• 50 questions

PE Sample Exam in Construction Engineering

Fifty worked problems in the 11 knowledge areas of the NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications.

A soil sample has a moist unit weight of 125 lb/ft³ at a water content of 12%. What is its dry unit weight?

Pick an answer, then press Check answer. Then you see Correct or Not quite, with the reason. Keys: A to D pick, Enter checks.

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Exam mode: 40 questions, 240 minutes.

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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with NCEES. Bank checked October 12, 2026.

The real exam, as NCEES describes it

Questions
80
Time limit
480 minutes
Fee
$400, paid to NCEES
On the day
A 9-hour appointment: 8 hours of exam, a 50-minute break, a tutorial.
Question kinds
Multiple-choice and alternative item types, on a computer.
References
Closed book. The handbook and design standards are on screen.
Result
Pass or fail. No passing score is published.
Specifications
Effective April 2024.

Checked October 12, 2026 against NCEES's PE Civil exam page, the Civil–Construction exam specifications and the NCEES Scores page. Rules change, so confirm with the agency itself before your test.

NCEES's PE Civil exam page

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All 50 questions

Soil mechanics 4

  • A 10 ft layer of normally consolidated clay has a compression index of 0.30 and an initial void ratio of 0.90. A fill raises the effective stress at mid-layer from 1,000 to 2,000 lb/ft². What consolidation settlement is expected? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Primary consolidation settlement: Wikipedia, Soil consolidation. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 1.B Soil consolidation and settlement.
  • A 12 ft wall holds back level, dry, cohesionless backfill with a unit weight of 120 lb/ft³ and a friction angle of 30°. By Rankine theory, what is the total active force per foot of wall? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Rankine active pressure: Wikipedia, Lateral earth pressure. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 1.A Lateral earth pressure.
  • A strip footing 4 ft wide sits 3 ft deep in soil with a cohesion of 500 lb/ft² and a unit weight of 120 lb/ft³. The bearing capacity factors are Nc = 17.7, Nq = 7.4 and Nγ = 5.0. With a factor of safety of 3, what is the allowable bearing pressure by Terzaghi's strip formula? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Terzaghi strip footing formula: Wikipedia, Bearing capacity. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 1.D Bearing capacity.
  • Sand weighs 110 lb/ft³ above the water table, which is 10 ft down, and 125 lb/ft³ saturated below it. Water weighs 62.4 lb/ft³. What is the vertical effective stress 18 ft below the surface? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Effective stress = total stress − pore water pressure: Wikipedia, Effective stress. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 1.C Effective and total stresses.
Show all 50 questions (46 more)

Site layout and development 4

  • A circular horizontal curve has a radius of 500 ft and a central (deflection) angle of 40°. What is the length of the curve along the arc? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Arc length = radius × angle in radians: Wikipedia, Circular arc. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 2.B Basic horizontal and vertical curve elements.
  • A level is set up between a benchmark at elevation 250.00 ft and a grade stake. The backsight on the benchmark reads 4.25 ft and the foresight on the stake reads 6.10 ft. What is the elevation of the stake? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Height of instrument and foresight: Wikipedia, Levelling. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 2.A Layout and control.
  • A parabolic vertical curve 500 ft long joins a +3% grade to a −2% grade. The curve begins (PVC) at elevation 100.00 ft. What is the curve elevation 200 ft past the PVC? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Parabolic vertical curves: Wikipedia, Geometric design of roads. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 2.B Basic horizontal and vertical curve elements.
  • For a circular curve with a radius of 500 ft and a central angle of 40°, what is the middle ordinate, the distance from the midpoint of the long chord to the midpoint of the arc? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Sagitta of a circular arc: Wikipedia, Sagitta (geometry). Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 2.B Basic horizontal and vertical curve elements.

Material properties 4

  • A boring log records a split-spoon sample driven 18 in with blow counts of 5, 7 and 9 for the three 6 in increments. What is the standard penetration resistance (N-value)? Own question; the answer is worked out again. N-value: Wikipedia, Standard penetration test. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 3.A Soil, rock and aggregates (boring log interpretation).
  • A concrete mix has 564 lb of cement per cubic yard and a water–cement ratio of 0.45 by weight. Water weighs 8.34 lb per gallon. How much mixing water does one cubic yard need? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Water–cement ratio by mass: Wikipedia, Water–cement ratio. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 3.B Concrete.
  • A soil sample has a moist unit weight of 125 lb/ft³ at a water content of 12%. What is its dry unit weight? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Water content and dry density: Wikipedia, Soil mechanics (phase relations). Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 3.A Soil, rock and aggregates.
  • A steel tie rod 30 ft long with a cross-sectional area of 1.0 in² carries 20 kips of tension. Steel has a modulus of elasticity of 29,000 ksi. How much does the rod stretch? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Elongation from Young's modulus: Wikipedia, Young's modulus. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 3.C Steel.

