Exam studying.

WBahn

Joined Mar 31, 2012
29,979
When having problems with calculations and formulas, try posting some specific examples (make them up, if necessary) where you think you are applying them correctly (even if you have a good feeling that you aren't). Be as complete as possible and show things step by step as much as possible. That will let us get into your mind a little bit and be better to able spot where you have it right and where you take a turn off the correct path.
 

Thread Starter

pfelectronicstech

Joined Jan 18, 2012
178
Thanks again WBahn, I appreciate all the help. I will post some math formulas. I will be back in a week or two when I'm studying for another exam. 10 more and I graduate finally! 1 year in this program, working 5 or 6 days a week is melting my brain! I want PLC training next but man I don't want to kill myself either. By the way this is the PLC program I want to take, check it out real quick to give me your thoughts.

http://www2.tesc.edu/syllabus/current/CTR-212/syllabus_CTR-212.html

Thanks for the help again.
 

WBahn

Joined Mar 31, 2012
29,979
I really can't provide much useful insight on a PLC training program. I have done virtually nothing with PLCs.
 

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
it looks good to me. I didn't see where they specify which brand of PLC software they use, however I saw Controllogix, which makes me think it's allen Bradley. You might want to find out if they'll be introducing you to several vendors' software or not. Lack of experience with software can be sometimes a show stopper, or at least a show slower.
 

Thread Starter

pfelectronicstech

Joined Jan 18, 2012
178
it looks good to me. I didn't see where they specify which brand of PLC software they use, however I saw Controllogix, which makes me think it's allen Bradley. You might want to find out if they'll be introducing you to several vendors' software or not. Lack of experience with software can be sometimes a show stopper, or at least a show slower.
Thanks for the help. I have visited that page, and read about that program 1 million times, and I think its a general course, and not specific to any one manufacturer. I kinda like that, I guess it will prepare you to use a host of PLC's? I'm just guessing, all I know is the school is very highly regarded. Thanks again, if you had to guess how long would you say it would take to finish?
 

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
Looks like a 12 week course, but that's conjecture. If you're interested, contact them and get it from the horse's mouth. Also you can ask about the software or whatever else is on your mind.
 

Thread Starter

pfelectronicstech

Joined Jan 18, 2012
178
Yeah i will definitely call before starting the course. I hate that there is a proctored exam at the midway point. It says a librarian can be the proctor. How does that work, do you have to pay the librarian, how do you even set that up? Does the proctor stand over you to watch what you are doing? Does the proctor have to know the material you are testing?
 

WBahn

Joined Mar 31, 2012
29,979
Yeah i will definitely call before starting the course. I hate that there is a proctored exam at the midway point. It says a librarian can be the proctor. How does that work, do you have to pay the librarian, how do you even set that up? Does the proctor stand over you to watch what you are doing? Does the proctor have to know the material you are testing?
Is this an online course?

While the exam administration policies are going to vary some from school to school and even course to course, normally this is what I would expect the situation is: In general, an exam proctor is someone that is responsible for administering an exam, but is not there to provide any material-specific assistance. So while they might be able to tell you that you need to answer questions by filling in the bubbles on page 2 of the answer sheet, they can't be expected to clarify whether you should assume that the power to a unit is 12V or 24V. Normally, in a traditional classroom course, the instructor serves as the exam proctor and is, additionally, available to answer material-specific questions (at their discretion, of course).

But in an online course, how do you administer an exam in such a way that you have a high confidence that it was taken properly? One way is to have the student identify a proctor that is acceptable to the school (since the school probably doesn't have a relationship with a suitable proctor near all of its students). To balance integrity of the process with keeping it workable, schools will say something like: You are responsible for finding a proctor, but the proctor must meet these criteria.... Common criteria are that they not be related to you, either personally or professionally. Also, sometimes they are required to be from specific professions. For instance, a high school or college instructor, a public librarian, a military officer, or such. Basically, the school is saying that it is willing to accept, at face value, that people that meet the criteria are sufficiently trustworthy to ensure the integrity of the test.

