April 2021 SE Exam Results Thread

[RBHeadge PE]

Paging @RBHeadge PE! Just because this always happens somewhere, like you said.

What state are you in, Civil Dawg?

Me too! Colorado be showin' no love. @RBHeadge PE , any word?

I don't know anything about the SE. And I don't know the specifics of how Colorado does things for the SE. But if it's like how the PE release works, and how DORA typically "releases" then it's one or more of these things:

1. DORA being DORA
2. The person who answered the phone thought the OP was asking about the PE Civil (Structural depth) exam, and not the PE Structural (aka SE) exam. Or they may not have been aware that there is a difference.
3. The person who answered may have thought that the cognizant official at the board released the SE results to the examinees, when in fact they had not done so.
   1. This happens in one State every cycle. Usually what happens is someone forgets to press send on the email or similar. This is when I typically PM someone and tell them to have a co-worker/friend/family contact the board and calmly explain the situation. I recommend a third party make the call because they aren't cathected and are more likely to be calm and civil with the representative and produce results. Typically during the call the State person on the phone will claim the State released, hang up, then investigate and find out that someone didn't actually do it. After the "reminder" the relevant person then quickly does the task and the results are released. This is the only case where I'm posting it in an open thread, and not a PM, since presumably everyone reading this thread has at least a PE, has been through this process before, and isn't a totally irresponsible stressball.
4. It could also be the semi-annual screw up where the State, NCEES, and a third party(?) point the fingers at each other. The fault is typically with the State or one of their contractors. It takes a week+ to resolve.

My guess is that it's some combination of 1 and 2.

Louisiana. When I asked NCEES via chat, Dallas took my NCEES ID number and there was a couple minute pause in the chat so I’m inclined to think he at least checked on something.

Sounds like some combination of 2 and/or 3 above. See if you can have a co-worker call tomorrow.

 

[Deep_Freeze26]

My guess is that it's some combination of 1 and 2.

I think that's spot on for this. Since Colorado is a non- discipline State, they probably are unaware there's different exams.

A colleague also surmised that since the decoupling, DORA gets overwhelmed with the volume of applications post exam until CBT takes full effect. Maybe they are so busy trying to process new licenses into the system, that they see exam info for someone who is already licensed in the State, and they may dismiss the new results as an anomaly or statistical noise until they get further confirmation from NCEES.

 

[Civil Dawg]

Louisiana results posted this morning. 29/40 but had a couple of Unacceptable in the PM. Not surprising.

 

[thedaywa1ker]

Pass rates are up:


Octobers for comparison:

 

[sakti]

Pass rates are up:
View attachment 22821

Octobers for comparison:

View attachment 22822

That is quite surprising. Still waiting for GA here.

 

[MadamPirate PE]

@MadamPirate PE , any experience with SE exams since DORA decoupled?

naw, friend, I haven't heard anything.

As we saw with the PE though, CO lags behind the initial release by several days at this point.

 

[organix]

Pass rates are up:
View attachment 22821

Octobers for comparison:

View attachment 22822

I wonder if they scale these to some degree. It seems the buildings lateral exam has fairly consistent pass rates... which logically seems impossible given different test takers and different problems.

 

[Deep_Freeze26]

Finally! CO out. Vertical - 23/40, A,IR,U,U - A little surprised on the steel score. Not sure where I went so wrong on that one.

 

[sakti]

GA, passed the SE Exam. Emailed by the state but the results have not been posted in the NCEES website. Funny.

 

[leggo PE]

Finally! CO out. Vertical - 23/40, A,IR,U,U - A little surprised on the steel score. Not sure where I went so wrong on that one.

Sorry to see it, WttS S.E. buddy! We’re both gonna get it on our next attempts!

 

[Deep_Freeze26]

Sorry to see it, WttS S.E. buddy! We’re both gonna get it on our next attempts!

Yep. I know it. It'd been 9 years since I took a standardized test, so I could feel the fatigue, especially in the afternoon. They won't know what hit 'em next time. We're on this.

