Can anyone that has recently taken the SE I exam comment on the degree of difficulty of the actual exam compared to the questions on the "6 minute solutions for the Structural I exam" booklet by "the other board"? I know the sample NCEES exam is supposed to be pretty close, but I was working on the problems from the 6 minute solutions and most of them seemed pretty tough and time consuming. Those problems have me concerned
6 minute solutions vs actual SE I exam?
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Jennifer
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Honestly, I felt that the NCEES exam was way too easy compared to April's exam. I didn't go through the whole 6 min solutions before that one, but I'm using it this time to prepare. It's more difficult, but I'm thinking that's a better prep.
Good to hear from someone that can relate the three. I will be doing the NCEES practice exam this weekend, but these 6 min solutions are pretty darn tuff. Some of the solutions fill a page and a half. I'm lucky to just copy the solutions in 6 minutes, let alone look up some of the formulas and actually think for a second LOL.
Also, I've noticed that there are alot of design and analysis problems in this 6 minute solutions booklet that call out an unspecified "compressive load of 320k and moment of 200k-ft". One example would be a moment resisting base plate with anchor bolts on Problem #45. They don't state if these loads and moments are factored, yet all design should be done with LRFD according to NCEES (except masonry). The anchor bolt design of this base plate problem finds the tensile force on the anchor bolt and then pulls the ASD tensile strength of a 1" bolt from the AISC tables. The LRFD tensile strength is enough that a 7/8" bolt could be used, but that goes back to if these loads given are factored or service. These are some of the minor things that keep tripping me up. There are other problems that this has occurred. I'm hoping the NCEES exam is a bit more specific on what load is given, because I don't feel like the ASD tensile strength should have been used for the anchor bolt problem. Have you hit this problem yet?
Jennifer
Well-known member
I'll look into that one and let you know what I find out. Make sure to check the errata online. There are definately mistakes. I would think the wording is going to be more like the NCEES problems, so hopefully those make more sense. I don't have that in front of me right now.
yeah I have the latest and greatest edition of the 6 minute solutions book, and there is only one error shown in the errata. I've found a few that I'll be submitting as well. The more I dig into this book the more ASD steel problems are done. There are numerous weld and bolted connection designs where the solutions starts out saying "Using ASD....." I'm just finishing up the steel section, which wasn't horrible unless you count my designs in LRFD that end up different than the results they get from ASD :smileyballs:
Please confirm if out of the following two editions of 6 minutes solutions the second one is good for SE-I and SE-II exams. While the first one is only good for Civil/Structural PE exam.
1) 6 Minute Solutions for Civil PE Exam - Structural Problems
2) 6 Minute Solutions for Structural PE - Exam Problems
1) 6 Minute Solutions for Civil PE Exam - Structural Problems
2) 6 Minute Solutions for Structural PE - Exam Problems
vane_gator
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I've looked at both the SE specific and Civil/Structural specific 6 min solutions. They're almost identical
I own the 2nd edition of the SE I book (1st printing, which I believe is the only one out), so my above comments about problems in ASD Steel are valid to the newest edition. I don't believe either book goes in depth enough to help prepare for the SE II exam. Only the NCEES SEII practice exam will help there, and that is the only reference that I know of that goes in depth enough for the SEII exam.
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Jennifer
Well-known member
I think they give you answer choices for both ASD and LRFD since it lets you do both on the exam. So, if you work it LRFD or ASD, it doesn't matter. Isn't it that way in the NCEES sample book?
^^ Well, just remember that this is for steel only though.
Another way to think about it is that with both sets of answers, only one will be correct in the ASD set and one will be correct in the LRFD set. If the correct answer happens to be A in LRFD, then the correct answer will be A in ASD as well.
If you have the time, it might be a nice way to double check your answers.
Another way to think about it is that with both sets of answers, only one will be correct in the ASD set and one will be correct in the LRFD set. If the correct answer happens to be A in LRFD, then the correct answer will be A in ASD as well.
If you have the time, it might be a nice way to double check your answers.
:screwloose: Yeah, because time is so abundant on this exam :Locolaugh: Good call though! I've found that my 6 minute problems are taking 12 minutes to solve, sooooo time has become my challenge on this exam. Only 8 days and counting!!! I think my caffiene is wearing off, back to the coffee pot!
ODB_PE
I'm not an engineer, but I play one at work
:2cents:
The majority of six-minute solutions are much more difficult than what you will see on the exam.
Therefore, if you get very comfortable with the six-minute solutions, and can use them as a reference to direct you to the proper codes, etc., you will be in good shape with the exam.
JMHO
The majority of six-minute solutions are much more difficult than what you will see on the exam.
Therefore, if you get very comfortable with the six-minute solutions, and can use them as a reference to direct you to the proper codes, etc., you will be in good shape with the exam.
JMHO
......unless you are like me and are taking the exam in Illinois. The only material allowed in the IL exam are codes and textbooks. No "the other board" reference manuals or books with solutions or example problems :smileyballs:
Glad to hear most people agree the 6 min problems are more difficult than the ones on the exam. Before I started this thread I was kind of freaking out with the difficulty of those problems.
Jennifer
Well-known member
Time wise...I didn't feel like it was a problem last time...especially in the morning part...not exactly abundant, but enough at least. I handled it this way...
1st pass - answer everything I just knew how to do with out thinking twice about it. Anything that was taking me too long to figure out how to approach it, I dog eared the page and moved on. Then, the next pass, I did the ones I knew I could find easily in my books. Then, last pass was to search for anything I was clueless on. In the AM portion, I got a few more questions answered "confidently" and a few that I was able to make more educated guesses. PM portion...I couldn't find any thing helpful on the last pass, but I at least had a chance to try. I took the last 5 minutes or so of each exam to make sure I had a bubble filled in each answer and that it was the one I wanted filled according to my exam book.
In SE-I Exam, is the AM portion easier than the PM portion (like it is the case in Civil/Structural PE exam)? Is it a big different in difficulty level between two sessions?
Jennifer
Well-known member
I felt like it was a little easier, but not a huge difference.
Which PM will you be taking, the bridges or buildings? This will be my first time taking the SE I and II, but the morning session is completely different for a bridge guy. I would venture to guess that the PM portion is much more difficult because of the depth involved, but the AM portion has a lot more to study and refresh on if you are a bridge person.