So this is what I suspect the process will be for you.

You go to the local public library and talk to their staff, telling them that you are required to take a written exam for an online course you are taking and that they want the test to be proctored by a public librarian and to be taken at the library. My guess is that the librarians will be familiar, at least in general, with the process and that your school will have a website that they can visit to give them specific instructions. The librarian will probably have to do something to register with the school and request the exam materials, which will probably be sent to the librarian at the library. You will then come in and take the test. The proctor will probably read you a set of instructions that have been provided to them by the school and then let you start the test, either at a table somewhere in the library or in a meeting room or something. They will not be standing over you, but they will be keeping an eye on you. They may sit you at a table from which they can easily see you from their normal work area. When the test is over, they will collect it from you and return it to the school, usually with a statement saying that they proctored the test according to the rules provided and that you took the test without doing anything you weren't supposed to do.

It is very unlikely that you will be expected to pay for this, which also means that the entire process, for the librarian, has probably been kept very clean and simple. But it is possible that the instruction permit the librarian to charge a fee for this service, but I doubt it and, if they can, the fee will probably be pretty minimal (say $20).

Note how many times I used the word "probably". You'll need to check into the specifics with your school to get the real answers.
 

WBahn

Joined Mar 31, 2012
29,979
I'm just guessing, all I know is the school is very highly regarded.
How do you know that?

I'm sure you are right, but just want to make sure that you aren't just basing that on information the school is providing to you.

Check some online resources to see how the school (and the program of which this course is a part, if possible) is rated and you might even call a few employers and ask if they have any experience with graduates from this program and what their general impression has been about the quality of education the school has provided. If its a relatively small school (in your program area), then finding employers that have any meaningful input can be tough, especially if most of its programs are online. But you can call or e-mail their placement office and just ask for a list of some of the employers that have hired their graduates; many schools will have such a list already prepared as part of their normal recruiting material. But don't just look at the list and be impressed that some big name companies are on it, actually contact a few of them.
 

Thread Starter

pfelectronicstech

Joined Jan 18, 2012
178
Yeah i checked out this school a lot, I checked a ton of sources. Its a state school, meaning it gets NJ state funds. It a not for profit school, by the way I have nothing against for profit schools, my ET course is at a for profit school. Some are good, some are bad, mine is good. My ET course to approved by the ETA. Thomas Edison state college is regionally accredited too. Its considered a very good school, not by anything they said, but by independent sources. TESC's website is very dry, no touting, its just about education. Thanks for being concerned though.
 

WBahn

Joined Mar 31, 2012
29,979
That all sounds good. I also went out and did some looking at them and was pretty satisfied with what I saw. I didn't run across any rankings, but I also didn't run across anything that was at all critical, and usually bad schools leave a trail of criticism (and sometimes news articles and lawsuits) that are pretty easy to come across.
 

Thread Starter

pfelectronicstech

Joined Jan 18, 2012
178
Thanks guys, I think its a good program. I will call them when I'm ready to sign up for the course. Its gonna be a few months, I don't want to start that course when i still have 10 exams in the ET course to go.
 

mlog

Joined Feb 11, 2012
276
Yeah i checked out this school a lot, I checked a ton of sources. Its a state school, meaning it gets NJ state funds. It a not for profit school, by the way I have nothing against for profit schools, my ET course is at a for profit school. Some are good, some are bad, mine is good. My ET course to approved by the ETA. Thomas Edison state college is regionally accredited too. Its considered a very good school, not by anything they said, but by independent sources. TESC's website is very dry, no touting, its just about education. Thanks for being concerned though.
Don't fall into the trap of thinking only state funded schools are good. A "for-profit" or private school depends on its reputation for attracting customers (students), and its reputation will be largely based on its product (well educated students who are prepared for the job market).

A state school on the other hand, can churn out poorly educated students and still get a good amount of revenue from state subsidies. I understand it's not that simple and there are exceptional state schools, but my point is that a for-profit school must monitor its quality closely. I have nothing against state schools, because I have degrees from several and believe I got a good education.
 
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