NCEES PE Structural Engineering (SE) Exam — Vertical Forces and Lateral Forces components
The 16-hour SE, now four computer-based sections — drill gravity and lateral design for buildings and bridges with worked, code-referenced solutions.
About the exam
The NCEES Structural Engineering (SE) exam is the licensing exam for structural engineers — the exam state boards that license structural engineers separately, or restrict significant structures to SEs, rely on. It was long known as the 16-hour SE: two 8-hour pencil-and-paper days, with constructed-response (essay) depth problems graded by hand.
That format is gone. The SE is now fully computer-based at Pearson VUE centers and split into four sections you schedule separately: a Vertical Forces breadth and depth, and a Lateral Forces breadth and depth. Each breadth section is 55 multiple-choice questions (buildings and bridges) in a 6-hour appointment, offered year-round. Each depth section is scenario-based in a 6.5-hour appointment, offered twice a year; you choose Buildings or Bridges and must take the same area in both components. Depth questions are no longer hand-graded constructed response (essay) problems: they are computer-graded alternative item types such as numeric fill-in, multiple-correct, point-and-click and drag-and-drop, and from April 2027 they add multiple-choice items. You must pass both components, and a passed component never expires.
Our bank follows the NCEES knowledge areas for all four sections — load combinations, ELF seismic base shear, wind pressures, diaphragm and shear-wall forces, steel, concrete, wood and masonry members and connections, foundations, and AASHTO HL-93 bridge loading and bridge seismic design. Practice items are multiple choice with some numeric entry; on the real depth sections expect alternative item types built around a shared design scenario. Solutions use ASCE 7-16, ACI 318-14, AISC 15th edition, NDS 2018 and TMS 402/602-16 (the standards for exams before April 2027) and flag several places where the April 2027 editions change the method. Our timed test mixes all four sections; pick a section in practice to study it alone.
How we track your progress
Every blueprint domain moves through five levels as you study:
- Not startedNo questions answered in this domain yet.
- Getting startedFirst questions answered — not enough yet to judge.
- DevelopingAt least 5 answered and 50% or better on your recent questions.
- ProficientAt least 15 answered and 70% or better on your recent questions.
- Exam readyAt least 25 answered, 80% or better recently, and holding up on hard questions.
The exam blueprint
NCEES PE Structural CBT exam specifications effective April 2024 (exams before April 2027), with the depth-section format NCEES adopted in April 2026. New specifications and design standards (ASCE 7-22, ACI 318-19, AISC 16th, AASHTO 10th, NDS 2024, TMS 402/602-22, IBC 2024) take effect beginning April 2027. — Two components — Vertical Forces (gravity/other and incidental lateral) and Lateral Forces (wind/earthquake) — each with a 55-question breadth section and a Buildings or Bridges depth section. Tap a domain to see its topics.
1 Vertical Forces — Breadth 14 of 55 in our mixed timed test · real section: 55 multiple-choice questions in 5.5 hours of the exam
114 practice questions in this domain so far
2 Lateral Forces — Breadth 14 of 55 in our mixed timed test · real section: 55 multiple-choice questions in 5.5 hours of the exam
113 practice questions in this domain so far
3 Vertical Forces — Depth (Buildings or Bridges) 14 of 55 in our mixed timed test · real section: scenario-based, computer-graded items in 6 hours of the exam
111 practice questions in this domain so far
4 Lateral Forces — Depth (Buildings or Bridges) 13 of 55 in our mixed timed test · real section: scenario-based, computer-graded items in 6 hours of the exam
112 practice questions in this domain so far
What you get when you access this exam
Free with your QuizMe account.
Built on the NCEES SE specifications
Every question is tagged to its section and knowledge area — Vertical or Lateral, breadth or depth, buildings or bridges — so you can study exactly what you'll sit next.
Hints that point to the code check
Reveal the governing ASCE 7, AISC, ACI, NDS, TMS or AASHTO provision when you're stuck. Every answer has a worked solution and the mistakes behind the wrong choices.
