I have been an experienced signal engineer for many years. I was told that I should already be a full member of the IRSE but then discovered that the rules have been changed to stop me doing this and I must pass the exam before I am allowed. I was next told that this would be a cinch but I sat it last year and did not pass. I then bothered to attend the Exam Review but this was waste of time as no one told me why I was judged a failure nor what to write to get past. The exam session did not even give model answers for all the questions I did. The introductory session stated that the reason why so many are rejected at the exam is that they have defects which should of been eliminated by quality assurance beforehand and recommending this web-site. Its not very nice being regarded as defective equipment in a reject pile needing remedial work. What
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Hmmm; don't quite know where to start with this one or just how to take it- that's the trouble with email, it is not possible to tell if tongue is in cheek....but I'll take at face value.
First you have taken a useful step in registering here and declaring you'd like help. Secondly well done for speaking up; you are clearly frustrated, but I think you are overreacting to the world having it in for you!
To clarify a few things:
1. You should be envisaging doing the IRSE Exam because you have decided you want to, not because you are being forced. I am sure your bosses are only trying to give a nudge to encourage you, but if you realy don't want to that's for you to tackle them about rather than a matter we can help with.
2. If you have a broad signal engineering background and are comfortable with taking exams then there really are not too difficult; if however you have many years of experience in only one area then you will find much harder. Perhaps it is a long time since you've taken exams / you never found them easy and in which case you will find it more of an ordeal.
3. I am sorry that you found the Exam Review a waste of time. It did rather concentrate on module 1 this year and modules 4,5,6,7 were hardly mentioned so perhaps that is the reason; however mod 1 is the compulsory paper and the one which is evidently found most difficult so there was rationale. Indeed tackling essay questions are relatively simular for many modules and John Alexander did do a useful session on Mod3 Control Tables. Module 2 coverage was quite brief but I had done an earlier talk which hopefully explained relevant stuff. If you were hoping to get model answers for all questions then I am afraid that you've rather misunderstood the intention.
4. I wasn't intending to upset people by my comments; just to suggest that preparation for exams should be undertaken with the same planning and preparation as for a signalling commissioning and was recommending applying similar engineering techniques to the problem to increase the chances of success. You seem to have taken it a bit personally- a bit of a raw nerve I think!
5. Since you are the one (see item1) wishing to pass the exams, be clear that there is only one person whose job it is, and that is you. There are people here quite prepared to encourage, guide and assist those requiring, but it is not our JOB to do so!
6. We can only help if we have some hint of what is needed. If you fill up your bio details and let everyone know what your experience consists of and the modules you wish to study for, then that would be an initial start- so far you have given us little to go on.
7. To use your doctor analogy, you've put your name down with the practice but that's it so far. Nothing is going to happen until you declare that you want some specific advice about a specific or general problem. You are welcome to do so anytime and we'll respond as soon as we can, but you need to take the first step.
So I haven't kept you waiting long, but I suspect you'd have wanted something more specific. Sounds to me as if you attempted 4 modules last time which was probably too many to do all at once and that you had underestimated the preparation you needed to do. I also get the impression that you don't know why you didn't pass- can I suggest that you post as an attachment your attempt at an answer to one of the questions that you did last time. None of us are examiners but I think between us we have a pretty fair idea of what is needed (except for the specific Telecoms papers) and we'd be pleased to analyse your "sample" for you. We'd then be better informed before prescribing anything.
PJW
[quote=Aitch]
I have been an experienced signal engineer for many years. I was told that I should already be a full member of the IRSE but then discovered that the rules have been changed to stop me doing this and I must pass the exam before I am allowed. I was next told that this would be a cinch but I sat it last year and did not pass. I then bothered to attend the Exam Review but this was waste of time as no one told me why I was judged a failure nor what to write to get past. The exam session did not even give model answers for all the questions I did. The introductory session stated that the reason why so many are rejected at the exam is that they have defects which should of been eliminated by quality assurance beforehand and recommending this web-site. Its not very nice being regarded as defective equipment in a reject pile needing remedial work. What
PJW
