PE Civil: Water Resources and Environmental exam — 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.

• Project Planning — Official range: 4–6 questions (Practice allocation: 5.62%)

  • Quantity take-off methods
  • Cost estimating
  • Project schedules
  • Activity identification and sequencing
  • Economic and sustainability analysis
• Soil Mechanics — Official range: 3–5 questions (Practice allocation: 4.49%)

  • Lateral earth pressure
  • Soil consolidation and compaction
  • Bearing capacity
  • Settlement
  • Slope stability
• Materials — Official range: 4–6 questions (Practice allocation: 5.62%)

  • Soil classification and boring log interpretation
  • Soil properties
  • Concrete
  • Piping materials
  • Material test methods and specification conformance
• Analysis and Design — Official range: 6–9 questions (Practice allocation: 8.43%)

  • Mass balance
  • Hydraulic loading
  • Solids loading
  • Hydraulic flow measurement
• Hydraulics–Closed Conduit — Official range: 7–11 questions (Practice allocation: 10.11%)

  • Energy and/or continuity equation
  • Pressure conduit
  • Pump application and analysis
  • Pipe network analysis
• Hydraulics–Open Channel — Official range: 7–11 questions (Practice allocation: 10.11%)

  • Open-channel flow
  • Hydraulic grade lines and energy dissipation
  • Stormwater collection and drainage
  • Sub- and supercritical flow
• Hydrology — Official range: 8–12 questions (Practice allocation: 11.24%)

  • Storm characteristics
  • Runoff analysis
  • Hydrograph development and applications
  • Rainfall intensity, duration, frequency, and probability of exceedance
  • Time of concentration
  • Rainfall and stream gauging stations
  • Depletions
  • Stormwater management and treatment
• Groundwater and Wells — Official range: 4–6 questions (Practice allocation: 5.62%)

  • Aquifers
  • Groundwater flow
  • Well and drawdown analysis
• Surface Water and Groundwater Quality — Official range: 5–8 questions (Practice allocation: 7.3%)

  • Stream degradation and oxygen dynamics
  • Total maximum daily load (TMDL)
  • Biological and chemical contaminants
• Drinking Water Distribution and Treatment — Official range: 6–9 questions (Practice allocation: 8.43%)

  • Drinking water distribution systems
  • Drinking water treatment processes
  • Present, short-term, and long-term demands
  • Storage
  • Sedimentation
  • Coagulation and flocculation
  • Membrane processes and media filtration
  • Disinfection, including disinfection byproducts
  • Hardness and softening
  • Other treatment
• Wastewater Collection and Treatment — Official range: 7–11 questions (Practice allocation: 10.11%)

  • Wastewater collection systems
  • Wastewater treatment systems
  • Preliminary treatment
  • Primary treatment
  • Secondary treatment
  • Nutrient removal
  • Solids treatment, handling, and disposal
  • Disinfection
  • Advanced treatment
• Project Sitework — Official range: 9–14 questions (Practice allocation: 12.92%)

  • Excavation and embankment
  • Construction site layout and control
  • Temporary and permanent soil erosion and sediment control
  • Impact of construction on adjacent facilities
  • Safety
  • Basic horizontal and vertical curve elements
  • Retaining walls
  • Construction methods