×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Metallurgy and Materials PE Exam
2

Metallurgy and Materials PE Exam

Metallurgy and Materials PE Exam

(OP)
Hey guys and gals - I am looking to find any and all information regarding the materials PE exam. I have found the TMS sutdy guides and the recommended books list on TMS. Has anyone found anything else that they are planning to use for the exam? I am looking to take the exam in 2015 but want to get a head start on gathering any and all materials that I can for the test.

It seems like there isn't quite as much out there for the exam - is that because there just aren't that many people taking the materials based exam (I assume this is the case). How is the new all multiple choice format?

Hope everyone is well.

BMK

RE: Metallurgy and Materials PE Exam

Search on this forum, look for the tab above labeled "search", and you will find various posts on this topic.

Second tip, you might want to visit the web site below as well. This is geared for PE exam folks in the same boat, like yourself.

http://engineerboards.com/index.php?act=idx

RE: Metallurgy and Materials PE Exam

TMS sells a sample test book that was very useful. Taking the time to study is worth it as the test is geared to a very broad range across the materials (primarily metallurgy) world. The folks who set up the test seam to be more academically inclined than the general practicing world of metallurgists (as you would expect from TMS rather than ASM having control of the test).

RE: Metallurgy and Materials PE Exam

(OP)
Thanks for the replies - I am starting to gather materials for study (likely for 2015 per work schedule). I am also wondering if the metallurgy/materials exam is the correct one to take. My background is biomedical engineering (BS) and materials science and eingineering (MS). Both are very broad subjects so I know a little bit about a lot of things but don't feel confident yet in any one specialty - but if I were to pick one, it would be metallurgy/materials. Is there any other area that may be worth considering with that type of background? I am in the nuclear industry (although I have been working for about 8 years, I am a new hire to this industry)and know that there is a nuclear PE exam that looks like it has a good deal of materials realted subjects.

I will be moving forward with prep. for the metallurgy exam unless there are some ideas from the forum to explore other subject areas as possible fits.

Thanks again for any and all input.

RE: Metallurgy and Materials PE Exam

The TMS sample questions will give you a good feel whether you are outside your element or have studied the concepts in school that will be on the Metallurgy/Materials test. You may want to check out the Mechanical Engineering PE as well based on your background.

RE: Metallurgy and Materials PE Exam

(OP)
Thanks mrfailure - I looked at the curriculum for the chemical PE and may look closer at that if the metallurgy/materials seems out of bounds. The closer I look at it though, I think this is my best shot at it. I just switched careers and the PE would be needed for advancement so I want to get it as soon as possible. Thanks for the input.

RE: Metallurgy and Materials PE Exam

Has anyone who took the 2013 exam have any additional tips? I'm prepping for the oct2014 in CA and I agree some of the TMS questions are not the most applicable for the manufacture practicing metallurgist. I know last year TMS did a survey of MT PE so I am wondering if the questions may shift a little.
also is 3 months enough time to prep?

RE: Metallurgy and Materials PE Exam

for the record- OCT14 Results posted:
50 people sat and 20 passed.

34 first timers w/16 pass & 16 repeaters w/4 passing.

4 passed in CA (including me :> ) so I guess 2-3 months is enough time to prep, but 6 months would be a less stressful and more complete study program.

As usual it has a very low pass rate, so study hard if your going to sit for it.

*Still annoyed that the TMS study guide has errors in it- AND I never got a response from them regarding such.

RE: Metallurgy and Materials PE Exam

Congratulations on passing the test. I'm kind of stunned that the pass rate was only 25% for repeaters. Ugh...

RE: Metallurgy and Materials PE Exam

I wonder how Metallurgical/Materials compares to other disciplines. Is the test so difficult that we might as well not retest if we do not pass the first time?

RE: Metallurgy and Materials PE Exam

I don't know if I would call the test harder, but the coverage is so broad that it poses a real challenge.
Everything from HT of steel to ore processing in a mine.
Granted you only need to know a portion of it, but that portion you must know very well.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube

RE: Metallurgy and Materials PE Exam

The problem is that the pass/fail numbers skew easily from year to year because of the limited number of initial test takers and re-takers in comparison to other engineering disciplines - thousands may sit for one exam (e.g, Mechanical). No doubt the exam is difficult because of the broad spectrum that materials and metals covers. I have seen pass rates of 60% and retakes at 50% over the last 10 years.

