Prepare for the PE Civil Exam

PPI offers fully up-to-date Live Online prep courses, OnDemand prep courses, and Learning Hub bundles for the PE Civil exam.

Choose your PE Civil Exam below to get started. 

Construction

Geotechnical

Structural

Transportation

Water Resources

About the PE Civil Exam

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Prepare for the California Civil Exam

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California: Seismic

What Makes PPI PE Civil Exam Prep Different?

Constantly updated PE Civil prep materials. Your prep will be the most up-to-date, relevant content available. We pay close attention to whenever the NCEES® PE exam specifications are changed, so you always have practice materials that will help you pass. Our courses are fully updated to help you prepare to pass the new PE Civil CBT exam.

Lessons from professional engineers. Through lectures, problem-solving demos, strategy sessions, and office hours, your prep will be centered around instruction from experts who know the PE Civil exam inside and out. 

A proud reputation as leaders in PE Civil exam prep. We’ve been helping civil engineers advance their careers through the PE exam since 1975. Our courses aren’t just updated to the newest standards—they’re also based on decades of experience, which means we know what it takes for our students to succeed.

Proven PE Civil exam prep designed to help you pass. You’re ready to take the next step in your career, and our PE Civil exam prep is made by people who know how to get there. After enrolling in a course, you’ll receive expert reference materials, homework assignments, detailed class notes (plus the NCEES Handbook), as well as access to online quizzes, practice exams, flashcards, and more.

A passing guarantee. When you take one of our PE Civil Live Online courses, we guarantee you’ll pass. And if you don’t, you can take one of our PE OnDemand courses right afterward for free.*

*Conditions and restrictions apply. See https://ppi2pass.com/pass-guarantee for more details.

 

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You're Next: See Inspiring Stories From Our Students

"This course has set me up well to pass my upcoming exam"

"In my opinion, PE licensure allows you to 'write your own story' when it comes to making career moves. This course has set me up well to pass my upcoming exam. The recorded lectures were fantastic. Some lectures I needed to watch at 0.75x speed, while I was able to conduct a comprehensive review of all topics by re-watching the lectures at 2.00x speed. Without this functionality, I would not have been able to conduct a thorough re-review of all materials."

- Kristian C., PE Civil 

"Couldn’t be happier about how it all went!"

"Dr. Alzioud was an incredible resource in terms of things to focus on and memorize. His lectures made it very easy to digest the material. He has a great way of breaking topics down so that they don’t seem overwhelming. He provided great advice regarding the mental aspects of studying for and taking the exam, as well. The diagnostic exams, homework, and practice exams on PPI were extremely helpful, as well as the additional question bank. I used the question bank to create mini-exams and full practice exams for myself prior to taking the real thing. Couldn’t be happier about how it all went!"

- Kevin L., PE Civil 

"PPI quizzes and practice exams prepared me"

"PPI quizzes and practice exams prepared me for time management, content learning, and sifting through various codes to find the answers quickly."

- Tathagata R., PE Civil

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FAQs for the PE Civil Exam

To register for the new option for the construction depth exam, you will need to select the "Construction - Design and Construction of Buildings and Structures" option when you register for the exam.

The PE Civil Reference Handbook should be used as a reference. You should know the content of it well enough that you can easily find what you're looking for during the exam, saving you time and avoiding additional stress. However, don't rely too heavily on it. If a topic is in the exam specs, you should study it in-depth regardless of whether or not it's in the Handbook. Learn more in our Ultimate Guide to the PE Civil Exam.

The PE Civil exam is challenging and rewards a disciplined study plan. Per NCEES (January 2026), first-time pass rates by discipline were: Construction 62%, Geotechnical 65%, Structural 61%, Transportation 59%, and Water Resources & Environmental 71%. Your discipline choice and how closely the content matches your work both affect your odds, so plan your preparation around your weaker areas.
The PE Civil exam runs 8 hours total for exam time to answer 80 questions total. The full 9-hour appointment also includes a short tutorial and an optional 50-minute break between sessions. Both sessions contain multiple-choice and alternative item types.
Most states require about four years of qualifying post-college engineering experience (under a licensed PE) plus a passed FE exam before you can sit for the PE Civil exam. A growing number of states now let you take the exam before completing the experience and grant the license once you do. Always confirm the exact rules with your state licensing board.

The recommended amount of study time for the PE Civil CBT exam is approximately 300 hours. To make sure that you are covering the right content during your study time, think about enrolling in a PE Civil exam prep course designed specifically for the CBT exam. PPI offers three different prep options for the PE Civil exam to suit the amount of prep you need and the format that works best for you:

  • Live Online Course Bundle: This option is best for examinees who want an all-in-one solution to preparing for the PE Civil CBT exam and would like to attend scheduled class sessions. The Live Online course bundle will prepare you for both the depth and breadth portions of the exam. 

  • OnDemand Course Bundle: The OnDemand course bundle is a great option for students or professionals with busy schedules who want to study on the go or at inconsistent times. You'll receive access to pre-recorded lectures, problem-solving demonstrations, and exam strategy sessions from licensed engineers, as well as homework assignments and reference materials. 

  • Self Study - Learning Hub and Print Bundle: Students or professionals who need a refresher before they take the PE Civil Exam, but may not need a full review course, might find that the Learning Hub and Print option is for them. With this option, you’ll get access to the PE Learning Hub and printed review and practice materials.

No, the PE Civil exam is now a closed-book CBT exam. October 2021 was the last exam in the open-book format. In 2022, the exam transitioned to a closed book Computer-Based Test (CBT) that is available to take year-round. You will not be able to bring any books into the exam. Your only reference will be an electronic reference supplied by NCEES.

The best PE Civil prep course gives you a structured review of all topics in your chosen examh, an extensive bank of exam-like practice problems, and full-length practice exams with diagnostics. PPI offers Live Online and self-paced PE Civil options built to the current CBT format so you can match the depth of review and schedule to your needs.

The PE Civil exam is a closed-book, computer-based test (CBT) that measures minimum competency in civil engineering. It's an 8-hour exam of 80 questions, taken year-round. There are five distinct disciplines to select for the exam including Construction, Geotechnical, Structural, Transportation, and Water Resources & Environmental. . You generally need four years of post-college experience to sit for it. Some states allow you to sit for the PE exam earlier in your career; see your state’s specific requirements for details.

According to NCEES, there isn't a specific pass or fail score. You can view how NCEES scores the exam by visiting here.


The latest pass rates released by NCEES for the PE Civil exam were:

  • First-time test takers: 63%
  • Repeat test takers: 40%

Certain codes and design standards will need to be obtained from the respective code publishers. PPI refers to closed-book references throughout our own study materials; however, due to copyright, PPI is not able to provide the design standards or codes themselves.

There are five: Construction, Geotechnical, Structural, Transportation, and Water Resources & Environmental. Pick the one whose content you know best from your daily work (it's the most passable) and that aligns with the direction you want your career to go. If you're torn between two, compare their exam topics and your comfort with each.

View More PE FAQs

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