access how time you will need. When I registered in Jan. 22, they were already booked out about 4 months FYI. Things could have changed. however.

All of the questions come back to the same basic equations in the reference manual, but you have to learn how discern what info you have in the problem statement, then go to the same equations to solve it. Keywords like adiabatic, isentropic efficiency, or head loss should all be words that get your gears turning and headed to the right equations when you see them. Solve as many problems as you can from all available resources, the take the NCEES practice test LAST, but master every problem in that book. You will be surprisingly comfortable taking the real test at that point.

I'm selling my study material listed below. Everything is in like new condition. NO writing, NO highlighting, NO tears
I'd like to sell it as a bundle and not break it out. Retails prices are listed over, $800 total. The calculator and tabs are still new in the package. All of these are the most UP TO DATE versions, as I just purchased them this year. Based on the CBT version.

I'd sell the entire bundle for $500+shipping. I can ship the next day if it's during the week. Please DM me if interested.

• NCEES PE Mechanical: Thermal and Fluid Systems Practice Exam $39
• Engineering Unit Conversions $49
• Casio FX-115 ES Plus Advanced Scientific Calculator FREE
• PPI Customizable Book Tabs FREE
• Mechanical Engineering Reference Manual 14th Edition $289
• Mechanical Engineering Practice Problems, $130
• Mechanical Engineering Thermal and Fluid Systems Practice Exam $100
• Thermal and Fluids Systems Six-Minute Problems $95.00
• Thermal and Fluids Systems Reference Manual for the Mechanical PE Exam $99
• 101 Solved Mechanical Engineering Problems $95

Good luck to you all!

Hello

Did you use the PPI Live classes or you just bought the materials and did self study?
I am preparing for my exam in December this year (2024) and I am trying to ascertain which material to study with.
Many have recommended SlaythePE, but I would like to know if PPI is good as

 

[gtg532u]

How was the reference manual? I mean is it pdf or some other type program? For example in pdf, if I search chill, Adobe will ask if I want to search just for chill, and will exclude other words such as chiller. That can be useful. Were there pages that you had to rotate? I noticed the latest version had the entire steam table needing to be rotated.

things could have definetly changed since i took it 2021 but yes there was a searchable pdf of the reference manual. they also have a line feature so you can use mollier charts by drawing lines on them for the intersection points. i don't remember specfically having to rotate pages but the reference pdf was useful as it was designed. i didn't think to myself "man they are screwing me using this pdf reference" during the exam. it worked as needed.

 

[gtg532u]

Hello

Did you use the PPI Live classes or you just bought the materials and did self study?
I am preparing for my exam in December this year (2024) and I am trying to ascertain which material to study with.
Many have recommended SlaythePE, but I would like to know if PPI is good as

i used school of PE along with references. does your employer help pay for any of this? the more questions you answer the better prepared you will be of course so if your job pays for 1 study method maybe you get another that's cheaper

 

[TammyK]

i used school of PE along with references. does your employer help pay for any of this? the more questions you answer the better prepared you will be of course so if your job pays for 1 study method maybe you get another that's cheaper

Thank you for your response. Unfortunately, my job is not paying for this. Everything concerning this exam is out of pocket for me. So this is why I am looking for a right course that is pocket friendly and will give me the ability to practice the most.

 

[usernamerequired]

i too debated between ppi and slay, and ultimately went with slay since i've heard ppi can be too much, and i felt slay adequately prepared me

plus he (or she?) was responsive to questions i posted on the slay forum you get access to once signing up, i bought the answers to the practice test, and just the entire study guide (600ish pgs), plus it had probably 300 questions that are in the study guide to help you along the way

another good resource is the subreddit for the pe exam, reddit.com/r/PE_Exam/

the subreddit is for all disciplines, but it is well represented for mechanical as well

i also suggest you lay out a plan for success, since you test in december, you should lay out when you will start, and then when you will be at each ch. of w/e guide you end up going with, having a plan/schedule was also what really helped me be ready, and helped force me to study, etc. etc.

the biggest challenge you will encounter is not the material, it's the 8 hours you face on test day (time management)