# So how did it go?



## McEngr (Oct 31, 2011)

Anyone want to share their experience for the test? No exam collusion requested, just an idea of how difficult, how to prepare for us wannabe SE's.

Thanks!


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## kevo_55 (Nov 1, 2011)

I am curious too.

Was it really that bad?


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## parthurvt (Nov 1, 2011)

16 hours of exam is definitely tough to handle. I thought the exam was difficult, but fair (unlike the WA SE III), and I think I might actually have a good chance of passing. There was more AASHTO on the exam than I thought there would be...

My opinion was that the morning sessions were basically like the SE I and the afternoon sessions were like the SE II. This kind of annoys me since I have already passed both of those exams...

I don't think this is collusion at all, but if I've erred please someone let me know and I'll delete.


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## McEngr (Nov 1, 2011)

parthurvt,

You said exactly what I was hoping for and I don't consider it collusion as you said no specifics of exam content. Thank you!


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## kevo_55 (Nov 2, 2011)

If there is collusion, I'll delete.


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## parthurvt (Nov 2, 2011)

Thanks kevo, and I guess we'll see what I really thought about the exam when I get the results!


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## kevo_55 (Nov 2, 2011)

I honestly only have 3rd hand information on how hard the exam really was.

I am somewhat curious on what others thought.


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## parthurvt (Nov 2, 2011)

One other thought about this, I mentioned that the morning session was a lot like the SE I, it was basically the exact same thing.

The afternoon session however I felt much more rushed than I did for the SE II, I had to work right up until they called time, at a very fast pace. With the SE II I finished early on both sessions if I remember correctly.

As a random note, I counted up over the weekend the number of hours I've spent taking these exams...63.5 and it made me sad...


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## Layman (Nov 2, 2011)

Took the Verticle one last Friday. Never took Structural I or II or state specific III before, so don't know how it compares to those.

It seems to me that for afternoon essay questions, an examinee needs to know the detailed calcualtion procedure immediately to finish them in time. This means a lot of problem solving practices before exam.

I think my chance to pass it is 50%, if 70% correct is the cut off passing score.

Layman


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## jessie74 (Nov 2, 2011)

I took both vertical and lateral. I feel the same way: the level of difficulty is similar to SEI and SEII but to pass the afternoon's session yot got to be very careful. Many tricks there.

BTW, how much is needed to pass the morning session? 24/40? 26/40 or 28/40?


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## Chosen One (Nov 3, 2011)

I took both days of the exam, Saturday was much more difficult in my opinion.


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## lbut_21 (Nov 3, 2011)

I've taken the SEI and the Vertical and Lateral Exams twice. I did not like the overabundance of bridge questions either since I do not practice bridges. Aside from that thought I thought the exam was fair if you prepared correctly. The afternoon portions for buildings, vertical and lateral was more straight forward then I anticipated compared to April's exam. I did not feel as drained as in April's Exam. The only reason I would not pass the exam is if in the multiple choice sessions i bombed because of AASHTO envy.

I'm still confused on how the exams are scored. I thought I read when the exam was first offered that basically you had to pass all four parts (acceptable results) separately of the exam, both morning and afternoon for the vertical and the same for the lateral portion. Now I'm reading that you need to have a combined passing score for the morning and afternoon in addition to that a minimum competency score for each part. In my opinion this is saying that you cant have a 16/40 score in the morning and a 40/40 score in the afternoon and pass with a combined score of 56/80. In my opinion if the FE, PE and PS are combined scores for the morning and the afternoon, why in the SE do you have to demonstrate minimum competency? Shouldn't minimum competency be displayed for the PE? I read that there was a person that had a 22/40 score in April and 4 Acceptables in the afternoon and did not pass. If I were this person it would be hard to come to terms that a 62/80 = 78% does not display minimum competency.


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## Layman (Nov 3, 2011)

lbut_21 said:


> I read that there was a person that had a 22/40 score in April and 4 Acceptables in the afternoon and did not pass. If I were this person it would be hard to come to terms that a 62/80 = 78% does not display minimum competency.


The "Acceptance" does not necessarily means a full score. Suppose an essay problem is of 10 points, I guess the grader would still grade it into 0 to 10 points, with top 3 grades, 10, 9, 8 for "Acceptance" and the rests for "need improvement" or "Unacceptable". Four "Acceptances" may just mean 32 points out of 40. So this person got 54 points out of 80 in total. Just a guess.


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## Layman (Nov 3, 2011)

jessie74 said:


> I took both vertical and lateral. I feel the same way: the level of difficulty is similar to SEI and SEII but to pass the afternoon's session yot got to be very careful. Many tricks there.
> 
> BTW, how much is needed to pass the morning session? 24/40? 26/40 or 28/40?


My impression was that the morning and afternoon parts are combined together to be evaluated. But NCEES explicity stated either section, vertical or lateral, needs to pass individually.

56 points out of 80 is a good guess of passing score. Since NCEES just gives you a category of your essay problem result, you don't know exactly the points you gained for afternoon part.


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## jfluckey (Nov 3, 2011)

After failing both tests the first go, I decided to try only the vertical test. At this point, I have 5 years of experience (mainly with wood, HRS steel, and CFS steel) and no licenses. I feel I still lack in the masonry and concrete design, but I also feel I was able to find the answers I needed in the referenced codes.

I feel better about this test than I did last time. Previously I scored 19/40 (A.M.) and (3) acceptables/(1) Unacceptable. I think grading should consider the examinee being out of their element. I didn't have MY calculator, calculations aren't done by hand anymore, I was pressed for time, and I was wearing shoes  . Also, the essays should be weighted heavier than the multiple choice questions which purposely put answers that would be obtained from leaving out a factor or unit conversion (which are easy mistakes when pressed for time). I don't understand why there are so many AASHTO questions either. Finally, who uses distributed moment method? I was taught singularity functions instead as an M.E.

