PE Civil — Water Resources and Environmental practice problems and timed practice exams

What the exam covers

PE Civil — Water Resources and Environmental knowledge areas

NCEES divides the PE Civil — Water Resources and Environmental exam into 12 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 — Water Resources and Environmental problem into the same areas, so you can work on one at a time or mix them all.

1. 1

   Project Planning

   Quantity take-off methods · Cost estimating · Project schedules · Activity identification and sequencing · Economic and sustainability analysis (e.g., present worth, lifecycle costs, comparison of alternatives)

   4–6 exam questions5–8% of the exam30+ practice problems

2. 2

   Soil Mechanics

   Lateral earth pressure · Soil consolidation and compaction · Bearing capacity · Settlement · Slope stability

   3–5 exam questions4–6% of the exam50+ practice problems

3. 3

   Materials

   Soil classification and boring log interpretation · Soil properties (e.g., strength, permeability, compressibility, phase relationships) · Concrete (e.g., nonreinforced, reinforced) · Piping materials · Material test methods and specification conformance

   4–6 exam questions5–8% of the exam30+ practice problems

4. 4

   Analysis and Design

   Mass balance · Hydraulic loading · Solids loading (e.g., sediment loading, sludge) · Hydraulic flow measurement

   6–9 exam questions8–11% of the exam30+ practice problems

5. 5

   Hydraulics - Closed Conduit

   Energy and/or continuity equation (e.g., Bernoulli, grade line analyses, momentum equation) · Pressure conduit (e.g., single pipe, force mains, Hazen-Williams, Darcy-Weisbach, major and minor losses) · Pump application and analysis, including wet wells, lift stations, and cavitation · Pipe network analysis (e.g., series, parallel, loop networks)

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

6. 6

   Hydraulics - Open Channel

   Open-channel flow · Hydraulic grade lines and energy dissipation (e.g., plunge pool, drop structure, culvert outlet) · Stormwater collection and drainage (e.g., culvert, stormwater inlets, gutter flow, street flow, storm sewer pipes) · Sub- and supercritical flow

   7–11 exam questions9–14% of the exam40+ practice problems

7. 7

   Hydrology

   Storm characteristics (e.g., storm frequency, rainfall measurement, distribution) · Runoff analysis (e.g., rational and SCS/NRCS methods) · Hydrograph development and applications, including synthetic hydrographs · Rainfall intensity, duration, frequency, and probability of exceedance · Time of concentration · Rainfall and stream gauging stations · Depletions (e.g., evaporation, detention, percolation, diversions) · Stormwater management and treatment (e.g., detention and retention ponds, infiltration, swales, constructed wetlands)

   8–12 exam questions10–15% of the exam60+ practice problems

8. 8

   Groundwater and Wells

   Aquifers · Groundwater flow · Well and drawdown analysis

   4–6 exam questions5–8% of the exam20+ practice problems

9. 9

   Surface Water and Groundwater Quality

   Stream degradation and oxygen dynamics · Total maximum daily load (TMDL) (e.g., nutrient contamination, DO, load allocation) · Biological and chemical contaminants

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

10. 10

    Drinking Water Distribution and Treatment

    Drinking water distribution systems · Drinking water treatment processes · Present, short-term, and long-term demands · Storage · Sedimentation · Coagulation and flocculation · Membrane processes and media filtration · Disinfection, including disinfection byproducts · Hardness and softening · Other treatment (e.g., ion exchange, carbon adsorption, ozone, UV, specific constituent removal)

    6–9 exam questions8–11% of the exam60+ practice problems

11. 11

    Wastewater Collection and Treatment

    Wastewater collection systems (e.g., lift stations, sewer networks, infiltration, inflow, smoke testing, maintenance, odor control) · Wastewater treatment systems · Preliminary treatment · Primary treatment · Secondary treatment (e.g., physical, chemical, biological processes) · Nutrient removal · Solids treatment, handling, and disposal · Disinfection · Advanced treatment (e.g., advanced oxidation process, effluent filtration, adsorption, reclaimed water)

    7–11 exam questions9–14% of the exam50+ practice problems

12. 12

    Project Sitework

    Excavation and embankment (e.g., grading, cut and fill) · Construction site layout and control · Temporary and permanent soil erosion and sediment control (e.g., construction erosion control and permits, sediment transport, channel/outlet protection) · Impact of construction on adjacent facilities · Safety (e.g., construction, roadside, work zone) · Basic horizontal and vertical curve elements · Retaining walls · Construction methods

    9–14 exam questions11–18% of the exam60+ practice problems

How PassFEPE helps

Practice that fits around a full-time job.

• Practice problems

  540+ PE Civil — Water Resources and Environmental problems, sorted by knowledge area. Choose the areas and how many to do in a set.

• Timed practice exams

  5 full-length PE Civil — Water Resources and Environmental 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 — Water Resources and Environmental 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 12 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 — Water Resources and Environmental 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 — Water Resources and Environmental exam?

Project Sitework: NCEES publishes a range of 9–14 of the 80 questions for it, 11–18% of the exam. PassFEPE has 60+ practice problems in it.

Are these real PE Civil — Water Resources and Environmental 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 — Water Resources and Environmental.

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. 40+ 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.