About the episode
You are a good student. You have always been a good student. So you probably think you have the strategy part covered. Stay with me for a few minutes, because strategy is not the same as knowing the material, and there are things in this episode that could be costing you points you absolutely should be getting.
In Episode 32 of The Assessment Alchemist Podcast, Tina Wiles dives into the strategy piece of her Content plus Mindset plus Strategy equals Success formula, the part most engineers skip over entirely. She walks through how to use the NCEES handbook effectively, why you need to know your search terms before test day, and the one-clock pacing reality that catches repeat test takers off guard. She also introduces the two-pass flagging system, the process of elimination as a confidence tool, and Mel’s ‘things I suck at’ method for targeting the study time that actually moves the needle.
This is Week 5 of the From Panic to PE series, and it is the most tactically dense episode yet. Everything in this episode is a learnable skill. None of it is intelligence. All of it is technique.
Key Points
Strategy is not the same as knowing the material. Even brilliant engineers leave points on the table because they have never been taught how to take this specific test.
The NCEES handbook is your lifeline on test day. Practice with it constantly so that searching for what you need feels automatic, not clunky. Build a personal cheat sheet of the search terms that get you to answers fastest.
The PE runs on one clock, not two separate timers per half. Time spent on the first half, including your break, comes out of the total. You cannot go back to the first half once you submit it.
The two-pass system: read each question once, try a second time if needed, flag with Alt-F and move on if still unsure. Come back with fresh eyes. Only change an answer if you know it is wrong, not just because you feel uncertain.
Process of elimination is not just for overthinkers. Rule out wrong units, wrong signs, and impossible magnitudes. Flagging a question and moving on is a strategy, not a failure.
Mel’s ‘things I suck at’ method: keep a running list of topics you dread and drill those specifically. Real progress comes from facing what you do not know.
If you have no idea on a question, pick the same letter throughout the test. Mathematically you should get roughly one in four correct.
Magical quotes from the episode
1. “Strategy is not the same as knowing the material.”
2. “Flagging and moving on is a strategy. It’s not a failure. It doesn’t mean you’re not going to get it when you come back.”
3. “Real progress on preparing for the test comes from drilling and working through the topics that you suck at, that you dread, that you don’t understand.”
