vhmehta,
Let me tell you about my experience, maybe it will help.
I passed the FE and PE (civil/structural) many, many moons ago. I used several reference books and had numerous practice exams from NCEES. The score I recieved on both the PE and FE closely matched what my practice exam scores were. (They gave scores in those days. Not pass/fails). I studied real hard and had plently of time to spare. In other words, I suceeded becuase I was prepared. (pre-wife and kids days)
Now flash forward several years, new job, employer who will pay big bucks to someone who pass SE1 and SE2...
I volunteer to take the exams. Studied "SOME-WHAT"..still barely understood some things like AASHTO. Took the SE1..failed. Got the diagonistic back from NCEES. It was really a truthful assesment of my knowledge of the new codes. (Don't know #$% about bridges!). I should have not taken the exam. I just took it and hoped I would get lucky on a few questions.
Bottom line, my sucess before was my own, as was my failure on the SE1. Now I'm back using the same study goals that helped me sucseed before. It is also killing me that so many code books have changed. (ACI big changes!, notation changes every where in all codes)
My impression is...for the CE exam, you can get away with 3+/- months of studying. SE 1 needs a full year.
Most the licensed PE/SE's I know would choke on these exams. Particularly the siesmic detailing. This is a big deal to get through all these exams.
However I look at all these problems with a grain of salt. I finished a preliminary set of calculations on a modest industrial building near the new Madrid fault area. Went through all the fancy EQ calculations.....Wind load and lateral crane loads still govern. Still had to upsize the steel to account for corrosion/durability...At the end of the day, the result was I came up with steel sizes that matched the old "rule of thumbs" that the real-old timers taught me.
Then I gave the sizes to the detailer/designer. He quickly pointed out that beam "B" wont hang well off beam "A". Too small of flanges...
So my fancy calcs and work has been trumped by a guy with a HS degree and rule of thumb 90+ year old engineer.
Good luck! the license is important, but it is not all that make you a good engineer.
Hromis1