Everything you wanted to know about the CA-Survey/Seismic Civil PE Exams

[ThePEmaster]

Hey everyone just took seismic felt better this time

i got answer for like 34/55 I feel for sure solid on most of those and the others maybe 5 were 50-50 and rest kinda guesses maybe some educated 

will ipass lol hope i tried so hard to study. EET twice now

 

[ThePEmaster]

last time i felt good about half the exam but got....

marg,prof,marg,marg,def,def in that order

 

[vip-eng]

Hey everyone just took seismic felt better this time

i got answer for like 34/55 I feel for sure solid on most of those and the others maybe 5 were 50-50 and rest kinda guesses maybe some educated 

will ipass lol hope i tried so hard to study. EET twice now

Good luck man, hope you make it this time. 

 

[JCT.Cons.]

So I passed both CA Seismic and Surveying exams, but not the 8-hour yet, but I received an email saying that I am now a registered Civil Engineer in the State of CA. How did this happen? Well I had registered for all three exams prior the new regulations took place. I took Surveying and Seismic first, passed surveying and not seismic. Then I took Seismic and the 8-hour, failed both. Then I retook both again and passed Seismic, not the 8-hour (again). So I registered for the 8-hour, and a week later I received an email from BPELSG stating that I am now registered CE. I do not know how this happened if I haven't passed the 8-hour. Any thoughts? I

I also contacted the board to make sure it wasn't a mistake and they said I am registered now.

Thanks. 

 

[vip-eng]

So I passed both CA Seismic and Surveying exams, but not the 8-hour yet, but I received an email saying that I am now a registered Civil Engineer in the State of CA. How did this happen? Well I had registered for all three exams prior the new regulations took place. I took Surveying and Seismic first, passed surveying and not seismic. Then I took Seismic and the 8-hour, failed both. Then I retook both again and passed Seismic, not the 8-hour (again). So I registered for the 8-hour, and a week later I received an email from BPELSG stating that I am now registered CE. I do not know how this happened if I haven't passed the 8-hour. Any thoughts? I

I also contacted the board to make sure it wasn't a mistake and they said I am registered now.

Thanks. 

Did you check your name here for confirmation? https://search.dca.ca.gov/

 

[JCT.Cons.]

Yes I did, and my name and license number are there. However, it expires June 2019. This year. Kind of weird.

 

[vip-eng]

Yes I did, and my name and license number are there. However, it expires June 2019. This year. Kind of weird.

wow! This the most wired thing I have ever heard. Surely @CAPLS has an explanation. 

 

[engineeringforfun]

Yes I did, and my name and license number are there. However, it expires June 2019. This year. Kind of weird.

Edit: Didn't read the part about not taking the 8-hour yet. Guessing it's because in the new system you're supposed to have passed the 8-hour prior to taking seismic and surveying. 

 

[JCT.Cons.]

wow! This the most wired thing I have ever heard. Surely @CAPLS has an explanation. 

Thanks. I will ask @CAPLS for an explanation. I will take the exam this upcoming April just in case. I am going to study for it this time. Funny how I was able to pass the two harder exams but not the "easier" one. 

 

[leggo PE]

Thanks. I will ask @CAPLS for an explanation. I will take the exam this upcoming April just in case. I am going to study for it this time. Funny how I was able to pass the two harder exams but not the "easier" one. 

Yeah, this sounds very strange to me. I'm thinking it is a clerical error.

I was in your same situation before I became a CA P.E., where I passed the seismic and surveying exams before I passed the 8 hour P.E. exam. I didn't get a license number until it passed the 8 hour.

 

[vip-eng]

Yes I did, and my name and license number are there. However, it expires June 2019. This year. Kind of weird.

Out of curiosity what materials did you use for surveying? If you took per test plan 2018,

What I believe happened is that is  system  messed up, they added  your name to the “New System “ matrix, I.e: the candidates who have PASS for surveying and seismic next to their names become license engineer, because per new system you can’t sit to take seismic and surveying without passing the 8hours and your the application got approved by the board. This is the only logical explanation. 

 

[JCT.Cons.]

Out of curiosity what materials did you use for surveying? If you took per test plan 2018,

What I believe happened is that is messed up, they added  your name to the “New System “ mattrix, I.e: the candidates who have PASS for surveying and seismic next to their names become license engineer, because per new system you can’t sit to take seismic and surveying without passing the 8hours and your the application got approved by the board. This is the only logic explanation. 

