PE Mechanical - Machine & Materials (no to PPI)

[Renegade]

Failed PE Mechanical - Machine/Materials

I studied over 300hours in 5 months. Did all the problems that PPI told me to work on, watched the videos, did the homeworks, etc. Used MERM, MEPP, Quick Reference Guide, PPI Practice Test. Took Shigleys, Marks, a Mechanical Eng Dictionary. a few other references just in case. I have over 350 problems worked out.

I decided to prepare with the above, and open the NCEES practice exam one week before the test to do a test run. Automatically knew I had made a strategic blunder purchasing the ppi course, and following their curriculum. If I had taken the practice test a day before starting to study, I would have gotten +/- 10% the same result after I finished all the preparation. One week before the test, i knew it was too late to adjust.

I failed the exam. Miserably. Yes, the problems per PPI are much harder and time consuming. However, they did not help. It takes away from the NCEES problem focus. Based on my diagnostics report, I am estimating the cut score at around 52-54 out of 80 points. My guess now is to focus solely on NCEES practice problems.

Any truthful and objective feedback is welcomed. I would ask the internet trolls to be professional and courteous in this post. perhaps, there can be a descent and productive discussions.

 

[sayed]

it is usually very hard to guage oneself on how well you comprehend the material vs. how well you can solve problems

maybe you focused too much on crunching numbers and not understanding the basics? have you tried ppi exam cafe?

 

[GoBears]

I took the Mechanical Machine test this April for the first time and passed. I'm 17 years out of college and studied for about 30 hours over 2 months using only the NCEES practice exam book. This is what I did: work the problems through at least twice, and tab the necessary sections in your MERM for reference as you do it. Then, a week or two later, work the problems through in your mind without writing anything down, thinking about the steps that it takes to solve the problems. Don't worry about the actual calculations. As you do this, think about any style or theme that you can see in these problems: you'll notice that they're all two-step problems. It's not enough to just solve for stress = force/area. You'll have to take that and compare to bucking, or do Von Mises, or do a strength-to-weight calc, or factor in some safety factor, or something like that. Know what you know, and know what you don't know. I personally never took engineering economics or vibrations in school, so anything other than rudimentary calculations I would have to take an educated guess on. But in order to pass this PE, I had to be very strong on mechanics of materials and machine design.

How did you feel about your time management during the test? Were you rushed? 

 

[Renegade]

GoBears... Thanks. Yours was an efficient strategy. I havent been out from school for long, also have an advanced degree in the subject for which i was weakest in the test; which was very interesting to me. I remember many of the questions, with specifics, and know where things could have gone wrong. Time management wise, the morning session was perfect for me. The afternoon session i did struggle, and had to rush past the 2:30hr mark. In terms of correlations and theory.... The PPI review covers things that are basic to Mechanical Engineers. The only subject which i found useful out of the whole program was Gears because I know I was weak in Gears from the get go. Everything else was rather simple.

However, as an example.... there was a ppi homework question that had you calculate all the stresses in a pressure vessel with different end caps, and joint types/efficiencies etc. the problem itself was extremely long, and required over 10 different calculations to finish it. probably about 45-60mins long if you did everything from scratch.... this and many others, were not useful in the test. The preparation as you rightly point should stick to the NCEES practice tests.

Unfortunately, the PE Exam is not a "how much you know, and how good of an engineer you are - test." The PE Exam is a "how well you can interpret the questions - test."  Of course, almost all standardized tests are like that. But these are my 2 cents for anyone reading. At our level as engineers, the PPI course is not worth the money, and countless hours spent.

....For Sayed.... No, I did not "try" the ppi exam cafe,.... I would not pay for it now knowing what i know... but if that was the key to passing the test, then PPI should only advertise the cafe, instead of the other useless material.

