For me, there were several keys:
#1: The most important is to DO AS MANY PROBLEMS AS YOU CAN. I think i went through pretty much EVERY problem in the FERM. I skipped the diagnostic sections. I then went back and did the 25% of sections I struggled with a second time.
#2: When you do the problems, try as much as you can to FIND THE FORMULAS IN THE NCEES HANDBOOK FIRST. You won't find all of them, there, but you MUST know how to navigate the NCEES handbook. If you can't find the formula, then go back to the FERM and try to find the answer there. If all else fails, go look at the answer in the FERM and try to understand how they got the answer. You won't always figure it out.
#3: PROGRAM THE TIME VALUE OF MONEY INTO YOUR CALCULATOR (if it isn't there already--andknow how to use it). I can't tell you how much time this saved me. There were maybe 5-10 questions in the morning exam and I think some in the afternoon exam that took me absolutely no time because instead of looking up the answer in the confusing tables, I only had to push buttons on the calculator. For that matter:
#4: KNOW HOW TO USE YOUR CALCULATOR. Know how to do things like switch between polar and imaginary numbers, or add two imaginary numbers, etc.
#5: When you don't know how to calculate the exact answer before guessing TRY FIRST TO THINK OF THE PROBLEM IN THE REAL WORLD. Sometimes there is either only one good answer choice that could possibly be the right answer. For example, some of the beam deflection questions are like that. The force may be so great on once side that the deflection must be the greatest nearest that force. If you just step back and think about the question logically, many times you can narrow the choices.
#1: The most important is to DO AS MANY PROBLEMS AS YOU CAN. I think i went through pretty much EVERY problem in the FERM. I skipped the diagnostic sections. I then went back and did the 25% of sections I struggled with a second time.
#2: When you do the problems, try as much as you can to FIND THE FORMULAS IN THE NCEES HANDBOOK FIRST. You won't find all of them, there, but you MUST know how to navigate the NCEES handbook. If you can't find the formula, then go back to the FERM and try to find the answer there. If all else fails, go look at the answer in the FERM and try to understand how they got the answer. You won't always figure it out.
#3: PROGRAM THE TIME VALUE OF MONEY INTO YOUR CALCULATOR (if it isn't there already--andknow how to use it). I can't tell you how much time this saved me. There were maybe 5-10 questions in the morning exam and I think some in the afternoon exam that took me absolutely no time because instead of looking up the answer in the confusing tables, I only had to push buttons on the calculator. For that matter:
#4: KNOW HOW TO USE YOUR CALCULATOR. Know how to do things like switch between polar and imaginary numbers, or add two imaginary numbers, etc.
#5: When you don't know how to calculate the exact answer before guessing TRY FIRST TO THINK OF THE PROBLEM IN THE REAL WORLD. Sometimes there is either only one good answer choice that could possibly be the right answer. For example, some of the beam deflection questions are like that. The force may be so great on once side that the deflection must be the greatest nearest that force. If you just step back and think about the question logically, many times you can narrow the choices.
