PPI Exam materials

[EdinNO]

I just noticed that the MERM is now on edition 12. I believe the 11th edition, which I have, was about 1 year old.

Granted, there were some mistakes, typos, etc... that needed fixing, but I am wondering if "the other board" puts out all the new editions to keep the demand up? :dunno:

In the preface of my 11th edition (or on their website- can't remember which), they stress the importance of not using a past version. They mention that major changes have come out that might affect the outcome of your test.

I believe I would not have made it without my MERM- don't get me wrong. I was just curious if others feel that scare tactics are used to keep the machine running?

Your thoughts.... ?

Ed

 

[Road Guy]

I actually used an 8th edition, the only thing that I noticed that changed was the structural factors (not an issue for me) and the transportation (Green Book & HCM Updated) but you have to take those books with you for the exam, so I didnt see the need for an updated book.

I also noticed that in the 10th edition, they removed the practice problems and made you buy them in a seperate book :die:

They know a lot of people who pass will sell there books on ebay and half.com so they dont want to lose sales so they publish a new book with little changes..

However the only reason i had an 8th is that is what was new when I first applied for the test, I got denied by my state, because I had some active duty military time since I graduated that wasnt "engineering related" and counted against me for my experience...(Do the Dixie Chics run my state board?)

 

[cdhanners]

That's what you get for serving your country, what a ____ joke.

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

I used the ENVRM, 2nd Ed.

I thought it was a solid, concise reference. It was particularly helpful in areas where I didn't have a college text to refer to during my review. Like occupational and radiological health for example.

I also thought the tables in the back came in handy.

According to PPI, ENVRM-2 came out in 2003. Maybe there just isn't much demand for a new edition, but it would seem like this should be one of the more frequently updated manuals.

The Envl exam had a bunch of questions on laws and regulations, and others where you needed to know a quantified health standard. (i.e. Does this water violate the primary standard for contaminant X.) This shit changes all the time.

I don't know how many people sell their RM's after the test. I'd like to hang onto mine, because it's a useful reference to have around. It's more the practice exams and sample questions I'd like to dump.

 

[Road Guy]

I wonder if the ENVRM would come in handy on the AM civil exam? none of the environmental questions were to be found (by me) in either my CERM or "intro to environmental" text that I brought...

 

[EdinNO]

I'll probably keep the practice stuff too. You never know when you might come across a similar question in the real world and can use the problem book for a solution.

But then again, my MERM would probably have all that info in it too.

Ed

 

[Road Guy]

I am not typing this just in the even that some PPI tool is reading this but in all honesty, there is no reason I will keep my CERM if I pass. If I can get 10 bucks for it on ebay then so be it.

 

[cdhanners]

Have to agree with you on that one Road Guy. I haven't needed anytime befor the test, and i don't plan on needing it after the test, and if I do, I will buy one and charge it to the job.

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

I wonder if the ENVRM would come in handy on the AM civil exam? none of the environmental questions were to be found (by me) in either my CERM or "intro to environmental" text that I brought...

What's on the civil AM session?

I didn't use the ENVRM for any water, wastewater, hydrology, open channel, or groundwater as I had textboks to go by. (Except for looking up the occasional number in a table.)

The stuff I thought ENVRM was best for was air pollution control (the actual design equations), and the stuff on public health/OSHA.

 

[Road Guy]

its mainly a lot of "definition" type questions, one which I imagine were easy, I just couldnt find anything about them in any of my books.. I went back and had time to flip through every ENV page in the CERM, but no luck.....

Thats another dumb thing about the exam, why not just take 8 hours in your discipline.... :BK:

 

[EdinNO]

MERM had a LOT of great info in it. I will keep it. It was a little weak in HVAC, which is what I am in, but was pretty good overall. I tested in machine design and it was great for that.

I still think some of the edition change thing is all about selling more copies.

In college, I had an older Calculus book from an older brother. Everything was the same except asthetics and the order in which the end-of-chapter problems were listed. When the teacher said to do problems 1, 4,7 and 10 for homework to be turned in, I had to compare with someone else to figure out which problems were the ones I had to do. It was a pain and eventually I broke down and bought the new edition. They got me!

Ed

 

[Road Guy]

Lindeburg got to you didnt he

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

its mainly a lot of "definition" type questions, one which I imagine were easy, I just couldnt find anything about them in any of my books.. I went back and had time to flip through every ENV page in the CERM, but no luck.....
Thats another dumb thing about the exam, why not just take 8 hours in your discipline.... :BK:

Qualitative stuff you mean?

Maybe there would have been something in the ENVRM glossary or in-chapter definitions.

Here's hoping you passed and it doesn't matter.

If for some reason you are studying again, I can look and see if it has the stuff you're looking for.

 

[NSEARCH]

The only stuff that has changed over the years in the CERM is the structural and transportation, due to code changes. EVERYTHING else is just reprinted and the numbers are changed. Like many others.......I'm selling EVERYTHING I bought to study for this exam, including both CERMS I acquired, they are useless to me.