SE April 2022 Exam Results Thread

[shmoo916]

Many congratulations @shmoo916
How do you pick yourself up every time you see that red box. After giving my best shot and yet seeing the red box, I feel like this can never happen.

With lots of alcohol between exams.

In all seriousness, I don't think I would have been able to without support. My wife encouraged me, my parents encouraged me, and my bosses encouraged me. I've been fortunate to have that. If you don't have that, then let me be that person. If you managed to get at least a 4-year degree in SE and continue to practice and enjoy the field enough to get the SE, then you are absolutely capable.

If you didn't pass, then something needs to change. Take AEI, start sooner, practice way way more than you think, etc. Switch it up. That's my advice after taking a couple of celebratory shots with coworkers here at the office haha.

 

[andyliu]

Same!!

How do you have results already?

Sorry. Nevada board, took it in CA.

 

[bassist]

With lots of alcohol between exams.

In all seriousness, I don't think I would have been able to without support. My wife encouraged me, my parents encouraged me, and my bosses encouraged me. I've been fortunate to have that. If you don't have that, then let me be that person. If you managed to get at least a 4-year degree in SE and continue to practice and enjoy the field enough to get the SE, then you are absolutely capable.

If you didn't pass, then something needs to change. Take AEI, start sooner, practice way way more than you think, etc. Switch it up. That's my advice after taking a couple of celebratory shots with coworkers here at the office haha.

I really appreciate that. What did you change this time or every time?

 

[shmoo916]

I really appreciate that. What did you change this time or every time?

I practiced. I pushed the typical time of watching AEI videos and simply learning new topics up a little earlier. Then I practiced.

I took two practice exams, I practiced problems in Alan William's Seismic and Wind Forces Structural Design Examples, and I practiced every AEI problem I could get my hands on. I can't recommend AEI's class enough. I even paid for School of PE's class this cycle but bailed after a couple of lectures because it wasn't even close to AEI (without a refund).

 

[frank94521]

I’m surprised that I passed both of the exams. I think I did very well in the mornings. (Possibly 35 questions correct) and I did very poorly in the afternoons. I thought I would fail because i may get unacceptables in the afternoon. Hopefully this post can give people who did poorly in the afternoons some hope!

 

[plasticworld]

I practiced. I pushed the typical time of watching AEI videos and simply learning new topics up a little earlier. Then I practiced.

I took two practice exams, I practiced problems in Alan William's Seismic and Wind Forces Structural Design Examples, and I practiced every AEI problem I could get my hands on. I can't recommend AEI's class enough. I even paid for School of PE's class this cycle but bailed after a couple of lectures because it wasn't even close to AEI (without a refund).

I did every problem in the Williams book and it was very helpful. The SEAOC Vol 1 book was probably the best overall resource, but Williams had good practice problems for each material.

 

[PE-CA-rys]

I did every problem in the Williams book and it was very helpful. The SEAOC Vol 1 book was probably the best overall resource, but Williams had good practice problems for each material.

I Second this. I passed SE Lateral!!

I did really good on AM attempted all 40 was really sure on 35+, Did well on 2 question on PM and bombed the other still passed. Lucky!

 

[NewSE2022]

I did every problem in the Williams book and it was very helpful. The SEAOC Vol 1 book was probably the best overall resource, but Williams had good practice problems for each material.

Big congrats on passing the exam!

Could you share a list of Alan Williams' practice problem books for each material that you'd recommend? When I googled the books he authored, most are his SE Reference manual. Thanks! @PE-CA-rys @shmoo916 @plasticworld

 

[plasticworld]

Big congrats on passing the exam!

Could you share a list of Alan Williams' practice problem books for each material that you'd recommend? When I googled the books he authored, most are his SE Reference manual. Thanks! @PE-CA-rys @shmoo916 @plasticworld

Thanks! Wind, seismic, and the four materials are all in the same book.

Williams link

 

[PE-CA-rys]

This is also a good book, has really good flowcharts for all methods. Specifically good for wind loads.

 

[FBPE Rep]

@FBPE Rep ...any update on Florida? Thanks!

