Seicmic exam taking strategy?

[ajosh]

I am going to take seismic exam at prometric center, i failed once, time management was my biggest issue. Reading the question, looking through the figures in booklet and then looking for right reference took lot of my time. I know it is same for everyone, but i am hopeing those who passed the exma can provide me with some guidance as to how to approach the exam.

 

[hello816]

I took Hiner's seismic review course once and took the test 3 times afterwards and never passed.....I spent so much time on it (over 200 hours since I've studied and taken the test 3 times - that's like over 1.5 years of time!!!) that I felt like giving up altogether even though it was the last test I needed to pass in order to get my PE license. :Failed:

I REALLY recommend Dr. Ibrahim's class:

http://www.eet-california.com/seismic_class_info

I took his live webinar course, did everything he told me to do, and passed in one shot (got my results letter today). ASSED2:

He spends a ton of time with you (kind of like hiring a private tutor). He's a great instructor.....never met an instructor that would spend as much time with you as he has...... Amazing....

People from this engineering board recommended me him.... I should've taken him from the beginning to save myself all that pain from studying.

You really have to understand what you're doing when solving the problems and then time won't be a problem for you. Time is only a problem if you don't really understand the problem and have to look things up.

I strongly recommend Dr. Ibrahim's course!! Do everything he tells you to do and I think you'll pass! :thumbs:

Good luck

 

[Lomarandil]

For me, it came down to knowing ASCE7's seismic sections really well (not just for buildings) and reading through a general guide to the design code philosophy (like "Design of Wood Structures ASD/LRFD).

Definitely a time-crunch type test though.

 

[shenanigans]

I agree with Lomarandil, in knowing the code. It definitely saves time in locating what you need. I also read through the board rules and Professional Engineer's Act a couple times. That way, I was able to get through the word ones first and have more time for the questions that require calculations.

I just received my letter last week and also passed. Good luck!

 

[PENGINEER]

In the spring I took the PE exam preparation classes (online classes) offered by "School of PE". It helped me to pass the national exam (structural depth), in the afternoon I was done in 3 hours with the exam, but I failed the surveying and seismic exams. When I took the classes I felt I'm prepared for the exams (all of them). It turned out that I wasn't prepared at all for the state specific exams (the reality is that I should have studied more). I'm curious if anyone on this forum took the program offered by School of PE and what are his/her thoughts on their surveying and seismic classes? I don't really want to spend any more money on classes and books. I have the books recommended by School of PE (Cuomo, Bardar, Lindeburg) and they offer the review the courses for free for their failing students.

Thanks,

 

[ptatohed]

In the spring I took the PE exam preparation classes (online classes) offered by "School of PE". It helped me to pass the national exam (structural depth), in the afternoon I was done in 3 hours with the exam, but I failed the surveying and seismic exams. When I took the classes I felt I'm prepared for the exams (all of them). It turned out that I wasn't prepared at all for the state specific exams (the reality is that I should have studied more). I'm curious if anyone on this forum took the program offered by School of PE and what are his/her thoughts on their surveying and seismic classes? I don't really want to spend any more money on classes and books. I have the books recommended by School of PE (Cuomo, Bardar, Lindeburg) and they offer the review the courses for free for their failing students.

Thanks,

PENG, are you saying you can retake SofPE for free? Then do that. Maybe this time, concentrating only on the 2 state exams, you'll do well. Otherwise consider Dr. I's class as 816 mentions above. Good luck!

 

[PENGINEER]

In the spring I took the PE exam preparation classes (online classes) offered by "School of PE". It helped me to pass the national exam (structural depth), in the afternoon I was done in 3 hours with the exam, but I failed the surveying and seismic exams. When I took the classes I felt I'm prepared for the exams (all of them). It turned out that I wasn't prepared at all for the state specific exams (the reality is that I should have studied more). I'm curious if anyone on this forum took the program offered by School of PE and what are his/her thoughts on their surveying and seismic classes? I don't really want to spend any more money on classes and books. I have the books recommended by School of PE (Cuomo, Bardar, Lindeburg) and they offer the review the courses for free for their failing students.

