What took them so long to get rid of "breadth & depth" format ?

[bEightCon]

News just came to me that beginning 2014 a new CBT based exam will be implemented and starting 2015 earliest PE will be applied as well. What shocked me was how the exam format is determined to changed.

Even though I passed the FE in April however, I passed it with pain in studying non-discipline topics. With the new format, the meaning of "fundamental engineering" has changed, it was breath but now it's no longer true, more like fundamentals in the specifics.

It looks like my 2013 EIT cert is not as cool as 2014 EIT cert any more :mellow: . The old one was ... well , was old as 2005 ten years back, a mixed up of 80% of semi-useless stuff that won't make it into your disciplinary work. Personally I found the EE section of April 2013 was piece of cake, minutes saver, typically required 20s for each problem. That how it was to me and now, behold the 2014 format , hella lot of stuff that looks like a mini PE ! :blink: That what it should look like in the beginning. Whoever that designed the test , I wanna ask them what is it that motivated them to change the test format ? Is it that engineers nowadays don't multi-task as much as they did 10 years ago , and that they require more advanced knowledge for work out of school :skeptical ? Hmm, my prof still uses the same textbook he used 10 years ago for the class

 

[Wildsoldier PE]

I wouldnt worry about it. If you have an EIT certificate already doesnt mean that in 2014 your certificate worth less. Is like in the beginning it wasnt required a BS to be a PE. Now a BS is required to be a PE....the PE is the same for those people with out BS than the one that have BS. But it can be a pain to qualify for reprosity on different states. But you can not be penalized for taking it earlier than others....you follow the rules that was stablished that time. As of why NCEES change their minds in the format....well test change from time to time....it is a posibility that they return back to the old format if they find that is better than the new one. Have an old engineer that he told me that his mechanical PE was a verbal test....not written. Test evolved.

 

[blybrook PE]

To throw another monkey wrench into this conversation, it is my understanding that some states are going to go to a BS +30 before you are eligible to sit for the PE; starting with 2014 or 2015 graduates. So if you've graduated prior to the starting point, you're grandfathered in under the old rules; providing you've got your EIT already; otherwise, you might as well go and get your Masters!

Congrats on having your EIT; it'll be valid no matter how NCEES changes the exam format. Now you're ready to start preparing for the PE!

 

[snickerd3]

Cbt is "supposed" to be more secure than paper testing. Its more expensive though.theprices are going to neccessarily skyrocket

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

I've read the OP several times, and still have no idea what he's getting at.

That being said, I'm curious to see how smoothly the transition goes.

 

[MWC PE]

If its CBT does that mean no more waiting until April or October? A lot of licensing test you can take as soon as the board qualifies you. I would assume the FE and PE would have to go to that method also, otherwise I don't see how the logistics of 300 hundred people all taking a CBT is going to work.

Also no more NCEES pencils

 

[snickerd3]

no waiting as long, the FE is going to be administered several times a year and will be at a computer testing center...no more 300 people in a room. so you could be sitting enxt to someone who is taking a completely different test.

the NCEES website has a information on the change

 

[Kcal]

Also no more NCEES pencils

If I were to hazard a guess, I'd surmise the NCEES pencils will continue to be given out considering test takers will be provided with scratch paper - similar to the GRE and other standardized tests which employ the CBT format.

 

[solomonb]

Go to the NCEES web site and read all about the transition to the CBT for the FE examination. They do a great job explaining the rationale and logic of why going to a CBT makes perfect sense. Understand that architects, nurses, accountants and other professions have used CBT for many years--without any snags.

NCEES states that the initial FE tests will be given every 2 months, with a one month break-- so, Jan/Feb, MARCH BREAK, April/May, JUNE BREAK, etc. If you fail the exam, you will have 2 more chances within 12 months from the initial test date to test again. Said another way, you will only have 3 chances in one year to take the FE if you fail.

Much research has been done on testing for professional competency-- the new test will be 110 questions and take 6 hours, with a break introduced someplace in the middle. It is my understanding that ALL of your work is to be done on the computer, however, I may have misunderstood. I do not believe that anyone will be allowed to have pencils/calculators-- at least that is how I understood it-- could be in error.

The Bachelor's +30 rule has been effect for accountants for many years. You have to have 150 semester credit hours to take the CPA exam-- which is comprised of 4 parts, each 4 hours long. You do not have to have a Master's degree to test for the CPA exam, just 150 hours of course work. Now, some folks take an additional 30 hours in subjects they are interested in, others go and get a Master in Accountancy or MBA or Masters in XXXX.

The FE test was realigned because, as stated above, some disciplines never use some of the material. For instance, an industrial engineer would probably never be working with statics and dynamics matters, probably the same for an electrical engineer. With the science advancing so rapidly today, undergraduate engineering curriculum has been reduced to about 120 semester hours. We probably need to amp that up to 150 hours-- so, the BS +30 rule, as I understand it, was an attempt to help engineers get more education to be successful in the workplace.

Science and technology is changing much too rapidly not to demand and expect currency and competency in one's chosen discipline. Sadly, without some "requirement", many folks would not go and get the additional education.

Too much education is always a good thing!!! You can never have too much education in today's world.

 

[FallMonkey]

Aha this is definitely a amusing change for me, who was kicked out of test center because my IDs were not having my signature on it this April.

I was planning to retake it on October but after seeing the change I probably gonna try next year since that would serve me better, rather than studying for chemical reactions and electric circuits for weeks that I know are just non-sense. To prepare for next year I actually have to study for some topics in Civil which were not covered in my undergrad courses, which is definitely better than study those off-Civil topics.

However now that they get rid of the so called "general" sections out, I started to worry about my "depth" capability to pass.....anyway I'm gonna do it next year and skip this October.