# PE Civil CBT 2022



## sunnykc999 (Nov 1, 2021)

Will PE Civil CBT become more difficult as compared to paper pencil exam which was conducted for last time in October 2021? Any thoughts?


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## RBHeadge PE (Nov 1, 2021)

The exam specifications for the civil engineering exams aren't changing when it converts to CBT in January.






NCEES PE Civil exam information


Are you taking the PE Civil exam? Learn about the exam specifications, reference materials, scoring and reporting, and the current pass rate.




ncees.org





So it's the same as the April 2015-October 2021 P&P exams. 

The only difference is its done on a computer and they supply the references as PDFs.


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## steel (Nov 5, 2021)

They do make slight changes. For example, there are only 70 scored questions and 10 "experimental" questions. We won't know which are which, though. 

The split between morning and afternoon is blurred. If they put 8 experimental questions in the morning and 2 in the afternoon, there will be 43 questions in the first half and 37 in the second half (70 divided by 2 + however many experimental questions in that session)

So, there won't be a true morning and afternoon difference. Yes, the first half will have general civil and the second half will have discipline specific, but they give you the full time at the very beginning. So you can spend 6 hours on the first half and 2 hours on the second half. I wouldn't recommend that, though, but that's another problem lol.


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## Jeuret (Nov 12, 2021)

RBHeadge PE said:


> The exam specifications for the civil engineering exams aren't changing when it converts to CBT in January.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Thanks, it's helpful resource


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## steel (Dec 2, 2021)

Bumping this thread because I think it is now more important than ever before. The advent of CBT testing is upon us, civies! 

Whether you're a repeat taker or going through it for the first time, we can use this thread to share ideas, strategies, war stories, but _never_ exam questions!


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## sunnykc999 (Dec 2, 2021)

structurenole15 said:


> They do make slight changes. For example, there are only 70 scored questions and 10 "experimental" questions. We won't know which are which, though.
> 
> The split between morning and afternoon is blurred. If they put 8 experimental questions in the morning and 2 in the afternoon, there will be 43 questions in the first half and 37 in the second half (70 divided by 2 + however many experimental questions in that session)
> 
> So, there won't be a true morning and afternoon difference. Yes, the first half will have general civil and the second half will have discipline specific, but they give you the full time at the very beginning. So you can spend 6 hours on the first half and 2 hours on the second half. I wouldn't recommend that, though, but that's another problem lol.


From where u got this info @10 experimental questions?


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## sunnykc999 (Dec 2, 2021)

structurenole15 said:


> Bumping this thread because I think it is now more important than ever before. The advent of CBT testing is upon us, civies!
> 
> Whether you're a repeat taker or going through it for the first time, we can use this thread to share ideas, strategies, war stories, but _never_ exam questions!


I think there will be a lot to memorize stuff as our references are not allowed and PE civil handbook barely has anything for PM portion for PE Civil Structural


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## steel (Dec 2, 2021)

sunnykc999 said:


> From where u got this info @10 experimental questions?


I emailed NCEES. It's the same kind of approach as they do with the FE exam. I took that within the first few years of it going computer-based, in 2015.

So your final score will really be out of 70 points, but they won't tell you what you got right or wrong. They'll convert your score to a scaled score from 0-15 for each category.


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## sunnykc999 (Dec 2, 2021)

structurenole15 said:


> I emailed NCEES. It's the same kind of approach as they do with the FE exam. I took that within the first few years of it going computer-based, in 2015.
> 
> So your final score will really be out of 70 points, but they won't tell you what you got right or wrong. They'll convert your score to a scaled score from 0-15 for each category.


So passing is 49 instead of 56 now?


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## KOKOMO777 (Dec 2, 2021)

Any prep course that will help with CBT exam? Or just stick and review the prep course materials that I have already taken such as sope and eet.


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## steel (Dec 2, 2021)

sunnykc999 said:


> So passing is 49 instead of 56 now?


no way to know. They don’t tell you how many questions were right or wrong even if you fail. They make it a scaled score for each category from 0-15.


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## sunnykc999 (Dec 3, 2021)

structurenole15 said:


> no way to know. They don’t tell you how many questions were right or wrong even if you fail. They make it a scaled score for each category from 0-15.


What is scaled score of 0-15? How does it affect total score?


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## sunnykc999 (Dec 3, 2021)

structurenole15 said:


> no way to know. They don’t tell you how many questions were right or wrong even if you fail. They make it a scaled score for each category from 0-15.


