Everything you wanted to know about the CA-Survey/Seismic Civil PE Exams

[ptatohed]

Very good c.i.t.h. Thanks for the input. While I don't think I'll add reviews of reference material to Post #1, you reminded me that I have not included the approx study time! I will add that now. However, in my experience, your #s are a little low (great for you!) so I think I'll advise what I usually do 150 +/-. If I receive a lot of feedback, I can always revise it later.

How many total class/study/prep hours did it take most of you to pass the surv and seis?

 

[catinthehat]

Thanks ptatohed! Just trying to reciprocate the help I've received here over the years. Looking at those numbers, there's a good possibility they are a tad low. While I didn't do much more than 1-2 hours on weekdays (who can with a full time job anyway?), I do recall the last few weeks I was putting in some of 4-6 hour days. I had a field project at the time requiring some engineering field supervision. Long story short, I was able to get in fairly long uninterrupted study hours on the job under a field tent =). I would bump my estimate up by another 20 hours each exam for good measure.

 

[caley89]

I took Reza's class and passed surveying the first try. And I had never taken a surveying class ever before (I was an ME in undergrad). His class is extremely helpful and some of the problems in his workbook were exactly like ones I saw on the exam.

For seismic, I took Hiner's seismic review. Even if you don't take the class, I know people who passed the first time with just the book. His problems are great, especially the longer problems. If you can do all the multiple choice in Chapters 3,4, and 8 and all of the longer problems, you're set for the exam. I passed the first time and was more confident than I was with surveying.

 

[ptatohed]

I took Reza's class and passed surveying the first try. And I had never taken a surveying class ever before (I was an ME in undergrad). His class is extremely helpful and some of the problems in his workbook were exactly like ones I saw on the exam.

For seismic, I took Hiner's seismic review. Even if you don't take the class, I know people who passed the first time with just the book. His problems are great, especially the longer problems. If you can do all the multiple choice in Chapters 3,4, and 8 and all of the longer problems, you're set for the exam. I passed the first time and was more confident than I was with surveying.

What were your total exam prep hours? Please include class time and study/review/problem solving time outside of class.

 

[caley89]

I took Reza's class and passed surveying the first try. And I had never taken a surveying class ever before (I was an ME in undergrad). His class is extremely helpful and some of the problems in his workbook were exactly like ones I saw on the exam.

For seismic, I took Hiner's seismic review. Even if you don't take the class, I know people who passed the first time with just the book. His problems are great, especially the longer problems. If you can do all the multiple choice in Chapters 3,4, and 8 and all of the longer problems, you're set for the exam. I passed the first time and was more confident than I was with surveying.

What were your total exam prep hours? Please include class time and study/review/problem solving time outside of class.

Around 200 hours total for all 3 exams, including class time.

 

[nightwing]

Is there anyone taking all three exams including 8 hour at the same time?

 

[caley89]

Is there anyone taking all three exams including 8 hour at the same time?

you mean in the same exam cycle?

 

[nightwing]

Is there anyone taking all three exams including 8 hour at the same time?

you mean in the same exam cycle?

Yes. What depth did you take? How many months did you study?

 

[Ayerforce35]

For those of you who passed both surveying and seismic, do they send the pre-filled re-file application by default or do they only send that if you failed one of the tests? I passed the 8 hour and surveying, but not seismic, so I they sent the re-file application with my results. Just wondering if those who passed both got that too.

 

[H2OEngineer]

I took the Seismic yesterday and feel I did very well. I had studied Hiners book, and two weeks before the exam I purchased EET´s practice exams. I am very glad I purchased the EET practice exam and feel they made all the difference. One of the problems on the Seismic exam was identical to the EET practice problem, including the exact same numeric answer! The practice exams have a number of errata due to it being a fairly new publication, but the approaches are easily understood and seemed to be very much in tune to the real exam format.

I have not seen EET workbook, but I have to think it is superior to Hiners based on the practice problems.

 

[nightwing]

I never took Surveying, what reference book should I use to self study?

 

[Liquefaction]

I never took Surveying, what reference book should I use to self study?

I had a book by Ghilani and Wolf from undergrad that I dug out of storage from 6+ years ago. I found it very helpful and it's very comprehensive but you'd really have to be expect to put in several weeks to really go through and read it all but if you do then you'd probably be in a good spot. You can pick-up the 12th Edition for like <$20.

I also had Practice Exams by Mansour. It was pretty helpful and there were at least 5-10 problems on the exam that were VERY similar to what he has on there. Really the best way to study, at least for me, is to do practice problems and note what I don't know and write down concepts/eqs on a cheat-sheet.

