question about exam format

[bph]

Hi,

I want to practice problems under similar conditions as the exam, and wonder if the work sheet paper they provide is lined or just blank? kind of silly, but I figure I should simulate exam conditions as much as possible.

BPH

 

[snickerd3]

the problem is at the top of the page and you have the rest of the blank page and back side of the previous page to work

 

[bph]

I'll use blank paper then for practice, I have been using lined paper, but I need to purchase some more paper and thought I would ask.

Thanks,

BPH

 

[jeb6294]

Usually there's plenty of room to work problems on the page...just remember nobody is grading you on your penmanship or neatness so scribble away so long as you can follow your logic if you have to go back to a question.

 

[Tark62]

If you want to preview the format of real FE or PE exams (and this is not a bad idea), simply get the appropriate NCEES "Sample Questions and Answers" book. You can order it directly from NCEES, or from other sources of exam study materials.

NCEES prepares the actual exams, and their sample exams are published in the identical format. In my experience, the sample NCEES exams are also the best guide to the level of difficulty that you can expect in an actual NCEES exam.

 

[bph]

I have the NCEES practice exams, but there are often two or even three problems per page, is this practice exam really in the same printed format, or have they condensed the free space to reduce the number of pages?

Thanks,

BH

 

[Daisy]

If memory serves me correctly, there is only one page per problem on the actual exam.

 

[Vishal]

I think Daisy is right on this one. I remember getting one problem per page. You will have enough space to do your math. Remember, if you are doing too much math then generally you are doing too much. Most problems did not require more than 2-3 steps (this is my opinion and observation). I am talking about Civil PE with Transportation depth.

I did not see many questions that were 'tricky'.

Good luck.

 

[bph]

Vishal,

I'm glad you made the comments about only a few steps and if the problems were 'tricky'.

I have a very limited amount of study time and starting to feel that a lot of the MERM questions are too in-depth, even when considering they are in parts. Also, a significant amount of the review material in the MERM is also not a good use of time (if push comes to shove). The MERM is talked about as "over preparation" but I wouldn't describe it as so, but would say the over preparation is in a way that does not really help you. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to have the MERM and would recommend to anyone, with the above info. I would prefer more questions about understanding the principals involved and less math. That way you can be challenged with dozens of questions instead of a few big number crunchers.

I took a quick peek at the NCESS practice exam and was totally shocked at the simplicity of a few of the problems (could be answered as quickly as you could read the problem, with no look-up), but I was also aware that some of the very simple problems require in-depth knowledge of the topic, but very little number crunching.

Away, thanks for the comments,

BH

 

[klk]

I have the NCEES practice exams, but there are often two or even three problems per page, is this practice exam really in the same printed format, or have they condensed the free space to reduce the number of pages?

I took the Environmental PE Exam and found there were often 2 or 3 problems per page. Granted, some were qualitative, but I generally felt that I didn't have enough room to work out the quantitative problems, in the end I even had to work under the space of some of the qualitative problems. Not sure how the Mechanical test will be, but if this is something that might cause you nervousness if it turns out not as you expected, know that you could end with not as much room as you expected. I am letting a coworker borrow my copy of the NCEES sample problems, but I remember thinking that the NCEES sample test was very very similar to the actual test, including the spacing of the problems. I too had hoped they compressed the problems for the sample exam to save paper, but that wasn't the case for the environmental exam.

I do agree with Vishal though about the difficulty of the problems. I remember doing example problems from the various PPI books that required you to plot something, and get the slope of the line to use in an equation, and it freaked me out. The math on the actual exam was very simple, it's the converting the units that gets people. I know I've posted it many times elsewhere on this board, but one of the biggest tricks on the exam is that often you will solve an equation and end up with one set of units, but the correct answer is in different units. The answers shown in the multiple choice options will not have units next to them.

 

[Tark62]

I have the NCEES practice exams, but there are often two or even three problems per page, is this practice exam really in the same printed format, or have they condensed the free space to reduce the number of pages?

I took the civil PE exam. My recollection was that the NCEES practice exam and the actual exam were, in fact, in the exact same format. They both had varying numbers of problems per page: sometimes only one, sometimes two or three. When there were multiple problems on the page, they were typically less quantitative problems that required relatively little (or no) space for calculations.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

The NCEES practice exam format was dead on for the mechanical exam.

 

[FairhopeEE]

The NCEES practice exam format was dead on for the mechanical exam.

Ditto for electrical/power. Also, I recall a few questions where there was way more information given than was required to get the solution.

 

[bph]

Ditto for electrical/power. Also, I recall a few questions where there was way more information given than was required to get the solution.

Thanks for all the input, now when I do the NCEES practice exam I will know it's a good simulation of the real thing, including working space for calculations.

Every bit of info helps to limit the surprises on exam day.

BPH