 

[arnegrant]

My state lags a little, just found out I passed both vertical and lateral this spring.

Reading a few of these posts helped me calibrate my studies, for reference if it is helpful

-4 year sructural engineering undergrad
-No masters
-Worked as a structural engineer of record for 10 years, other 10 was management of multidisciplinary engineering - mostly non seismic areas, but some seismic
(20 some years experience)
-Passed what was the SE1 in
2004, I studied some but not nearly what I did to pass these (100 hours?)
-Passed the architectural engineering PE in 2011 (was designing industrial electrical power systems so needed some backing) Studied maybe 50 hours for that.

Took both current structural tests three times (registered four, one was cancelled for covid)

I'm smart, but not extraordinarily. 3.6 gpa in college, didn't study much. Usually finished in the top quarter without too much time spent, though I did work hard.

First attempt, took both exams - I thought I studied alot (100 hours ish) got around a 60% if you added both tests up and put U as 0, IR as 5 and A as 10 points earned. I took some class, did all the homework - I was not fast enough to follow the class lectures but I did get a passing certificate from the instructors.

Second attempt, took AEI classes - attended all of them, I could keep up with the lectures from my previous class, got mid 60s percent (there was a break in my studies do to covid) I studied alot, another 200 hours reading that 300 hours was the target (100 from first attempt and 200 from second attempt is 300 hours)

Third attempt I tried to study an additional 300 hours, I cut down to 30 hour weeks at work for 3 months to get that much studying in. I ended up with 250 hours of additional studying in. This is a crazy amount of studying, like all your free time and then more.

Long story short, 550 hours of studying got me the exams.

Personally, if you are okay with failure I would take them both at the same time as alot of the information is repetitive.

If you want to pass the first time I wouldn't take both at once. 300 hours per test would have been a good target for me.

I would not have passed without doing the AEI course twice. It was an amazing companion for my studies.

My admiration goes out to everyone who attempts these exams. They are the hardest exams I have ever taken, we have set the bar high.

Congratulations to those who passed, best of luck for those beginning to study.

 

[Be-n]

My state lags a little, just found out I passed both vertical and lateral this spring.

Reading a few of these posts helped me calibrate my studies, for reference if it is helpful

-4 year sructural engineering undergrad
-No masters
-Worked as a structural engineer of record for 10 years, other 10 was management of multidisciplinary engineering - mostly non seismic areas, but some seismic
(20 some years experience)
-Passed what was the SE1 in
2004, I studied some but not nearly what I did to pass these (100 hours?)
-Passed the architectural engineering PE in 2011 (was designing industrial electrical power systems so needed some backing) Studied maybe 50 hours for that.

Took both current structural tests three times (registered four, one was cancelled for covid)

I'm smart, but not extraordinarily. 3.6 gpa in college, didn't study much. Usually finished in the top quarter without too much time spent, though I did work hard.

First attempt, took both exams - I thought I studied alot (100 hours ish) got around a 60% if you added both tests up and put U as 0, IR as 5 and A as 10 points earned. I took some class, did all the homework - I was not fast enough to follow the class lectures but I did get a passing certificate from the instructors.

Second attempt, took AEI classes - attended all of them, I could keep up with the lectures from my previous class, got mid 60s percent (there was a break in my studies do to covid) I studied alot, another 200 hours reading that 300 hours was the target (100 from first attempt and 200 from second attempt is 300 hours)

Third attempt I tried to study an additional 300 hours, I cut down to 30 hour weeks at work for 3 months to get that much studying in. I ended up with 250 hours of additional studying in. This is a crazy amount of studying, like all your free time and then more.

Long story short, 550 hours of studying got me the exams.

Personally, if you are okay with failure I would take them both at the same time as alot of the information is repetitive.

If you want to pass the first time I wouldn't take both at once. 300 hours per test would have been a good target for me.

I would not have passed without doing the AEI course twice. It was an amazing companion for my studies.

My admiration goes out to everyone who attempts these exams. They are the hardest exams I have ever taken, we have set the bar high.

