hope you're all ready

so we're allowed to bring snacks? and just eat them whenever? Anyone know what kind of desks we get? Those crappy ones connected to individual seats or tables? Inquiring minds would like to know.

4/18/2006 7:28:14 AM

when i took it last fall, we could bring food/drinks in and eat whenever. might not want to take anything that's loud to open, though.

and we sat at tables...very nice amount of space to work

4/18/2006 7:38:06 AM

thanks for the info

4/18/2006 4:53:16 PM

yeah they keep you separated.

also, I believe it was kept right cool in there.

quite food and drinks are allowed. I wouldn't be taking up some chips or hard candy

4/18/2006 8:53:48 PM

did you just bring all your food in a bag or something and take it out whenever you wanted? or what? also, is there enough time to go get something to eat for the lunch break?

4/18/2006 9:21:51 PM

Everything you bring in must be packed in a CLEAR bag. You can take out your food whenever you want, but try to bring quiet stuff. There is time to go out to eat, but everybody will be trying to go to the same places, so it is much more relaxing to throw yourself a picnic in the parking lot.

You may want to consider bringing hard candy or something sugar-free. During the afternoon session I ate almost a full bag of Starburst impulsively, and it definately didn't help my concentration any (I passed though).

4/19/2006 10:21:59 AM

everyone will walk to wendy's get out of there fast and drive to bojangles, you will have enough time, i did.

4/19/2006 10:41:10 AM

thanks for all the info guys and gals

I really appreciate it.

Another question... do we have to dress presentable? I was thinking I would be much more comfortable just wearing a sweat shirt and sweat pants rather than polo and jeans.

[Edited on April 19, 2006 at 12:40 PM. Reason : question]

4/19/2006 12:29:15 PM

I'm pretty sure you could wear pajamas if you wanted to.

4/19/2006 12:44:17 PM

how long and how hard is the exam suppose to be

4/19/2006 1:12:22 PM

very and very

4/19/2006 1:45:27 PM

oh yeah, bring a jacket.

4/19/2006 1:47:51 PM

^^^8 Hours

4/19/2006 1:53:15 PM

Quote :

"do we have to dress presentable?"

they're not testing you on your appearance. wear whatever you want

Quote :

"how long and how hard is the exam suppose to be"

honestly, i didn't think that the material was all that hard...i've had harder homework sets on the various course material covered. it's more that there's soooo many problems and you can't really take your time on them

4 hours are allotted for each section (morning and afternoon). some people finish really early, but i know i was working up to the last minute.

4/19/2006 1:53:41 PM

As I will be.

4/19/2006 2:42:46 PM

here are 2 4-hour sections but if you know what you're doing they should take 2 hours apiece at the most.

4/19/2006 5:07:07 PM

If you've memorized every problem-solving methodology or are a savant, yes.

4/19/2006 10:17:34 PM

bring a jacket

and don't be the dumbass who brings the wrong calculator.

other than that

good luck!

4/19/2006 10:45:49 PM

The hardest part was they put the circuits stuff at the very end, when my attention was completely shot. I had to discipline myself to actually try to answer the questions. To give you an idea, I am an ME with a 2.3 major GPA, took the review class and did some, but not a whole lot of extra problems and review on my own and I passed without any problem. This is a test to see whether or not you are a competent engineer and is nothing like how you are graded and tested by professors here. Relax, you know more than you think you do.

4/19/2006 10:50:49 PM

I figure most of it is in the formula handbook. I am relooking/reworing select problems from the review sessions. I've been to them all. It takes a while to get through these things, even the 2nd time. But I guess that's to be expected seeing how we spent ~2hrs per section and I am trying to do 12.

I haven't even looked at my discipline specific stuff yet. I think I'll reserve Friday for that. What did/are you guys studying? I didn't buy any supplemental books or anything.

4/19/2006 11:12:33 PM

ive been so busy i havent prepared at all.

i wish i wouldnt have ever singned up for it

4/20/2006 10:32:48 AM

My preparation has been nonexistant, other than taking the prep course. I haven't even reviewed the practice sets.

4/20/2006 11:00:36 AM

Quote :

"ive been so busy i havent prepared at all. i wish i wouldnt have ever singned up for it"

4/20/2006 12:32:33 PM

I just read that personal writing and erasing instruments are not allowed. Does that mean they provide us with pencils and erasers??

