PE Civil: Structural — Information & Free Practice

The authority publishes question-count ranges for each content area. The practice percentages below use the midpoint of each range, normalized to 100%; they are not exact percentages published by the authority. Practice question counts may differ slightly because of rounding.

• Analysis of Structures–Loads and Load Applications — Official range: 12–18 questions (Practice allocation: 17.05%)

  • Dead loads
  • Live loads
  • Construction loads
  • Wind loads
  • Seismic loads
  • Moving loads (e.g., vehicular, cranes)
  • Snow, rain, and ice
  • Impact loads
  • Earth pressure and surcharge loads
  • Tributary areas and load paths (e.g., lateral and vertical)
  • Load combinations
• Analysis of Structures–Forces and Load Effects — Official range: 17–26 questions (Practice allocation: 24.43%)

  • Diagrams (e.g., shear and moment)
  • Axial (e.g., tension and compression)
  • Shear
  • Flexure
  • Combined stresses
  • Deflection
  • Special topics (e.g., torsion, buckling, fatigue, progressive collapse, thermal deformation, bearing)
• Temporary Structures and Other Topics — Official range: 5–8 questions (Practice allocation: 7.39%)

  • Special inspections
  • Submittals
  • Formwork, falsework, scaffolding, shoring and reshoring, bracing, and anchorage
  • Impact of construction on adjacent facilities
  • Safety (e.g., construction, roadside, work zone)
• Design and Details of Structures–Materials and Material Properties — Official range: 10–15 questions (Practice allocation: 14.2%)

  • Soil classification and soil properties (e.g., strength, permeability, compressibility, phase relationships)
  • Concrete (e.g., unreinforced, reinforced, cast-in-place, precast, pre-tensioned, post-tensioned)
  • Steel (e.g., structural, cold-formed)
  • Timber
  • Masonry (e.g., brick veneer, CMU)
  • Material test methods and specification conformance (e.g., concrete, steel, masonry, timber, other construction materials)
• Design and Details of Structures–Component Design and Detailing — Official range: 26–39 questions (Practice allocation: 36.93%)

  • Horizontal members (e.g., beams, slabs, diaphragms, struts)
  • Vertical members (e.g., columns, bearing walls, shear walls)
  • Systems (e.g., trusses, braces, frames, composite construction)
  • Connections (e.g., bolted, welded, bearing, embedded, anchored, post-installed anchors)
  • Shallow foundations (e.g., footings, combined footings, slabs, mats)
  • Deep foundations (e.g., piers, piles, caissons, drilled shafts)
  • Retaining walls