# Pass rate



## scottiesei (Jun 22, 2006)

:brick: %38 this time, last time %46 and NCEES took that off their web site so I guess we don't feel bad. What a crock.....


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## cdhanners (Jun 22, 2006)

that is one hard test. Liek I said before I took STR I in october and I was not even close to passing. Have you figured out what your score was yet? If not you can use the information they sent to you to find out.

And I agree :wtf:


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## scottiesei (Jun 22, 2006)

I had a few people working on it, so far it seems to be about a 67% scaled so I guess I was close.


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## rdbse (Jun 22, 2006)

I passed it this time, and I would like to help.

What is you background (experience and eduction)?

You can reply here or send me a PM.


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## scottiesei (Jun 22, 2006)

I'd appreciate all the help I can get. I have a BSCE from UCF. I went through about 1-1/2 years for my masters in structural, stopped to study for the test. I have been working with timber, masonry and some steel for the past 6 or 7 years. Most of my work is residential in nature but I do get a lot of specialty projects, storefront, signs, reatining walls, etc. I got slammed on the bridge stuff as well as some basic structural analysis and int. structures. I was lacking my structural analysis book and mech of materials so I think that had alot to do with it.


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## rdbse (Jun 22, 2006)

Well it sounds like you know where you are weakest.

My bridge experience includes one graduate level course using Tonias' book. I would suggest getting a hold of all the bridge references you can find. I have yet to find a good one, but I did go through a hand full of bridge books. Also, get familiar with the AASHTO code sections, so you know where to look for obscure information. Finally, I left all bridge problems until the end of each session and came back to them after I worked through the more familiar problems.

I would suggest doing more problems in a test like setting. I found it very hard to focus when the problems are not in a consistent order. If I were to do it over, I would do more problems that were mixed up so I have to switch reference material.

By the way, I work for a consulting structural firm, where we do mostly commerical projects plus some industrial.


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## Cinic (Jun 22, 2006)

The SEI exam can be passed with little to no knowledge on bridges. I passed (likely by a slim margin) in OCT 05 without ever having opened an AASHTO manual. It seemed as though some of the highway/bridge problems weren't anything but statics problems. I remember one having to do with a pile group with axial load and moment. They referenced AASHTO but there was really no code needed.

All I'm saying is that if you know the rest of your stuff well, including the statics and materials, you don't have to know the bridge stuff at all in order to pass.

Or I could just be full if shit and able to guess really well. 

John


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## rdbse (Jun 22, 2006)

That philisophy may have worked on one or two bridge problems this past exam. With 20% of the exam testing on bridge, that does not seem like a good approach. Why limit your chances on 20% of the exam?

With the currect pass rates, you need all the points you can get.


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## Cinic (Jun 24, 2006)

I'll agree that it wasn't the best approach, but I was time constrained. My specific results were for the April 05 exams.

Much of the reason I went that direction was because I was taking SEI and SEII. Here in AZ the SEII exam costs (well a year ago) $475 while the SEI is about half that. When I got into studying and realized that there was no way I was going to learn AASHTO in time for the exam. I concentrated on learning the material that I knew would be on the SEII which also covers 80% of the SEI.

I passed both exams.

I'll admit that I should have started studying months before I did. But I was just making the point that SEI can be passed with little to no knowledge on bridges.

Even further, I think that the OP would be much better served learning his materials and structural analysis over getting a rudimentary education on bridges.

But if you have all the time and motivation you need, learn everything you can.


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## rdbse (Jun 25, 2006)

Good points and very impressive on passing both exams. I plan to wait a year before taking SE-II.

It's clear that each person has their own method to the exam. I can only offer what worked for me and hope someone may benefit from my experience.

It also appears the OP knows where they need to improve, so hopefully they will reach success next time using the best method for them.


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