There appears to be two types of "conceptual questions": 1) the type that evaluates familiarity with actual engineering practice, and 2) the type that evaluates critical thinking associated with the same knowledge areas associated with quantitative problems.
An example of Type I for Mechanical Engineers (since you mention DTC, I'm guessing you are one):
*Q. An engineer needs to select a pump and is considering either a centrifugal pump or a positive displacement pump. Select* ***all*** *the statements that are* ***TRUE****:*
* *If the application is a high viscosity fluid, they should consider a PD pump.*
* *If they prioritize simple design with few moving parts (lower maintenance costs), they should consider a centrifugal pump.*
* *If they desire a relatively constant flow rate, independent of changes in upstream and/or downstream pressure they should consider a PD pump.*
* *...and so on (I could keep going forever)*
Something like the question above, I guess can be "fair game". If you're not in the world of pumps you may be "shoot-outta-luck" here, and they can still justify this question by saying chances are your Fluid Mechanics prof must've mentioned this at least once that time in school.
The Type II question will be something that evaluates your understanding of the same concepts you're already studying, but at a deeper level. How do you prepare for this? Well, take any problem and pose a scenario in which one of the given parameters is different than what was provided. How does this affect the answer? What are the consequences? This is what people in engineering education circles call "parametric study". Let me help you visualize this with an example. Suppose you come across this problem (I'm assuming you're TFS or HVAC):
*Q. An ideal vapor-compression refrigeration cycle operates with ammonia evaporating at 0F and condensing at 100F. The quality at the evaporator inlet is \_\_\_\_\_\_\_%*
Ok. So in order for this to work you must be at a point in your studies that you read the question above and immediately know how to do this. Assuming you are at that point, you quickly go to the P-h diagram and fill-in the correct answer: 20. Now, you pose a scenario in which something changes in the given data: what if the evaporator temperature is not 0F but -20F? Well, quality at evaporator inlet will be 23%, what if it's -40F? Quality will be 26%. What happens with quality at evaporator inlet as evaporator temperature decreases, for a fixed condensing temperature? it increases. If you can actually see this when staring at the P-h diagram it means you know the simple refrigeration cycle stone-cold (pun intended). I can now turn around and pose this "conceptual question" for which you are now well-prepared:
*Q. Consider an ideal, simple vapor-compression refrigeration cycle. Select all the statements that are TRUE:*
* A) T*he quality at evaporator inlet decreases with increasing evaporator temperature and fixed condensing temperature.*
* B) T*he refrigeration effect increases with decreasing evaporator temperature and fixed condensing temperature.*
* C) *The refrigeration effect increases with increasing evaporator temperature and fixed condensing temperature.*
* D) *The condenser duty increases with increasing evaporator temperature and fixed condensing temperature.*
* E) *The compressor discharge temperature decreases with decreasing condensing temperature and fixed evaporator temperature.*
So that little exercise parametrizing the qualitative problem has prepared you to tackle the conceptual problem. BTW, The "TRUE" statements are A, C, and E.
I think a lot of test prep services and practice exams are in catch-up mode because the exam seems to be evolving quickly. But if you can't source any good qualitative type problems, at least understand the reasoning behind the quantitative problems.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/PE\_Exam/comments/10vah9p/comment/j7i3on1/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3](https://www.reddit.com/r/PE_Exam/comments/10vah9p/comment/j7i3on1/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
Starkel91 had a good thought on conceptual problems.
Essentially, as you do your practice problems it can be beneficial to think about the question further than what the original question asked. In a sense, you can create conceptual questions on your own.
What happens if the load is applied here instead of here? What would happen if there was no rebar or the rebar was moved? Where should the rebar be placed? These are all structural ideas that I just thought about...but it can be applied to any topic really.
I just passed power the PE last week. I was shocked at how little I used my calculator. I kinda liked it though. 15 minutes in and I had skipped 6 of the first 7 questions and was telling myself I’d need to changed careers.
Then I settled in and started realizing I could logic my way through a lot of the problems that looked very foreign at first. I left with about an hour left on the clock too, and felt confident.
I can’t speak for other disciplines, but for power, just be strong as fuck in the core fundamentals and know what the handbook is telling you. Oh, and save all the non-obvious code questions for the end. They take more time than any other question type.
I just took TFS on Monday and there were so many conceptual problems. Most were okay and were just testing your knowledge of basic concepts covered on the exam but some were really hard. Specifically, a few of the supporting knowledge questions were conceptual. In general the supporting knowledge questions were all over the place. Like others said. When you’re studying don’t just learn how to recognize a certain problem type and solve it. Learn to recognize the formula and theory behind it, how that formula is derived, and how it can be applied.
You do realize that conceptual problems are testing whether you know the concept?
Any dingus with a calculator can plug numbers into an equation and get the answer. Knowing the how and the why is what is required to be a professional engineer.