Adaptive practice by section
Pick a section and practice steers toward your weakest knowledge areas, weighted like the NCEES specification.
Timed practice tests
55 questions at the breadth section's 6-minute pace, with a pacing indicator and full review.
Design walkthroughs and guides
Multi-step scenarios like the depth sections, formula flashcards, and illustrated guides you explore hotspot by hotspot.
Progress in every section
Each section moves from Not started to Exam ready, so you know when to book it.
Test at home or at a center
Check your state board's rules first — many require approval before you can register. Then register and pay for each section in MyNCEES and schedule it with Pearson VUE. Breadth sections can be booked year-round; depth sections run only on NCEES's two fixed dates each year.
At a Pearson VUE test center
- Breadth sections are offered year-round; depth sections only in April and October.
- Bring acceptable, unexpired government-issued ID that matches your MyNCEES name.
- Use an NCEES-approved calculator model only — check the current list before test day.
- References are on screen only: the PE Structural Reference Handbook and the listed design standards, one chapter open at a time.
Before you book
- Download the exam specifications for the date you'll test — standards change in April 2027, and solutions are scored only against the listed editions.
- Plan your sections: you can take breadth and depth for a component in either order, but you must pass both components.
- Choose Buildings or Bridges for depth and stay with it for both components.
- Take the official NCEES practice exams to see the alternative item types used in depth scenarios.
Exam-day game plan
How to walk in ready — and how to pace 55 questions in 5.5 hours.
Pacing checkpoints
Our timed test is 55 questions at the breadth section's 6-minute pace, but it mixes all four sections because the timer can't be limited to one. To study one section, choose it in Flashcards, Learn or adaptive practice.
The week before
- Take a full timed practice section and review every miss by knowledge area.
- Practice searching the electronic Reference Handbook and design-standard PDFs for the provisions you use most.
- Check your calculator is on NCEES's approved list.
- Confirm your appointment, Pearson VUE location and ID.
During the test
- Budget about 6 minutes a breadth question — mark long problems and come back.
- Write units on every step; many wrong choices come from a kips/lb or in./ft slip.
- Search the standard by keyword or section number rather than scrolling; only one chapter opens at a time.
- In depth scenarios, re-read the scenario givens for every item — later items often depend on earlier values.
- Answer every question; there's no penalty for guessing.
Keep your head
- Hard problems in a row are normal; you pass on your total, not on any one item.
- If no choice matches, recheck load factors, units and which edition's equation you used.
- Change an answer only when you find a specific error.
After you pass
- Results are pass/fail. Each component is scored on its own, and acceptable results on a component do not expire.
- If you passed one component under the old pencil-and-paper exam, you only need the two sections of the other component.
- Passing isn't a license — apply to your state board, which reviews your education, experience and references; several states require the SE for structural licensure.
- Most boards require continuing education to renew a PE or SE license; NCEES sets retake limits — check the current examinee guide before rebooking.
Official sources and further reading
- NCEES — PE Structural exam ↗Official format, section times, depth dates, fee, results timing and pass rates.
- NCEES — SE Vertical Breadth specification (April 2024) ↗Knowledge areas, question ranges and the design standards for exams before April 2027 (ASCE 7-16, ACI 318-14, AISC 15th, AASHTO 8th).
- NCEES — SE Lateral Breadth specification (April 2027) ↗The updated knowledge areas and design standards (ASCE 7-22, ACI 318-19, AISC 16th, AASHTO 10th) that begin April 2027.
Ready to start?
450 questions and scenarios across the blueprint — and growing.
PE® and NCEES® are registered marks of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying. QuizMe and thinQtank Learning are not affiliated with or endorsed by NCEES. All questions are original. Details are summarized from NCEES's PE Structural page and exam specifications; formats, fees and design-standard editions change — always confirm at ncees.org.