Estimating quantities and costs 4

  • A formwork system costs $100,000 today and saves $30,000 at the end of each of the next 5 years. At an interest rate of 8% a year, what is its net present value? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Discounted cash flows: Wikipedia, Net present value. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 4.C Engineering economic analysis (net-present value).
  • A slab on grade is 60 ft by 40 ft and 6 in thick. How much concrete should be ordered with a 5% allowance for waste? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Arithmetic on the figures in the question. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 4.A Quantity take-off methods.
  • At a status date a project has a planned value of $200,000, an earned value of $180,000 and an actual cost of $210,000. What are its cost and schedule performance indexes? Own question; the answer is worked out again. CPI and SPI: Wikipedia, Earned value management. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 4.D Work measurement and productivity (earned value).
  • Owning a loader costs $24,000 a year in fixed costs plus $30 per hour to run. Renting the same loader costs $90 per hour all in. At how many hours a year do the two cost the same? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Arithmetic on the figures in the question. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 4.C Engineering economic analysis (break-even).

Project planning and scheduling 5

  • Activity A (4 days) starts a job. B (6 days) and C (3 days) each follow A, and D (5 days) follows both B and C. How much total float does C have? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Total float: Wikipedia, Float (project management). Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 5.B Activity time analysis.
  • Activity A (4 days) starts a job. B (6 days) and C (3 days) each follow A, and D (5 days) follows both B and C. What is the shortest time in which the job can finish? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Longest path: Wikipedia, Critical path method. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 5.C Project schedule analysis (critical path method).
  • Activity F has an early finish of day 12. Its only successor has an early start of day 15, set by another, longer chain. How much free float does F have? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Free float: Wikipedia, Float (project management). Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 5.D Resource scheduling and leveling.
  • An activity takes 10 days at a cost of $8,000. With overtime it can be done in 7 days for $11,000. What does each day saved cost? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Arithmetic on the figures in the question. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 5.E Time–cost trade-off.
  • An estimator gives an activity an optimistic time of 4 days, a most likely time of 6 days and a pessimistic time of 14 days. What is the PERT expected time? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Expected time: Wikipedia, Program evaluation and review technique. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 5.B Activity time analysis.

Quality control of materials and work 5

  • A concrete cylinder 6 in in diameter and 12 in tall fails in compression at a load of 113,100 lb. What compressive strength does the test report? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Stress = force ÷ area: Wikipedia, Compressive strength. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 6.A Material test methods and specification conformance.
  • A field density test gives a dry unit weight of 108 lb/ft³. The laboratory Proctor maximum dry unit weight for the soil is 120 lb/ft³. What is the relative compaction? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Maximum dry density: Wikipedia, Proctor compaction test. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 6.F Compaction.
  • A fillet weld joins two plates at a right angle with equal legs of 5/16 in. What is its theoretical throat, the distance from the root to the middle of the face? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Leg and throat of a fillet weld: Wikipedia, Fillet weld. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 6.B Weld and bolt installation.
  • A nuclear gauge reads a wet unit weight of 124 lb/ft³ at 10% moisture. The Proctor maximum dry unit weight is 118 lb/ft³ and the specification asks for at least 95% compaction. What does the test show? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Dry density from water content: Wikipedia, Soil mechanics; Proctor compaction test. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 6.F Compaction.
  • In the federal quality assurance rule for highway construction (23 CFR 637.203), which activities are "quality control"? 23 CFR 637.203, Definitions. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 6.C Quality control process (QA/QC).

