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



## Andy Lin (May 15, 2014)

Just curious if anyone has started studying.

If so, *what are you currently struggling with* and/or *what do you find most challenging*?


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## darius (May 16, 2014)

Yeah, I did.

Started to go through SEAOC Volumes. I killed 2 so far, 2 more to go.

Very nice website, by the way, I hope people will find it useful and a good tool in passing the test.

Was just wondering if using the new codes for the test, would it be possible do not get full credit? They are an upgrade from the one specified in their list so wouldn't look right to me do not be allowed to use it.

Will be so confusing because at work we all use the new codes and for the test we have to use the old ones. Any suggestion?

Cheers!


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## Andy Lin (May 16, 2014)

Yeah this is such a dilemma... New code is adopted this year yet the exam is still using prior code.

If NCEES is anything like the building officials, my guess is that answering using the new codes won't get you full credit  .

As I recall, each question actually calls out the specific reference including its year (i.e., ASCE 7-05). So answering a question that has specified ASCE 7-05 using ASCE 7-10 wouldn't make sense.

One thing I would really watch out for is the wind provision in ASCE since it's significantly different between 05 and 10. Kind of sucks that you'll have to learn 10 for work but 05 for the exam. They are somewhat similar but things got moved around a bit (they also changed the load from ASD level to strength level).

On the bright side though, even though there are some changes to seismic but in general they are pretty similar in terms of formulas and such (I think).

My advice would be to keep studying what you are studying (SEAOC 2012 IBC). Once you are done with those, make sure you ignore all the new code references and just use the prior code references when you do the practice exams.

Is that helpful...?

I'll have to do a little more digging to identify all of the important differences between prior code and new code. SK Ghosh usually has a few good ones (like this) but I would love to try to condense. Maybe that could be one of my projects if people think it would be useful.


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## Agostage (May 16, 2014)

No way, I'm enjoying every second of April result ignorance.


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## TehMightyEngineer (May 16, 2014)

Definitely not studying. I have a decent chance of passing from April so I'm going to wait before I even consider cracking my books again.


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## BoilerEng (May 16, 2014)

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.


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## darius (May 16, 2014)

jlleiber said:


> 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.


Yeah, I feel the same. As first time takers, we have to start earlier. Those who have taken the test before, they are already familiar with the material, just need to sharpen the pencil.


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## hyphenme (May 19, 2014)

jlleiber said:


> 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.




I'm also taking it for the first time in October too. Seems like I need to step up my game and start studying now too. I was planning on starting in July and enjoy my summer but I'm starting to feel antsy about it. Good luck to everyone waiting for exam results.


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## hyphenme (May 19, 2014)

I forgot to answer the OP's questions. Right now, I'm struggling with what material I would need to buy to study from and if taking a class is worth it. I'm leaning more towards going through as many example problems I can find as my method of studying but I feel so behind in the structural industry in terms of all the codes I need to refresh myself on since college. Getting this SE is might be overkill for what I do at work but I feel is a good thing for my career. Most of what I've read on this board, everyone seems to already took the PE Structural or does work related to the SE exam (buildings/bridges). I mostly do simple steel design and foundation design for electrical equipment (transmission line design) which uses completely different codes.

I'm about to submit my application to be able to take the exam to the board next week so I technically haven't signed up for the SE. So nervewrecking. However, this board seems like a very value resource and want to thank everyone who ever posted to this board. I spend around the 3 hours reading through everyone's opinion on various study materials and advice.


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## TehMightyEngineer (May 20, 2014)

In my opinion for both sections combined you need a bare minimum of 200 hours of hard study time. 300 hours is much better. Take that and divide by how much you realistically can devote to dedicated study time in your week, for me that was about 8 hours a week (which is why I broke up my exams and took one half at a time). So, if you start right now you'll need about 15 hours peer week of study time. Thus, if you are a first time taker for both sections you definitely need to start ASAP.


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## HurryCA! (May 20, 2014)

bho said:


> I forgot to answer the OP's questions. Right now, I'm struggling with what material I would need to buy to study from and if taking a class is worth it. I'm leaning more towards going through as many example problems I can find as my method of studying but I feel so behind in the structural industry in terms of all the codes I need to refresh myself on since college. Getting this SE is might be overkill for what I do at work but I feel is a good thing for my career. Most of what I've read on this board, everyone seems to already took the PE Structural or does work related to the SE exam (buildings/bridges). I mostly do simple steel design and foundation design for electrical equipment (transmission line design) which uses completely different codes.
> 
> I'm about to submit my application to be able to take the exam to the board next week so I technically haven't signed up for the SE. So nervewrecking. However, this board seems like a very value resource and want to thank everyone who ever posted to this board. I spend around the 3 hours reading through everyone's opinion on various study materials and advice.




