Tell me about your difficulties on the SE exam

ChaosMuppetPE · Jun 30, 2019

I want to know which types of problems give/gave you the most issues on the SE exam be it vertical or lateral. I.E. was it the seismic detailing in high seismic areas, bridge problems, etc.?

Nathan55 · Jul 2, 2019

PEeved said:
I want to know which types of problems give/gave you the most issues on the SE exam be it vertical or lateral. I.E. was it the seismic detailing in high seismic areas, bridge problems, etc.?

I don't think you'll get much response on this topic, due to the NDA. Anything really useful that someone can tell you is technically illicit info. If you haven't taken the test before, one of the most important things to consider is the pass rate. It hovers around 25-30%, plus or minus. Retakers do worse. That's incredible. Roman soldiers at Cannae 2000 years ago had a better chance at survival.

What makes the test difficult depends a lot on your skill set, background (buildings or bridges) and the randomness of what the test contains. Also the combined format of multiple choice in the morning and then essay in the afternoon. Excelling in both the AM and the PM in one administration takes two separate skill sets. It's like being a world champion at running 800 meters--you can't just be a sprinter, or just a long distance runner...you need to effectively mix those two aptitudes and avoid weaknesses. The morning requires speed and accuracy, while the afternoon requires the ephemeral concept of "completeness". That's what makes the SE exam difficult. Can you be very fast and accurate...and thorough in your work?

The other, perhaps most crucial aspect is that no one actually knows the criteria for grading in the afternoon. NCEES is incredibly vague in their explanation of what is required for solutions. PPI--who I posit is bound by NDAs to avoid revealing too much--is coincidentally obtuse as well. At times, silence speaks volumes; and in this case, it tells you that the grading criteria is the most closely guarded secret specifically because if you break that cipher, you break the exam.

Additionally, practicing engineers might approach this test the way they approach most other aspects of their academic career. But be warned...the test isn't like college, or even like work. You don't get a participation trophy or generous amounts of partial credit. You pass by being better than 70% of your colleagues who studied just as hard as you did. Ignore what NCEES says about "minimum competence" being the requirement for passing. Study everything, don't have weak spots, know the code, know the footnotes, know common mistakes, know everything.