Structural mechanics 5

  • A 20 ft simply supported beam carries a single 10 kip load 6 ft from the left support. Ignoring the beam's weight, what is the left reaction? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Statics of a simply supported beam: Wikipedia, Bending moment. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 7.B Statics and stresses.
  • A simply supported beam spans 20 ft and carries a uniform load of 1.2 kips/ft, its own weight included. What is the maximum bending moment? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Statics of a simply supported beam: Wikipedia, Bending moment. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 7.B Statics and stresses.
  • A simply supported steel beam spans 20 ft under a uniform load of 1.0 kip/ft. Its moment of inertia is 500 in⁴ and E = 29,000 ksi. What is the midspan deflection? Own question; the answer is worked out again. 5qL⁴/(384EI): Wikipedia, Deflection (engineering). Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 7.B Statics and stresses (deflection).
  • A steel beam with an elastic section modulus of 48 in³ resists a bending moment of 60 kip-ft. What is the maximum bending stress? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Moment = section modulus × stress: Wikipedia, Section modulus. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 7.B Statics and stresses (bending).
  • Interior columns of a flat-slab floor stand on a 20 ft by 25 ft grid. During a pour the total load on the floor is 100 lb/ft². What load does one interior column pick up from that floor? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Arithmetic on the figures in the question. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 7.A Loads and 7.C Structural members (columns).

Hydraulics and hydrology 3

  • A rectangular concrete channel 6 ft wide flows 2 ft deep on a slope of 0.001. Manning's n is 0.013. In US units (coefficient 1.486), what flow does Manning's formula give? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Manning formula and hydraulic radius: Wikipedia, Manning formula. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 8.A Stormwater collection and drainage (open-channel flow).
  • During a storm a detention pond receives an average of 12 ft³/s for 30 minutes while its outlet releases 4 ft³/s. How much storage does the pond need for that period? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Arithmetic on the figures in the question. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 8.C Detention/retention ponds.
  • The rational method estimates peak runoff as Q = CiA, in ft³/s when i is in inches per hour and A is in acres. A 10 acre site has a runoff coefficient of 0.60 and the design rainfall intensity is 3.0 in/h. What is the peak runoff? Own question; the answer is worked out again. The formula is stated in the question. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 8.B Storm characteristics and runoff analysis (rational method).

Construction operations and methods 6

  • A 100 ft by 50 ft excavation holds 6 ft of standing water. One cubic foot is 7.48 gallons. With no inflow, how long does a 500 gal/min pump take to empty it? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Arithmetic on the figures in the question. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 9.C Dewatering and pumping.
  • A 10,000 lb precast panel is lifted level on a two-leg bridle. Each sling makes a 60° angle with the horizontal. What is the tension in each sling? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Statics on the figures in the question. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 9.A Lifting and rigging.
  • About its tipping line, a crawler crane's own weight and counterweight give a resisting moment of 900 kip-ft. Ignoring the boom's weight, how far beyond the tipping line can a 20 kip load hang before the overturning moment equals the resisting moment? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Statics on the figures in the question. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 9.B Cranes (stability).
  • An embankment is built between two stations 50 ft apart. The fill end areas there are 210 ft² and 150 ft². What fill volume does the average end area method give between the stations? Own question; the answer is worked out again. The method is named in the question; arithmetic on its figures. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 9.F Excavation and embankment (cut and fill analysis).
  • An embankment needs 10,000 yd³ of compacted fill. For the borrow soil, 1 bank yd³ compacts to 0.90 yd³ and swells to 1.25 loose yd³ in the truck. What loose volume must be hauled? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Arithmetic on the figures in the question. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 9.F Excavation and embankment (borrow pit volume).
  • An excavator has a 2.0 yd³ bucket, a bucket fill factor of 0.90 and a 30 second cycle. It works 50 minutes in each hour. What is its production in loose cubic yards per hour? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Arithmetic on the figures in the question. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 9.D Equipment selection and operations.

Support of construction loads 7

  • A braced cut is designed for a uniform earth pressure of 600 lb/ft² on the sheeting. Struts are 5 ft apart vertically and 8 ft apart horizontally. What load does an interior strut carry? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Arithmetic on the figures in the question. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 10.E Support of excavation.
  • A scaffold component weighs 50 lb and its maximum intended load is 750 lb. Under 29 CFR 1926.451(a)(1), what load must it support without failure? 29 CFR 1926.451(a)(1), Capacity. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 10.B Falsework and scaffolding.
  • A temporary brace holds a wall panel against a horizontal wind force of 1,200 lb at the point where the brace is attached. The brace slopes at 60° to the horizontal. What axial force is in the brace? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Statics on the figures in the question. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 10.D Bracing and anchorage.
  • A trench 10 ft deep in Type C soil is cut with simple slopes at the steepest slope OSHA allows, and its bottom is 3 ft wide. How wide is the trench at the top? 29 CFR Part 1926, Subpart P, Appendix B, B-1.3 (Type C soil). Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 10.E Support of excavation.
  • A wall form 8 ft tall is filled quickly, so the fresh concrete acts as a fluid weighing 150 lb/ft³ over the full height. What lateral pressure acts at the bottom of the form? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Fluid pressure = unit weight × depth: Wikipedia, Hydrostatics. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 10.A Formwork.
  • An 8 in slab of 150 lb/ft³ concrete is placed on forms weighing 10 lb/ft², with a construction live load of 50 lb/ft². Shores stand on a 4 ft by 4 ft grid. What load does one interior shore carry? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Arithmetic on the figures in the question. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 10.C Shoring and reshoring.
  • Over part of a wall form the concrete pressure is a uniform 900 lb/ft². Form ties are spaced 2 ft apart both horizontally and vertically. What load does one tie carry? Own question; the answer is worked out again. Arithmetic on the figures in the question. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 10.A Formwork.

