Discussion on the overall situation of the chemical engineering major in 2017
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Personally, I think the first day in the morning requires a high level of theoretical knowledge. In the afternoon, there are many questions related to petrochemical standards; there were two tests related to fire stations, and the questions in the afternoon were relatively simple, as most of them could be found in the textbooks. The next morning the exam was particularly tough; it mainly focused on heat transfer, as well as the series connection of heat exchangers. This type of question appeared in the exam in 2010, but I didn’t bring the actual exam papers with me. It was extremely difficult – the amount of calculation required was huge, and the descriptions of each question were very long, wasting time. In any case, there were 4 or 5 questions that I wasn’t able to answer at all. The second day afternoon was much better; the morning started off tough for us, but in the afternoon things got a bit better, though the amounts given to us were generally on the low side. This afternoon there was a current question from 2013 regarding the installation height of the reboiler.
Was 1000 chosen for the reboiler?
That’s amazing. I thought the other three half-days were okay, but yesterday morning was really terrible. I couldn’t answer even half of the questions. There’s absolutely no chance. I was wondering, I think this year is a bit difficult – is that just my personal opinion?
I had no chance either; I couldn’t control the pace at all the next morning. This caused me to give up on many questions after working on them for half the time, and in the end I just picked any answer!
I share the same feelings as the original poster. It’s even more difficult for someone like me who isn’t majoring in chemistry. To put it simply: On the first morning, there are high theoretical requirements; many of the questions don’t have answers in the books, and what’s tested is one’s actual knowledge and skills ； Afternoon of Day 1: There are many standard questions and direct quotes from the book. Unfortunately, my sleep has been very poor these past few days; I couldn’t find several questions worth two points during the exam ； Second day, morning: The material balance problems were more difficult than usual, and the thermodynamics and heat transfer questions didn’t seem as straightforward as they used to be in previous years; with my weak foundation, I was once again severely discouraged ； Second day, afternoon: The questions weren’t too difficult, but they were more complex than those in previous years; they weren’t as conventional as the questions from 2012 and 2013. It’s also quite frustrating, but overall it’s a bit simpler than in the morning. Apart from the years 2012 and 2013 when luck played a significant role, this exam ultimately tests one’s overall theoretical knowledge. Starting from 2014, the questions became more flexible, with fewer questions that could be solved by simply applying standard formulas; this seems to be the trend and direction for the future as well. Those who have graduated from a chemical engineering program should be able to pass if they take the time to review properly. Those who are not majoring in chemistry better fend for themselves~~
Half of the past years’ cases were easy questions; not this year. . . .
I’ve taken the exam several times, and it always seems very difficult every year :(
For the reboiler, I estimated it to be around 800, but I chose 1000.
1000, this seems to be the original question, with only the number changed
I’ve been taking the exam for several years now; I hope to pass it this year. I’m getting older and really can’t keep going like this :(