Looks like the exam now tests on all of the HSM

They show the changes to the NCEES list of Transpo Depth references in red: https://cdn.ncees.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Civ-Tran-April-2015-1_Combined.pdf

It looks like on April 27, they removed the AASHTO Highway Safety Manual (HSM) limitation of Volume 1 only and opened it up to the whole book. The HSM has 3 volumes. Vol 1 is chapts 1 - 9 only. Volumes 2 and 3 include the rest of the chapters 10 -17.

Bummer.

I think it started out this way for the last exam, then somewhere got changed to only Volume 1 when the marketing efforts of this book for the test began.

Read my review of the April 2015 exam. I strongly believe that any questions that come from this text are going to be throw away problems for the next couple of exams. This book is just too massive, and it still isn't even in widespread use in the practice. I still have not found the answer to the problem in the April 2015 exam that came from this text. Supposedly.

All that being said, I will focus some effort on going though the text, and finding some problems to save you guys some time.

Are they stating any specific concept?? Saying the entire HSM is on the test is like saying the entire Green Book and HCM are on the table without giving concepts.

Good question.

The only place I see the HSM on the NCEES syllabus is I. I.:
Highway safety analysis (e.g., crash modification factors, Highway Safety Manual)
So maybe the exam will only test on CMFs?

This leaves 9 topics (A - I) to make up 11 questions. So, I guess, on average, there will be 1.22 HSM questions per exam. So, say 1, 2 tops.

The last outline said CMFs only as well. Which is where I see the dilemma in this.

The entire Volume 3 is titled "Crash Modification Factors." I never saw anywhere from NCEES where they said they would only be testing from Chpater 3 of Volume 1 only. This was an AASHTO thing that happened when they started selling only Volume 1 and called it the "PE Exam Special." The addition of this reference to the exam is nothing more than a concerted effort to push this publication, IMO.

So you could conceivably have a simple question that asks what a CMF is, or the potential crash effects of converting stop control to signal control on a 40 mph highway, or the reduction of skew angle, or providing actuated control, etc, etc, etc.

Wow, that is shitty! I printed a copy of the HSM for the exam and felt like it was a waste of paper. Unless NCEES plans to add more questions in the exam on CMFs, I highly doubt anyone is going to pay the $200+ for the book for a potential 1-2 questions.

I'm glad I passed this time around since NCEES updated the transportation standards AND California now requires fingerprinting.

NakedOrangie said:

Wow, that is shitty! I printed a copy of the HSM for the exam and felt like it was a waste of paper. Unless NCEES plans to add more questions in the exam on CMFs, I highly doubt anyone is going to pay the $200+ for the book for a potential 1-2 questions.

I'm glad I passed this time around since NCEES updated the transportation standards AND California now requires fingerprinting.

Click to expand...

Congrats on passing NO. Does CA require fingerprinting for refiles too? Or just first time applicants?

The HSM is used, quite often I might add to calculate B/C for project alternatives based on accident data. I recently just used it for a grant process so we can modify an existing roadway to make it a little safer. The book is massive think green book.

Upon closer look, it appears the only HSM topic on the syllabus is Crash Modification Factors (CMFs). That might help narrow the study scope.

I was able to find the HSM as a pdf with a google search. I'm willing to risk a virus to save $300 or however much. Anyways, I didn't get a virus, and now I have 1000 pages to print. Toner is still cheaper than the book.

Atharaenea said:

I was able to find the HSM as a pdf with a google search. I'm willing to risk a virus to save $300 or however much. Anyways, I didn't get a virus, and now I have 1000 pages to print. Toner is still cheaper than the book.

Click to expand...

I think the only one available in PDF online is the draft. It is close to the final, but not exact.

ptatohed said:

Atharaenea said:

I was able to find the HSM as a pdf with a google search. I'm willing to risk a virus to save $300 or however much. Anyways, I didn't get a virus, and now I have 1000 pages to print. Toner is still cheaper than the book.

Click to expand...

I think the only one available in PDF online is the draft. It is close to the final, but not exact.

Click to expand...

It says "Current as of April 6, 2009." So that's the draft?

Atharaenea said:

ptatohed said:

Atharaenea said:

I was able to find the HSM as a pdf with a google search. I'm willing to risk a virus to save $300 or however much. Anyways, I didn't get a virus, and now I have 1000 pages to print. Toner is still cheaper than the book.