I only gave myself about 4 days to study for the Surveying Exam (took it yesterday) and was kind of busy so I didn't put in a lot of time as I should have. I printed the FS NCEES Cheatsheet, and wrote some additional equations on it, and bound that which was helpful during the exam

That said, Surveying Exam was quite a bear. Did anyone else feel that way?

By comparison, I finished the Seismic exam with roughly 15 minutes to spare and go back over problems. Surveying Exam, I was rushing to the last minute and I had just guessed/skipped on probably 5 of them. I felt like the Surveying Exam should have been 3 hours or cut down on some of the insanely long pictorial questions. They just had waay too many long problems, and the annoying thing is, I KNEW I could have satisfactory solved most of them since it was mostly Trig and some basic calculus principles but there was just no time to spend the time solving all the angles/coordinates. It really doesn't seem to make sense to be testing on speeding through surveying calculations or knowing "short-cuts". We'll see I guess.

Also don't forget you can use a TI-89 calculator on these exams. If I was forced to use that awful dinky FXIII Casio thing I used for the PE exam I would have not even come close to finishing.

 

[nightwing]

I had a book by Ghilani and Wolf from undergrad that I dug out of storage from 6+ years ago. I found it very helpful and it's very comprehensive but you'd really have to be expect to put in several weeks to really go through and read it all but if you do then you'd probably be in a good spot. You can pick-up the 12th Edition for like <$20.

I also had Practice Exams by Mansour. It was pretty helpful and there were at least 5-10 problems on the exam that were VERY similar to what he has on there. Really the best way to study, at least for me, is to do practice problems and note what I don't know and write down concepts/eqs on a cheat-sheet.

I only gave myself about 4 days to study for the Surveying Exam (took it yesterday) and was kind of busy so I didn't put in a lot of time as I should have. I printed the FS NCEES Cheatsheet, and wrote some additional equations on it, and bound that which was helpful during the exam

That said, Surveying Exam was quite a bear. Did anyone else feel that way?

By comparison, I finished the Seismic exam with roughly 15 minutes to spare and go back over problems. Surveying Exam, I was rushing to the last minute and I had just guessed/skipped on probably 5 of them. I felt like the Surveying Exam should have been 3 hours or cut down on some of the insanely long pictorial questions. They just had waay too many long problems, and the annoying thing is, I KNEW I could have satisfactory solved most of them since it was mostly Trig and some basic calculus principles but there was just no time to spend the time solving all the angles/coordinates. It really doesn't seem to make sense to be testing on speeding through surveying calculations or knowing "short-cuts". We'll see I guess.

Also don't forget you can use a TI-89 calculator on these exams. If I was forced to use that awful dinky FXIII Casio thing I used for the PE exam I would have not even come close to finishing.

Any good review course for surveying?

 

[nightwing]

Well, hopefully you'll be fine on the re-take. In theory, if you are taking a class, you shouldn't need anything outside of what that class provides. Why do you think you did not pass? Yes, you can use Mansour's or Mahallati's books if you want more resources. Mahallati's book is both lessons and questions. Good luck. You're down to only the Survey, right?

What is your opinion of the Paul Cuomo book for surveying and using it to self study for the exam? I never took surveying in my undergraduate and was wondering if that book would be sufficient to self study. A friend gave my a 2009 copy of the Mahallati book. I am taking all three exams and was wondering how to approach surveying.

 

[ptatohed]

What is your opinion of the Paul Cuomo book for surveying and using it to self study for the exam? I never took surveying in my undergraduate and was wondering if that book would be sufficient to self study. A friend gave my a 2009 copy of the Mahallati book. I am taking all three exams and was wondering how to approach surveying.

That is what I did.   

 

[nightwing]

That is what I did.   

Besides the book from Cuomo, what else would you recommend? 

 

[ptatohed]

Besides the book from Cuomo, what else would you recommend? 

You have the other two PPI books, right?  And the free Caltrans stuff can be very helpful too. 

 

[Superlaker24]

How many questions does it take to pass the seismic and surveying exam? Do we get scratch paper and a pencil on the exam? What calculator is recommend for surveying?

 

[ptatohed]

How many questions does it take to pass the seismic and surveying exam? Do we get scratch paper and a pencil on the exam? What calculator is recommend for surveying?

In post number one, it states there are 55 questions and it states you typically need ~ 55% to pass.  So, figure on getting at least 31 correct. 

In post number one it states "You will be provided a Prometric pencil and blank paper".

It's your preference but I love the TI-89. 

 

[jijir83]

I really wish CA would take postcards for the refile like they did for the original application. I'm sure I can find some with two little words I'd like to send them. Grrrr!

Just dropped off check for CA exams refile. Not happy. And I'm still waiting for my tax return from them. Ok... rant over. For now :/ Off to enjoy summer. 4 months to go.