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Request PE exam advice

I'm preparing to take the PE exam next April. If anyone here has any advice on taking it/studying, recommended references etc I'd appreciate it.

My biggest question is decided which afternoon 'depth' module to take. There's a choice from these 3:

1) power systems--definitely not my thing 2) electronics, controls, communications (ECC) 3) computer engineering

The ECC module--covers a LOT of things that I've not used/seen in the 20+ years since graduating and taking the EIT. However, some of my stronger suits are in that area (op amp circuits, eg). The Computer engineering module may be my best shot--- as I've been doing real time embedded HW/firmware for many of those 20 years. However, the topics in this module also include several area I know precious little about (OS security, fault tolerance, Windows OS)-- but it seems to be missing areas that I feel are my stronger points as well. They claim that 35% of the Computer module is SW and I'm trying to imagine how you can make a multiple choice problem for SW. I am very comfortable with C, embedded uC but not too much with OO/C++.

I realize the current PE exam is probably much different format from what most of you here may have taken, but I'm hoping the general advice will apply and hopefully someone has recently taken the new multiple choice format exams and can offer their $0.02 worth...

I've purchased:

Electrical Engineering Reference Manual for the Electrical and Computer PE Exam, Camara Six-Minute Solutions for Electrical and Computer PE Exam Problems, Camara

Also, any feedback on HP33S calculator? This is the only programmable calculator now allowed during the PE exam. Is it worth buying a 2nd calculator to get the programmability? I already have one of the other allowable scientific calcs-- and Casio FX-115MS.

Any advice on any /all of this greatly appreciated....

Regards,

Bo

Reply to
Bo
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Not a lot of interest in the PE exam an this NG. Since no one with relevant experience commented I will, even though I took the exam 20+ years ago in mechanical engineering. The exam questions would mostly be easy if you had unlimited time, the real issue is do you know the material well enough to solve 8 problems in 8 hours. The programmable calculator is a time saver, and could mean the difference between completing the test and not completing it. If they still have an "engineering economics" question on the exam, and you have programmed the calculator with the basic economic functions, then that problem becomes a 5 minute 12.5 point freebie. Anything eles you can pre-program also has potential for saving time. And besides, all real engineers should have real (HP) calculators; RPN is quicker and easier than conventional notation once you get used to it.

Reply to
Glen Walpert

Glen,

Thanks for the reply. The test has changed dramatically since you took it. Now 80 multiple choice problems and they won't let you use a 'real' calculator. (Like my HP48G)--only high school toys unfortunately.

Regards, Bo

Reply to
Bo

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JeffM

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