Why? Why?The agricultural engineering discipline is very broad, so the exam must be very broad. Engineers who have been practicing for several years have probably grown rusty on areas outside their common practice. Since no single area comprises more than 20% of the exam, an individual cannot expect to pass by correctly answering only those questions within his/her area of practice. With a little review, however, a competent engineer can brush up enough on other subject areas to pass the exam handily.
There are not very many people who take the agricultural engineering exam in any one location. This usually makes it impractical to organize review sessions with multiple instructors. A review series that is available nationally will make it possible for everyone to access the kind of structured support that will help them prepare for and pass the exam. It lets us engage some of the best instructors in the nation and make efficient use of their time.
The technology needed to deliver this type of reviews series is commonly available. Anyone with access to the Internet will be able to participate without having to travel to special classrooms, etc. Although broadband connections are nice, dialup will work also.
Live presentations are almost always more engaging than canned ones. They give participants the opportunity to ask questions of the presenters. They also put a healthy pressure on participants to solve practice problems in a time-limited setting that mimics the exam. A camaraderie develops among participants that fosters active participation. It is nice just to know who else is going through the same process.
NCEES requires that there be at least 50 first-time takers of an exam within any two-year period. The numbers from recent exams are shown in the table below. The Agricultural Engineering Exam has been on probation due to low numbers of takers since 2005.
| 2003 | 22 |
|---|---|
| 2004 | 20 |
| 2005 | 18 |
| 2006 | 24 |
| 2007 | 18 |
The upturn in 2006 was hopeful, but was not sustained. ASABE, as the sponsor of the AGR exam, was given time to improve the numbers of takers or face possible elimination of the exam. (Exam production and administration is an expensive process and these numbers do not come close to supporting the required effort and expense.) It is important that we get these numbers back up.
Many AG/BIO engineers are sitting for the PE exam in other disciplines (civil, environmental, mechanical, etc.). This can be attributed in part to pressures from employers, but it is also partly due to the lack of materials and programs to support those preparing for the AG exam. The review guide and this online review series are efforts to change things for the better.
This review series is part of an effort to provide the support structure that will help and encourage prospective PEs to 1) sit for the exam, and 2) sit for the exam in Agricultural Engineering.