We gave NCEES the okay to release them yesterday, so it shouldn't be long before you see your results. Good luck!

 

[EngL]

Vertical Building
26/40
IR A U A. ( CA board)
The “A” I got in masonry last time around has now become a “U”. I feel I will forever be stuck in this loop with absolute black box of a result with 0 insight on what is expected on a PM question. This was my second attempt. Repeat takers what did you do to understand which part of preparation needs to be changed since Us are converting to As but the As are becoming Us! Ah

 

[WarEagleEngineer]

Vertical Building
26/40
IR A U A. ( CA board)
The “A” I got the masonry last time around has now become a “U”. I feel I will forever be stuck in this loop with absolute black box of a result with 0 insight on what is expected on a PM question. This was my second attempt. Repeat takes what did you do to understand which part of preparation needs to be changed since Us are converting to As but the As are becoming Us! Ah

I failed lateral 3 times with approximately the same score each time as you have shown and finally passed this time around. First, if you haven't taken the AEI course, I would HIGHLY recommend it. I'm on the east coast and had little seismic experience and now I know my way around it pretty well. Second, I changed my strategy a little this time around in the afternoon. More math, fewer words. Obviously, explain what you're doing and why you're doing it, but don't be overly wordy. Third, look for any small pattern in your results. I had a similar thing happen with me where I got an unacceptable on different problem types on different tests, however look at the ones you got IR on and see if there is a pattern. I found that focusing on trends and finding any blind spots is helpful (for me it was masonry and oddly concrete, which I do a decent amount of in practice). Lastly, seek out problems that make you uncomfortable and try to work them. If you do all these things and keep putting in the effort, I promise you'll get there.

 

[walacha]

sigh, didn't pass

California board, second time taking lateral

AM portion 30/40
PM portion A,A,IR and U

 

[Be-n]

I Second this. I passed SE Lateral!!

I did really good on AM attempted all 40 was really sure on 35+, Did well on 2 question on PM and bombed the other still passed. Lucky!

Congrats!
I believe outstanding performance in AM can greatly help to overcome not so good result in PM.
Last year, I solved all AM questions and wasn’t quite sure about PM. I felt like my AM scores was anywhere between 35-38/40 and PM was probably A-A-IR-IR.
2 IR’s is not a very good score which I believe might result in failing exam if AM score is about 27-29.
So, just like in your case, I believe doing very well in AM helped me to pass the exams despite of some struggles in PM.

 

[EngL]

I failed lateral 3 times with approximately the same score each time as you have shown and finally passed this time around. First, if you haven't taken the AEI course, I would HIGHLY recommend it. I'm on the east coast and had little seismic experience and now I know my way around it pretty well. Second, I changed my strategy a little this time around in the afternoon. More math, fewer words. Obviously, explain what you're doing and why you're doing it, but don't be overly wordy. Third, look for any small pattern in your results. I had a similar thing happen with me where I got an unacceptable on different problem types on different tests, however look at the ones you got IR on and see if there is a pattern. I found that focusing on trends and finding any blind spots is helpful (for me it was masonry and oddly concrete, which I do a decent amount of in practice). Lastly, seek out problems that make you uncomfortable and try to work them. If you do all these things and keep putting in the effort, I promise you'll get there.

Thank you so much for your advice!!

 

[bluejay]

Failed Lateral Buildings
25/40
A-U-A-U
LA board, results came out yesterday

 

[thedaywa1ker]

Just posting this for comparisons sake, for when they update:

 

[DaBird1]

Illinois has released.

Failed:
24/40
IR, U, IR, U

I hate my life. This sucks guys.

 

[Salt-Acid-Fat-Heat-Acid]

CA Passed, Lat/Vert
- Can't recommend the AEI course enough. I started and stopped a few times (feeling unprepared and just cancelling the exam 2-3 months out, also the pandemic cancellations). Once I paid for a course, it gave me the a schedule and structure I needed to get through it. The summary sheets and binder content are pretty superior to other courses I looked at, and were referenced heavily in the exam.