They tell you how many questions a person did correct - look at diagnostic report.


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## steel (Dec 3, 2021)

sunnykc999 said:


> What is scaled score of 0-15? How does it affect total score?


I told you, they _do not tell you_ how many questions you got right and wrong.

@DuranDuran PE Do you have a diagnostic from one of your failed attempts at the CBT? Am I right in how they report the results?


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## steel (Dec 3, 2021)

sunnykc999 said:


> They tell you how many questions a person did correct - look at diagnostic report.


That's for the paper and pencil version. They DO NOT tell you how many questions you got right or wrong for the CBT version.


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## sunnykc999 (Dec 3, 2021)

KOKOMO777 said:


> Any prep course that will help with CBT exam? Or just stick and review the prep course materials that I have already taken such as sope and eet.


No idea how the prep companies will adapt or modify their course now as there are no reference materials allowed to be taken.


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## steel (Dec 3, 2021)

sunnykc999 said:


> No idea how the prep companies will adapt or modify their course now as there are no reference materials allowed to be taken.


NCEES will give you codes and standards listed in the spec.

I recommend reading through the examinee guide: https://ncees.org/wp-content/uploads/NCEESExamGuide_November_2021_OPT.pdf


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## DLD PE (Dec 3, 2021)

structurenole15 said:


> I told you, they _do not tell you_ how many questions you got right and wrong.
> 
> @DuranDuran PE Do you have a diagnostic from one of your failed attempts at the CBT? Am I right in how they report the results


Edit: Note that in both diagnostics, the total number of items scored totals 70 questions. The exam I took was 80 questions, so they threw 10 out, but we're not told which 10 are not counted. 

Yep, I don't mind sharing. Here is my first CBT attempt on 12/1/2020:




Second attempt the following March:


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## steel (Dec 3, 2021)

DuranDuran PE said:


> Edit: Note that in both diagnostics, the total number of items scored totals 70 questions. The exam I took was 80 questions, so they threw 10 out, but we're not told which 10 are not counted.
> 
> Yep, I don't mind sharing. Here is my first CBT attempt on 12/1/2020:
> 
> ...


Yep, they have 10 "experimental" questions included for research purposes, but we have no idea what those are.


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## DLD PE (Dec 3, 2021)

structurenole15 said:


> Yep, they have 10 "experimental" questions included for research purposes, but we have no idea what those are.


Exactly


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## steel (Dec 3, 2021)

Also: only 9 sections! Damn, I wish I only had 9! The first 8 topics for me are general civil, not even touching the depth of structural engineering yet at that point! The n there are 6 depth sections.


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## sunnykc999 (Dec 3, 2021)

DuranDuran PE said:


> Edit: Note that in both diagnostics, the total number of items scored totals 70 questions. The exam I took was 80 questions, so they threw 10 out, but we're not told which 10 are not counted.
> 
> Yep, I don't mind sharing. Here is my first CBT attempt on 12/1/2020:
> 
> ...


So 70% of 70 = 49 questions we need to get them correct? Will we get credit for any of the 10 questions which we do correct? Or do we still need 70% of 80 = 56 correct? What about the multi step design questions - open book exam had them, now we will be forced to remember the formulae as well as design steps? This is ridiculous. My masters program in US had open book exams for design subjects. I think the new CBT exam will either become too easy or too difficult, my guess is too difficult and pass rates might go down. If the pass rates go down too much will they revert back to paper and pencil exam which is open book for PE Civil Structural?


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## sunnykc999 (Dec 3, 2021)

DuranDuran PE said:


> Edit: Note that in both diagnostics, the total number of items scored totals 70 questions. The exam I took was 80 questions, so they threw 10 out, but we're not told which 10 are not counted.
> 
> Yep, I don't mind sharing. Here is my first CBT attempt on 12/1/2020:
> 
> ...


If you take 70% of 80=56 questions to pass and 56/70=80%. Then it becomes more difficult.


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## steel (Dec 3, 2021)

sunnykc999 said:


> So 70% of 70 = 49 questions we need to get them correct? Will we get credit for any of the 10 questions which we do correct? Or do we still need 70% of 80 = 56 correct? What about the multi step design questions - open book exam had them, now we will be forced to remember the formulae as well as design steps? This is ridiculous. My masters program in US had open book exams for design subjects. I think the new CBT exam will either become too easy or too difficult, my guess is too difficult and pass rates might go down. If the pass rates go down too much will they revert back to paper and pencil exam which is open book for PE Civil Structural?


