Introduction

Structural Engineering Prep Course

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Introduction
Course Overview
• fast-paced
• certain level of knowledge is assumed (see prerequisites for each lesson)
• presentation of theory with application to specific problems
• best to complete reading and homework assignments before the class date

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Course Objectives
prepare for and pass the exam
• review of key exam topics
• identify your strengths and weaknesses
• help you organize and structure your study schedule
• learn to use the most effective approach to solve a problem
• work in a team environment and share ideas
• review STRM and other reference materials, and how to use them during exam

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Preparing for the Exam
• A thorough review for the SE exam takes approximately 300 hours.
• Most of your study time should be spent outside of this prep course’s lectures and
assignments. Spend as much time as possible solving problems on your own time.
• Develop and adhere to a review schedule based on how much time you can
devote to studying each week, and when you’d like to take the exam.

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Exam Specifications
• 16-hour open-book exam
• offered in two components
• vertical forces (gravity/other) and incident lateral forces
• lateral forces (wind/earthquake)
• each component comprises a morning breadth and an afternoon depth module,
four hours each
• each morning breadth section contains 40 multiple choice problems
• for the depth module, may choose either bridges or buildings, but must work the
same depth module across both components

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Introduction
Structural Engineering Areas
vertical forces morning breadth module
• analysis of structures (30%)
• design and details of structures (65%)
• construction administration (5%)

vertical forces afternoon depth module

• buildings (four 1-hour essays)
• bridges (two 1-hour essays and one 2-hour essay)

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Structural Engineering Areas
lateral forces morning breadth module
• analysis of structures (37.5%)
• design and details of structures (60%)
• construction administration (2.5%)

lateral forces afternoon depth module

• buildings (four 1-hour essays)
• bridges (two 1-hour essays and one 2-hour essay)

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Course Materials
Refer to your syllabus for the complete list of course materials.

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Additional Reference Material
Table 1 NCEES SE Exam Design Standards

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Additional Reference Material (continued)
Table 1 NCEES SE Exam Design Standards (continued)

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SE Exam Restrictions
• A breach of an exam could lead to the licensure of people who are not competent
to practice in the fields of engineering and surveying.
• NCEES takes necessary measures to protect the integrity of the exam process
(including restricting cell phones, certain calculators, pencils, and access into and
out of the exam site).
• The most common form of exam subversions involves trying to copy exam
problems for future use.
• NCEES routinely prosecutes violators and seeks financial redress for loss of exam
problems, and invalidates any license you may have earned by taking one of its
exams while engaging in prohibited activities.

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Calculators
NCEES allows only the following models
of calculators into the exam room.
• all FX-115 Casio calculators
• HP33s and HP35s models from
Hewlett Packard (but no other HP
models)
• all TI-30X and TI-36X models from
Texas Instruments
• review the full calculator policy at
ncees.org

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Calculators
It is essential that a calculator for the SE exam have the following functions.
• trignonometic and inverse trigonometric functions
• hyperbolic and inverse hyperbolic functions
• π
•  
and
• both common and natural logarithms
• and

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Grading and Scoring
• multiple-choice problems are machine-graded
• no deduction for incorrect multiple-choice answers
• solutions for afternoon essay problems are evaluated for overall compliance with
established scoring criteria and for general quality
• minimum number of points for passing varies through a rational procedure (not
curved to allow a certain percentage of engineers through)

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Results Reporting
• Results are released 10 – 12 weeks after the exam.
• You will be notified through your MyNCEES account or via email.
• You will receive a pass or fail notice only (not a numerical score).
• If you do not pass, you will receive a diagnostic report that outlines your areas of
strength and weakness.

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Before the Exam Day
• Arrange transportation or prepare your car. (Use the checklist in STRM’s
introduction.)
• Check PPI’s website for last-minute updates or errata to PPI books you’re bringing
to the exam.
• Print a separate copy of STRM’s index.
• Make sure you have the correct back-up batteries for your calculator.
• Familiarize yourself with your backup calculator if it isn’t identical to your primary
calculator.
• Use the “Prepare Your Exam Kits” checklist in STRM’s introduction.

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On the Exam Day
• watch the time

• THINK before you start solving the problem

• rate the difficulty of each question as you read it the first time

• try to eliminate incorrect choices

• answer all questions

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