PE Civil Breadth & Structural Depth

The PE Civil exam is eight hours long and divided into two sections: breadth and depth. The breadth portion takes place in the morning and is made up of questions from all areas of civil engineering. The depth portion takes place in the afternoon and focuses on one specific area of civil engineering that is selected by the examinee.

Course Features

Our PE Civil exam review courses consist of comprehensive lectures and practice sessions to ensure our students have an excellent understanding of the material. Each review course follows the official NCEES exam specifications and is divided into two parts: The first part includes 48 hours of breadth review, which covers the topics of the breadth portion of exam. The second part includes 48 hours of discipline-specific review, which covers the student’s chosen depth subject. Student registration also includes access to our Study Hub at no additional cost.

Our New Study Hub: One Place for All Your Study Needs

Our reimagined Study Hub was designed with all of our students in mind—past, present, and future—to amplify their studies and help them approach exam day with confidence. PE Civil Breadth & Structural Depth students can study anytime, anywhere, and on any device with these exciting features:

• Watch, pause, and resume lecture videos where you left off
• Make timestamped annotations on lecture videos
• Bookmark recordings to easily review at a later date
• Download, review, and annotate lecture notes
• Easily access eBooks
• Test your knowledge using different test formats in the Practice Portal Pro
• Quiz yourself on important definitions with the Flash Cards feature
• Ask questions to instructors while watching lecture videos
• Access discussion forums to communicate with other students
• Study using any device with an internet connection for a seamless experience
• Download the Study Hub app to take your studies on-the-go!

Books by School of PE

Our PE Civil Exam Review Guide: Breadth book (a $240 value) is included in our PE Civil Ondemand review course.
NEW! Register for our Ondemand course by December 31, 2020 and receive the PE Civil Exam Review Guide: Structural Depth Preview Edition for FREE* in both paperback and eBook ($140 value). The Preview Edition is exclusive to School of PE students.

PE Civil Breadth & Structural Depth Course Formats

School of PE offers multiple course formats that are geared toward you and your study habits to help you succeed. Learn more about our options below and select the one that best fits your needs.

• Ondemand - Our Ondemand format is designed to give students the flexibility to study for exams anytime, anywhere. Upon registration, students receive immediate access to lecture videos, refresher notes, practice quizzes, discussion forums, and more. Students are able to explore these features whenever, wherever on their computer, smartphone, or tablet. Click here to register for our PE Civil Breadth & Structural Depth Ondemand course.
• Live Online - Our Live Online classes are perfect for students who prefer a traditional class setting with the added benefit of virtual attendance. Students can ask the instructor questions, interact with their classmates, and collaborate on specific topics in real time. Click here to register for our PE Civil Breadth & Structural Depth Live Online class.
• Onsite - Our Onsite course format provides a traditional, in-person classroom environment. In an Onsite class, students have the benefit of communicating with their instructor and classmates face to face. Onsite students also receive access to our comprehensive Study Hub where they can watch lecture videos, revisit course notes, download materials, and more. Click here to register for our PE Civil Breadth & Structural Depth Onsite class.

Topics Covered in the Structural Depth Exam

The PE Civil: Structural Depth review course helps students become familiar with the topics covered in the depth portion of the exam. According to NCEES, the Structural Depth exam is comprised of 40 multiple-choice questions that require design, analysis, and application methodologies to answer the problems. Knowledge of engineering economics is also helpful for the Structural Depth exam.

At School of PE, our review course material is developed by instructors who specialize in the Structural area of civil engineering. The material is designed around the official NCEES exam specifications, which include:

Analysis of Structures

Loads and load applications

• Dead loads
• Live loads
• Construction loads
• Wind loads
• Seismic loads
• Moving loads
• Snow, rain, ice
• Impact loads
• Earth pressure and surcharge loads
• Load paths
• Load combinations
• Tributary areas

Forces and load effects

• Diagrams
• Axial
• Shear
• Flexure
• Deflection
• Special topics

Design and Details of Structures

Materials and material properties

• Concrete
• Steel
• Timber
• Masonry

Component design and detailing

• Horizontal members
• Vertical members
• Systems
• Connections
• Foundations

Codes and Construction

Codes, standards, and guidance documents

• International Building Code
• American Concrete Institute
• Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute
• Steel Construction Manual
• National Design Specification for Wood Construction
• LRFD Bridge Design Specifications
• Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures
• American Welding Society
• OSHA 1910 General Industry and OSHA 1926 Construction Safety Standards

Temporary structures and other topics

• Special inspections
• Submittals
• Formwork
• Falsework and scaffolding
• Shoring and reshoring
• Concrete maturity and early strength evaluation
• Bracing
• Anchorage
• OSHA regulations
• Safety management