Your final score is out of 70 questions. 

There are 10 experimental questions that do not count towards your score. 

You will NEVER know which questions are experimental. 

Also, stop trying to guess the cut score. Nobody can possibly know what it will be. And sicne they literally don't tell you how many you got right or wrong, there will never be a way to know. But my estimate would be to shoot for a 70% (49/70, or 56/80)


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## DLD PE (Dec 3, 2021)

^ What @structurenole15 said above.


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## Osburg (Dec 4, 2021)

What are the testing periods? Is it simply the year divided by 3 months? They mention we can only try 3 times per year and once per testing period.


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## steel (Dec 4, 2021)

Osburg said:


> What are the testing periods? Is it simply the year divided by 3 months? They mention we can only try 3 times per year and once per testing period.


Jan-Mar
Apr-Jun
Jul-Sep
Oct-Dec


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## KOKOMO777 (Dec 7, 2021)

sunnykc999 said:


> So 70% of 70 = 49 questions we need to get them correct? Will we get credit for any of the 10 questions which we do correct? Or do we still need 70% of 80 = 56 correct? What about the multi step design questions - open book exam had them, now we will be forced to remember the formulae as well as design steps? This is ridiculous. My masters program in US had open book exams for design subjects. I think the new CBT exam will either become too easy or too difficult, my guess is too difficult and pass rates might go down. If the pass rates go down too much will they revert back to paper and pencil exam which is open book for PE Civil Structural?


I hope the CBT for civil has more concepts than problem solving.


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## looper (Dec 7, 2021)

sunnykc999 said:


> So 70% of 70 = 49 questions we need to get them correct? Will we get credit for any of the 10 questions which we do correct? Or do we still need 70% of 80 = 56 correct? What about the multi step design questions - open book exam had them, now we will be forced to remember the formulae as well as design steps? This is ridiculous. My masters program in US had open book exams for design subjects. I think the new CBT exam will either become too easy or too difficult, my guess is too difficult and pass rates might go down. If the pass rates go down too much will they revert back to paper and pencil exam which is open book for PE Civil Structural?


Lol revert back to P&P. I recommend you spend a good hour or 2 going over the NCEES website. PE Civil everything is now CBT, Structural (SE) is scheduled to go to CBT in 2024. Long story short nothing is going back to P&P


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## steel (Dec 14, 2021)

The only thing that _might_ revert to P&P would be structural. When they see the pass rates for it in 2024, they'll modify their closed-book policies pretty damn fast.

In any case, I wish they'd just name is SE again, or eliminate the PE Civil Structural. It's too confusing with the names being so similar. If I had my way, I'd just make anyone who would select civil: structural take the Vertical SE component instead. Pass it, and you're a Professional Engineer. Then if you want the SE license, just pass the lateral component within 4 years or something.


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## steel (Dec 14, 2021)

Also, found this neat study guide resource for the breadth section!





Civil PE Breadth


Free Notes for the Civil PE Exam Breadth Portion. You can not find these anywhere else.




www.learncivilengineering.com


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## sunnykc999 (Dec 15, 2021)

structurenole15 said:


> The only thing that _might_ revert to P&P would be structural. When they see the pass rates for it in 2024, they'll modify their closed-book policies pretty damn fast.
> 
> In any case, I wish they'd just name is SE again, or eliminate the PE Civil Structural. It's too confusing with the names being so similar. If I had my way, I'd just make anyone who would select civil: structural take the Vertical SE component instead. Pass it, and you're a Professional Engineer. Then if you want the SE license, just pass the lateral component within 4 years or something.


In 2024 or 2022?


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## steel (Dec 15, 2021)

sunnykc999 said:


> In 2024 or 2022?


Obviously I mean when they see the first CBT SE Exam pass rates in 2024.

The SE exam gets converted to computer-based in 2024.


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## Eng_Girl95 (Dec 21, 2021)

I’ll be taking it April 2022! PE Civil: Structural!


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## rodr (Dec 21, 2021)

DuranDuran PE said:


> Edit: Note that in both diagnostics, the total number of items scored totals 70 questions. The exam I took was 80 questions, so they threw 10 out, but we're not told which 10 are not counted.
> 
> Yep, I don't mind sharing. Here is my first CBT attempt on 12/1/2020:
> 
> ...


