IRSE study pack

[onestrangeday]

Hi Everyone:

I'm thinking to start to study for the IRSE exam start from this year, but I would like to ask has anyone bought this year's IRSE study pack ?

what's include in the study pack (I heard it is in DVD format, so is that mean you have to print out the information by yourself ?) and how can it help you to pass the exam ? (past exam papers ??)




thanks

[PJW]

Once you apply for the exam you should receive the Study Pack DVD- it is "free" in that it is icluded in the price of the examination.

Certainly you would need to print out yourself any part of it that you wanted in papercopy.

I think it best for recent past students to comment upon its usefulness for various modules. However it is fair to say though that
1. it varies between the modules and the scenario which faces the student.
2. Don't think that it contains much in the way of "learn this and you'll pass the exam" type material; intended far more to get you thinking in the right way to be able to tackle the questions and also to point you to sources of information and a little in the way of past question attempted answers.

Also see the thread under Study Pack

Hi Everyone:

I'm thinking to start to study for the IRSE exam start from this year, but I would like to ask has anyone bought this year's IRSE study pack ?

what's include in the study pack (I heard it is in DVD format, so is that mean you have to print out the information by yourself ?) and how can it help you to pass the exam ? (past exam papers ??)




thanks

[dorothy.pipet]

I have ordered / signed up for Module 3 this year - 2013 - but can anyone tell me when I might receive the study pack please?
Like most I work full-time, but with a toddler and other commitments I get hardly any time to study each week. I guess that is not unusual, but it means I need to make best use of the time I do have. Waiting for things to arrive is frustrating.

[PJW]

This is a question best directed at the IRSE itself. Personally I think that they may the packs available far too late- other than lobbying, I can do no more. From previous experience it won't be sent out until April or May.

I understand your frustration; however I also need warn you that you may well be disappointed in the mod 3 Study Pack when it does arrive. The past papers including the layouts used for Control Tables are of course useful, but I think the text is written far more to assist an experienced engineer lead a group guiding them on what to cover than being particularly useful to someone trying to learn on their own.

You should certainly be able to get feel for the range of past papers by looking in the Mod 3 area of this website; note however that the Control Tables in 2013 (as in 2012 and 2011) only form one question whereas previously if you chose to do the CTs then you only had one other answer to do and that could in fact have been the aspect sequence chart. Now you have to do a total of 3 answers of which one can be CTs and the written answers will include one involving aspect sequence (but likely to be wider than purely doing a chart).

Hence you should not delay for the Pack to arrive; there is plenty to work on and read to increase underpinning knowledge without it.
I see that your job role is relevant to the module, but I am unclear how much experience and what background you have etc and therefore your initial level and the ability to get support from others at workplace; if you need some advise about where to start etc then explain a little of your situation- the sort of work you have done on what schemes for example.

We haven't arranged anything yet, but I think it is reasonable to assume that YM / Signet will be aiming to run the usual study weekend in Derby sometime in the early summer, so consider whether your domestic committments would permit you to join this; the aim is of course that students are well on with their studying by then but there is still enough time to do quite a bit more if they find from attendance that there is somewhat more preparation remainining to do than they had anticipated

I have ordered / signed up for Module 3 this year - 2013 - but can anyone tell me when I might receive the study pack please?
Like most I work full-time, but with a toddler and other commitments I get hardly any time to study each week. I guess that is not unusual, but it means I need to make best use of the time I do have. Waiting for things to arrive is frustrating.

[dorothy.pipet]

I hold a Principles licence and spend much of my time doing control tables, SSI data and schematics, thus I'm starting with this module as it's likely to be the easiest for me to prepare for.
I plan to do the control tables question - I guess I have the knowledge, but need to transfer it to using IRSE tables, layout and think about exam technique.
Then I'll do the Aspect sequence chart - I read these but it's a while since I've designed any so a bit more to do there.
That leaves a 3rd question and I want to have a good wade through past papers in order to direct my effort there - I'm hoping there are a handful of topic areas which come up regularly and focus my work on those.

---

There is a fledgling study group at work but we're a rather motley crowd (of which not all will take any exams anyway); I'm expecting to do much work alone. I've not been aware of anyone else in my company taking the IRSE Exams in my 10 years there so support from there will be variable.
I'm beginning to work on the readling list and finding it a easier to get hold of historical stuff than those about current signalling principles.

[PJW]

Yes likely to be the best module for you to do to start.
There is a great difference between doing CTs for work (need to do all the detail, must get it right) and for the exam (just concentrate on the real essentials, attack everything in the time allowed, be as accurate as you can but the general apporach and methodology more important than precision). A lot of it is exam technique. You'll have already the knowledge needed for the CTs- in fact could be at a bit of a disadvantage because you'll attempt to think too deeply- concentrate on the essence rather than the nuance.

Make sure you understand WHY and can demonstrate that; this is why the aspect sequence moved away from a pure production of a chart as it could too readily be done by someone learning by rote to perform a prescribed task.

The reading list is VERY wide; even the examiners recognise this and I have got them to promise to whittle it down to those which are genuinely useful for the syllabus. Don't forget that IRSE News articles over the last couple of years are often inspirations for "topical" type questions.

Agreed depending where you work, access to current principles can be difficult, although of course the Railway Group Standards are freely available on the internet, NR internal standards are not. Don't have to follow modern UK standards though.

Quite a number of the written questions nowadays feature those using some form of continuous train protection / transmission based in-cab signalling and this info can be hard to find for some.

Also I have detected over the last few years quite a shift towards explicit consideration of hazrads and risks and therefore some familiarity with these Mod 1 type topics (e.g. from The Yellow Book- which despite being superseded on mainline rail by CSM is actually still the best readily available source material) is also recommended.

I am sure that you mean that your group is "diverse", but I think it is realistic to assume that only a minoriy of those initially attending actually have the tenacity and enthusiasm to put sustained effort into exam preparation.

I have also sent you an email.

I hold a Principles licence and spend much of my time doing control tables, SSI data and schematics, thus I'm starting with this module as it's likely to be the easiest for me to prepare for.
I plan to do the control tables question - I guess I have the knowledge, but need to transfer it to using IRSE tables, layout and think about exam technique.
Then I'll do the Aspect sequence chart - I read these but it's a while since I've designed any so a bit more to do there.
That leaves a 3rd question and I want to have a good wade through past papers in order to direct my effort there - I'm hoping there are a handful of topic areas which come up regularly and focus my work on those.

---

There is a fledgling study group at work but we're a rather motley crowd (of which not all will take any exams anyway); I'm expecting to do much work alone. I've not been aware of anyone else in my company taking the IRSE Exams in my 10 years there so support from there will be variable.
I'm beginning to work on the readling list and finding it a easier to get hold of historical stuff than those about current signalling principles.