Click to expand...

I think the only one available in PDF online is the draft. It is close to the final, but not exact.

Click to expand...

It says "Current as of April 6, 2009." So that's the draft?

Click to expand...

I think so. The first edition is 2010, right?

https://cdn.ncees.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Civ-Tran-April-2015-1_Combined.rev1_.pdf

Did you see this thread?

http://engineerboards.com/index.php?showtopic=24962

ptatohed said:

Atharaenea said:

ptatohed said:

Atharaenea said:

I was able to find the HSM as a pdf with a google search. I'm willing to risk a virus to save $300 or however much. Anyways, I didn't get a virus, and now I have 1000 pages to print. Toner is still cheaper than the book.

Click to expand...

I think the only one available in PDF online is the draft. It is close to the final, but not exact.

Click to expand...

It says "Current as of April 6, 2009." So that's the draft?

Click to expand...

I think so. The first edition is 2010, right?

https://cdn.ncees.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Civ-Tran-April-2015-1_Combined.rev1_.pdf

Did you see this thread?

http://engineerboards.com/index.php?showtopic=24962

Click to expand...

I hadn't seen that thread yet, I've just joined this forum. But thanks! It seems close enough I suppose.

Atharaenea said:

ptatohed said:

Atharaenea said:

ptatohed said:

Atharaenea said:

I was able to find the HSM as a pdf with a google search. I'm willing to risk a virus to save $300 or however much. Anyways, I didn't get a virus, and now I have 1000 pages to print. Toner is still cheaper than the book.

Click to expand...

I think the only one available in PDF online is the draft. It is close to the final, but not exact.

Click to expand...

It says "Current as of April 6, 2009." So that's the draft?

Click to expand...

I think so. The first edition is 2010, right?

https://cdn.ncees.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Civ-Tran-April-2015-1_Combined.rev1_.pdf

Did you see this thread?

http://engineerboards.com/index.php?showtopic=24962

Click to expand...

I hadn't seen that thread yet, I've just joined this forum. But thanks! It seems close enough I suppose.

Click to expand...

Probably. I forget, does the draft contain Vols 2 and 3?

ptatohed said:

Atharaenea said:

ptatohed said:

Atharaenea said:

ptatohed said:

Atharaenea said:

I was able to find the HSM as a pdf with a google search. I'm willing to risk a virus to save $300 or however much. Anyways, I didn't get a virus, and now I have 1000 pages to print. Toner is still cheaper than the book.

Click to expand...

I think the only one available in PDF online is the draft. It is close to the final, but not exact.

Click to expand...

It says "Current as of April 6, 2009." So that's the draft?

Click to expand...

I think so. The first edition is 2010, right?

https://cdn.ncees.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Civ-Tran-April-2015-1_Combined.rev1_.pdf

Did you see this thread?

http://engineerboards.com/index.php?showtopic=24962

Click to expand...

I hadn't seen that thread yet, I've just joined this forum. But thanks! It seems close enough I suppose.

Click to expand...

Probably. I forget, does the draft contain Vols 2 and 3?

Click to expand...

I think so, mine goes up to Chapter 18 and is 1050 pages.

Hi,

I am studying for the PE exam and I came upon a question with crash modification factors. I have been googling and wasn't able to find where I can find equations for this topic. Reading on here, it seems the Crash Modification Factor is in the HSM. Can anyone point me where I can read up on this topic in the HSM as well as where the equations are?

bulls2030 said:

Hi,

I am studying for the PE exam and I came upon a question with crash modification factors. I have been googling and wasn't able to find where I can find equations for this topic. Reading on here, it seems the Crash Modification Factor is in the HSM. Can anyone point me where I can read up on this topic in the HSM as well as where the equations are?

Click to expand...

Do you have the HSM?  It's in the index, right? 

bulls2030 said:

Hi,

I am studying for the PE exam and I came upon a question with crash modification factors. I have been googling and wasn't able to find where I can find equations for this topic. Reading on here, it seems the Crash Modification Factor is in the HSM. Can anyone point me where I can read up on this topic in the HSM as well as where the equations are?

Click to expand...

Yea i guess i thought i had it but was looking at the Roadside Design Guide. My bad.