This is the most ridiculous way of doing things. I can't believe these people. What the point of displaying things this way? 

I am having a difficult time with them lately. They really screwed over a lot of people this last test. It makes no sense that a for profit entity is in charge of the professional licensing of an occupation. They have no incentive to be fair in anything.


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## steel (Dec 21, 2021)

rodr said:


> This is the most ridiculous way of doing things. I can't believe these people. What the point of displaying things this way?
> 
> I am having a difficult time with them lately. They really screwed over a lot of people this last test. It makes no sense that a for profit entity is in charge of the professional licensing of an occupation. They have no incentive to be fair in anything.


What are you referring to? How they show the diagnostic for failing results?

During P&P exams, they can tell you how many questions were right vs. wrong. But for CBT, they can't really do that because, if I recall correctly, the cut score is based on the results of the people that took the exam at the exact same time in the same room as you. It's obviously easier to control the exam sites to avoid major irregularities when an exam is only offered twice a year. But when the exams are offered year-round, you need a better way to account for those possible irregularities, to make sure an examinee in Minnesota and one in Hawaii are facing the same test of competency.

I agree about the money aspect. The testing prices are pretty abhorrent sometimes and it makes no sense why NCEES has to be a for-profit entity in the first place.


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## steel (Feb 28, 2022)

Okay, so, I found out something very interesting today. There is no partial credit for the alternative item types on the PE Civil exams. 

In the practice exam, one of the questions presents four diagrams and asks the examinee to label the diagrams with one or more of four different choices (Flexible, torsionally irregular, rigid, or torsionally regular). Three of the diagrams have two fields to fill in and one has only one field. 

I managed to get six of the seven fields assigned correctly. But according to NCEES rep Ashley Cheney, "Each question has to be answered entirely correct to receive credit."

Does anyone else find this a little unfair, depending on the question?


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## Liz06 (Mar 23, 2022)

DLD PE said:


> Edit: Note that in both diagnostics, the total number of items scored totals 70 questions. The exam I took was 80 questions, so they threw 10 out, but we're not told which 10 are not counted.
> 
> Yep, I don't mind sharing. Here is my first CBT attempt on 12/1/2020:
> 
> ...


I think you are so close 
Please keep on trying!!!! I just got my results today and failed


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## steel (Mar 23, 2022)

Liz06 said:


> I think you are so close
> Please keep on trying!!!! I just got my results today and failed


He passed a while ago. He's just sharing his failed score diagnostics.


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## Liz06 (Mar 23, 2022)

steelnole15_PE said:


> He passed a while ago. He's just sharing his failed score diagnostics.


ahh ok I just saw the days in top right corner. My bad


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## DLD PE (Mar 23, 2022)

Liz06 said:


> ahh ok I just saw the days in top right corner. My bad


All good! You scared me. For a second I thought I got time-warped to before I passed!


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## steel (Mar 23, 2022)

DLD PE said:


> All good! You scared me. For a second I thought I got time-warped to before I passed!


You actually did. You must return all your stamps, your license, and track down anything and everything you've stamped and destroy it all.


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## Pra4surf1 (Mar 24, 2022)

steelnole15_PE said:


> You actually did. You must return all your stamps, your license, and track down anything and everything you've stamped and destroy it all.


I thought you passed? How do you know you you got 6/7 on that one question?


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## steel (Mar 24, 2022)

Pra4surf1 said:


> I thought you passed? How do you know you you got 6/7 on that one question?


What the heck are you talking about?


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## Pra4surf1 (Mar 24, 2022)

So could someone explain and sorry if I missed this Q/A. If 10 q’s are thrown out does that mean those 10 are counted as being correct? So let’s say you get all 10 of those questions wrong but you get 50 other questions correct. Does that mean you got 60/80 correct?


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## Pra4surf1 (Mar 24, 2022)

Pra4surf1 said:


> So could someone explain and sorry if I missed this Q/A. If 10 q’s are thrown out does that mean those 10 are counted as being correct? So let’s say you get all 10 of those questions wrong but you get 50 other questions correct. Does that mean you got 60/80 correct?


Sorry looks like this was answered I didn’t go back far enough.


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## Pra4surf1 (Mar 24, 2022)

steelnole15_PE said:


> What the heck are you talking about?


I was referring to you earlier post? 

