Review Course Pass/Fail
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PPI Online (with Richard Davis)
ME HVAC
Passed
Honestly the actual lecture wasn't that much help besides giving general test taking advice - what resources to bring, what to focus on, etc. It's just too much material in too short of time to really teach anything. It's like drinking from a fire hose.
What made the difference was all the homework problems. Being enrolled in the (pretty expensive) class forces you to do hours and hours of practice problems that I felt were all much harder than anything on the actual PE. The online message board was also a great resource to get help with practice problems.
I don't think there was anything on the exam I hadn't seen before in the practice problems.
I would definitely recommend the PPI course.
ME HVAC
Passed
Honestly the actual lecture wasn't that much help besides giving general test taking advice - what resources to bring, what to focus on, etc. It's just too much material in too short of time to really teach anything. It's like drinking from a fire hose.
What made the difference was all the homework problems. Being enrolled in the (pretty expensive) class forces you to do hours and hours of practice problems that I felt were all much harder than anything on the actual PE. The online message board was also a great resource to get help with practice problems.
I don't think there was anything on the exam I hadn't seen before in the practice problems.
I would definitely recommend the PPI course.
InfinityX2K4
Cube Farm Resident
Testmasters in class in Dallas
Civil - WRE
First attempt. Graduated with masters in 2011, my degrees are environmental engineering but all my work experience is transportation.
Class was very helpful, notes were great, never opened my lindburg or goeswami (spelling is a guess) during the exam.
Anyone else from this Testmasters class?
I did not take a review course and passed first time.
For my discipline, the review course is only offered once a year by the national society and I was unable to make it. They also will not sell their materials for those who cannot make it which I found to be irritating and dubious particularly as I was willing to pay the entire course fee for it. I suppose it saved me money in any case as I did not end up needing the review course. I studied for a couple hours of a flight from France to Boston the day before the test by flipping through a copy of the published exam book (it was basically useless in any case).
The wait for results was the hardest part. As with the FE, I didn't know whether I passed or not when I left the exam and I was irritated about the review course situation until about two weeks ago as a result. Two weeks ago I decided that I probably did pass because it was a similar feeling to how I felt when I left the FE (which I passed first time by flipping through equation book for 15 minutes).
If I had not taken the PE in my university discipline I would have definitely needed to take one of the review courses in order to pass. The reason I am a bit bitter about not being able to take the review course in my discipline is because a review course is a learning experience and refresher and I enjoy lifetime learning. Maybe I'll have to take one of the other discipline online review courses instead to broaden my understanding and invest in myself
For my discipline, the review course is only offered once a year by the national society and I was unable to make it. They also will not sell their materials for those who cannot make it which I found to be irritating and dubious particularly as I was willing to pay the entire course fee for it. I suppose it saved me money in any case as I did not end up needing the review course. I studied for a couple hours of a flight from France to Boston the day before the test by flipping through a copy of the published exam book (it was basically useless in any case).
The wait for results was the hardest part. As with the FE, I didn't know whether I passed or not when I left the exam and I was irritated about the review course situation until about two weeks ago as a result. Two weeks ago I decided that I probably did pass because it was a similar feeling to how I felt when I left the FE (which I passed first time by flipping through equation book for 15 minutes).
If I had not taken the PE in my university discipline I would have definitely needed to take one of the review courses in order to pass. The reason I am a bit bitter about not being able to take the review course in my discipline is because a review course is a learning experience and refresher and I enjoy lifetime learning. Maybe I'll have to take one of the other discipline online review courses instead to broaden my understanding and invest in myself
BornTrucker
PE
Testmasters online
Mechanical - TF
Passed
Honestly I wouldn't recommend testmasters online for mechanical. The video player was ****, they provided no course layout, they didn't supply necessary documents until I asked for them, and worst of all they used a lot of the problems from then 2011 practice test in the course. I wasted hours dealing with the video player, which they acknowledged happens to other people yet it was my fault and it happened on two different computers with different OS. The lack of complete distributed materials delayed me by days. I was working one section at a time and missing reference material is a dead stop with the video player they use. A course layout with what is required or not would have been great (they provide the same course for all 3 disciplines but don't say what's you do or don't need to do based on the exam you're taking), also an indication of length of each video would have been helpful as they ranged from 20 minutes to 6+ hours. Finally they copied problems from the only NCEES practice test verbatim. I was hoping to take that test with no knowledge of any problem yet I opened it and had seen half already. This was infuriating.
In addition to those issues, the audio quality was generally good but occasionally sounded like the microphone was on the other side of the room so I turned my speakers all the way up then for some reason it sounded like someone kicked it very loudly. Also problems were worked incorrectly, then caught by the instructor and reworked. Why not just cut those out since it's prerecorded lessons? Some instructions were great and some it seemed had never seen the material before.
