IStructE Professional Examination 5

[Ginger]

I am a Chartered Civil Engineer and my employer has requested that I sit the Institution Of Structural Engineers (UK) examination to broaden the company's sphere of interest. Is there anyone who has recently undertaken this seven hour torture session who has any top tips for approaching the exam?<br>
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Many thanks<br>
<br>
Ginger

 

[71373]

Ginger,

The exam is no joke, actuallay it is not that difficult and the questions are fairly simple if you had to work them out in 30 hours instead of seven. The exam consists of approximately seven question from which you have to choose one. Each question is divided into two sub questions. In the first sub section you have to provide two different structural solutions for the question including load path, lateral stability etc, no calculation just text and sketches. In the second section you have to to design main elements of the structure. I intend to sit for the exam either in 2002 or 2203.

Good luck

 

[phuduhudu]

I did my civils first and then my structures. It is very tough and the pass rate reflects that. Only about 10% pass first time they sit and the overall pass rate is something like 30%. You need two things to pass; experience and thorough preparation. Your experience should include scheme designs and also detailed design and on site experience covering as many materials and situations as possible. For preparation we had a group of 4 of us who met every week for a few months before the exam. We first went through the different materials and construction types making up files of scheme design info as we went including quick calc methods. Then we did previous paper questions in our own time first and then finally a couple under exam conditions. Doing the examples under exam conditions for the first time is really scary. The key is making sure you know beforehand how much time you can spend on each part of the question and don't deviate from your plan under any circumstance. If you can get someon who has done the exam to mark your effort and make comments that will help as well as getting peer reviews. There are also preparation courses which can be useful.

Good luck
Carl Bauer

http://www.bauerconsultbotswana.com

 

[Ginger]

71373 / Carl

Many thanks for your responses. I appreciate the advice regarding preparation and have made moves to enrol on a preparatory course. With regard to materials and design, my sphere of expertise thus far includes a broad range of heavy civils temporary works, concrete structures and tunnelling design. Two areas which I have not been exposed to are : masonry (except for basic free standing walls) and portal framed or steel framed multi-storey structures.

These two areas are &quot;bread and butter work&quot; to the majority of structural engineers I know. Should I endeavour to expand my knowledge in these fields, or are the range of questions so varied that to exclude these areas would not seriously penalise me?

Regards Andy Machon

 

[71373]

The questions are varied but I feel that you nedd to be prepared for the analysis and design of frames. Note that the institute do not expect rigorous analysis and deign but only conceptual with sufficient calculations to be able to prepare a preliminary cost and proposal. In view of this I recommend certain short cuts which are used by engineers which are found in various text books and which will prove very usefull for the exam.


Good luck

 

[ocean13]

what is this preparatory class?

everyone getting exam smart but actually....0 0 0!

anyway, just not to lose out, where can one enroll??

 

[phuduhudu]

ocean13,

Check with the IstructE and they will point you in the right direction. I believe there was a CD version of the course being prepared a couple of years ago but it was still a Beta version at that stage so maybe it's ready by now. It would be useful for those of us not in UK. I got course notes sent to me by Peter Gardner who runs a course and can be contacted at peter.gardnerAsolent.ac.uk

Ginger, you only have to answer one question but if the bridge type question is a nightmare and you can only design bridges then you're obviously in trouble. This is where the exam is really weighted in favour of us building guys because there are usually several building questions, a bridge, an offshore question and probably some other types too. Of course I never looked at anything that wasn't a building so I wouldn't know how hard they are. As I said before the best thing is to get hold of past papers and see for yourself. The exam is remarkably consistent from year to year so with a few papers you will get the idea. They can be ordered from the institution. Carl Bauer

http://www.bauerconsultbotswana.com

 

[vera]

Hi, my name is Vera, and I am in a similar situation, planning to do the S.E. exam in WA, USA, in October. I have been practising the profession for 20 some years...so-any ideas how to get prepared to pass/complete on time? Any prep courses on the west coast? I'd really appreciate any advice!!!!!!!!! Thank you, Vera

 

[engitect]

Can you give further information about how to tackle the first part of the questions (structural solutions, load paths etc), which may seem easy but I think it may trick people.
What is exactly required?

thanks

 

[phuduhudu]

Here’s a few more pointers for the exam.

1. Try and get some sample papers from the IstructE.
2. Start with a calculation plan including a succinct statement of how all loads get to the ground (vertical, lateral)
3. Also include some of the main members you have to size in a sort of index form. Then you will know exactly what you have to do and how much time you have to do it. This is the most important stage so don’t be afraid to take a good amount of time for this. You will be tempted to go straight into calculations but you will waste time if you do that.
4. Go through the plan you have already made. This stage should be fairly automatic as it will just be calculations you have done before with different numbers and sizes.
5. The drawing work is also very important and all I can suggest is that you practice it.
6. Most of all have a plan in mind for how you will use your time and stick to it even if it means leaving some things out.

Good luck
Carl Bauer

http://www.bauerconsultbotswana.com