“I managed to get six of the seven fields assigned correctly. But according to NCEES rep Ashley Cheney, "Each question has to be answered entirely correct to receive credit."

And didn’t you pass? If you did how do you know you missed 1. I thought that was a simple question but I didn’t select your post by accident.


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## steel (Mar 24, 2022)

Pra4surf1 said:


> I was referring to you earlier post?
> 
> “I managed to get six of the seven fields assigned correctly. But according to NCEES rep Ashley Cheney, "Each question has to be answered entirely correct to receive credit."
> 
> And didn’t you pass? If you did how do you know you missed 1. I thought that was a simple question but I didn’t select your post by accident.


You quoted my post. So if you'd actually read it, you'd know that I said "On the Practice exam, I got six out of seven parts correct."

PRACTICE exam.

It's common knowledge that regardless of whether you passed or failed, they do not tell you which questions you got right or wrong.


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## steel (Mar 24, 2022)

Pra4surf1 said:


> So could someone explain and sorry if I missed this Q/A. If 10 q’s are thrown out does that mean those 10 are counted as being correct? So let’s say you get all 10 of those questions wrong but you get 50 other questions correct. Does that mean you got 60/80 correct?


As explained earlier in this thread, you have no idea which questions are experimental. They are _not_ counted. Example: if you count that you got 50/80 questions right during the exam, and you got all 10 experimental questions right, your score is 40/70. 

Regardless, they don't tell you your score even if you fail. They give you a "scaled score" from 0 to 15 in each category.


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## Pra4surf1 (Mar 24, 2022)

steelnole15_PE said:


> You quoted my post. So if you'd actually read it, you'd know that I said "On the Practice exam, I got six out of seven parts correct."
> 
> PRACTICE exam.
> 
> It's common knowledge that regardless of whether you passed or failed, they do not tell you which questions you got right or wrong.


Oh soooo sorry for not reading that post correctly but perhaps you could lighten up just a bit.


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## steel (Mar 24, 2022)

Pra4surf1 said:


> Oh soooo sorry for not reading that post correctly but perhaps you could lighten up just a bit.


Lack of attention on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.


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## Pra4surf1 (Mar 24, 2022)

Steelnole15_PE you seem like a real people person. Good luck with your career.


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## steel (Mar 24, 2022)

Pra4surf1 said:


> Steelnole15_PE you seem like a real people person. Good luck with your career.


Thank you for the kind words! I hope you and your family are doing well!


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## pgheng (Mar 30, 2022)

10 throw away questions is a lot. The spec says some questions don't have the required references to solve them and don't count for that reason. But wait- they do count! They take valuable time from solving other questions that count. If you sit there for 8 hours trying to solve impossible questions that don't count, you'll get a 0 score. Not sure if it's fair but important to know in advance. I never had impossible questions on tests in college.


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## steel (Mar 30, 2022)

pgheng said:


> 10 throw away questions is a lot. The spec says some questions don't have the required references to solve them and don't count for that reason. But wait- they do count! They take valuable time from solving other questions that count. If you sit there for 8 hours trying to solve impossible questions that don't count, you'll get a 0 score. Not sure if it's fair but important to know in advance. I never had impossible questions on tests in college.


The questions are not impossible. And there were no questions on my exam last month that were impossible. 

They aren't "throw away" questions. They're pretest questions that allow NCEES to determine the feasibility of using that question on future exams. 

The presence of those questions does not affect how long it takes you to complete the exam nor what your score is. In fact, the worst case for your score is if you get all of them correct, because that's 10 questions that you therefore wouldn't have included in your score. So getting them all wrong would HELP your score, not hurt it.


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## Stewie (Mar 30, 2022)

RBHeadge PE said:


> The exam specifications for the civil engineering exams aren't changing when it converts to CBT in January.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


So the codes and manuals are provided as electronic copies?


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## steel (Mar 30, 2022)

Stewie said:


> So the codes and manuals are provided as electronic copies?


Yes. See the NCEES Examinee Guide at https://ncees.org/wp-content/uploads/NCEESExamGuide_March-2022_OPT.pdf


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## Stewie (Apr 28, 2022)

steel said:


> Yes. See the NCEES Examinee Guide at https://ncees.org/wp-content/uploads/NCEESExamGuide_March-2022_OPT.pdf
> 
> View attachment 27357


NCEES, refund the money I spent on those codes, please. LOL


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