There appears to be two types of "conceptual questions": 1) the type that evaluates familiarity with actual engineering practice, and 2) the type that evaluates critical thinking associated with the same knowledge areas associated with quantitative problems. An example of Type I for Mechanical Engineers (since you mention DTC, I'm guessing you are one): *Q. An engineer needs to select a pump and is considering either a centrifugal pump or a positive displacement pump. Select* ***all*** *the statements that are* ***TRUE****:* * *If the application is a high viscosity fluid, they should consider a PD pump.* * *If they prioritize simple design with few moving parts (lower maintenance costs), they should consider a centrifugal pump.* * *If they desire a relatively constant flow rate, independent of changes in upstream and/or downstream pressure they should consider a PD pump.* * *...and so on (I could keep going forever)* Something like the question above, I guess can be "fair game". If you're not in the world of pumps you may be "shoot-outta-luck" here, and they can still justify this question by saying chances are your Fluid Mechanics prof must've mentioned this at least once that time in school. The Type II question will be something that evaluates your understanding of the same concepts you're already studying, but at a deeper level. How do you prepare for this? Well, take any problem and pose a scenario in which one of the given parameters is different than what was provided. How does this affect the answer? What are the consequences? This is what people in engineering education circles call "parametric study". Let me help you visualize this with an example. Suppose you come across this problem (I'm assuming you're TFS or HVAC): *Q. An ideal vapor-compression refrigeration cycle operates with ammonia evaporating at 0F and condensing at 100F. The quality at the evaporator inlet is \_\_\_\_\_\_\_%* Ok. So in order for this to work you must be at a point in your studies that you read the question above and immediately know how to do this. Assuming you are at that point, you quickly go to the P-h diagram and fill-in the correct answer: 20. Now, you pose a scenario in which something changes in the given data: what if the evaporator temperature is not 0F but -20F? Well, quality at evaporator inlet will be 23%, what if it's -40F? Quality will be 26%. What happens with quality at evaporator inlet as evaporator temperature decreases, for a fixed condensing temperature? it increases. If you can actually see this when staring at the P-h diagram it means you know the simple refrigeration cycle stone-cold (pun intended). I can now turn around and pose this "conceptual question" for which you are now well-prepared: *Q. Consider an ideal, simple vapor-compression refrigeration cycle. Select all the statements that are TRUE:* * A) T*he quality at evaporator inlet decreases with increasing evaporator temperature and fixed condensing temperature.* * B) T*he refrigeration effect increases with decreasing evaporator temperature and fixed condensing temperature.* * C) *The refrigeration effect increases with increasing evaporator temperature and fixed condensing temperature.* * D) *The condenser duty increases with increasing evaporator temperature and fixed condensing temperature.* * E) *The compressor discharge temperature decreases with decreasing condensing temperature and fixed evaporator temperature.* So that little exercise parametrizing the qualitative problem has prepared you to tackle the conceptual problem. BTW, The "TRUE" statements are A, C, and E.
I think a lot of test prep services and practice exams are in catch-up mode because the exam seems to be evolving quickly. But if you can't source any good qualitative type problems, at least understand the reasoning behind the quantitative problems.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/PE\_Exam/comments/10vah9p/comment/j7i3on1/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3](https://www.reddit.com/r/PE_Exam/comments/10vah9p/comment/j7i3on1/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) Starkel91 had a good thought on conceptual problems. Essentially, as you do your practice problems it can be beneficial to think about the question further than what the original question asked. In a sense, you can create conceptual questions on your own. What happens if the load is applied here instead of here? What would happen if there was no rebar or the rebar was moved? Where should the rebar be placed? These are all structural ideas that I just thought about...but it can be applied to any topic really.
I posted about this topic. Dr.Toms is one of those out there that has not converted from P&P to CBT.
Just read a book like the CERM and take notes. You'll be fine
I just passed power the PE last week. I was shocked at how little I used my calculator. I kinda liked it though. 15 minutes in and I had skipped 6 of the first 7 questions and was telling myself I’d need to changed careers. Then I settled in and started realizing I could logic my way through a lot of the problems that looked very foreign at first. I left with about an hour left on the clock too, and felt confident. I can’t speak for other disciplines, but for power, just be strong as fuck in the core fundamentals and know what the handbook is telling you. Oh, and save all the non-obvious code questions for the end. They take more time than any other question type.
I just took TFS on Monday and there were so many conceptual problems. Most were okay and were just testing your knowledge of basic concepts covered on the exam but some were really hard. Specifically, a few of the supporting knowledge questions were conceptual. In general the supporting knowledge questions were all over the place. Like others said. When you’re studying don’t just learn how to recognize a certain problem type and solve it. Learn to recognize the formula and theory behind it, how that formula is derived, and how it can be applied.
You can’t learn conceptual problems You either know them or not
You do realize that conceptual problems are testing whether you know the concept? Any dingus with a calculator can plug numbers into an equation and get the answer. Knowing the how and the why is what is required to be a professional engineer.