Practice Exams

[Viper5]

I've been using the MERM and practice problem books in order to prepare for the PE.  I honestly don't know how anyone could possibly get through all the material in 6 months.  I started around May with spending what must be a couple hundred hours already and I'm only about halfway through.  Granted I am making sure I understand the material to a proficient level.

Was interested in also taking some practice exams.  I thought NCEES provided some free samples from the past, but I can't locate them.  Do they actually exist and also what other sample exams for purchase are widely regarded as useful? I read something about how 6MS has many errors and don't want to have to deal with that but maybe they've also improved in that regard.  Thanks.

 

[smahurin]

I think everyone just needs to find the right amount of study for "you".  I started off thinking I would review the entire CERM... I made it maybe 10% through the manual (probably less realistically) before realizing I just didn't have the time or focus to sit down for hundreds of hours to review it all and bagged that idea.  Did some review on my own, summarized and reviewed some class notes and worked a few example tests and thats what worked for me.  But thats not what works for everyone.  If you think its useful and you can keep at it, go for it... if you don't think its useful then work it a different way.

I think the NCEES are the best indicators of material and difficulty.  I think the exams by 3rd party companies can be good, but in general seem to be much more difficult than the actual exam and sometimes their material is pretty far off of what you'll find on the actual exam.  This is both good and bad.  Its good in theory, because the 3rd party exams I think are intended to be more difficult than the actual exam in order to "overprepare" you for the actual exam, its bad because at least in my opinion because... well they just aren't great indicators of difficulty and sometimes material.

That probably wasn't helpful, but just my 2 cents.   

 

[Viper5]

It was helpful, however I still would like to know whether or not the NCEES provides previous exams for practice.  Haven't been able to locate them on the website, but I thought I had read about there being some available for free.

 

[ptatohed]

It was helpful, however I still would like to know whether or not the NCEES provides previous exams for practice.  Haven't been able to locate them on the website, but I thought I had read about there being some available for free.

Moving...

They are not available for free but they are for sale. 

https://account.ncees.org/exam-prep/

 

[MikeGlass1969]

Also availible in the "Yard Sale" section of this forum for cheap...  I have the thermal fluids exam still up for sale.

 

[smahurin]

Ya my understanding is that the NCEES practice exams that are for sale are just recycled old exams.  But ya, they have to be purchased through them, or yard sale or bummed off a friend, etc.