All that said, I passed and felt prepared. My main studying focus was the course and I probably studied 120-150 hours in total.
Mechanical - TF
Passed
Honestly I wouldn't recommend testmasters online for mechanical. The video player was ****, they provided no course layout, they didn't supply necessary documents until I asked for them, and worst of all they used a lot of the problems from then 2011 practice test in the course. I wasted hours dealing with the video player, which they acknowledged happens to other people yet it was my fault and it happened on two different computers with different OS. The lack of complete distributed materials delayed me by days. I was working one section at a time and missing reference material is a dead stop with the video player they use. A course layout with what is required or not would have been great (they provide the same course for all 3 disciplines but don't say what's you do or don't need to do based on the exam you're taking), also an indication of length of each video would have been helpful as they ranged from 20 minutes to 6+ hours. Finally they copied problems from the only NCEES practice test verbatim. I was hoping to take that test with no knowledge of any problem yet I opened it and had seen half already. This was infuriating.
In addition to those issues, the audio quality was generally good but occasionally sounded like the microphone was on the other side of the room so I turned my speakers all the way up then for some reason it sounded like someone kicked it very loudly. Also problems were worked incorrectly, then caught by the instructor and reworked. Why not just cut those out since it's prerecorded lessons? Some instructions were great and some it seemed had never seen the material before.
All that said, I passed and felt prepared. My main studying focus was the course and I probably studied 120-150 hours in total.
Self studied with Michael R. Lindeburg's Civil Engineering Reference Manual for the PE Exam. Also took every practice exam I could find online to prepare my brain for test taking mode.
Civil structural depth, passed 1st time.
I started reading the book in early July, took a work sabbatical for about a month (and didn't study at all) in Mid-August to go to Australia and New Zealand and then hunkered down with the studying when I got back, spent the last 3 weeks just taking every practice question I could find, tried to read-up on anything that I didn't feel confident on. Lindeburg's book is amazing, I strongly strongly recommend any civil engineer get it. I felt prepared for everything on the morning portion, if I had failed I think it would have been hydrology that sunk me. Just would have had to spent more time studying that in Lindeburg's book. For the afternoon portion, I printed all the reference materials that I didn't personally own (I design buildings, never looked at an AASHTO bridge design before) at 4 pages per a sheet just to try and save paper and weight. Thank google for finding those expensive manuals, I think it's insane NCEES makes us bring in references that many of us (including the companies we're at) have no need to own. That said, having the manuals helped because for the couple questions that used them, the answer was right there, hardly any work required. The rest I thought was pretty straight forward, hardest part was not overthinking the questions. They seemed too easy compared to real world scenarios. Practice exams definitely helped prepare for that.
I think that's all.... it's definitely possible to pass without those expensive courses!! Good luck to all!
Civil structural depth, passed 1st time.
I started reading the book in early July, took a work sabbatical for about a month (and didn't study at all) in Mid-August to go to Australia and New Zealand and then hunkered down with the studying when I got back, spent the last 3 weeks just taking every practice question I could find, tried to read-up on anything that I didn't feel confident on. Lindeburg's book is amazing, I strongly strongly recommend any civil engineer get it. I felt prepared for everything on the morning portion, if I had failed I think it would have been hydrology that sunk me. Just would have had to spent more time studying that in Lindeburg's book. For the afternoon portion, I printed all the reference materials that I didn't personally own (I design buildings, never looked at an AASHTO bridge design before) at 4 pages per a sheet just to try and save paper and weight. Thank google for finding those expensive manuals, I think it's insane NCEES makes us bring in references that many of us (including the companies we're at) have no need to own. That said, having the manuals helped because for the couple questions that used them, the answer was right there, hardly any work required. The rest I thought was pretty straight forward, hardest part was not overthinking the questions. They seemed too easy compared to real world scenarios. Practice exams definitely helped prepare for that.
I think that's all.... it's definitely possible to pass without those expensive courses!! Good luck to all!
Georgia Tech Power Class - Passed
This is my third time taking the test. I attribute passing to better study habits and experience but the GA Test helped me alot.
My first attempt at taking the test i took the Villanova class because it seemed to be the most comprehensive. I was right, but there was ton of material that is not covered in the exam. I would not recommend Villanova.
This is my third time taking the test. I attribute passing to better study habits and experience but the GA Test helped me alot.
My first attempt at taking the test i took the Villanova class because it seemed to be the most comprehensive. I was right, but there was ton of material that is not covered in the exam. I would not recommend Villanova.
Self study. A whole lotta books in 2.5 months. Studied almost daily after work and 8-10 hours on the weekends. All of that just to get a "PASS"
Worth the effort though. I'm so happy and in disbelief. No exaggeration, I must have checked the results about 20 times and took pictures just in case NCEES changes their mind about my pass. Anyone else feel that way?
Worth the effort though. I'm so happy and in disbelief. No exaggeration, I must have checked the results about 20 times and took pictures just in case NCEES changes their mind about my pass. Anyone else feel that way?
KingOfZhoops PE+
New member
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Dr. Tom's Classroom - 20 Week Course
Mechanical - TF
Passed
Mechanical - TF
Passed
KingOfZhoops PE+
New member
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I literally did the same thing. Screenshots, then logged out and in a couple times to make sure it didn't change!
Congrats!, I did when I took the FE, probably will do the same this time around as well.
TNSparky
Well-known member
School of PE
Electrical - Power; 1st Time
PASS
Electrical - Power; 1st Time
PASS
Tennisman03110
Member
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2016
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Mechanical HVAC - Pass 1st Attempt
No course was used. I did a very standard protocol of go through entire MERM, try the problems, make a cheat sheet and tab. Then I completed Six Minute Solutions, NCEES Practice Exam, and the PPI practice test. Out of everything, the NCEES practice was by far the best preparation.
My final few weeks were spent making cheat sheets, and an index of problems (used this quite a bit), and knowing where to find things. I probably spent 200 hours, with a major amount the last two months. Honestly, I probably forgot almost everything now. But learning isn't as important as knowing how to pass, in my opinion.
No course was used. I did a very standard protocol of go through entire MERM, try the problems, make a cheat sheet and tab. Then I completed Six Minute Solutions, NCEES Practice Exam, and the PPI practice test. Out of everything, the NCEES practice was by far the best preparation.
My final few weeks were spent making cheat sheets, and an index of problems (used this quite a bit), and knowing where to find things. I probably spent 200 hours, with a major amount the last two months. Honestly, I probably forgot almost everything now. But learning isn't as important as knowing how to pass, in my opinion.
Kicker6820
Member
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2016
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- 7
- Reaction score
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Took School of PE for ME. Passed thermal and fluid systems second try.
Took the class before my first try. Second try (when I passed) was a bunch of self study and use of the School of PE notes. Work paid for the class but the biggest help for me was the School of PE notes. Easier to find info in and had the ME Reference Manual equation numbers in it as well.
Took the class before my first try. Second try (when I passed) was a bunch of self study and use of the School of PE notes. Work paid for the class but the biggest help for me was the School of PE notes. Easier to find info in and had the ME Reference Manual equation numbers in it as well.
School of PE
Civil Structural
1st Time Pass
SoP was excellent for the morning portion. I used the CERM for one question and the SoP notes for everything else. The PM was a whole different animal. I am not sure about other PM subjects but I felt like the structural was light in the amount of time spent and the material covered. It also wasn't as well organized and polished as the AM stuff. I did a good amount of studying outside of the SoP for the PM section because it didn't leave me feeling confident. I didn't do much for the AM outside of SoP.
Overall very happy I took the class because I feel like I wouldn't have passed without it but I feel like they could improve the structural depth portion.
Also my coworker took SoP as well and passed on his first try.
Civil Structural
1st Time Pass
SoP was excellent for the morning portion. I used the CERM for one question and the SoP notes for everything else. The PM was a whole different animal. I am not sure about other PM subjects but I felt like the structural was light in the amount of time spent and the material covered. It also wasn't as well organized and polished as the AM stuff. I did a good amount of studying outside of the SoP for the PM section because it didn't leave me feeling confident. I didn't do much for the AM outside of SoP.
Overall very happy I took the class because I feel like I wouldn't have passed without it but I feel like they could improve the structural depth portion.
Also my coworker took SoP as well and passed on his first try.
I second these complaints. Their civil transportation class used several examples from the practice test. Which I'm fairly sure isn't even legal to do. I took the live online class and we had several sessions where we would lose up to an hour because of technical difficulties.
That said, the notes were good and pretty much all I used during the test. But I wouldn't recommend them.
Electrical - Power
Passed at 1st attempt
Self Study
Reference materials
Passed at 1st attempt
Self Study
Reference materials
- Graffeo
- Brightwood Engineering - PE Power Textbook Package
- NCEES practice test
- Power Systems - Grainger/Stevenson
- NEC 2014
- NESC 2012
- Handbook of Electrical Calculations - Beaty
- Electrical Machines - Wildi
- My gracious God
- Hand written notes...
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