Would it be appropriate to post questions "similar" to PE exam in a group for future reference?

[AquaVelveteenRabbit]

I thought there were more than 77.  But not many more.  Wasn't it 40 and 40?

 

[Ramnares P.E.]

Hell I didn't even know that till you shared it. I understand NCEES going after you if you write the problems down during the test then share them. That EB member was stress out from months of studying and testing, then shares some meaningless question online and NCEES ruins his career. I wouldn't have a problem with that if NCEES wasn't a monopoly. We don't have a choice to use another testing agency. 

There is a vast amount of effort that goes into developing each individual question, qualifying it for the exam, and compiling each exam.  These questions on the PE exam are certainly not meaningless.  

Also, regardless of one's feelings on NCEES, you did sign an NDA which you are legally bound to observe and on top of that there's the not-so-minor issue of engineering ethics.

 

[JayKay PE]

NCEES actually reuses multiple questions on their exam, even use some that are on your practice exam, but that doesn't give you free reign to willy-nilly tell people about the question and potentially compromise the exam, delay grading, and potentially ruin your moral standing in the eyes of your state testing board.  Part of being an engineer is having the personal responsibility of understanding of what you are allowed to share with others.  If you so easily share details of an exam, which you sign an NDA for, what makes you a candidate for work that is under even stricter NDAs with a greater outfall if you start spreading info?

 

[JP >/= PE]

NCEES actually reuses multiple questions on their exam, even use some that are on your practice exam, but that doesn't give you free reign to willy-nilly tell people about the question and potentially compromise the exam, delay grading, and potentially ruin your moral standing in the eyes of your state testing board.  Part of being an engineer is having the personal responsibility of understanding of what you are allowed to share with others.  If you so easily share details of an exam, which you sign an NDA for, what makes you a candidate for work that is under even stricter NDAs with a greater outfall if you start spreading info?

Things which you are asked or forced to do might not be legal, if legal might not be ethical....Always we have other side of the coin...I wish each candidate had an opportunity to evaluate his performance and see where he might have gone wrong and what mistake he has made...or may be for the sake of "Freedom to Information". I would rather have new questions every term which would make us better engineers. And for those who pass can drink scotch for the rest of the life!

 

[USC_Engineer PE]

There is a vast amount of effort that goes into developing each individual question, qualifying it for the exam, and compiling each exam.  These questions on the PE exam are certainly not meaningless.  

Also, regardless of one's feelings on NCEES, you did sign an NDA which you are legally bound to observe and on top of that there's the not-so-minor issue of engineering ethics.

Well I sure hope you didn't describe any detail of the test anyone! They have full discretion on how far they pursue punishment. The post was taken down 15 minutes after it was originally posted. Seems to me if you warn the person and delete his EB account he would have gotten the message. My biggest problem with NCEES is that they have a monopoly on distributing the test.  

 

[RBHeadge PE]

I wish each candidate had an opportunity to evaluate his performance and see where he might have gone wrong and what mistake he has made.  ........ I would rather have new questions every term which would make us better engineers.

They provide a diagnostic to those that fail.

Who says that there aren't new questions every exam session?

 

[JP >/= PE]

Well I sure hope you didn't describe any detail of the test anyone! They have full discretion on how far they pursue punishment. The post was taken down 15 minutes after it was originally posted. Seems to me if you warn the person and delete his EB account he would have gotten the message. My biggest problem with NCEES is that they have a monopoly on distributing the test.  

I like the monopoly point...you got 2 options: Sign NDA or Sign NDA

 

[In/PE/Out]

This is some low-effort trolling

 

[Road Guy]

So everyone that takes the exam signs an agreement that says they will not disclose any part of an exam question, verbally written down or online...

I doubt that they monitor every Facebook group and other private online study rooms like they do this but they do take it very seriously.