From someone who participates on the exam committee, I think the candidate pool will be shrinking and the test will no longer be attractive to new materials/metals engineers.

RE: Metallurgy and Materials PE Exam

Why should one take the exam? Do we have statistics showing the benefits to have the license? say increasing promotion chance, salary increase by 10%, 20%..., better career path etc.? Is the exam nationwide, or international?

Do I have to travel to CA physically to take the exam?

Having the license sounds pretty cool especially given that the passing rate was that low. However, if only 50 people took the exam per year, the attractivness is a bit doubtful. It would be more attractive to me if 1000 took exam with a passing rate of 10%.

RE: Metallurgy and Materials PE Exam

Pondering metengr's comments, I think the most valuable thing I got out of the PE exam experience was it drew me into this most valuable forum, which helps me far more than the PE certificate does.

The signficance of a Metallurgical/Materials PE is far less (basically, a credential) than it is for Civil, Electrical, and Mechanical engineers who have to sign off on designs involving life-or-death.

RE: Metallurgy and Materials PE Exam

MagBen;

Quote:

Why should one take the exam? Do we have statistics showing the benefits to have the license? say increasing promotion chance, salary increase by 10%, 20%..., better career path etc.? Is the exam nationwide, or international?

Search this forum for metallurgical PE threads. Lots of good responses.


Quote:

Do I have to travel to CA physically to take the exam?

No. The test is given in each State and is administered by NCEES. Look them up on their web site.

RE: Metallurgy and Materials PE Exam

The real reason for an engineer in industry to take the test is so that I can do consulting ans advertise that I am an 'engineer'.
It also looks good on my business cards. I spell out that I am a licensed professional metallurgical engineer.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube

RE: Metallurgy and Materials PE Exam

I thought you had to have five years in that discipline before you was able to sit for the P.E.. Although I am not an engineer I know at my company if the engineers do not pass Th P.E within a certain amount of time, they loose their job. We have one technician that use to be on the engineer staff but cannot pass the P.E so he was moved down.

RE: Metallurgy and Materials PE Exam

Quote:

I thought you had to have five years in that discipline before you was able to sit for the P.E..

The requirements for engineering work experience are State specific.

RE: Metallurgy and Materials PE Exam

In some fields, civil, structural, municipal water system, and such there is a mandate for PE. The origins of the system are related to public safety.
In industry there is a blanket exemption. A company can call anyone and engineer (and they do) without a license.
Some companies that do a lot of civil work have internal requirements for specific positions that are more restrictive.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube

RE: Metallurgy and Materials PE Exam

Here is the link for the PE results for those interested:

http://ncees.org/exams/pe-exam/


Technically I didn't 'need' to take the exam, as I don't do external consulting …yet :)

I do interface with several PE's (civil/mech/EE/Cr) and with a coworker who IS a met PE. So there was a bit of pride factor.

While a PE is only required at my company for senior technical management progress (e.g. principle technical director), the I.C. (worker bees) only have a minor variation of given title to conform to title standards. I.E. even though my degree is in Metallurgical Engineering my title was Materials engineer. Civil/Mechs/EE use associate or technologist if they don't have PE.

That aside, I can't say having a PE has direct benefit for me currently. Going forward in my career it may not be quantifiable what positions/opportunities are opened because I DO have it- but I felt 'can't hurt' right? it looks good on resumes PLUS the best part is you can use a rubber stamp on your reports!

I was also lucky enough my current employer fully supported (via study time off) me sitting for the PE. That is a big help, and I would recommend those thinking about sitting asking for support as part of their development.

The scope on the test is vast, which I think does keep the pass rate down. But the exam is the exam.

I did miss out on a lot of after work gossip at the watering hole to instead read the ASMhandbook or dieter or EngStats book. etc... :)


RE: Metallurgy and Materials PE Exam

Says too much that, statistically speaking, Metallurgy/Materials is the only discipline where less than half of the first time test takers pass. This is not uncommon in the yearly results. Perhaps those putting the test together should rethink what the purpose of the test is and what they are testing for, and take into account the fact that it is effectively too broad a range to cover for most engineers who specialize in subdisciplines.

RE: Metallurgy and Materials PE Exam

If you pass the PE exam for metallurgy/materials, one way you can earn some income is by serving as an "expert witness". There are lots of civil litigation cases that require testimony from an expert witness having a background in metallurgy. You can also earn a good salary by becoming an FAA DER based on your expertise in metallurgy and materials.

