The quest is not to get the highest grade but to pass the exam. If photoreading and preparation for the exam results in one obtaining the highest grade all the better. The quest is to gain knowledge and be able to readily use it to quickly solve engineering problems.
The Professional Engineering Exam
The lack of preparation for the Professional Engineer’s Examination is the downfall of many brilliant engineers. Through they may have the skills and knowledge but they lack the ability to rapidly access the information without getting flustered and losing confidence.
One must remember that one can sit for the Professional Engineering exams only after an ABET accredited Bachelor degree in Engineering, Passing the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam and having four (4) years of qualifying experience. Ideally the PE exam does not cover anything that a working engineer should not have already experienced either as an undergraduate or at work. In reality, there are usually some lacunae of knowledge. You need to identify theses gaps and compensate for them during your studies. The amount of knowledge that one will call upon during the exam consists of 4 or 5 years of Engineering classes, 4+ years of professional experiences and a whole multitude of coders and standards. (Some engineering disciplines require that one knows the idiosyncrasies of the relevant codes during the PE exam for example Fire Protection and Structural Engineering).
Therefore, photoreading the manuals, handbooks, monographs, et cetera is to build neural connections to knowledge that generally should already exist, though may not be easily reached. The paramount goal of the use of ABC lists, along with generating a glossary of key terms is to build stronger connections to existing memories. The secondary goal is to build a strong foundations so that new ideas, topics, aka new knowledge can be quickly assimilated and utilized. Having the knowledge but not being able to quickly accesses it or without utilization it is wasteful.
During the PE exam one has, on the average, only six (6) minutes to solve a problem. Accessing the knowledge is key solving the problem quickly. Having good mindmaps with reference page location will assist in this effort. The PE exam is open book open “bound” notes, though one does not have significant amount of time to search
When crafting you purpose for PR, one must ask oneself why you want to be a Professional Engineer? What benefits does it have both short and long term? Are there any immediate financial rewards, bonus, pay raise etc? On a more general level what are your professional and personnel goals? How would passing the PE exam help you to obtain these? What is your burning desire? Reduce it to something you can but on a 3x5 index card, carry it around with you review it often. The preparation and exam is an arduous task and discouragement abounds, you need to keep reminding yourself as to why you want to pass the exam.
"You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself." - Galileo Galilei. Each day you must make the commitment to reaching your goal, completing your quest, sans true desire the quest is nothing more than a fleeting daydream
The time and effort required to thoroughly prepare for the Professional Engineering exam is enormous. It will put a stain on your personnel and family life, you need to share your goals with your family and get their encouragement and blessing.
Remember the knowledge you gain will be with you for the balance of your years.
Activating a Myriad of Related Reference Texts
Method to activating a myriad of related reference texts: (10 minute review of each text, and 5 minute initial mindmap)
Take your reference books and turn each page over and briefly look at it before moving on to the next. As your eyes sweep across the pages every time something jumps out at you put in one of your bookmarks so that you can explore that section later. The key to this exercise is that you are not reading the book, you are marking items of relevance and you are identifying sections/chapters/graphs/diagrams of interest. Keep to the 10-minute time limit. Make a mindmap of the main points you have identified. Spend only a few minutes on the initial mindmaps.
After mindmapping each reference book individually combine them is into larger or comprehensive mindmaps.
Continuously review and improve the mind map, adding key points, page numbers etc. As you work example problems use your mindmap adding notes, diagraphs, sketches and equations as needed.
Bind all of your Mind Map together for quick reference. Replace the bookmarks, with Post-it-Note flags (if allowed to by the local Engineering Boards) for use during the test, this will reduce in place your search time for the key diagram or graph. (Contact your local licensing board to get their individual rules and regulations. If they do not allow post-it-flag you may have to take them out before the exam or you may be banned from using the text during the exam. You can find a list of licensing boards at www.ncees.org)
Rewards
As mentioned before preparation for this test is an arduous task. As you prepare for the exam, reward yourself by take mini vacations. Do something that is unrelated to the exam material. For example, “As soon as I finish the 4 problems on heat transfer I am going to have a romantic dinner with my wife.” The rewards need not be grand, but you do need to reward yourself.
Constructing your own Problem Solving Methodologies
In general, a Professional Engineer is a professional problem solver, utilizing scientific knowledge and applying it to real world problems. Any task that builds your problem solving skills should be employed throughout your career. Henceforth, as you actively study for the PE exam work on logic problems, solve sudoko puzzles pick up a math book and solve algebra problems in you mind. Your undergraduate degree in engineering has already given you a good problem solving ability, however further developed is always helpful.
Though this free-prose style response is primary about studying for the Principles & Practice Examination in Mechanical Engineering the knowledge and techniques presented can be utilized in many similar situations. Situation where knowledge is required for long-term use and retention rather then short-term regurgitation, as is generally required for school exams.
Preparing for the PE exam means laying the foundations of the Long-term Use and Retention of Engineering Knowledge. The lack of a strong knowledge base will result in a catastrophic failure to reach your quest.
Set goals.
Daily review your goals.
Plan and analysis your road map to reaching your goals.
Following your road map towards reaching your goals.
Have fun and enjoy life.
[This message has been edited by WeldingEngineer (edited March 20, 2006).]
dumb question huh? You already said that is the case. The fact is that you can. 