Has anyone started studying for the October 2014 SE exam yet?

[BoilerEng]

I am taking the SE for the first time in October. Just started studying this week and my first goal is to work my way through the SERM and then work through SEAOC Volume 1. I had intentions of starting in February/March but just now getting started. After working through those two books, I'm going to take a practice exam and see where I stand then chug through a bunch of problems containing the topics I struggled with on the practice exam.

This is exactly what I did too and it works - but I also studied SEAOC Volume 2 and 3.

One other thing I would suggest is to do two practice exams - one from NCEES and the other one from PPI.

Glad to hear it works! How useful did you find the SEAOC Volume 2 and 3?

Also, I just hopped over to your blog and look forward to reading. I'll post some feedback for you when I do

 

[Jake47]

Does anyone think it is too early to start studying for the April 2015 exam? I may be moving 4 states over this summer/early fall, and may lose some valuable time then. Although I just took the PE in April of this year, I kind of am in a studying mode and would like to get a jump start on the book learning now and then maybe take a review course starting in October.

I also enjoyed the blog SEHQ and will be following it going forward!

 

[TehMightyEngineer]

While you can definitely start too late I don't think you can start too early. However, keep in mind that pretty much anything you study right now you will forget 90% of by April next year. On top of that you can expect a code change but we have no idea what that might be. Hopefully it's IBC 2012 and all it's respective codes but they might only do a partial update; IBC 2012 and ASCE 7-10 but keep AISC 360 and ACI and AAHSTO as they are now. So, there's some risk in preparing early and wasting time on stuff that you'll have to redo.

So, with that I mind I would start getting basic study tasks out of the way. Start skimming through codes and get familiar with what is where. Do some preliminary tabbing and highlighting with the intention to go back and do a full review later. Definitely start brushing up on your weaker areas, whatever they are. Finally, it doesn't hurt to just start reading and/or doing some simple problems to get your head in the game.

Whatever you do, DON'T BURN YOURSELF OUT EARLY! That can definitely happen, save that energy till the last 4 months because you'll need it.

 

[matt267 PE]

Does anyone think it is too early to start studying for the April 2015 exam?  I may be moving 4 states over this summer/early fall, and may lose some valuable time then.  Although I just took the PE in April of this year, I kind of am in a studying mode and would like to get a jump start on the book learning now and then maybe take a review course starting in October.  

I also enjoyed the blog SEHQ and will be following it going forward!

I'm going to start studying for civil-wr this summer for the April 2015 exam.

 

[darius]

I am taking the SE for the first time in October. Just started studying this week and my first goal is to work my way through the SERM and then work through SEAOC Volume 1. I had intentions of starting in February/March but just now getting started. After working through those two books, I'm going to take a practice exam and see where I stand then chug through a bunch of problems containing the topics I struggled with on the practice exam.

This is exactly what I did too and it works - but I also studied SEAOC Volume 2 and 3.

One other thing I would suggest is to do two practice exams - one from NCEES and the other one from PPI.

Glad to hear it works! How useful did you find the SEAOC Volume 2 and 3?

Also, I just hopped over to your blog and look forward to reading. I'll post some feedback for you when I do

I am just finishing the 4th volume of SEAOC (2012). I think they are a great tool during the exam and during regular work as well. Sometimes seems difficult to keep up if you don't have a very strong background (I found myself here). But is a great review and a learning process going back and fourth trying to understand how it works. I know that these new SEAOC volumes are based on the new code, but if you can handle the new codes, you will handle the old ones as well.

Actually I am preparing based on the new codes and planning to bring both with me at the exam, eventually checking if the section in the new code is applicable on the old code too. Beside some general stuff not much changed between the new and old codes, or at least the basics are the same. Wind Design - major change - but the same concept except the transition from ASD to LRFD and from importance factor to maps which are based on Risk Category.

When I will get to the solving problems part, I will try to use only the old codes just to make sure I don't miss anything.

This will be my first time taking it and looks like a tough test, but 300+ valuable hours should kill it.

Good luck everyone!

 

[Opie Winston]

I am taking the SE for the first time in October. Just started studying this week and my first goal is to work my way through the SERM and then work through SEAOC Volume 1. I had intentions of starting in February/March but just now getting started. After working through those two books, I'm going to take a practice exam and see where I stand then chug through a bunch of problems containing the topics I struggled with on the practice exam.

