PE Civil: Geotechnical follows the NCEES specification effective April 2024: 80 questions across 10 knowledge areas. The weight sits in foundations and walls — Retaining Structures and Deep Foundations are each worth 10–15 questions, and Earth Structures, Ground Improvement, and Pavement adds 9–14 — while Groundwater and Seepage and Problematic Soil and Rock Conditions are the smallest at 4–6 each.
70–106, across 10 topics
Effective April 2024
8 or 8.5 hours testing; 9 or 9.5 hours for the appointment
Ranked by question count weighted against the spec's own difficulty rating — not question count alone, since a smaller topic rated harder can be worth more study time than a bigger, easier one.
Lateral earth pressure and load distribution · Rigid retaining wall analysis · Cantilevered, anchored, and braced retaining wall analysis · Cofferdams
Geotechnical and structural capacity and settlement of deep foundations · Lateral capacity and deformation of deep foundations · Installation methods · Static and dynamic load testing
Ground improvement · Geosynthetic applications · Slope stability evaluation and slope stabilization · Embankments, earth dams, and levees
Every topic in the official NCEES spec, with its question range and share of the exam. Study Scheduler allocates your study hours in this same proportion automatically.
Retaining Structures and Deep Foundations, each worth 10–15 of the exam’s 80 questions, followed by Earth Structures, Ground Improvement, and Pavement at 9–14. Together those three areas account for between 29 and 44 of the 80 questions.
Start with the areas worth the most questions: Retaining Structures, Deep Foundations, and Earth Structures, Ground Improvement, and Pavement. Your Study Scheduler plan gives them the most hours automatically, based on the NCEES question ranges.
For how many hours to budget, week-by-week study plans, and how Study Scheduler weights your plan — see the full PE study guide.
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