All that said, I think I am going to pass this time. The review guide from NCEES was helpful, but even more helpful was the material I purchased from PPI this time around.


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## lbut_21 (Nov 3, 2011)

Definately take your shoes off when taking this exam... Shoes smell worse when you've been squirming through them for 8 hours. I feel that the multiple choices on both days were harder than the essay portions. I design mostly steel and concrete structures but the wood, masonry and general analysis were reasonable. I would feel very confident about both exams if it was not for the AASHTO multiple choice questions.


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## Bombo_Buster (Nov 3, 2011)

Agree with the previous posts, the exam was heavier on AASHTO content. During Lateral exam I stored away the monster AASHTO specification twice because I thought that could not be more AASHTO questions and I had to take it out from my bag twice. This is my second time after I failed in April. The exams are tough but fair and my preparation for the April exam was sketchy. This time, I spent more time (however not to the tune of the guy who studied 3-4 hours per day during the week, 10 hours on Saturday and 4 to 6 hours on Sunday, going to different coffee places and college libraries, kudos to him since he passed first time). I took the Kaplan course (I posted on the SE prep courses topic), bought more reference books, put tabs in my codes, books, etc). I think I did better than in April, but it remains to be seen. My goals are modest, if I pass one out of two it will be OK (at least it will save me $510 next time). I felt better after both exams, both AM and PM, except a couple of AASHTO multiple choice where I had to guess. Good luck to everybody.


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## jessie74 (Nov 4, 2011)

IBut_21: I just looked over NCEES website but I couldn't find where they mentioned "*need to have a combined passing score for the morning and afternoon in addition to that a minimum competency score for each part*".

For my understand, if you can pass both morning and afteroon section, then you pass the exam.


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## hansel (Nov 4, 2011)

jessie74 said:


> IBut_21: I just looked over NCEES website but I couldn't find where they mentioned "*need to have a combined passing score for the morning and afternoon in addition to that a minimum competency score for each part*". For my understand, if you can pass both morning and afteroon section, then you pass the exam.



Each candidate will receive a component result for the component(s) attempted. The result will reflect the candidate's performance on both the morning and afternoon sections; *the candidate's combined performance on both sections must demonstrate minimum competency.*


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## McEngr (Nov 4, 2011)

I plan to purchase the ppi2pass SERM6 which has the AASHTO 2010 review, but I only have the 2008 interim revisions stuff. I'm a little worried about seismic design of bridge substructures. I have only designed one major highway bridge in Oregon and the seismic analysis was very complicated...


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## STEEL MAN (Nov 4, 2011)

I asked a guy who worte it last October 2011, he said too many bridge engineering problems friday AM and he dosent even have an AASHTO Bridge book with him, in the PM, the questions are harder than he thought and barely finish the essays in the PM, and it goes the same thing the next day Saturday.


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## STEEL MAN (Nov 4, 2011)

If I could be ready in 6 months I might do it April 2012


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## ipswitch (Nov 4, 2011)

McEngr said:


> I plan to purchase the ppi2pass SERM6 which has the AASHTO 2010 review, but I only have the 2008 interim revisions stuff. I'm a little worried about seismic design of bridge substructures. I have only designed one major highway bridge in Oregon and the seismic analysis was very complicated...


Does AASHTO refer you to another design standard for seismic analysis?


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## McEngr (Nov 7, 2011)

ip: your post seems a little bit too much like reciting the test. I would delete it. To answer your question though, the SERM6 most likely is an update to the code sections and nothing more than what has been in the previous SERMS. I've owned the SERM3,4, and 5. Pathetic huh...


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## STEEL MAN (Nov 7, 2011)

I was wondering if SERM 6 is fomatted to NCEES SE standrads, it could be overkill, I have a Kaplan Bridge Reviewer for SE/PE it is way over kill as I talk to a guy that wrote the SE recently.


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## CRNewsom (Nov 7, 2011)

STEEL MAN said:


> I was wondering if SERM 6 is fomatted to NCEES SE standrads, it could be overkill, I have a Kaplan Bridge Reviewer for SE/PE it is way over kill as I talk to a guy that wrote the SE recently.


Please define "overkill". For instance, would the definition be something along the lines of "The Six Minute Solutions problems were overkill in comparison to the NCEES Practice Exam"?


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## STEEL MAN (Nov 7, 2011)

OVERKILL=OVERLY DIFFICULT PROBLEMS IN KAPLAN/SERM COMPARED TO ACTUAL SE EXAM.


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## ipswitch (Nov 7, 2011)

McEngr said:


> ip: your post seems a little bit too much like reciting the test. I would delete it. To answer your question though, the SERM6 most likely is an update to the code sections and nothing more than what has been in the previous SERMS. I've owned the SERM3,4, and 5. Pathetic huh...


I was referring to a real life project I worked on. I haven't taken the SE yet. lol. I realize I may have strayed a bit from the thread topic. You know what, don't worry about it McEngr, I was just making small talk anyway. I'll find out for myself when I do bridge load rating calcs later this week. I can thumb through the AASHTO and pretend like I'm working on load ratings. Hahaha.


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## SE Taker (Nov 11, 2011)

I thought that there was not enough time for the afternoon problems.

I think if someone scored 22/40 in morning and had four acceptables in the afternoon that the combined score could be less than 70%. Just because you passed a problem in the afternoon does not mean that you got a 100%. I think 70% is passing on the afternoon problems.

Good luck to everyone!!


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