Hi Fissy,
Congratulations! I truly respect your strong determination. I think my concern now should be what to focus in studying. Just about 3 months away but I am now already overwhelmed of what I have not reviewed (Structural analysis, Concrete, Steel, not even counting Wood, masonry, and precast concrete and the whole breadth). I feel that it is almost sure that I will not have enough time to do a thorough review. Please advise what topics to focus based on priorities. What is your way to practise problems? Any advice from you will be definitely appreciated. If you have any material to share, my email is
[email protected]. Thank you so much for your kind help.
@Thuy Tran
It depends. Will April 2019 exam be your first attempt? If yes, then you’ll have to invest serious study time for 3 months you have to prepare. Sincerely, everything as far as NCEES exam guide is concern that you will need to brace yourself with. Based on my three attempts, each exam most especially the PM section differs. In fact, none of the questions were repeated. PE – Structural pm section is very wide in scope and be rest assured that there will be at least one question in masonry, wood, pre-stressed concrete, AASHTO brigde, loads: such as moving loads (influence line method preferably the best method – for calculating max. moments, shear at any point and support reactions), snow, wind, seismic, ice, rain, flood, diaphragms (flexible & rigid), lateral earth pressure, impact loads, load paths, e.t.c. ( I will recommend you get Structural Loads Textbook by David A. Fanella), Structural analysis: such as truss members, retaining wall (sliding & overturning F.O.S), max.&min. soil pressures, determinate and indeterminate beams ( need to know to what degree of indeterminacy or figure out the number of unknowns so as to guide you in choosing the easiest method of analysis like; conjugate beam, Slope-Deflection, consistent force method, three moment equations, moment distribution, and so on.), beam deflections, portal frames: force distribution to columns based on rigidities, stiffnesses, and or force – displacement compatibility e.t.c, axial stresses, shear stresses, bending stresses, torsional stresses, combined stresses say axial & bending or bending & torsional or bending & shear as the case maybe, Designs for (shear, axial, flexure, deflections, steel beam bearing e.t.c): steel and RC for beams, columns, column base plates, concrete bearing strengths, composite structures, anchor bolts capacities, spread footings (isolated and combined), piles, e.t.c.
Hey, I just mentioned some common area of questions I can think of. THESE ARE NOT ALL A.O.C., You will need to practice as much as possible questions before the exam. All these are just for afternoon questions only. I will send you some materials (AM and PM) I have. Wishing you all the best in the April 2019 exam.