I took an 18-hour seminar with John Pavlik, held in Irvine CA by the Irvine Institute of Technology. Here's the link http://irvine-institute.org/seismic-principles-spring-schedule-2018/

Really great course, he also does it live if you live far. He assigns homework and problems you should do before the next lecture. The classes alone, his manual, and the Surveying Principles book by Cuomo is all I used.

And I think you're right, like you said, I got adopted into the new system.  

 

[Orca2552_PE]

Yes I did, and my name and license number are there. However, it expires June 2019. This year. Kind of weird.

Sounds weird to me too. I agree with @vip-eng that it MAY be a system screw up, wherein it assumes that you have passed the national exam. However, the requirement to pass the national exam before being eligible to take the CA state exams is a fallacy. I was in constant touch with a senior licensing analyst from the board (a month ago) and she explained to me that taking and passing the national exam before the CA state exams  is a recommendation and NOT a requirement. In other words, if you meet the eligibility criteria (education, experience, etc.), and your application has been accepted by the board, you will receive the ATT. I know they make it seem like a requirement, and I was a victim of this very same misunderstanding, and had to pay the re-examination fee without having taken the state exam. 

Just hope it does not happen to anyone else. 

 

[JCT.Cons.]

Sounds weird to me too. I agree with @vip-eng that it MAY be a system screw up, wherein it assumes that you have passed the national exam. However, the requirement to pass the national exam before being eligible to take the CA state exams is a fallacy. I was in constant touch with a senior licensing analyst from the board (a month ago) and she explained to me that taking and passing the national exam before the CA state exams  is a recommendation and NOT a requirement. In other words, if you meet the eligibility criteria (education, experience, etc.), and your application has been accepted by the board, you will receive the ATT. I know they make it seem like a requirement, and I was a victim of this very same misunderstanding, and had to pay the re-examination fee without having taken the state exam. 

Just hope it does not happen to anyone else. 

Hi, I got a bit confused towards the end of your comment. Basically, you passed both CA exams, but did not take/passthe 8-hour exam as well?

And you are correct, I have been reading and nowhere does it state that taking the 8-hour IS a requirement, rather, you "should" take it and pass it before you take the CA exams. Here's an excerpt from Steve Hiner's website (Seismic Review Course, which I highly recommend):

Beginning with the April 2018 exam, there is a NEW process for applying for licensure as a Civil Engineer in California. Candidates "should" pass the 8-hour NCEES Civil Engineering Principles & Practice (P&P) exam before submitting an application for licensure in California.

The following four parts need to be successfully completed to be licensed as a Civil Engineer in the State of California. You DO NOT need to pass all parts at the same time (i.e., each part may be passed separately from the other parts).

• Part I: 8-hour NCEES Principles & Practice (P&P) Examination - administered on a Friday in mid-April and late October ("should" pass before applying to take Parts II, III and IV below)
  
• Part II: California P.E. State Laws and Board Rules - Take Home Examination (submitted with application)
  
• Part III: California Special Civil Engineering Surveying (CES) Examination - two and one-half hours in length, all multiple-choice (continuous testing by quarter)
  
• Part IV: California Special Civil Seismic Principles (CSP) Examination - two and one-half hours in length, all multiple-choice (continuous testing by quarter)
  

 

[CAPLS]

Thanks. I will ask @CAPLS for an explanation. I will take the exam this upcoming April just in case. I am going to study for it this time. Funny how I was able to pass the two harder exams but not the "easier" one. 

I responded to your message.  Good plan and better this is resolved sooner rather than later.

 

[Stardust]

@JCT.Cons. is there a joke in there that I missed.. in what world is the 8-hour considered easier than Seismic and Survey -_-?

 

[JCT.Cons.]

@JCT.Cons. is there a joke in there that I missed.. in what world is the 8-hour considered easier than Seismic and Survey -_-?

no joke

 

[CAPLS]

no joke

Your openness to communicate on this is commendable.  If you can please respond to my IM, we can get this resolved sooner rather than later.

 

[vip-eng]

2018 California State Civil Examination Stats 

Source: https://www.bpelsg.ca.gov/about_us/meetings/materials/20190221_meeting_materials.pdf

Pretty scary passing numbers for both tests if I am being honest. 

 

[Orca2552_PE]

2018 California State Civil Examination Stats 

Source: https://www.bpelsg.ca.gov/about_us/meetings/materials/20190221_meeting_materials.pdf

Pretty scary passing numbers for both tests if I am being honest. 

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I didn't need to see this with my exams around the corner lol