# Codes Actually Needed for SE Exam



## CAGlazingEng (May 27, 2015)

Hey everyone,

New to the forum. Got accepted to take the SE Exam in October. I've been trying to track down codes and figuring out what I need to buy. So far I've been starting to go through the PPI Structural Engineering Reference Manual and although it has a lot of code references in it I'm assuming I'll need most of the codes on the NCEES list.

Currently I have:

ASCE7-10

ACI 318-11

AISC 13th - probably wont get the 14th just for the test

NDS 2005 - will probably look for a more updated set but it is the one I used for the PE

For those who have recently taken the test

What were the most useful codes you used?

I am almost completely unfamiliar with PCI, Masonry, and AASHTO.

I'm thinking about buying AASHTO and will definitly be getting masonry.

Any thoughts and opinions will be very appreciated. Thanks.


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## Civil Dawg (May 27, 2015)

CAGlazingEng said:


> Hey everyone,
> 
> New to the forum. Got accepted to take the SE Exam in October. I've been trying to track down codes and figuring out what I need to buy. So far I've been starting to go through the PPI Structural Engineering Reference Manual and although it has a lot of code references in it I'm assuming I'll need most of the codes on the NCEES list.
> 
> ...


I haven't taken the SE yet but have the NCEES SE Practice Exam and have talked to people who have taken the exam and would suggest you DEFINITELY buy and LEARN TO USE AASHTO. The NCEES Practice Exam seems like half the problems come from AASHTO and the other half from ASCE 7 etc. Someone I work with took the exam in April and said he doesn't know how well he did because he hadn't prepared enough with AASHTO. 
Also, it seems to me like a lot of the table values differ in AISC between the 13th and 14th editions.

Hope this helps!


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## Antnyt23 (May 27, 2015)

In all honesty I would bring all of them and the up to date versions .... I'd have the latest aisc manual and you will need the latest aisc seismic if you are taking the lateral

Like said above you will pretty much have to get Aashto its a large part of the exam unfortunately and from my experience they pull stuff from all over it.

The only two I would even consider not bringing is PCI and ansi (cold formed steel) but that's just my personal opinion.


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## BoilerEng (May 28, 2015)

https://cdn.ncees.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/SE-Friday-AM-Vertical-Forces_2011-1.pdf

As Antnyt23 alluded to, the PCI and light gage references will probably only relate to 1 or 2 questions. But every question matters, so you should bring them all.

All browse the forum for good study books.

For Vertical - I did basically all of my studying out of the SERM and that was enough to pass last October. But I also do masonry, wood, light gage and steel regularly at work.

In a couple weeks I'll see if what I did this April for Lateral was good enough and I'll let you know what books I studied for that.


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## captain zumo (May 28, 2015)

You're really playing with fire if you don't buy and know by heart how to find information in all of the listed codes. I don't know for sure, but I would be willing to bet that 50% of the people that pass, do so just barely. Every question counts and you will struggle with some of them. I have found that the best way to pass is to know the table of contents by heart of all of the codes. Every question on that exam can be found in the table of contents and flip to the page and you're answer or procedure will be there waiting for you. I brought only the listed codes to the lateral exam and passed. I did the same this past spring with vertical and am waiting on results but felt the same after the exam - hopeful, but defeated. Preparation is key... just like anything else. Don't take any risks trying to save $100 by not buying the light gage code... you might end up paying another $500 for the following exam retake. Just my $.02. Good luck


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## phecke (May 30, 2015)

captain zumo said:


> You're really playing with fire if you don't buy and know by heart how to find information in all of the listed codes. I don't know for sure, but I would be willing to bet that 50% of the people that pass, do so just barely. Every question counts and you will struggle with some of them. I have found that the best way to pass is to know the table of contents by heart of all of the codes. Every question on that exam can be found in the table of contents and flip to the page and you're answer or procedure will be there waiting for you. I brought only the listed codes to the lateral exam and passed. I did the same this past spring with vertical and am waiting on results but felt the same after the exam - hopeful, but defeated. Preparation is key... just like anything else. Don't take any risks trying to save $100 by not buying the light gage code... you might end up paying another $500 for the following exam retake. Just my $.02. Good luck






He's got this exactly right. I brought every code listed by NCEES in and I used every code.