We do not provide private information to Ncees unless we get a court order to do so (which we have never received)

 

[JayKay PE]

Things which you are asked or forced to do might not be legal, if legal might not be ethical....Always we have other side of the coin...I wish each candidate had an opportunity to evaluate his performance and see where he might have gone wrong and what mistake he has made...or may be for the sake of "Freedom to Information". I would rather have new questions every term which would make us better engineers. And for those who pass can drink scotch for the rest of the life!

Technically you are able to see where you "went wrong" when you get your diagnostic following taking the exam (if you fail) and if you pass, do you even care what you got wrong?  Granted it doesn't state exact questions, but you are able to see what particular area of the exam you did not do as well as passing candidates (and the NCEES exam site does have a listing of what is covered under each area as well as references where problems were pulled from).  This exam has to cover a broad range of disciplines and as such there will always be questions you need to "guess" on.  I've never found a structural guy who knew about a controlled SWPPP, just as I would never ask an electrical guy to calculate sludge flow.

There are always new questions added to the exam, but there is testing that needs to be completed for each question (such as, can the candidate use the references/sources to adequately solve the question if we give it)?  Meaning there is maybe one question that is repeated each exam, maybe, and we don't even know how many of each exam type there is (they may have 4+ versions of each type of test, for all we know).

And FOIA only applies to government-controlled documents.  As NCEES is a nonprofit organization...FOIA doesn't apply?

 

[In/PE/Out]

And FOIA only applies to government-controlled documents.  As NCEES is a nonprofit organization...FOIA doesn't apply?

95% certain, yes

 

[JP >/= PE]

They provide a diagnostic to those that fail.

Who says that there aren't new questions every exam session?

The diagnostic report is an comparative report of performance with other test takers...why would someone care about others performance...and comparing it with them...

I agree questions are awesome on the exam but 160/year that's easily doable by couple of PE's setting the exam!! I wonder why none of our college professor make us sign NDA or decline to provide our answer sheets back...and discuss what went wrong and how can that be fixed

 

[Supe]

Because your college answer sheet doesn't establish whether or not you're licensed as an individual responsible for the health and safety of the public?

 

[In/PE/Out]

The diagnostic report is an comparative report of performance with other test takers...why would someone care about others performance...and comparing it with them...

I agree questions are awesome on the exam but 160/year that's easily doable by couple of PE's setting the exam!! I wonder why none of our college professor make us sign NDA or decline to provide our answer sheets back...and discuss what went wrong and how can that be fixed

Real life ain’t college, though 

 

[Ramnares P.E.]

At this point, I can only assume this entire thread is trolling.  The alternative is there are engineers out there who actually believe violating an NDA is acceptable.

 

[JP >/= PE]

At this point, I can only assume this entire thread is trolling.  The alternative is there are engineers out there who actually believe violating an NDA is acceptable.

what if my imaginary uncle Sam's 3rd cousins maternal granny who has never ever completed school gathers PE exam questions and makes it public with her will...FYI: she has not signed NDA for PE exam

 

[USC_Engineer PE]

At this point, I can only assume this entire thread is trolling.  The alternative is there are engineers out there who actually believe violating an NDA is acceptable.

My issue isn't with violation of a NDA. It's the extent NCEES went to punish the poster. Of course they can do that, its in the agreement. They have every legal right to do so.  

 

[RBHeadge PE]

 agree questions are awesome on the exam but 160/year that's easily doable by couple of PE's setting the exam!! I wonder why none of our college professor make us sign NDA or decline to provide our answer sheets back...and discuss what went wrong and how can that be fixed

I don't think you appreciate the amount of man-hours of work and resources it takes to develop a high quality question. I think NCEES using full costs accounting put it at $25k-$50k each. Now multiply that by 80 questions/test, times 12+ tests, times 2 tests year.

 

[In/PE/Out]

 

[McEng PE]

Well it's the fact that this guy, knowingly, violated this agreement. How could I trust him as a licensed engineer to not do the same thing or worse? You have to follow a code of ethics as a licensed engineer, and this guy can't evenfollow a simple rule of a professinal exam. Seriously, it isn't rocket science.