So.................???????????
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This is my second try. First one was in April.
I think it is a little bit easier than last time, but not much.
Morning exam was tougher than afternoon as last time, but I didn't panic this time!!
I was so confused last time because I assumed morning would be easier than afternoon.
I felt I did better than last time.
Another 3 months to wait for the result is so painful.
WoodSlinger
Well-known member
I thought the SE II was easier than what I had expected. Time was a factor, but I'm sure it always is. I didn't feel defeated when I left, which is usually a good sign. I'll just have to wait until January to find out I guess.
It was different than what I expected. I can't say whether or not is harder than previous versions because this was my first time taking it. I can say that I feel better about the afternoon session than I do the morning session. There were a lot more bridge questions than I expected.
Hromis1
Can't be Responsible - Off his Meds today
SE 1 taker here, 2nd time. (Prior civil PE, years ago)
I would say this exam was about equal to the one last spring. I too found the morning session harder than the afternoon....but you never know until you get the score back.
I think I was a little better prepared this time. At least in the afternoon I had 20-30 minutes extra to go back and fix/correct 3 or 4 problems.
I pray that this is the last time I ever have to look at AASHTO books again!
No huge surprises in the exam, just not enough time to think. At the end of the day NCEES tested on what they though was important, and exactly what they referenced in the exam background material.
I would say this exam was about equal to the one last spring. I too found the morning session harder than the afternoon....but you never know until you get the score back.
I think I was a little better prepared this time. At least in the afternoon I had 20-30 minutes extra to go back and fix/correct 3 or 4 problems.
I pray that this is the last time I ever have to look at AASHTO books again!
No huge surprises in the exam, just not enough time to think. At the end of the day NCEES tested on what they though was important, and exactly what they referenced in the exam background material.
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Casey
Well-known member
I'm just glad to have my life back... Can't say I feel totally confident that I passed the exam. I'll have to wait until February for results... Until then I am going to do some of the things I day dreamed of doing when I was studying...
I definitely felt better about the SE2 than SE1. The SE1 was tough because you had to move so fast. I felt like I was getting hung up on problems because I was rushing and the time wasted hurt me in other problems. But it is good to be done, good luck to everyone in January!
Overall I did okay but I found that SE2, unlike previous exams I took, was long and I could barely finish them within the given time frame. I spent the longest time on the morning question 1 (2 hrs 15min) and fortunately managed to complete the 2nd question just before the 4 hours ended. In the afternoon I spent 2 hrs on each question. It seemed to me there were a couple of open-ended sub-questions and I had to put notes "if I had more time, I would do...list". Hopefully can get some credits from that.
p.s. I gambled too on pre-stressed concrete, and won.
vhmehta
Well-known member
SE1 Exams: As in all the exams historically, the material covered in exam was from the 3 page exam summary which includes pretty much everything in structural engineering. It is hard to ask anything outside that summary even if they wanted to.
I was tired of opening up the big fat AASHTO.
The morning session was harder than the afternoon session as was the case in April. I personally thought it was a little easier than the April, but only a little. Lots and lots of bridge questions meant that time was going to be of the essense.
Afternoon section was much more settled and easier. Overall in the exam bridge outweighed its roughly 20% weight.
In the end I feel like I got about 30 right in morning session and 35 right in afternoon session. But always remember that there are always those tricky questions for which you would feel you are right but in the end you are tricked. I would cross my fingers and start studying PE civil for April. I am done studying Bridge. I am not going to ever practice in Bridge and I do not care if I fail this exam because of Bridge. I am not opening that big code again... atleast not for SE1.
I was tired of opening up the big fat AASHTO.
The morning session was harder than the afternoon session as was the case in April. I personally thought it was a little easier than the April, but only a little. Lots and lots of bridge questions meant that time was going to be of the essense.
Afternoon section was much more settled and easier. Overall in the exam bridge outweighed its roughly 20% weight.
In the end I feel like I got about 30 right in morning session and 35 right in afternoon session. But always remember that there are always those tricky questions for which you would feel you are right but in the end you are tricked. I would cross my fingers and start studying PE civil for April. I am done studying Bridge. I am not going to ever practice in Bridge and I do not care if I fail this exam because of Bridge. I am not opening that big code again... atleast not for SE1.
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vhmehta
Well-known member
Hansel, a lot of Bridge questions for a person like me (Works specifically in Building) is a recipe for failure. If you are building designer and fail this exam do not take it hard! This exam was designed to make it difficult for building designers!
I will start preparing for PE Civil from next week as I am tired of SE1 after two trials and also I have learned everything I need for my work. Now I just need to study to pass the exams.
FYI for people who work at exam development: Astronomy should also be covered in SE1 as possibly sometimes in future engineers will design buildings that could touch sky! Why take chances! They should know which part of sky the building should touch! :eyebrows:
My prayer starts! :holyness: The number of questions you feel you got right are a very vague judgement of what will happen in the end. Some of the questions you feel you got right will end up on other side as they were tricky.. I found out that in a hard way last time.
Anyway Good luck to all of you and myself...
Ble_PE
I need a beer.
From what I have heard from people who have taken both exams, the PE Civil/Structural is much more straightforward than the SE1. I took the Civil/Structural this past Friday and the afternoon session was not that difficult, and I would think that it would be even easier after studying for the SE1, so I don't think you need to start studying yet! Maybe you passed and don't have to worry about the Civil exam.
Good Luck!
vhmehta
Well-known member
ble, thanks for your input. I am worried more about water resources and other non structural topics. It was nice to get your feedback for structural PM. Its been atleast 12 Years since I studied any of the nonstructural portions. Need to brush them up.
I have a 2 year old and a 6 month old childrens. My family has sacrificed a lot for my licensing need. I thought I can reduce the number of hours required to study per day if I start now.
I could be pessimistic person but I do not see why people who developed exam so lopsided on bridge part will have any mercy on us. They simply do not get it: All structural engineers do not design bridge.
The exam was precisely and accurately designed to make building designers struggle.
Last time I was expecting about 60 right questions and I got roughly 52 right. This time I am expecting 64 right and I hope I pass the exams with 56 right! Although they could really piss me off and increase the cut score to 57! Again they have kept a fineprint which allows them to literally do anything without anyone knowing! Who knows what is the cutscore! Secrecy is there major benefit as they do not have to give out any cutoff score. We all can guess that it is 56 and hope we are right!
I wish I pass the exams along with everyone who have worked hard for this exams. We all do not deserve to fail.
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This is the second time I took the PE exam. I took the civil/structure instead of the SE I. I do feel the civil/structure has more building questions and very less bridges. I am a bridge engineers and am not familiar with IBC code. It took me more than 6 minutes to find the answers from that. I believe you should be fine for the civil/structure exam. Regarding the water resource and environmental, if you study the CERM, that should cover most of the questions in the morning. I haven't touched that kind of questions for more than 15 years but I did feel in October exam it is doable in these fields. That's my feeling. And good luck to all who took the Oct. exam. I wish we all pass this time.
STRUCTURAL
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Yeah, the time thing was a bit of a problem for me on the SE II as well (I answered building questions). I just barley finished in the morning and in the afternoon I think I made a numerical error [or misinterpreted something] on part of the second problem because I got a bizarre answer.
Sure would be great to pass that thing. We'll find out soon enough.
Sure would be great to pass that thing. We'll find out soon enough.
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Don't know. my state is a direct notification state so I should find out in another few weeks (considering their previous patterns). Did you answer building or bridge questions (on the SE II)?
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