About the California Special Civil Engineering Exams: Seismic and Surveying

California requires civil PE candidates to pass two state-specific exams in addition to the national NCEES civil exam. These exams are called Seismic Principles and Engineering Surveying. They are given twice a year, in April and October, on the day after the NCEES civil exam is administered. Each exam is 2-1/2 hours long and consists of about 50 multiple-choice problems. The exams are independent, meaning that if you pass one and not the other, you need only retake the one you didn't pass.

Units. Both the Seismic Principles and the Engineering Surveying exams use U.S. customary units.

For More Info. For detailed information on these exams, please visit the California state board website.

Seismic Principles

The Seismic Principles exam tests the candidate's grasp of the fundamental principles, tasks, and knowledge involved in the California practice of seismic design, analysis, or evaluation of civil engineering projects.

Per the California State Board: the Seismic Principles exam utilizes the 2007 California Building Code (CBC), which is based on the 2006 International Building Code (IBC).

Problems on the Seismic Principles exam represent the following areas:

Seismic Data and Design Criteria (27% of total problems)

1. Understand earthquake data that influence the design of projects
   
2. Understand geotechnical issues that may influence design of projects
   
3. Recognize design performance goals for a project
   
4. Recognize laws, codes, and standards giverning seismic design
   

Seismic Characteristics of Engineered Systems (24%)

1. Determine appropriate seismic-resisting structural system
2. Recognize seismic performance and damage vulnerability of structures
3. Understand methods for seismic strengthening of existing structures (e.g., buildings and bridges)
4. Recognize seismic requirements for lifeline systems (e.g., power, communications, water and sewage, natural gas, liquid fuels)
5. Understand the seismic requirements for earth structures

1. Determine structural characteristics required to calculate seismic design forces
2. Determine UBC seismic design forces for buildings
3. Determine seismic forces for elements of structure, nonstructural components, and equipment
4. Determine seismic forces for nonbuilding structures (e.g., tanks, towers)
5. Determine seismic forces by the response spectrum method

1. Determine the distribution of seismic forces to structural elements based on their rigidities
2. Perform the seismic analysis of rigid diaphragm structures
3. Perform the seismic analysis of flexible diaphragm structures
4. Recognize analytical methods that utilize computers
5. Recognize purposes of nonlinear and inelastic analyses of structural systems

1. Understand the detailing requirements that are critical for seismic performance
2. Recognize the need for construction quality monitoring and inspection of seismic design aspects of projects

Engineering Surveying Exam

The Engineering Surveying exam tests knowledge of the practice and application of surveying principles for the location, design, construction, maintenance, and operaion of engineered projects.

Problems represent the following areas:

Equipment and Field Activities (15% of total problems)

1. Recognize the purposes of different types of surveys
2. Determine the field survey instruments and equipment required to perform engineering surveying measurements
3. Practice within the laws regulating engineering surveying
4. Recognize common construction surveying methods and procedures
5. Perform field surveying operations for a traverse survey
6. Perform field surveying operations for a horizontal layout

Field Measurements (11%)

1. Perform the measurement of horizontal distances
2. Perform the measurement of angles
3. Perform the measurement of elevations from leveling

Calculations (33%)

1. Perform basic geometric and trigonometric calculations
2. Determine the properties of a horizontal curve
3. Determine the properties of a vertical curve
4. Perform leveling calculations from field data to determine elevations
5. Perform traverse survey calculations to determine point locations
6. Perform error adjustment methods and procedures for surveying measurements
7. Perform rectangular coordinate system calculations
8. Perform calculations to determine quantities of construction materials

Surveying Office Procedures (41%)

1. Perform reduction of field data for plotting
2. Recognize information from legal boundary and easement data pertinent to engineering surveying projects
3. Recognize the use of datums for horizontal and vertical control