Tips for Examinees

[Administrator]

Taken from the Board of Professional Engineers & Land Surveyors website:
http://www.dca.ca.gov/pels/e_2007tips.htm

Here are some tips for examinees on what to bring and do (and not do) for the upcoming examinations.

THINGS TO BRING
Government-issued Photo ID - See the Examinee Instructions linked below for more information
EIT & LSIT Examinee Instructions
PE & PLS Examinee Instructions

Admission Notice

Approved calculator(s) and spare batteries - See the Approved Calculator item below for more information

Lunch

Money for parking

Sweatshirt, sweater, jacket, etc.

Reference materials if allowed - See the Examinee Instructions linked below for more information
NOTE:
PE & PLS Examinees: Stapled notes are NOT allowed.
EIT Examinees: Writing in the supplied reference handbook is NOT allowed.

THINGS TO DO - AND NOT DO
READ THE EXAMINEE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE GOING TO THE EXAM SITE
EIT & LSIT Examinee Instructions
PE & PLS Examinee Instructions

Arrive Early
You are required to be at the appropriate building at the "doors open" time indicated on your admission notice. So you need to arrive at the exam site in time to find the appropriate building before the "doors open" time listed on the admission notice. Varied site conditions, large candidate volume, parking, and other events at the site prevent us from providing firm start/stop times for the exams. The "doors open" time for the afternoon portion will be announced and posted at the end of the morning session. Each exam, several candidates are turned away in both the morning and afternoon because they arrive late. So give yourself ample time to allow for delays on the freeways, to locate the exam site and correct parking lot, to pay for parking, and to walk to and locate the the correct building that your exam will be offered in.

Do NOT bring any unauthorized devices into the exam room
88 candidates were ejected from the 2006 examinations because they were in possession of an unauthorized device after the exam began. These unauthorized devices included unapproved calculators, cell phones, and even an iPod. Do NOT bring any unauthorized items into the exam room. If you are caught with these items after the exam begins, the items will be confiscated, you will be ejected from the exam, your exam will be voided, and you will forfeit your application fee. See the Examinee Instructions linked above for more information about unauthorized devices.

Approved Calculators
It is your responsibility to make sure that you bring only approved calculators with you to the exam.

If you are taking an NCEES exam and your calculator is not pictured on this list, do NOT bring it with you -- NO EXCEPTIONS. It does not matter what functions or features your calculator does or does not have. All that matters is whether or not it is on the approved list. If it is not on the approved list, and you are discovered with it in your possession after the exam begins, you will be removed from the exam.

If you are taking a State-specific exam, and your calculator does not meet the requirements described in the PE & PLS Examinee Instructions, do NOT bring it with you -- NO EXCEPTIONS.

If you are found to be in possession of an unauthorized calculator during the exam (even if you are not using it), the calculator will be confiscated, you will be ejected from the exam, your exam will be voided, and you will forfeit your application fee. Candidates who are taking multi-part exams (such as the Civil or Structural exams) will not be allowed to take the remaining exam(s) and will have all of their exams voided if they are ejected from the exam.

Keep your eyes on your own papers
Make sure you keep your eyes on your own papers and that you keep your answer sheet and exam book covered during the exam. NCEES performs an analysis of exam results using five separate methods for detecting potential copying/collusion (cheating). In 2006, the program flagged 107 candidates. The exam results of the candidates flagged as a result of the analysis must be withheld until the Board completes its investigation to determine if any exam subversion (cheating) occurred. Candidates determined to have copied or to have aided another candidate will have their results voided and may be denied from taking future exams.

Manage your time wisely
Bring a time-keeping device such as a watch or a clock (a cell phone is not an acceptable time-keeping device) and allot the appropriate time for each question. Each exam, several candidates have had their exams voided because they were writing or erasing after time was called.

[7976]

Although not on the Board website for recommended items, I would recommend bringing earplugs. Being one that is easily distracted by noises, I was thankfull to have them during my exam. My fellow examinee to the right was furiously flipping pages, the examinee to my left chewing and snapping gum and the proctor close-by stricken with an uncontrollable cough.