 

[Vel2018]

GoBears... Thanks. Yours was an efficient strategy. I havent been out from school for long, also have an advanced degree in the subject for which i was weakest in the test; which was very interesting to me. I remember many of the questions, with specifics, and know where things could have gone wrong. Time management wise, the morning session was perfect for me. The afternoon session i did struggle, and had to rush past the 2:30hr mark. In terms of correlations and theory.... The PPI review covers things that are basic to Mechanical Engineers. The only subject which i found useful out of the whole program was Gears because I know I was weak in Gears from the get go. Everything else was rather simple.

However, as an example.... there was a ppi homework question that had you calculate all the stresses in a pressure vessel with different end caps, and joint types/efficiencies etc. the problem itself was extremely long, and required over 10 different calculations to finish it. probably about 45-60mins long if you did everything from scratch.... this and many others, were not useful in the test. The preparation as you rightly point should stick to the NCEES practice tests.

Unfortunately, the PE Exam is not a "how much you know, and how good of an engineer you are - test." The PE Exam is a "how well you can interpret the questions - test."  Of course, almost all standardized tests are like that. But these are my 2 cents for anyone reading. At our level as engineers, the PPI course is not worth the money, and countless hours spent.

....For Sayed.... No, I did not "try" the ppi exam cafe,.... I would not pay for it now knowing what i know... but if that was the key to passing the test, then PPI should only advertise the cafe, instead of the other useless material.

PPI and MERM companion problems and alike, those are hard problems, and you should not treat it as exam type...you should work them to get a grip of the material concept. After that, focus on exam type problems like NCEES practice problems, 6MS, SlayThePE, EngProGuides...

SlayThePE practice problems is worth it...it helped me a lot during prep...its just right to prepare you a little over of what you might need during the exam unlike MERM companion and PPI which is way overkill and is a misrepresentation of what you should have prepared for...NCEES practice problems and 6ms is not enough IMO to ensure a pass...

I passed the first try and was 100% sure I know I passed, I was not surprised at the result..after the exam that's when I said, if I don't pass, noone will pass that test, that's how sure I am I did pass with about 75/80 score.

I did work all related chapters in the MERM companion twice, then worked all the NCEES 2001, 20011, 2016, 6MS, SlayThePE like more than 10 times until I was fast, I mean fast as I could finish 80 problems in less than 2 hours, little over 2hrs for 6MS and SlayThePE. In fact during the last week of my prep, I was answering all practice problems in one day 1 pass with 100% score..It might seem to you that I was memorizing the problems, but no of course not...I did not try top memorize it, I did learn the concept behind each problem how it was solved and why was it solved that way...but of course I was that fast because its recycle problems...but nonetheless it enhances how your brain respond to problems...I know in the real exam everything will be foreign to me, but I was sure that it will have the same concept..So I know I will be able to solve them in less than 6 minutes.

At the real exam I did finish in the AM with 1hr to spare, I spent another 30minute to think about at one problem i stumbled upon which I am not familiar with...In the PM I finished with 1.5hrs left, felt like I 40/40 it in the PM...I did not review my work on both sessions, I left the gym early...Every time I answered a problem I read it at least twice to make sure I don't miss anything, then after I answered it I read the question again to triple check..so at the end, there was no need to review any of the problems that I was 100% sure correct..

During the course of prepping I spent countless hours, roughly 550 rock solid hours within 3months...minimum 6hrs a day weekdays and 10-14hrs weekends....

During the test in the PM I was a bit nervous about it coz many said pm was harder, I was waiting for the problem to get harder but it never did until I finished...I did not rate the problems, I just went straight answering all...I believe I was the first one to step out of that gym in the PM..

 

[Renegade]

VEL2018. not sure what to make of your message. Slay the PE site clearly states that Machine/Matls is not available until NCEES transitions to the CBT. The 6MS is comparable to the MEPP which I found not useful at all.

 

[Vel2018]

VEL2018. not sure what to make of your message. Slay the PE site clearly states that Machine/Matls is not available until NCEES transitions to the CBT. The 6MS is comparable to the MEPP which I found not useful at all.

You said PPI and 6MS did not help, something is wrong with your method of studying. 

The exam only tests you if you understand the concepts, the exam is not hard if you know and have a good understanding of the material. 

I don't know how you prepped for it, but I did it assuming all questions in the real exam are foreign and have different approach to solve but the same concept, and I was damn right. 

I shared you how I prepped for the test which is more of understanding and knowing the concepts behind each problem and practice it over and over for speed training, its also with a attitude that I am only going to take this test once thats why I had spent 550+ hours within 3 months..if you haven't done this, I think you haven't gave your best yet. As for me, I did put all what I have in the line on my first and only try and I succeeded. 

 

[sayed]

No, I did not "try" the ppi exam cafe,.... I would not pay for it now knowing what i know... but if that was the key to passing the test, then PPI should only advertise the cafe, instead of the other useless material.

with that attitude, i wouldn't be surprised additional failures in your future.

nowhere in my post did I say exam cafe is all you need. maybe sentence comprehension is also what held you back on your test.

 

[emmajuwa]

Gush guys no insults in trying to make you points. I had 5 months of study time too and passed on my first try. The only things I bought from PPI are: Practice Exam by Lindeburg and 6MS by Cook. Obviously, PPI materials are more difficult than actual exams.

In all, I had:

MERM (highlighted the heck out of it)

Machine Design by Kennedy

Shigley (read it 3 times for Mechanical components, materials, failures and fatigue)

Engproguides study materials and practice questions

Practice Exam by Lindeburg and 6MS by Cook

PPI conversion book (I didn't want to buy this, I would have cried if I never bought it)

NCEES Practice Exams (2011 and 2016)

Question bank I made with over 300 solved questions

Machinery Handbook (for some concepts like thick/thin wall vessel)

Big folder (with go to sheets, charts, concepts from everywhere)

I was immersed in books for 5 months. I dont kniw how much time you have. I plan to come up with a plan for high intensity/moderate study guide on how to make the best use of these resources depending on you prior level of knowledge.

 

[Renegade]

I don't see it as insults. They are trying to make some point whatever it is. If they do it by telling me I have a bad attitude and didn't work hard enough,  oh well. Although I do appreciate the comment on basically hoping I fail on the next attempt. 

 

[Renegade]

Vel2018.... obviously something was wrong with my method,  I didn't pass...

Hence,  the request for suggestions on if anyone just focused on the NCEES practice exams for preparation rather than go all out like I already tried. But my friend sayed did point out I do have reading comprehension problems... so maybe he is right... I should have asked for ego explanations on how to pass the test rather than strategies or constructive criticism. 

 

[GreenHulk]

My friend took Machine Design and he recommends PPI. I guess it all depends on how you use the reference material , after all, no amount of reference material can replace you understanding of the basic concepts 

 

[Renegade]

Does anyone know who the sponsors are for this engineering board website?

 

[Another_Guest]

I was right there with GoBears. I got the MERM and worked through the NCEES practice exam a couple times, probably 30-40 hours of working problems and watching Dr. Toms free videos over 6-8 weeks. Took MERM, Shigleys, and some cheat sheets to the exam. Many of the cheat sheets were from engproguides.com which came in handy for a couple of questions. I will add that much of my daily work revolves around the types of design that popped up in the MDM exam. Had to guess on a couple in the afternoon but felt really good about the ones I did answer. I believe that if you did something like used ft/s^2 instead of in/s^2 in a problem or used degrees instead of radians you would find a "correct" but wrong answer as one of the choices and I would imagine this is a big trap for a lot of people.

 

[H_Tx]

What was your level of familiarity with the PPI materials, in particular the MERM and your other resources? I had a coworker tell me that by exam time they had memorized the page numbers for certain concepts by the exam date. I found that statement strange until I was in a similar situation a few weeks before the test. More than anything, I think it is critical to be able to locate the required information quickly. For me, tabbing the MERM as I worked through the book was critical to getting to this level of familiarity with the book (same with Shigley's and Machinery's Handbook). In saying that though, the MERM is not all encompassing and will probably only take you about 80% of the way. Lindeburg even mentions as much in the preface of the book. I found that I needed additional resources for Quality Control/Process Charts, Vibration, Welding, and Bearings. Shigley's was a great resource for Welding and Bearings. I never found a good resource for vibrations and feel that was my weakest subject.

The resources that I used to study were MERM, Practice Problem Book that went with the MERM, Shigley's, Machinery's Handbook, NCEES Practice Exam (2016), 6 Minute Solutions, and PPI Practice Exam. To echo some of the other user comments, I also worked through the practice exams and 6MS multiple times before I took the test. By exam time I felt comfortable with all the concepts in each of those books. One thing I did for the exam though, was to leave the Practice Problems book at home. I didn't want the temptation of looking for similar problems.

I agree that the PPI problems are much more difficult (or time consuming) than what you can expect to see on the test but if you feel comfortable with those problems you won't have a problem with the "easier" concepts. Also, the repetitive nature of the PPI problems helped me get to the point to where I didn't need to reference any material during the test for certain problems.

 

[Mike E]

I also took the PPI on demand course.  I think it was lacking in the vibrations area with respect to the test, but otherwise it was decent.  I think the PPI study course was very good at getting me back into that critical engineering, problem solving mind set.  I've been out school for 13 years.

I was quite familiar with my Roarks Stress and Strain book before hand which the PPI course didn't use very much.  I did not rely on the 6MS or practice problems much for study.  The NCEES practice exams were the most representative of the exam.  I worked through mine (I had the latest and an older one) multiple times.  I will agree with above, knowing how to use your references and tabbing them to find what you are looking for quickly seemed to be key.  I had a couple problems on the test that I had no idea how to work, but I was able to find the appropriate section in my references to understand and work them.

I took: MERM, Machinery's Handbook, My machine design text book from college, Roarks and Marks ME handbook and used every one of them.  I passed on my first try. 

 

[Renegade]

Hello (Another Guest, Guest_hTX, and Mike).

i appreciate very much your feedback. comparing to your comments/suggestions. I did take Roarks, Marks, Shigleys, MERM, and a few other materials books which came in very handy. I did also take the NCEES practice exam, and did look at it during the test.

About the MERM, i think is a great all in one resource. I have always been a fan of Lindeburg. My familiarity and tabbing was very solid. I read all the chapters ppi recommended. Tab/Highlighted it accordingly. I spent the least time in vibration, although it was not my strongest subject. Somehow, that was my best performance. what i work with on a day to day was my weakest subjects - i did however, review it well and studied it. In general, i gave respect to all subjects except statistics.

I am getting rid of the MPP, and the Lindeburg's practice exam. I still havent decided on the study strategy for next time, but again I am very grateful  for your feedback.

Good discussion.... thanks!

 

[Coastal Engineer]

I took the Mechanical Machine test this April for the first time and passed. I'm 17 years out of college and studied for about 30 hours over 2 months using only the NCEES practice exam book. This is what I did: work the problems through at least twice, and tab the necessary sections in your MERM for reference as you do it. Then, a week or two later, work the problems through in your mind without writing anything down, thinking about the steps that it takes to solve the problems. Don't worry about the actual calculations. As you do this, think about any style or theme that you can see in these problems: you'll notice that they're all two-step problems. It's not enough to just solve for stress = force/area. You'll have to take that and compare to bucking, or do Von Mises, or do a strength-to-weight calc, or factor in some safety factor, or something like that. Know what you know, and know what you don't know. I personally never took engineering economics or vibrations in school, so anything other than rudimentary calculations I would have to take an educated guess on. But in order to pass this PE, I had to be very strong on mechanics of materials and machine design.

How did you feel about your time management during the test? Were you rushed? 

I had to do a double take as this was my exact feelings when I took the PE after being out of school for 17 years. I agree with GoBears.