Health and safety 3

  • A merging taper 540 ft long is set out with cones on a road posted at 45 mph. At the widest cone spacing the MUTCD (2009) advises in a taper, how many cones are needed, counting one at each end? MUTCD 2009 Edition, Part 6, Section 6C.08, paragraph 05. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 11.B Work zone and public safety.
  • A straight ladder has a working length of 20 ft between its foot and its top support. Set at the angle OSHA gives for non-self-supporting ladders, how high above the foot is the top support? 29 CFR 1926.1053(b)(5)(i), Ladders. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 11.A OSHA construction regulations.
  • A work zone moves traffic sideways by one 12 ft lane width, without closing a lane, on a road posted at 60 mph. By the MUTCD (2009), what is the minimum length of this shifting taper? MUTCD 2009 Edition, Part 6, Section 6C.08, Tables 6C-3 and 6C-4. Outline: NCEES PE Civil: Construction specifications (April 2024), 11.B Work zone and public safety.

How this list was compiled: Our own problems, written to the Civil–Construction CBT Exam Specifications that NCEES publishes, effective beginning April 2024 (https://ncees.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Civ-Con-April-2024.pdf, linked from https://ncees.org/exams/pe-exam/civil/, read 2026-10-12). The specifications give a range of questions for each of 11 knowledge areas out of 80; this bank of 50 holds 4, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 3, 6, 7 and 3, the middle of each range scaled down. 49 answers are arithmetic on the numbers the question prints, worked out again; each names the public page its formula or rule was read on (Wikipedia articles, opened 2026-10-12), or says that the question itself states every relation it uses. Six rest on federal text read 2026-10-12 on ecfr.gov and mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov: 29 CFR 1926.451 and 1926.1053, Appendix B to Subpart P of Part 1926, 23 CFR 637.203 and Part 6 of the MUTCD, 2009 Edition. Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site.

How it works

This PE sample exam in construction engineering has 50 problems of our own in the 11 knowledge areas of the PE Civil: Construction exam. Unofficial: not affiliated with or endorsed by NCEES, and no problem comes from the real exam.

Read the full guide

What the PE Civil: Construction exam covers

The NCEES specifications, effective April 2024, give each area a range out of 80 questions: support of construction loads 10 to 15, operations and methods 9 to 14, down to health and safety 4 to 6. This PE civil construction practice exam keeps those shares.

How the problems are written

Every problem prints the numbers and factors it needs, and its explanation works the answer. No value is taken from the reference handbook or a design standard.

A timed run

Exam mode draws 40 problems for 240 minutes, the real pace of 80 questions in 8 hours.

  • Formwork, shoring, rigging and earthwork sit in the two largest areas, so start there.
  • Watch units: feet against inches in deflection, cubic feet against cubic yards in take-offs, bank against loose yards in earthwork.

Questions and answers

What is on the PE construction exam?

Eleven areas: soil mechanics, site layout, material properties, estimating, scheduling, quality control, structural mechanics, hydraulics and hydrology, construction operations, support of construction loads, and health and safety.

How long is the civil construction PE exam?

80 questions in a 9-hour appointment: a 2-minute nondisclosure agreement, an 8-minute tutorial, 8 hours of exam and a 50-minute scheduled break, by the NCEES page for the PE Civil exam.

What score passes the PE Civil Construction exam?

NCEES reports the result as pass or fail and does not publish the passing score. Results usually arrive 7 to 10 days after the exam.

Is the PE Civil Construction exam open book?

No. It is closed book. NCEES supplies its PE Civil Reference Handbook and the design standards named in the specifications as searchable files on screen, and personal copies may not be brought in.

Are these real PE exam problems?

No. Every problem was written for this site from the lines of the published specifications. None is copied or reworded from the real exam or from an NCEES practice exam.

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