Overall SE Exam

[bmsanders83]

I am going to be taking the SE exam next April and I am wondering what is on the exam? Not in great detail.

First I heard it is only four questions. Then it is multiple choice. Then it is like the structural afternoon of the PE exam.

So which is it?

Thanks,

 

[ADB]

way more complicated than that...go to NCEES.org and do a little research of your own.

 

[bmsanders83]

NVM found it.

 

[bmsanders83]

well the morning portions are both 40 multiple choice.

so are these questions like structural portion of the PE?

 

[captaincaution]

The first day covers vertical and incidental lateral loads. So you're looking at dead, live, snow, soil, etc. The morning portion covers both buildings and bridges, but focuses mostly on buildings. The second day covers lateral loads only, so wind and seismic. Again, they focus on both buildings and bridges.

The afternoon portions of both tests cover the same subject matter, but you can focus on buildings or bridges. Buildings are 4 questions, bridges are 3.

I honestly don't know how difficult or in depth the civil structural questions are, but if I were to venture a guess, I would assume the SE multiple choice questions are more in depth and potentially a little more difficult, considering you have 8 hours worth of multiple choice questions. After a quick look at the exam specs, I'd say that the SE multiple choice questions could cover more detailing than the PE structural.

 

[bmsanders83]

Yeah that is what I was thinking. We have so many books at my work for structural material but they all say PE and not SE specific.

So I was just looking to see if I would still need to look for other material to be better prepared.

THANK YOU!

 

[captaincaution]

There is a lot of good studying material out there for the SE. Do a search in the forums, and I'm sure you'll come across the good stuff.

I personally used the NCEES sample exams (the current edition is available on their website), the PPI sample exam for buildings, and the SEAOC Seismic Manuals. I also took a review course that covered all of the building materials and their codes.

If you think you have done enough practice problems, do more!

 

[Porta John]

I honestly don't know how difficult or in depth the civil structural questions are, but if I were to venture a guess, I would assume the SE multiple choice questions are more in depth and potentially a little more difficult, considering you have 8 hours worth of multiple choice questions. After a quick look at the exam specs, I'd say that the SE multiple choice questions could cover more detailing than the PE structural.

I have taken the PE Civil/Structural and SE exams. I think the SE mornings are fairly comparable to the PE afternoon, though slightly harder. In addition, don't forget that you are going to have a significant number of AASHTO problems on the SE as compared to the PE, where you may just get a couple of simple bridge problems.

I think the best resources out there are the NCEES provided practice exams. They are probably the closest to the actual exam difficulty level of any book I have found, and you need to know how to quickly and accurately solve these problems. I would also recommend the 6-minute solutions for the old structural I exam. I think those problems take much longer than anything you will see on the morning of the exam, but make sure you understand how to approach and solve these problems, even if it takes longer than 6 minutes. For example, you may see similar problems on the exam that are a portion of a 6-minute solution problem you practiced.

Time is going to be a problem in the afternoons so you have to look at a problem and almost immediately identify the path you are going to go to solve it. For studying purposes, it is nice to have the NCEES practice exams for the afternoon problems, but try to get your hands on as many sample problems you can. I also used the old SE II NCEES booklets for additional sample problems, as well as others.

Hope this helps. Good luck studying.

 

[Mark Leyner]

I have seen the same problems in NCEES PE sample exams and NCEES SE sample exams. I've also taken both exams. My take is that the type of problem and difficulty level are essentially the same. The differences are in the exam specifications, i.e. - the exams differ in scope w/r/t materials and number of questions you will see for a given topic. In terms of exam prep materials - the NCEES sample exams and the PPI SE sample exam were the only multiple choice problems that I used to prepare for both exams.

 

[McEngr]

1. The SEAOC Seismic Design Manuals ~ $170 (3 volumes)

2. SERM ~ $150

3. Seismic and Wind Forces, Structural Design Examples ~ $75

4. 2009 Design of Reinforced Masonry Structures (CMACN) ~ $100

Steel Gravity: example problems from the AISC 360 CD.

Steel Lateral: seismic design manual

Masonry Gravity: SERM covers it "ok", Amreihn book is really good for oop forces.

Masonry Lateral: See no. 4 above.

Concrete Gravity and Lateral: The PCA Notes is very comprehensive. For a quick reference on detailing concrete, I recommend no. 3 above. The simple pictures of SMF beams and columns really helps. For a more comprehensive of concrete lateral, use the SEAOC Volume 3 and the seismic chapter of the PCA Notes.

Wood Gravity: SERM is good enough.

Wood Lateral: I personally don't think there's a good reference out there to comprehensively go through this except that the Breyner book has great examples.

All in all, unless a person wants to gamble with their chances of passing, they should invest (or use their firm's) $1000 into text books and keep them for their career. This exam is not just a means to gain a title, but it should be a means of becoming a better engineer. So, make the investment in yourself (the inner self, not the exterior title), and you will not regret it.

 

[dakota_79]

As usual: what McEngr said. Especially the part about thinking of it not as a short term obstacle to achieving a title, but more as a long term investment in your skill set with merely the side effect of passing the exam.