This is exactly what I did too and it works - but I also studied SEAOC Volume 2 and 3.

One other thing I would suggest is to do two practice exams - one from NCEES and the other one from PPI.

Glad to hear it works! How useful did you find the SEAOC Volume 2 and 3?

Also, I just hopped over to your blog and look forward to reading. I'll post some feedback for you when I do

I am just finishing the 4th volume of SEAOC (2012). I think they are a great tool during the exam and during regular work as well. Sometimes seems difficult to keep up if you don't have a very strong background (I found myself here). But is a great review and a learning process going back and fourth trying to understand how it works. I know that these new SEAOC volumes are based on the new code, but if you can handle the new codes, you will handle the old ones as well.

Actually I am preparing based on the new codes and planning to bring both with me at the exam, eventually checking if the section in the new code is applicable on the old code too. Beside some general stuff not much changed between the new and old codes, or at least the basics are the same. Wind Design - major change - but the same concept except the transition from ASD to LRFD and from importance factor to maps which are based on Risk Category.

When I will get to the solving problems part, I will try to use only the old codes just to make sure I don't miss anything.

This will be my first time taking it and looks like a tough test, but 300+ valuable hours should kill it.

Good luck everyone!

Time will be your main issue and running out of it.

Knowing procedures and locations of codes/equations are the most important part of taking the SE.

Focus on practice problems and speed.

You will not have time to compare old and new codes during the exams.

 

[Andy Lin]

While you can definitely start too late I don't think you can start too early. However, keep in mind that pretty much anything you study right now you will forget 90% of by April next year. On top of that you can expect a code change but we have no idea what that might be. Hopefully it's IBC 2012 and all it's respective codes but they might only do a partial update; IBC 2012 and ASCE 7-10 but keep AISC 360 and ACI and AAHSTO as they are now. So, there's some risk in preparing early and wasting time on stuff that you'll have to redo.

So, with that I mind I would start getting basic study tasks out of the way. Start skimming through codes and get familiar with what is where. Do some preliminary tabbing and highlighting with the intention to go back and do a full review later. Definitely start brushing up on your weaker areas, whatever they are. Finally, it doesn't hurt to just start reading and/or doing some simple problems to get your head in the game.

Whatever you do, DON'T BURN YOURSELF OUT EARLY! That can definitely happen, save that energy till the last 4 months because you'll need it.

Couldn't have say it better myself. Great advice!

 

[TJM]

Hey guys. I'm new (at least to posting) to the site and thought I would add my 2 cents about handling the AASHTO during the exam because I think that part went pretty well for me.....

1. I skipped all the AASHTO questions and saved them all until the end. I waited until I had answered all the other questions and then cleared my table and then hoisted the monstrosity that is the AASHTO.

2. I printed a separate copy of the AASHTO index and started there on pretty much every AASHTO question. I was able to get a good starting point to most of the questions this way.

Hope this helps somebody.

-TJ

 

[TehMightyEngineer]

Hey guys. I'm new (at least to posting) to the site and thought I would add my 2 cents about handling the AASHTO during the exam because I think that part went pretty well for me.....

1. I skipped all the AASHTO questions and saved them all until the end. I waited until I had answered all the other questions and then cleared my table and then hoisted the monstrosity that is the AASHTO.

2. I printed a separate copy of the AASHTO index and started there on pretty much every AASHTO question. I was able to get a good starting point to most of the questions this way.

Hope this helps somebody.

-TJ

Great tips, I'll probably use them when I start officially studying for the next exam.

 

[BoilerEng]

Hey guys. I'm new (at least to posting) to the site and thought I would add my 2 cents about handling the AASHTO during the exam because I think that part went pretty well for me.....

1. I skipped all the AASHTO questions and saved them all until the end. I waited until I had answered all the other questions and then cleared my table and then hoisted the monstrosity that is the AASHTO.

2. I printed a separate copy of the AASHTO index and started there on pretty much every AASHTO question. I was able to get a good starting point to most of the questions this way.

Hope this helps somebody.

-TJ

This is exactly what my coworker (who just passed the april exam) did regarding AASHTO questions. Said it worked well for him too