Study Guide - Civil

Source material
Based on the syllabus by BEM, candidate should attempt to compile all related source material. The material can be classified as several categories, namely:


 * 1) Acts and regulations (federal and state)
 * 2) Civil & Infrastructure
 * 3) Structural
 * 4) Geotechnical
 * 5) CCC related documents

Acts and regulations (federal and state)

 * The acts and regulations of Malaysia (ENG & BM) are easily downloaded from the AGC's website (http://www.agc.gov.my/agcportal/index.php?r=portal2/lom&menu_id=b21XYmExVUhFOE4wempZdE1vNUVKdz09). Just enter the act's number or keyword to search in the website.
 * Another place to get PCE-relevant acts is from BEM website itself (http://bem.org.my/web/guest/registration-of-engineers-act-1967-revised-2015-)
 * Get the Street Drainage Building Act 1974 (BM version) here from Kementerian Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan (https://www.kpkt.gov.my/index.php/pages/view/88)
 * A hidden portal "JABATAN KERAJAAN TEMPATAN" under the Kementerian Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan lists all state amendments to the UBBL 1984 for download (https://jkt.kpkt.gov.my/index.php/ms/node/238). It is important to read these together with the original UBB L as there are several updates to the schedules. State amendments are generally similar, but it is advisable to choose the state that the candidate is practicing in.
 * Google is also another easy way to find the exact name of the act, or download the act itself.

Civil & Infrastructure
Candidates should at least have the following documents ready:


 * Urban Storm Water Management (MSMA) and related documents (https://water.gov.my/index.php/pages/view/887)
 * JKR Arahan Teknik regarding roads such as geometric road design, pavement testing, interchange design etc. (refer syllabus). Be careful when downloading these documents online, as some have garbled text on important tables. Attempt to get at least a true copy, else purchase it from JKR directly. (links not provided)
 * SPAN Uniform Technical Guidelines for Water Reticulation and Plumbing (https://www.span.gov.my/article/view/guidelines-for-water)
 * Malaysian Sewerage Industry Guidelines (MSIG) (https://www.span.gov.my/article/view/malaysian-sewerage-industry-guidelines-msig)

Structural
A common question posed by candidates is what design code does PCE test on? Based on official correspondences, both Eurocode and British Standards (vis-a-vis Malaysian Standards) are used. However, past year questions so far tend towards BS. Both papers clearly references specific clauses in BS/MS and candidates are expected to be well-versed in it. On the other hand, open ended design questions for Paper 2 can be answered in both EC and BS/MS.

Candidates should prepare their own preferred material based on their design office or experience. Bringing along complete textbooks are unavoidable, and mostly necessary. Candidates should therefore be selective on the choice of design textbooks, general but not too oversimplified in information, not overly detailed and not heavy. Physical carrying constraints matter here.

Material prepared should at least contain the 3 major topics - Foundation, RC and Steel design. Additional material can cover analysis of structures, material testing (concrete rebound hammer, coring test etc.) water retaining structure and so on (refer syllabus).

Geotechnical
Similar to the previous point, materials pertaining to the syllabus should be prepared. Additional materials can be obtained via government agency websites such as:


 * Guidelines for Erosion and Sediment Control (https://www.water.gov.my/jps/resources/auto%20download%20images/5844dff6dadd8.pdf)
 * Guidelines for Slope Design JKR (link not provided)

CCC related documents

 * Everything you need to know about CCC is also found at their website (http://bem.org.my/web/guest/certificate-of-completion-compliance-ccc-)
 * Also, consider compiling a copy of your latest local council submission checklist which might come in useful (downloadable from OSC3.0 website)

Compiling
Many candidates would jump on the notion that since the exam is 'open-book' format, they would bring everything they can possibly carry. Since candidates are allowed to bring printed material but not electronic devices (except non-programmable calculators), some resort to lugging travel suitcases of reference books. Others fill the exam chair and tables with more books. Below is a guide on how to actually compile materials for PCE:

1) Start light
How can you pack light if you opt for printed books and reference books that are thicker than dictionaries? Start light by printing out word-heavy legal documents, 2 pages per face, front and back. This will save you 1 page printed for every 2 pages (50% less) of the document. For the eagle-eyed candidate, try printing 4 pages per face (a whopping saving of 75%). Imagine a 200 page Act printed on just 25 sheets of paper, compared to 100 sheets if printed full sized. Less sheets, less weight!

2) Index like Google
PCE is more like a game of treasure hunt with limited time (for most questions about facts). Start by cataloguing your materials in any way that makes most sense to you. Acts and regulations should be clearly labeled with Post-Its by the sides etc. You can even create your own table of contents or keyword index. Time is of the essence, as candidates have only about 2 minutes per question for Paper 1. Train yourself to lookup any law, regulations or documents within as little time as possible. Be aware that some questions have multiple acts to refer to, which will stress-test your newly acquired skill of manual Googling.

3) Always bind loose sheets
 extracted from candidate Examination Regulations 

'''B5. Candidates may bring into the exam room any printed textbooks or reference books - material in paper form (binding) which they may wish to use during the exam. Handwritten and loose notes ARE NOT ALLOWED.'''

If you have followed step 1 and step 2, now is the time for binding. Binding printed material can be in any form such as ring, paper fastener, stapled, comb-binding etc. However the current accepted practice is 'non-removable' binding, which means candidates might be forced to tape on bindings like paper fasteners and rings as a temporary measure to satisfy the staff checking at the registration counter. Comb-binding on the other hand is by far the best method, whereby the bound book can be opened flat and materials can be added to later on (you would need access to a binding machine). Comb-binding is also allowed in the examination hall without any taping.

If you have any written notes, now is the best time to digitize and print them out before binding together. Any loose paper stuck between book pages will be removed, so check thoroughly during this step. Any handwritten scribbles in books etc. usually pass the checkers with no problems whatsoever.

4) Formulae cheat sheets
Specific for technical paper, candidates should be prepared with design guides, charts and tables based on selected design codes. Again, please be reminded that only bound printed material is allowed in the exam hall.

Study tips
Recalling the last exam you had and how you prepared for it can be a stretch since you last left the university decades ago. However, open-book exams are rare and maybe a new format for some. Here is a list of tips tailored specifically for PCE:

1) Speed-reading
If indexing is one part of the time-saving equation, speed-reading is the other half of the equation. Speed-reading can help candidates search important key points in a jiffy. Best paired with the highlighting/ underlining, candidates can ideally find the answer faster than Usain Bolt. There are many guides to learn speed-reading on the Internet, but candidates can start here https://www.wikihow.com/Learn-Speed-Reading

In relation to Civil Technical Paper 1, the official guidelines of MSMA and SPAN require key information searching - hence candidates can consider practicing beforehand.

2) Study all topics generally, be ready to refer
Recalling the whole of your undergraduate course is a daunting task for many, but your experience in the design office should suffice. Identify topics that you are weak in and brush up on it. Again, due to the limited time of study, candidates should allocate time wisely and attack specific topics with reference to the past year questions. For official guidelines such as MSMA and SPAN guidelines, attempt to read through all of the documents and identify hot topics for indexing. Try to workout all of MSMA examples on your own, as MSMA is an incomparable free textbook.

During the exam, be ready to zoom in onto specific design procedures or calculations that maybe unfamiliar to you. Therefore, it is advisable to read generally and understand design concepts behind it. For those who wish to go the extra mile, compiling a design flow chart/ example/ cheatsheet for those topics will serve useful in the future.