I took that exam in virginia and passed in 2001. do as many problems as possible, be familar with the codes, that doesnt mean memorizing them but know where things are. most important, start studying NOW!!
I thought that the problems were really dealing with basics, the trick is recognizing the key basic concept quickly from there on it is punching a few numbrs in to a calculator.
I agree with vstr. The problems are not to complicated but require a good grasp of basics in all structural types (i.e. wood, concrete, bridges etc). Also be prepared for lateral resistance problems. The ncees publications are good for problem examples, Alan Williams books from Engineering Press on seismic design and the structural license review are also very helpful. Also for bridge design a book by Kim available from Professional Publications is also very good. Good luck in October! I just received notification of passing the April exam a few weeks ago.
The SE1 is a tough test even compared to the other PE exams. I passed last October's SE1 with a lot of points to spare. This is what I did:
1) Study everything. Your test will probably focus more heavily on a couple of topics, but you won't know which ones they will be. Many people put in over 200 hrs of studying.
2)Bring all the codes that are listed.
3)Get as many of Alan Williams books as you can afford.
4)For topics you don't feel comfortable with, make yourself a step by step cookbook on how to solve them. Luckily I did this with bridge problems and it really paid off.
5)Tab all your books. This means codes, and any texts that have good examples. Breyer's wood design, Amrhein's reinforced masonry etc.
6)Bring earplugs to the test with you, it can get loud in there with all the book pages turning and you don't have time to be distracted.
7) Work as many problems as you can. You aren't going to have time to figure out anything new during the test.
8) Be careful and read the problems twice. You will see what I mean after you work the practice test from NCEES.
The review courses generally prep you for how to take the test, but the actual material isn't so great. The practice exams by NCEES were helpful. Remember to practice bridge problems, and go through some precast concrete examples in the PCI Handbook. Bring all the codes with you, and take some granola bars for snacks.