RE: Metallurgy and Materials PE Exam

BMKDE,

The pass rates on this exam in 2014 were a 47% pass rate for first timers and a 25% pass rate for second timers. These are very similar to the pass rates for the year before I took the metallurgy exam. This is a particularly tough one to study for because there are no review manuals available for it. So deciding what to study is a real shot in the dark. I took the Metallurgy PE exam in October 2004 and like you I was in a position where I didn't know exactly what to study. So I decided to put together a binder filled with what I felt was useful and pertinent data for the exam. Most of this data was not used directly, but filling this binder forced me to review the subjects that formed its contents. I actually studied for the exam for only two weeks. This was the first time that I sat for the PE exam, and I passed.

The critical aspects that I found on this exam were time management and having the necessary reference books at hand. I was wary of spending too much time answering questions that were outside of my area of expertise. I left these types of questions for last, and went through the exam and answered each question that I felt was within the limits of my ability. I didn't find very many that were easily answered. On my second run through the questions in the morning session, I eliminated answers that I believed could be proven wrong, and used my reference books a great deal to try and decide on the correct choice. For the third round through the first half of the test, I simply made an educated guess. For random choices, I expected to get 25% of the answers right, since there were only 4 choices for each question.

I brought in two cardboard boxes filled with reference books, and realized during the first part of the test that I didn't have enough material. There was one question that still stands out in my mind that I could have easily answered, but was not able to because the reference books that I had brought in did not have the appropriate diagram for selecting the answer. And it was something that could not be determined without the correct chart. So during the lunch break, I left the testing facility and drove to work and got three more reference books. It was a good thing that I did that, because one of those additional references was critical in answering a question or two on the second part of the exam. The second half of the test was in my opinion much more difficult than the morning session. When I walked out I honestly thought that I had failed it, but after some reflection I realized that I did stand a chance of passing.

My strategy worked. The best advice that I got from any of the contributors in this forum is this: don't panic. If you get too flustered, just sit back and breathe. Use your references, and manage your time wisely. During the last 10 or 15 minutes, go through the remaining questions and make an educated guess at what you believe the answer should be. For random selections you should get 25% of them right. This approach worked for me, and I hope that it helps you as well.

I would suggest including the following into your preparation strategy:

1.) Get a good night's sleep the two days before the exam.

2.) Do NOT cram the last few days before you sit for the exam. If you don't know it by now, you won't learn it the last two days.

3.) Bring in a lot of reference books. I brought in too few when I took the exam, and even though I knew exactly how to solve one of the problems, I got it wrong because I didn't have the appropriate reference table in any of the books that I brought with me. During the lunch break you will have the opportunity to leave the test site. If you need to, use this time to go get more reference books.

4.) Breathe. You will likely get very stressed when you read some of these questions and realize that you don't have a clue how to figure them out. Don't let that kill your strategy.

Good luck!

Maui

RE: Metallurgy and Materials PE Exam

The CA board (bpelsg) referenced some data in the Winter bulletin#41 :

For the previous 3 years in CA, a total of 10 Met PE have been achieved. So the current trend for California applicants is 4+-1 stamps are awarded each year- with about 200 'active' CA Met PE's currently. Small number given size of state.

For perspective this puts California MetE in the <10 per yr awarded category along with Ag (1) ; nukes; Indies;Petros and Geos. While Civil gave out 4,250 stamps.

RE: Metallurgy and Materials PE Exam

BMKDE
Ditto Maui.

There were two of us taking the Exam in Austin when I took it back in 1998. Both of us passed.

Good Luck!

RE: Metallurgy and Materials PE Exam

The rarer the better! Although not as popular as Civil/Mech. PE, an MM PE sounds cooler to me. I bet you must be something to have the exam passed. I will start to think of taking the exam.

Thanks guys for all the info.!

RE: Metallurgy and Materials PE Exam

(OP)
I appreciate all the replies and information.

Still deciding on Met. or Mech. PE exam to take but this discussion certainly helps. If I come up with more questions, I know this board is a good resource and will search/post as they arise.

Thanks again.

RE: Metallurgy and Materials PE Exam

I chose to not take the ME test. Even though I am good at thero and like it I will never solve another refrigeration problem as long as I live......

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube

RE: Metallurgy and Materials PE Exam

i want to give PE exam for metallury can u tell me what the procedure and can it apply

RE: Metallurgy and Materials PE Exam

atibha;

Go to this web site and review all of the information;


http://ncees.org/

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources