Study system summary.

[Exception Collection]

Some people find it helpful to use specific study systems in their academic career. One of these study systems has the interesting title and acronym of "M.U.R.D.E.R.". Another good study system is the Index Study System.

Thought your murder comment some kind of gag but i looked it up and there it is:

Mood:

Set a positive mood for yourself to study in.

Select the appropriate time, environment, and attitude

Understand:

Mark any information you don't understand in a particular unit;

Keep a focus on one unit or a manageable group of exercises

Recall:

After studying the unit,

stop and put what you have learned into your own words

Digest:

Go back to what you did not understand and reconsider the information;

Contact external expert sources (e.g., other books or an instructor) if you still cannot understand it

Expand:

In this step, ask three kinds of questions concerning the studied material:

If I could speak to the author, what questions would I ask or what criticism would I offer?

How could I apply this material to what I am interested in?

How could I make this information interesting and understandable to other students?

Review:

Go over the material you've covered,

Review what strategies helped you understand and/or retain information in the past and apply these to your current studies

Interesting. I'd never put it into words, but this pretty much fits what I do to a T.

 

[Jacob_PE]

I passed first time April '11 - EE/Power
I started with the nCEES practice test and went through it not knowing how to do 90% of the problems, mainly to get a feel of the types of problems.

Then I worked through the Chelapati manual and Power Systems Analysis

Worked through NCEES again this time trying to find similar questions in any of my books I would be bringing to the exam.

Worked through NCEES again making sure I understood everything, had a book that was tabbed to make sure I could find the topic of the problem to be able to answer similar situations.

Worked through NCEES again under kinda sorta test conditions (I got bored after 3 hours and stopped)

Last night I was reworking the depth NCEES WR/ENV problems. I'm going to be doing what willsee decribed above. For each of the problems, I'm annotating where in the CERM to go to find the equation/subject, (i.e. hydraualic jump, spillway flow eqns.). Several people on the forum have stated that some questions in the NCEES sample questions book are 'very' similar to the PE exam questions. Which to me means, they're the same problem with changed numbers. My concern is that I'll see a problem that looks exactly like the sample problem but with some twist added that changes it so much that I'd have to use some other pricipal or equation. I know we should be ready for any scenario, but, let's say I do see a problem that's very similary on test day, is it very likely that the solution method I used for the sample problem will be exactly the same as for the exam problem?

 

[CivilE]

Ok. It's not complete, but here is what I have so far for the Transportation Depth index. This is based on the current exam specifications and standards. The only exception is that I am using the 5th edition of the ITE handbook. I'm also using the CERM 11th ed, Goswami 2009, Garber and Hoel 4th ed.

Unlike the previous index (thanks PJ3346 & Jacob!!) I formatted this to print on a single page each (AM and PM) so that I can insert them into plastic cover of my binder. For the most part, the pages referenced for the AM section 'jive' with the other index, but a couple are different. Let me know if anyone sees any problems or mistakes and I'll upload the finished product as well. Thanks!

CivilE

Transportation_Exam_Specifications_Index_102811__D_.xls

 

[Jacob_PE]

Ok. It's not complete, but here is what I have so far for the Transportation Depth index. This is based on the current exam specifications and standards. The only exception is that I am using the 5th edition of the ITE handbook. I'm also using the CERM 11th ed, Goswami 2009, Garber and Hoel 4th ed.
Unlike the previous index (thanks PJ3346 & Jacob!!) I formatted this to print on a single page each (AM and PM) so that I can insert them into plastic cover of my binder. For the most part, the pages referenced for the AM section 'jive' with the other index, but a couple are different. Let me know if anyone sees any problems or mistakes and I'll upload the finished product as well. Thanks!

CivilE

Nice job with that single page format, I think I'll use that in the morning instead of my 2 page version. Looks like you had no luck filling in the Goswami holes for Flood plains/floodways Detention/retention ponds, collection systems, and hydraulic loading. And I can tell you took some time with this, you added plenty of page numbers.

 

[Jacob_PE]

Since it's the future, and I took the October 2011 exam and have learned that I passed, I wanted to mention that I didn't use the index created in this thread at all during the exam. The main index I used was the one at he back of our CERM, although I had a bound version of it that was tabbed alphabetically. I think the reason I didn't need this other index during the exam is because I'd studied so much that I knew my 11th CERM inside and out. If there was an open channel problem, that chp. 19, pumps are 18, groundwater is 21 etc.... I just knew my book. I advise future test takers to do the same.

 

[DS58]

Since it's the future, and I took the October 2011 exam and have learned that I passed, I wanted to mention that I didn't use the index created in this thread at all during the exam. The main index I used was the one at he back of our CERM, although I had a bound version of it that was tabbed alphabetically. I think the reason I didn't need this other index during the exam is because I'd studied so much that I knew my 11th CERM inside and out. If there was an open channel problem, that chp. 19, pumps are 18, groundwater is 21 etc.... I just knew my book. I advise future test takers to do the same.

I had an index of indexes with all my reference indexes photocopied and in their respective tabs. This was very helpful to me on the exam I took (EE-Computer) because there is a wide range of possible topics including many qualitative questions, which led me to choose a large number of reference books. The CERM ("C"omputer Engr Ref Man) was not that great for this particular test - I only used it for a few problems. Using one index-of-indexes made me feel more organized and less frantic when I needed to find something.

I agree that familiarity with your reference(s) is key. I also think that whatever process/habits worked for you as you practiced problems is what you need to do at the test when you are under pressure.

 

[ACC_HOKIES]

Before I start, I should note that my degree was not Civil, so I was still learning some things for the first time. My schooling was strong in fluid flows and general engineering (statics, dynamics, advanced calculus and physics, etc.) and I had 4 years of experience heavy in Stormwater/E&SC with infrastructure projects. I took the Civil- Water Resources/ Environmental test, with little to no knowledge of the environmental aspect, and a general knowledge of highway transportation, geotech, and construction.

I started in June 2011, by purchasing CERM 12. I had no other plan than to start studying. I started by skipping all of the general math and science sections. Then I started trying to read entire sections, but quickly found that to be a fruitless exercise. I don't like straight reading, and wasn't holding the information well. By the middle of July I was frustrated, bored by studying, and had yet to hear from the board that I would, for sure, be sitting in October, so I took a break.

When I finally picked back up, I had collected an entire library of other resources from my coworkers and friends. Most of these resources were sample problems, compiled notes and worked problems, but there was also a solid base of resources identified in CERM as good references for the test itself. The problems, both worked and unworked, became my primary study material, while CERM became my primary reference (rather than learning material), and finally supplemented by the other borrowed references. I focused first on general morning stuff, learning a ton about geotech and highway capacity and geometry, then slowly started shifting to afternoon.

I got side tracked again when work in my office got heavy in September, but in hindsight, this gave me a good break before my final and intense push in October. The final stretch was purely solving problems every spare moment. It was exhausting at times, but I felt unprepared all the way through. I was also tabbing references as I went along. I probably could have been sponsored by post it, I had so many tabs sticking out of books. I also continued to go into work every day up until Friday, despite everyone telling me to take off. I honestly think just going into work did more than anything to keep me on schedule.

Before the test, I was triple checking to make sure I had everything for test day. I had also prepared my final test strategy, and was completely committed to that strategy, no matter how good or bad it got on test day. A good testing strategy and knowing my primary reference is by far the best things in my favor. Finally, I was done at 8pm the night before. Watched some football and got to sleep.

I should note, that despite feeling under prepared, test day was honestly not hard. Still anxious during the results wait, but I felt better as soon as I cracked the test book.