A 30-Day Plan to Prepare for the
Civil Engineering Structural PE Exam
Click HERE for more Civil Engineering Structural PE Crunch Time Resources
Checklist:
- Graduated from an ABET accredited engineering program … check
- Passed the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam … check
- Worked under the supervision of a Licensed Professional Engineer for at least four years … check
- Applied for and received approval from your State’s Engineering Board to sit for the examination … check
- Registered with NCEES to take the Civil Engineering PE Exam … check
- Studied and prepared diligently for the past two to three months … oops!
Items 1 thru 5 were relatively easy.
You went to college, got your Engineering Degree, and passed the FE Exam in your senior year.
You then took an Engineer-In-Training position and put in your four years learning to be a practicing engineer.
Your supervisors and co-workers then began encouraging you to pursue professional licensing.
So you filled out the paperwork, contacted to your local board, and got approved for the exam.
You applied to NCEES, paid the fees, and have a reserved spot on exam day.
But then something happened.
Life. Work. Stuff.
No matter how hard you tried; no matter how dedicated you meant to be; you just haven’t been able to prepare.
The exam is in little over a month.
Panic.
There’s still time if you’re willing to put in the effort and commit to giving it your best effort.
- This plan is aggressive.
- You won’t have much of a life outside of work for the next month, but that’s a small price to pay to prepare for the exam.
- You will have to work hard.
If this is your situation and you’re ready to make this happen, let’s get started …
Each day is listed below with specific topic(s) to study.
Each topic will require:
- Research
- Resource gathering
- Problem solving
- Organization into your Test-Prep Resource Library©
Some of the topics are hot-links to:
- useful information (i.e. research and resource gathering)
- sample or practice problems (i.e. problem solving)
We highly encourage you to print what you find (information, examples, charts, sample problems, etc.) and organize into binders for easy retrieval prior to exam-day.
It’s Civil Engineering Structural PE Crunch Time
PROJECT PLANNING
Day 1
MEANS AND METHODS
Day 2
SOIL MECHANICS
Day 3
Day 4
STRUCTURAL MECHANICS
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
HYDRAULICS AND HYDROLOGY
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
GEOMETRICS
Day 11
MATERIALS
Day 12
Day 13
SITE DEVELOPMENT
Day 14
Day 15
- Temporary and Permanent Soil Erosion and Sediment Control
- Impact of Construction on Adjacent Facilities
- Safety
ANALYSIS OF STRUCTURES
Loads and Load Applications
Day 16
Day 17
Day 18
Day 19
Forces and Load Effects
Day 20
Day 21
- Flexure
- Deflection
- Special topics:
DESIGN AND DETAILS OF STRUCTURES
Materials and Material Properties
Day 22
Component Design and Detailing
Day 23
Day 24
Day 25
Day 26
CODES AND CONSTRUCTION
Codes, Standards, and Guidance Documents
Day 27
- International Building Code (IBC)
- American Concrete Institute (ACI 318, 530)
- Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI Design Handbook)
- Steel Construction Manual (AISC)
Day 28
- National Design Specification for Wood Construction (NDS)
- LRFD Bridge Design Specifications (AASHTO)
- Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures (ASCE 7)
- American Welding Society (AWS D1.1, D1.2, and D1.4)
- OSHA 1910 General Industry and OSHA 1926 Construction Safety Standards
Temporary Structures and Other Topics
Day 29
Day 30
- Concrete Maturity and Early Strength Evaluation
- Bracing
- Anchorage
- OSHA Regulations
- Safety Management
Civil Engineering Structural PE Crunch Time
