PE Civil — Transportation practice problems and timed practice exams

What the exam covers

PE Civil — Transportation knowledge areas

NCEES divides the PE Civil — Transportation exam into 10 knowledge areas and publishes a range for each: how many of the exam’s 80 questions can come from that area. PassFEPE sorts every PE Civil — Transportation problem into the same areas, so you can work on one at a time or mix them all.

1. 1

   Project Management

   Quantity and cost estimating · Project schedules (e.g., activity identification and sequencing) · Economic analysis (e.g., present worth, lifecycle costs)

   6–9 exam questions8–11% of the exam20+ practice problems

2. 2

   Traffic Engineering (Capacity Analysis, Transportation Planning, and Safety Analysis)

   Uninterrupted flow (e.g., level of service [LOS], capacity) · Street segment interrupted flow (e.g., level of service [LOS], running time, travel speed) · Intersection capacity (e.g., at grade, signalized, roundabout, interchange) · Traffic analysis (e.g., volume studies, peak hour factor, speed studies, modal split, trip generation, traffic impact studies) · Traffic safety analysis (e.g., conflict analysis, crash rates, collision diagrams) · Nonmotorized facilities analysis (e.g., pedestrian, bicycle) · Traffic forecasts and monitoring · Highway safety analysis (e.g., crash modification factors, Highway Safety Manual)

   10–15 exam questions13–19% of the exam50+ practice problems

3. 3

   Roadside and Cross-Section Design

   Forgiving roadside concepts (e.g., clear zone, recoverable slopes, roadside obstacles) · Barrier design (e.g., barrier types, end treatments, crash cushions) · Cross-section elements (e.g., lane widths, shoulders, bike lane, sidewalks, retaining walls) · Nonmotorized design considerations (e.g., shared-use paths, bicycle facilities, pedestrian facilities, ADA compliance, traffic-calming features)

   7–11 exam questions9–14% of the exam30+ practice problems

4. 4

   Horizontal Design

   Basic circular curve elements (e.g., middle ordinate, length, chord definition, radius definition, centerline stationing) · Sight distance considerations · Superelevation (e.g., rate, transitions, method, components) · Special horizontal curves (e.g., compound/reverse curves, curve widening, coordination with vertical geometry)

   8–12 exam questions10–15% of the exam30+ practice problems

5. 5

   Vertical Design

   Vertical alignment (e.g., geometrics, vertical clearance) · Stopping and passing sight distance (e.g., crest curve, sag curve)

   8–12 exam questions10–15% of the exam30+ practice problems

6. 6

   Intersection Geometry

   Intersection sight distance · Interchanges (e.g., freeway merge, entrance and exit design, horizontal design, vertical design) · At-grade intersection layout, including roundabouts

   7–11 exam questions9–14% of the exam30+ practice problems

7. 7

   Traffic Signals

   Traffic signal timing (e.g., clearance intervals, phasing, pedestrian crossing timing, railroad preemption) · Traffic signal warrants · Traffic signal design

   5–8 exam questions6–10% of the exam20+ practice problems

8. 8

   Traffic Control Design

   Permanent signs and pavement markings · Temporary traffic control

   5–8 exam questions6–10% of the exam30+ practice problems

9. 9

   Geotechnical and Pavement

   Sampling, testing, evaluation, and soil stabilization techniques (e.g., soil classifications, subgrade resilient modulus, CBR, R-values, field tests, slope stability) · Soil properties (e.g., strength, permeability, compressibility, phase relationships) · Compaction, excavation, embankment, and mass balance · Traffic characterization parameters, pavement design, and rehabilitation procedures (e.g., flexible and rigid pavement)

   6–9 exam questions8–11% of the exam20+ practice problems

10. 10

    Drainage

    Hydrology, including runoff and water quality mitigation measures · Hydraulics, including culvert and stormwater collection system design (e.g., inlet capacities, pipe flow, hydraulic energy dissipation, peak flow mitigation/detention, open-channel flow)

    8–12 exam questions10–15% of the exam30+ practice problems

How PassFEPE helps

Practice that fits around a full-time job.

• Practice problems

  330+ PE Civil — Transportation problems, sorted by knowledge area. Choose the areas and how many to do in a set.

• Timed practice exams

  5 full-length PE Civil — Transportation practice exams on the exam clock, with the scheduled break and a review screen before you submit.

• Step-by-step solutions

  Every problem has a worked solution, so you see how the answer is reached and where a wrong one goes astray.

• Tailored study plan

  Your results decide what comes next. PassFEPE ranks the PE Civil — Transportation knowledge areas that need the most work and sizes a set for each.

• Your handbook, searchable

  Add your own NCEES PE Civil Reference Handbook PDF. Search it, jump between sections and keep it open beside every question. It stays on your device.

• Progress by topic

  Accuracy in each of the 10 knowledge areas, and your pace against the exam clock, so every session goes where it counts.

FAQ

Questions, answered.

How many questions are on the PE Civil — Transportation exam?

80 questions in 8 hours of exam time, in two sections with an optional 50-minute scheduled break after about half the questions (PassFEPE’s simulator breaks after question 40). NCEES publishes the question count, the times and the break; PassFEPE’s simulator follows them.

Which knowledge area carries the most questions on the PE Civil — Transportation exam?

Traffic Engineering (Capacity Analysis, Transportation Planning, and Safety Analysis): NCEES publishes a range of 10–15 of the 80 questions for it, 13–19% of the exam. PassFEPE has 50+ practice problems in it.

Are these real PE Civil — Transportation exam questions?

No. They are practice problems written for PassFEPE in the style of the computer-based exam, sorted by the NCEES knowledge areas for PE Civil — Transportation.

Do I need the NCEES PE Civil Reference Handbook?

It is the main reference NCEES supplies on screen. For this exam NCEES also supplies the design standards listed in its exam specification. PassFEPE includes neither, because both are copyrighted. 150+ of these problems need a design standard. Add your own legally obtained PDFs to your reference library and choose the one that opens beside your questions. The files stay on your device.

Is PassFEPE affiliated with NCEES?

No. PassFEPE is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by NCEES.