Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
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36 | May - June 2020 | www . machinerylubrication.com What to Expect from the MLE Exam Paul Hiller | ICML "Those who were expecting a challenge certainly found it. TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION L u b r i c a t i o n P r o g ra m s With practitioners around the world now having taken the Machinery Lubrication Engineer (MLE) exam for more than a year, those interested in achieving this engi- neering-grade, management-level certification from the International Council for Machinery Lubrication (ICML) may be curious as to what the early adopters thought about their exam experience. erefore, ICML contacted everyone who passed the exam in 2019 and asked a few key questions about their assumptions, expectations and difficulties. Assumptions When questioned about their assumptions for the exam, some test-takers found the online guid- ance ICML provided by linking to cross-referenced resource mate- rials in all 24 areas of the MLE body of knowledge (BoK) to be quite helpful. Pathiri Sampath, s en ior c ond it ion mon itor i n g tech at Qatargas Operating Co., studied the BoK as part of his st ric t reg i men a nd i nd ic ated nothing surprised him about the exam's contents. "ICML's website clearly stated about subjects and preparation," Sampath recalled. "It guided me to concentrate on (relevant) topics." Another candidate unsurprised by the topical scope was Loren Green, senior technical representative with Industrial Oils Unlimited. Although the MLE is not a continuation of the Machinery Lubrication Technician (MLT) or Machine Lubricant Analyst (MLA) certification tracks, it does overlap content while also expanding into new territory. "I expected that it would be a much broader view of lubrication overall, and it was," Green said. Roger Stor y, ma intena nce manager at DSM Chemicals, discov- ered that his previous certifications helped pave the way for his MLE comprehension. "I assumed that lower-level certifications such as MLA III and MLT II would be represented on the test, and that was correct," Story remarked. "My career as a reliability engineer prepared me for the rest of the exam." Tough and Challenging Just because the candidates thought the topical distribution in the exam corresponded well with the MLE BOK doesn't mean the actual