Every. Single. One.

I easily got 4-6 questions right because I had the PCI and light gauge codes, and that was just by looking up a formula or table. You realistically probably need to get 30ish questions right to pass, so you can miss maybe 10 of them. Why only let yourself have a margin of error of 5 when you could have 10 just by having the codes.

You will NEED the AASHTO and you will NEED to be at least somewhat familiar with it. Look around online just by searching for it, sometimes you can find a state DOT website that has an older version published on their website that you can use to study in the meantime.

Don't forget about the special Wind and Seismic book for wood design either.


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## bassplayer45 (May 31, 2015)

Without giving away any information on the test, i will say that in the 3 times i have tried lateral bridges, i have used all the codes listed on NCEES, but i have also had attempts where i didnt use certain codes at all. So with that being said, you need all the codes because you never know what to expect


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## TehMightyEngineer (May 31, 2015)

Just to throw my 2 cents in the mix; I passed without the latest cold formed steel code but you definitely NEED to have a copy. I didn't have the PCI code but wouldn't recommend not bringing it even though I passed without it.

Everything else you MUST have the latest copy. You cannot pass this test without the latest of all the codes listed by NCEES.


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## TJM (Jun 1, 2015)

I would highly recommend getting all of the proper edition of the codes. AISI and PCI not as critical as the rest, but for me it made me feel a lot better about my chances going in knowing that I had prepared to the best of my ability, which included having all the most up to date material.

From my experience there will only be a few questions from the AISI and PCI, but they will be straightforward if you have the right resources and extremely difficult without....and I strongly agree with what was stated above that every question counts.

Having the AASHTO is a must, but I would only spend enough time to learn the basic principles (load combos, lane loads, etc.) and not spend any time on the rest. There is just too much there to learn (assuming you are taking the buildings PM). In my opinion your time is better spent with the stuff that will benefit you in both the AM and the PM sections because I found the PM to be much more difficult overall. In the AM,my plan was to save the AASHTO questions for the end and know buildings well enough to leave enough time to dig through the AASHTO. It worked out well for me, I had almost an hour and a half to answer the AASHTO questions, which was enough time to confidently answer almost all of them.

Hope this makes sense and helps.


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## CAGlazingEng (Jun 3, 2015)

Thanks for the great replies everyone! I will definitely be getting all the recommended codes now. If anyone wants to sell any of the current codes that they don't want anymore please send me a message.


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## phecke (Jun 4, 2015)

*cough* AASHTO *cough*

http://utc2.edu.vn/Uploads/File/AASHTO%20LRFD%202012%20BridgeDesignSpecifications%206th%20Ed%20%28US%29.PDF


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## phecke (Jun 4, 2015)

*cough* AISI 2007 * cough*

ftp://soporte.uson.mx/PUBLICO/04_INGENIERIA%20CIVIL/ACERO%202/Especificaciones%20AISI/AISI%202007.pdf

(Seriously, all i did was do a search for these and the full pdf's are on the web. Legally you shouldn't download and/or print them unless you have paid for them.)


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## TehMightyEngineer (Jun 4, 2015)

(Getting this in before thread gets deleted now...)

To be useful you would have to print those off... Good luck with the AASHTO one on that.


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## Civil Dawg (Jun 24, 2015)

Anyone have the newest SEAOC Design Manuals? Either for sale or *cough* pdf's *cough*???


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## TehMightyEngineer (Jun 25, 2015)

If you want to skimp you really only need manual 1, the others are useful though so don't avoid getting the rest if you want/need them.


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