Congratulations to those who passed, best of luck for those beginning to study.

Thanks for sharing your story! Congrats on passing! The bar is high indeed. I also do not have masters and got a third of your experience. I feel like passing SE would satisfy my desire for professional growth, probably make me stand out in the industry without having any expensive advanced degree. Additionally, studying for SE definitely improves my basic engineering skills. Going over and over hand calcs for various topics does the trick. I passed SE Vertical this April with the help from AEI and now I am bracing myself for, hopefully, final round of studying, this time for SE Lateral. AEI instructor said it is 50% more material to cover than in Vertical Class!

Question, was SE1 exam in 2000-s more like SE vertical nowadays? Did it have similar PM problems?

 

[arnegrant]

From my limited knowledge, in 2011 they got rid of what I understood was the SE3 in the seismic states and wrote it into the SE1 and SE2. It was all multiple choice in 2004, much easier then, in my opinion.

 

[Reverse Polish]

Question, was SE1 exam in 2000-s more like SE vertical nowadays? Did it have similar PM problems?

The old Structural I exam incorporated both vertical and lateral elements, but did not have the emphasis on high-seismic design that the SE Lateral exam does. It was similar to the other PE exams in that it consisted of 80 multiple choice questions in 8 hours, but unlike the Civil: Structural exam, included *only* structural engineering problems. If I recall correctly, pass rates were similar--I think 37% of first-time takers passed the Structural I exam when I took it in April 2006.

From what I know, the old Structural II exam was similar to the afternoon problems on the current SE exams.

 

[EBAT75]

The old Structural I exam incorporated both vertical and lateral elements, but did not have the emphasis on high-seismic design that the SE Lateral exam does. It was similar to the other PE exams in that it consisted of 80 multiple choice questions in 8 hours, but unlike the Civil: Structural exam, included *only* structural engineering problems. If I recall correctly, pass rates were similar--I think 37% of first-time takers passed the Structural I exam when I took it in April 2006.

From what I know, the old Structural II exam was similar to the afternoon problems on the current SE exams.

Similar in some ways, but very different in other ways. One, there was choice. You could select the problem you want to answer. Two, you had to answer only two 2 hour problems each in AM and PM sessions out of 4 I think. IMO each of the new SE exam essay problems is not far off from the 2 hour problems in the old SE II exam. So the bars are much higher now. Pass rates may be similarly low, but that may be for reasons unknown to me.

 

[Be-n]

Similar in some ways, but very different in other ways. One, there was choice. You could select the problem you want to answer. Two, you had to answer only two 2 hour problems each in AM and PM sessions out of 4 I think. IMO each of the new SE exam essay problems is not far off from the 2 hour problems in the old SE II exam. So the bars are much higher now. Pass rates may be similarly low, but that may be for reasons unknown to me.

Very interesting, thanks, good to know, I was just curious what the older generation of SEs had to go through.
Do you know what year they started offering PE Structural 1 and 2 exams?
I was told than one old school engineer passed both exams in 70-s or 80-s and I have hard time to believe those exams existed back then.

 

[EBAT75]

Very interesting, thanks, good to know, I was just curious what the older generation of SEs had to go through.
Do you know what year they started offering PE Structural 1 and 2 exams?
I was told than one old school engineer passed both exams in 70-s or 80-s and I have hard time to believe those exams existed back then.

Not sure, but I think it was late 90s or early 2000.

I met an SE who got his SE in that old set up. He told me he could not imagine getting his SE license under the new set up.

 

[EBAT75]

Very interesting, thanks, good to know, I was just curious what the older generation of SEs had to go through.
Do you know what year they started offering PE Structural 1 and 2 exams?
I was told than one old school engineer passed both exams in 70-s or 80-s and I have hard time to believe those exams existed back then.

The 70s and 80s were very different from even the next generation SEI and II format. They were just one 4 hour problem vertical and one 4 hour problem lateral. But from what I gathered, the pass rate was abysmal, in the 15 to 20% range.