Make sure you get the AASHTO code to study and have for the test. I took mine in to get spiral bound into 5 smaller sections so I didn't have to deal with the 2 giant binders.


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## TehMightyEngineer (May 20, 2014)

HurryCA! said:


> bho said:
> 
> 
> > I forgot to answer the OP's questions. Right now, I'm struggling with what material I would need to buy to study from and if taking a class is worth it. I'm leaning more towards going through as many example problems I can find as my method of studying but I feel so behind in the structural industry in terms of all the codes I need to refresh myself on since college. Getting this SE is might be overkill for what I do at work but I feel is a good thing for my career. Most of what I've read on this board, everyone seems to already took the PE Structural or does work related to the SE exam (buildings/bridges). I mostly do simple steel design and foundation design for electrical equipment (transmission line design) which uses completely different codes.
> ...


Why didn't I think of that?

You're a genius.


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## dussbucs (May 20, 2014)

I broke mine out into 2 separate binders as follows, but I assume more smaller binders is better:

Binder 1 (1.5"): Sections 1 thru 5

Binder 2 (2.0"): Sections 6, 9, 10, 11 &amp; Index

It may have been a gamble, but I've never had a reason to reference the following sections:

Section 7 - Aluminum Structures

Section 8 - Wood Structures

Section 12 - Buried Structures and Tunnel Liners

Section 13 - Railings

Section 14 - Joints and Bearings

Section 15 - Design of Sound Barriers


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## HurryCA! (May 21, 2014)

For my five sections, I did:

1-4: load factors, general analysis

5: concrete

6: steel

7-?: broke the rest into two approx. equal sections

This seemed to work well for the exam.


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## bassplayer45 (May 26, 2014)

The new AASHTO volume eliminated wood from it.

I plan to start studying again shortly for the second day


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## dussbucs (May 26, 2014)

bassplayer45 said:


> The new AASHTO volume eliminated wood from it.
> 
> I plan to start studying again shortly for the second day


Are you talking about the 2014 AASHTO (7th edition) coming out soon? Cause 2012 AASHTO (6th edition) still has Section 8 for Wood Structures. And the current SE exam is based on 2012 AASHTO without the 2013 interims.


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## Andy Lin (May 27, 2014)

TehMightyEngineer said:


> In my opinion for both sections combined you need a bare minimum of 200 hours of hard study time. 300 hours is much better. Take that and divide by how much you realistically can devote to dedicated study time in your week, for me that was about 8 hours a week (which is why I broke up my exams and took one half at a time). So, if you start right now you'll need about 15 hours peer week of study time. Thus, if you are a first time taker for both sections you definitely need to start ASAP.




I totally agree! *You'll need about 300 hours of study time*.

(I actually wrote a lengthy post about that in my blog and I am really curious to see what you "upcoming SE Examinees" think about it. I'd be really grateful if I could get some feedback!)


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## Andy Lin (May 27, 2014)

jlleiber said:


> 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.


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## TehMightyEngineer (May 28, 2014)

SEHQ said:


> TehMightyEngineer said:
> 
> 
> > In my opinion for both sections combined you need a bare minimum of 200 hours of hard study time. 300 hours is much better. Take that and divide by how much you realistically can devote to dedicated study time in your week, for me that was about 8 hours a week (which is why I broke up my exams and took one half at a time). So, if you start right now you'll need about 15 hours peer week of study time. Thus, if you are a first time taker for both sections you definitely need to start ASAP.
> ...


Great blog, wish I had seen it sooner.


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## Andy Lin (May 28, 2014)

TehMightyEngineer said:


> SEHQ said:
> 
> 
> > TehMightyEngineer said:
> ...




Thank you!


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## BoilerEng (May 29, 2014)

SEHQ said:


> jlleiber said:
> 
> 
> > 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.
> ...


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


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## Jake47 (May 29, 2014)

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!


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## TehMightyEngineer (May 29, 2014)

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.


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## matt267 PE (May 29, 2014)

Jake47 said:


> 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.


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## darius (May 30, 2014)

jlleiber said:


> SEHQ said:
> 
> 
> > jlleiber said:
> ...


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!


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## Opie Winston (May 30, 2014)

darius said:


> jlleiber said:
> 
> 
> > SEHQ said:
> ...




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.


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## Andy Lin (May 30, 2014)

TehMightyEngineer said:


> 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!


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## TJM (Jun 24, 2014)

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


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## TehMightyEngineer (Jun 24, 2014)

TJM said:


> 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.
> 
> ...




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


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## BoilerEng (Jun 24, 2014)

TJM said:


> 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.
> 
> ...






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


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