4/20/2006 3:38:59 PM

^yes.

4/20/2006 4:05:53 PM

i didnt really study, went to 2 or 3 of the prep classes. My suggestion would be memeorize the sections in the formula book. Know where each section is and what type of formulas it has. You will save lots of time if you dont have to flip through pages and pages of formulas to find what you need. Also, know how your calculator works, and what functions it can do and what shortcuts it has. practice using it before you go in.

one more important note, if you get there early, your last in line to leave the parking lot if you drive to lunch (bojangles). if you get there a little later, your at the back of the parking lot right beside the driveway.

[Edited on April 20, 2006 at 5:41 PM. Reason : .]

4/20/2006 5:40:17 PM

I'm planning to walk, so this won't be an issue.

^Did you pass?

4/20/2006 10:33:10 PM

haha, yes i passed took the ME part 2nd half, lots of thermo and heat transfer stuff in it

4/20/2006 11:34:26 PM

this may be a strange question, but do they give you breaks to use the bathroom or do you get to just stand up and go as you please?

4/21/2006 12:23:55 AM

^you ask permission. they take your test book and you go.

stop asking questions. seriously. everything will be fine. you're worrying too much.

4/21/2006 10:07:46 AM

good luck everyone

4/21/2006 9:10:25 PM

I feel so unprepared for this.

4/21/2006 10:45:59 PM

I'm putting no pressure on myself. I'm a CPE, certification won't mean a whole, whole bunch to me. It's mainly just something to put on my resume to hopefully add that one little bit of distinction over other applicants.

So I'm not nervous at all about this. And like others, I've been so wrapped up in school, I haven't spent a whole lot of time preparing for this. I'm just bringing the curve down for all you folks who need this. You can thank me later

4/22/2006 6:19:45 AM

Good Luck!

4/22/2006 6:54:17 AM

Is everyone ready??

4/22/2006 7:02:58 AM

this started at what, 730?

Good luck...I'll see most of yall on your break.

4/22/2006 9:42:17 AM

I think the test starts at 8 but they have to be there by 7:30.

This test sucked in Oct. really glad I passed it. Too bad the certificate is just a printed piece of paper that I could have photoshoped

4/22/2006 10:27:16 AM

OMG, I'm posting on TWW during my exam lunch break, but I cannot discuss it or the evil testing service may invalidate my results. Remember Stand and Deliver? Need I say more?

4/22/2006 12:25:05 PM

dammit, i walked back to my apartment during the break and now the sky opend up

4/22/2006 12:49:38 PM

That's why I ran back.

4/22/2006 12:52:44 PM

good luck on part 2

4/22/2006 12:57:26 PM

Quote :

"OMG, I'm posting on TWW during my exam lunch break, but I cannot discuss it or the evil testing service may invalidate my results. Remember Stand and Deliver? Need I say more?"

I was wondering if any of you all would do that.

[user]yantehmanv[/user] came and chatted with me on his lunch break

4/22/2006 1:45:41 PM

meh


general part wasnt bad, but for the ee, aha

[Edited on April 22, 2006 at 4:10 PM. Reason : e]

4/22/2006 3:57:30 PM

^i feel the exact same way. oh well, we'll see in 10-12 weeks

4/22/2006 4:11:33 PM

There's a reason they called it EE and not ECE

And there's a reason I didn't take power systems or any harder circuits classes. Oh well, the digital stuff hopefully made up for it enough.

4/22/2006 4:14:11 PM

I didn't like the general part at all... but I think I did much better during the 2nd half

I guess we'll have to see in a couple months.

4/22/2006 4:57:54 PM

2nd general was much easier than the 1st general

4/22/2006 5:13:40 PM

oh yeah, that EE was tricky...

4/22/2006 5:37:20 PM

^^I felt the same way. It made me doubt myself, though. I got answers for most of them, but the test designers also work out the problems using common incorrect methods to provide what seem to be legitimate answers if you use the wrong procedure. We'll find out in a few weeks.

4/22/2006 6:13:41 PM

i think i've pretty much screwed myself though

i didn't have time to transfer all my answers on the first test

so unless i did as well as i think i did on the 2nd part, i'm going to be taking this again

4/22/2006 6:42:39 PM