Nothing wrong with ambition, but perhaps you are being a bit over confident. Two years' isn't a lot to build up the experience necessary for module 1 in particular. Yes it certainly can be done, but only really if
1. you actually do have a breadth of experience such as having been on a graduate training scheme covering all elements of S&T engineering (manufacturing, concept design, detailed design, installation, testing, maintenance) and an appreciation of operations and other engineering functions, AND
2. you do a lot of reading, AND
3. you do a lot of practice.
I can only advise on what I know, which is:
a) derived from what you have written as your bio,
b) you have so far submitted one attempted answer
c) more than 3/4 of candidates globally, more than 1/2 of candidates in UK fail module 1 (and it tends to be the London based people that contribute a large amount of the "out-performance" of the UK compared with elsewhere)
I obviously do not actually know if your confidence is misplaced or not; I am just saying that statistically the odds are against it being as easy as you think. Certainly you haven't presented any real evidence that convinces me you will be in what is normally the minority that pass most of the modules; you need to be significantly different from the average candidate to pass 3 out of 3 attempted.
Having said that you have already started your preparation which is more than many people.
I think that module 2 is in fact is the module for which it is most realistic to prepare without too much prior knowledge. You are right that the task is well defined and so if you put the work in then you certainly should get yourself in a state to be sure of a pass. Also the Study Pack s particularly comprehensive; it is the only module for which it could be stated "work through the Study pack diligently to be confident of passing". My statements based on my experience are also supported by the exam result data; over the last few years Module 2 has consistently had the highest pass rate, generally by quite a margin.
However beware that there is variation each year, not so much in the wording of the question paper but the layout does. You do not know whether you are going to get a long rural branch, a train depot, a freight yard, bi-directional, terminus etc. Unlike other modules, you have no choice of question, so you have to cope with whatever comes up, so you can;t choose to restrict your learning to a sub-set.
Quite why then you'd want to do as ERTMS or metro CBTC, I am not sure.
There is a little about ETCS in the Study Pack and there is obviously a lot of informative material available (e.g. the IRSE ETCS Handbook and indeed the TSIs and SRS), but I don't think you would find much of the latter of much practical use for the Module 2 exam.
As for Metro CBTC, I am tempted to try in 2013 to lead a Study Group that might attempt the exam in that context, but that would be based in a section engaged in implementing CBTC on the Sub Surface Line of London Underground. I suspect that you don't have any Metro experience, nor know very much at all about CBTC, so I can't really understand why you'd consider such an approach. Frankly I don't think those of us who have been working on the project for a year now yet know enough to contemplate for the 2012 exam; you certainly won't find any CBTC worked example and indeed precious little for conventional metro past papers. Unlike ETCS I don't think there is much information in the public domain.
Indeed unless you know someone who has been involved in implementing ETCS who could assist you, I'd also advise not using this either. It may not be so modern and "sexy" but I advise just following NR mainline practice which is well documented both in the relevant RGS / NR standards and within the Study Pack and for which there are various attempted past papers available.
Personally I think for most people that module 2 is a good one to start off doing and module 1 best left until more industry experience has been accumulated. The IRSE Examiners have just published some actual module 1 attempts mainly from the 2011 paper; I suggest you actually try to write some answers yourself and then compare with the standard of those published. If you remain confident, then do module 2 as well; if not then perhaps do module 2 instead.
(20-04-2012, 01:25 PM)ricky Wrote: Hi All,
I am planning on doing the IRSE exams this year. Already started my revision and looking at the topic on modules 1, 5 and 7. I am fairly confident I can pass these modules with the experience I have along with plenty of study.
The problem comes in picking the 4th module to sit. I am from a signalling background so the communication modules 4 and 6 are a definate no go however I don't have much design experience either.
So I need to do either mod 2 or 3. Now from looking at the other modules there is a very wide variety of topics covered and it isn't a case of learning them all but simply a case of learning enough so that going into the exam there are enough topics known that I can comfortably answer 3 questions. Module 2 appears to be the same 'question' each year based on a different layout.
So my question to you is how tough is the exam for someone without much design experience to study and pass? I was thinking that if I was to practise this using a metro CBTC system or ERTMS level 2 approach then there would be no line side signals to worry about and between now and October I could get it sorted.
Would this be a bit much on top of studying for the other 3 modules? I know it's not a race but I'd quite like to have a go at doing the whole process this year I can always choose to not sit one of the exams nearer the time if revision isn't going well.
Thanks
