# SE Exam Prep.



## ZEZO4 (Aug 15, 2016)

Hi, 

I'm thinking to start study for the SE Exam (Building), I'd like to take it in person but I can't find any institute provide it! if there is no one provide this courses in person what is your advice to take it online? which is the best institute provide it?

Thanks.


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## ZEZO4 (Aug 16, 2016)

33 Reviews and no Reply yet! hahahaha


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## David Connor SE (Aug 16, 2016)

There aren't any classes in person that I know of. I think all of them are online. Some are live, and some may be recorded. 

I teach half of the SE exam review course for PPI. (www.ppi2pass.com) It comes with about $400-$500 worth of study guides/books along with live on-line lectures. The lectures are recorded so you can go back and watch them later.

There are other online review courses as well.


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## TehMightyEngineer (Aug 16, 2016)

I also teach half (separate class from David) at PPI. I believe (but can't confirm) that PPI can do live seminars of some classes for large groups but have no idea if this applies to their exam review courses or what's involved if they do. I don't know of anyone doing a live review course for the SE exam and doubt you'll find one unless you're in a heavy SE state like CA or IL.

I only have personal experience teaching PPI's course. Overall I'd say it's an effective course and would recommend it; as David said you get a lot of commonly used textbooks with the course so it's probably the cheapest when you consider this compared to others.

This board is one of the slower ones on engineerboards but it will get more and more active as we get towards October. I assume you're taking the SE next spring?


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## mjborg (Aug 17, 2016)

I took the SE Lateral class from EET. 

It was broadcast live each Saturday for 12 weeks (I think) prior to the exam.  You could always go back and watch a recording of each session if you had questions after the class. 

There was also a Tuesday night question and answer session on the previous week's topic that was available.

There was a lot of example problems and homework to help you understand the material.  Two weeks prior to the exam date they gave an actual practice exam which gets graded and you review with the professors.

For me, I don't think I would have passed without taking this class being out of school for over 20 years.


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## ZEZO4 (Aug 18, 2016)

Thank you guys for your replies, Teh basically I'm hesitate to take it in Spring 2017 or Fall 2017.

Best Regards.

Zaid.


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## TehMightyEngineer (Aug 18, 2016)

If you're that hesitant then I'd take it in Fall but realistically you should have plenty of time to get studied up for Spring. I'd take it sooner rather than later as I suspect we're due for a code change somewhere around the Fall 2017 exam.


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## David Connor SE (Aug 22, 2016)

I'd be willing to bet there will be a code change for the April 2017 exam.  I know the last code change for AASHTO was between October 2013 and April 2014, so it's been 2 years for that one.

 The codes that are "ripe" for changing are AASHTO, IBC, ACI 318, TMS 402/602. We will find out in November.


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## VTBridge (Aug 22, 2016)

David Connor said:


> I'd be willing to bet there will be a code change for the April 2017 exam.  I know the last code change for AASHTO was between October 2013 and April 2014, so it's been 2 years for that one.
> 
> The codes that are "ripe" for changing are AASHTO, IBC, ACI 318, TMS 402/602. We will find out in November.


I know there were major changes to ACI, but not AASHTO. Did IBC and TMS change significantly? I am hoping that the changes will not happen until Spring 2018 based on past code changes.


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## David Connor SE (Aug 23, 2016)

I was more referring codes being "ripe" in that NCEES will reference the newer code. But, yes, you are correct the changes to the AASHTO code from 6th to 7th edition are not major. However, there are some changes, and NCEES has been known to put questions on there that are purposely written to see if you have the latest code.

IBC 2012&gt;2015 is not a big change, except that it now references the later edition material codes. ACI 318-14 is the concrete code for IBC 2015, etc. I'm not real sure about changes to the masonry code from 530-11&gt;13 though.


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## TehMightyEngineer (Aug 24, 2016)

I believe 530-13 did a similar thing to ACI 318-14, major reorganization with some small changes. Haven't looked at the actual code to confirm that this is the case, though.


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## smahurin (Aug 24, 2016)

David Connor said:


> I was more referring codes being "ripe" in that NCEES will reference the newer code. But, yes, you are correct the changes to the AASHTO code from 6th to 7th edition are not major. However, there are some changes, and NCEES has been known to put questions on there that are purposely written to see if you have the latest code.
> 
> IBC 2012&gt;2015 is not a big change, except that it now references the later edition material codes. ACI 318-14 is the concrete code for IBC 2015, etc. I'm not real sure about changes to the masonry code from 530-11&gt;13 though.


I agree 100%.  In the exams I've taken, there were several questions that were straight table look-ups in reference codes.  No equations, no interpretation, just straight up pull a value off a table.  It frustrated me admittedly as the entire purpose of the question was simply to test whether you brought the code with you or not.  They sneak a few of those in with no intent of testing actual knowledge (my personal opinion, not necessarily fact) but just to check to see... did you bring the right code?


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## VTBridge (Aug 24, 2016)

smahurin said:


> I agree 100%.  In the exams I've taken, there were several questions that were straight table look-ups in reference codes.  No equations, no interpretation, just straight up pull a value off a table.  It frustrated me admittedly as the entire purpose of the question was simply to test whether you brought the code with you or not.  They sneak a few of those in with no intent of testing actual knowledge (my personal opinion, not necessarily fact) but just to check to see... did you bring the right code?


Yeah for sure, print the current code or risk missing the freebies. It's just not that big of an issue to go from ACI 318-08 to ACI 318-11 most sections are the same, just some small changes. Same with PCI 6 to PCI 7 different values, but the tables are in the same place. Jumping to ACI 318-14 makes every study book absolutely useless as to code references and adds a lot more time than just reprinting to have all the newest values. 

David brings up a good point with codes referenced within codes. With major changes in concrete and masonry, and with IBC referencing these, the switch will likely include all three in the same exam cycle.


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