Thanks,

PENG, are you saying you can retake SofPE for free? Then do that. Maybe this time, concentrating only on the 2 state exams, you'll do well. Otherwise consider Dr. I's class as 816 mentions above. Good luck!

That's what I understood, that if you fail the exam they will let you take the course again for free. Hopefully I'll make it next time.

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[TheyCallMeJohn]

In the spring I took the PE exam preparation classes (online classes) offered by "School of PE". It helped me to pass the national exam (structural depth), in the afternoon I was done in 3 hours with the exam, but I failed the surveying and seismic exams. When I took the classes I felt I'm prepared for the exams (all of them). It turned out that I wasn't prepared at all for the state specific exams (the reality is that I should have studied more). I'm curious if anyone on this forum took the program offered by School of PE and what are his/her thoughts on their surveying and seismic classes? I don't really want to spend any more money on classes and books. I have the books recommended by School of PE (Cuomo, Bardar, Lindeburg) and they offer the review the courses for free for their failing students.

Thanks,

PENG, are you saying you can retake SofPE for free? Then do that. Maybe this time, concentrating only on the 2 state exams, you'll do well. Otherwise consider Dr. I's class as 816 mentions above. Good luck!

That's what I understood, that if you fail the exam they will let you take the course again for free. Hopefully I'll make it next time.

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PENGINEER,

I am signed up to take the School of PE, Construction, Seismic, and Survey.

Any tips before the class gets started or ways to supplement what you took in the class.

 

[PENGINEER]

In the spring I took the PE exam preparation classes (online classes) offered by "School of PE". It helped me to pass the national exam (structural depth), in the afternoon I was done in 3 hours with the exam, but I failed the surveying and seismic exams. When I took the classes I felt I'm prepared for the exams (all of them). It turned out that I wasn't prepared at all for the state specific exams (the reality is that I should have studied more). I'm curious if anyone on this forum took the program offered by School of PE and what are his/her thoughts on their surveying and seismic classes? I don't really want to spend any more money on classes and books. I have the books recommended by School of PE (Cuomo, Bardar, Lindeburg) and they offer the review the courses for free for their failing students.

Thanks,

PENG, are you saying you can retake SofPE for free? Then do that. Maybe this time, concentrating only on the 2 state exams, you'll do well. Otherwise consider Dr. I's class as 816 mentions above. Good luck!

That's what I understood, that if you fail the exam they will let you take the course again for free. Hopefully I'll make it next time.

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PENGINEER,

I am signed up to take the School of PE, Construction, Seismic, and Survey.

Any tips before the class gets started or ways to supplement what you took in the class.

John,

I’m not sure if you could download School of PE’s notes and references yet. It would be good to read through them a little, before classes start. Also download from CA board of engineer’s website the following:

California Professional Engineers Act - http://www.bpelsg.ca.gov/laws/pe_act.pdf

California Professional Surveyors’ Act - http://www.bpelsg.ca.gov/laws/pls_act.pdf

(Anyway School of PE will tell you what to download).

Must be familiar with your calculator (for example how to transform decimal angles to degrees, minutes, seconds; how to use polar and rectangular functions) – basically you must be familiar and fast with your calculator (you don’t have time to figure out things on the exams).

Must find things you need fast in your notes and books (you’ll have to know where to find formulas in the book – for seismic and surveying must know very well where things are in the books and notes).

You need to be familiar with ASCE7 chapter 12 and 13 (heard that from others) – I’ll must get familiar with them too.

Don’t rush through things while you prepare for the exams. For seismic and surveying exam, my opinion is that SOPE’s course if not enough, but helps a lot to get familiar with things. I would say to do as many problems as you can from other sources too (I have PPI’s recommended books for the two exam).

For my NCEES exam I did not study from PPI’s CERM, I only studied SOPE’s course (it was enough for me, but I must say that for the afternoon portion of the exam I was familiar with structural stuff, didn’t really study that part, not sure how construction will go for you).

Print out vertical and horizontal curves formulas and graphs, and get familiar with them. You’ll need them for NCEES exam and for surveying.

It’s helpful to have tabs on the side of your references.

Problems on the seismic and surveying exam looked different than those from SOPE’s class. That’s what I felt.

Don’t panic on the exam. Read every problem twice!

Good Luck!!!