Passed the exam in January, and wanted to give insight as to how it went.
First off, many of the questions were convoluted in nature. Multiple math questions with multi-step answers, several schematic and one-line questions, and questions on very nuanced portions of the ATS and MTS. There are archived posts on testguy with questions people have seen (See below), but out of all the threads on here, I may have only seen 2-3 of those questions on this exam.
Archived posts in relation:
7746-Remembered-NETA-2-Questions-Help
8637-Dear-NETA-I-Passed!!
My advice if you are studying for the NETA 2 exam this year would be the following:
Study the bits of the ATS and MTS you rarely use. Many of the questions I had on the test were relating to things Ive never even done or tested before. Atleast expose yourself to many of the niche items in the specs, it will help.
Know your AF boundaries, Bolt Grades, Glove ratings, and Torque specs. If you are bad with safety, hit it hard. Its 15% of the exam, but its easy to mess up and lose points if there are only a handful of safety questions, and you dont know the answers.
Lock down the math equations. Focus more on whats not on the formula sheet than what is. It was really helpful knowing these acronyms during the test, as many questions involved them.
- Soh, Cah, Toa (Sine=Opp/Hyp, Cosine=Adj/Hyp, Tangent=Opp/Adj)
- ART (Power triangle, Apparent Power = Hyp, Reactive Power = Opp, True Power = Adj)
- ELI THE ICE MAN (Voltage(E) leads Current(I) in an Inductive Circuit(L), Current(I) Leads Voltage(E) in a Capacitive Circuit(C))
Also know your units. Many questions want you to either convert first, or last, while doing capacitive/inductive reactance.
Know what the question is asking. For example, if the question is asking “What test can magnetize the windings of a transformer” and you dont see the answer you know is right (Winding Resistance), take a breath. It is talking about transformers in general, which includes CTs, CPTs, Etc. If you see an answer like “Excitation” dont just blow it off and assume its related to powerfactor excitation testing, it might actually be excitation of a CT.
This is a test first and foremost, and you are not going to know everything its asking. Depending on the version you get, you may be completely lost on many of the questions like I was regardless of the studying you did. However, its important to note that being lost, and being clueless are two different things. Many of the exam questions have answers that, if you understand just a little about question, are easily removable from the pool. Use process of elimination to increase the probability of getting the question right. Most of the questions I was confused on, I was easily able to remove 2 or sometimes even 3 of the answers.
STUDY STUDY STUDY. Many of the questions I did on testguy (I did 3-4 practice exams a day for 2 weeks) were not on the exam. HOWEVER, that does not mean the practice tests are useless. They will help you lockdown math, provide exposure to random bits of information, and help you learn good test taking principles. At the end of the test, scroll all the way down and USE that breakdown chart to your advantage. Create a study guide, focus on the weakest parts while locking down your strongest parts.
Field experience is so important for this exam. Many questions want you to know not just what your testing, but how to test it properly. You cannot substitute field experience. Understand what you are doing while at work, work the overtime, and ask questions to your senior techs. If you see a question on testguy you dont understand, mention it at work. Break it down with someone. Every bit on advice, information, and repetition is important.
In my eyes, even with all the studying I did, and the two plus years in the field I have, the test was still hard. We work alot, and then have to study when we find time. Its alot to ask of someone, and its just the first cert. But its worth getting in the end, and helps not only the company, but you as-well.
Good luck everyone.
