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Detailed specifications for the Principles and Practice exams (in PDF format):
• PE Agricultural(NEW)
• PE Architectural (NEW)
• PE Chemical
• PE Civil
• PE Control Systems
• PE Electrical and Computer
• PE Environmental
• PE Fire Protection
• PE Industrial
• PE Mechanical
• PE Metallurgical and Materials
• PE Mining and Mineral Processing
• PE Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
• PE Nuclear
• PE Petroleum
• PE Structural I
• PE Structural II
• PS
   
• Future 16-hour PE Structural

PE Structural Exams

Summary:  A 16-hour structural engineering examination will be offered for the first time in April 2011. The format of the examination is described below. A news release explains more about the transition to the new exam.

The structural engineering exam is a breadth and depth exam examination offered in two components on successive days. The 8-hour Vertical Forces (Gravity/Other) and Incidental Lateral component is offered only on Friday and focuses on gravity loads and lateral earth pressures. The 8-hour Lateral Forces (Wind/Earthquake) component is offered only on Saturday and focuses on wind/earthquake loads.

• Breadth exam (morning session): This module contains questions covering a comprehensive range of structural engineering topics. All questions are multiple-choice.
• Depth exams (afternoon session): These modules focus more closely on a single area of practice in structural engineering. Examinees must choose either buildings or bridges. Examinees must work the same topic area on both components. That is, if buildings is the topic area chosen in the Vertical Forces component, then buildings must be the topic area chosen in the Lateral Forces component. All questions are constructed response (essay).

To become a licensed structural engineer, examinees must pass both components. The components may be taken and passed in different exam administrations.
Each component of the structural exam has a breadth (morning) module and a depth (afternoon) module.

Examinees must take the breadth module of each component and one of the two depth modules in each component.

Detailed listings of topics in each component are shown in these sections:

Friday Morning: Structural breadth exam – Vertical Forces (Gravity/Other) and Incidental Lateral
Friday Afternoon: Structural depth exam – Vertical Forces (Gravity/Other) and Incidental Lateral

Saturday Morning: Structural breadth exam – Lateral Forces (Wind/Earthquake)
Saturday Afternoon: Structural depth exam – Lateral Forces (Wind/Earthquake)