Now in its Second Edition, fully updated for the 2027 NCEES exam specifications. Updated to the HCM 7th Edition and MUTCD 11th Edition (2023). The main objective of this book is to provide comprehensive and thorough coverage of the Transportation Civil PE Exam topics through questions. It is written in accordance with the latest NCEES exam specifications and design standards, using structured, well-thought-out questions that serve as an overall guide. They help the reader understand and remember all the knowledge areas in the exam specifications, along with key topics and important concepts of transportation engineering.
One book for both exams. The Second Edition covers the 2027 exam specifications and also covers the pre-2027 exam, so it serves you whichever exam you are sitting.
Unlike short, straightforward questions, a substantial portion of the questions in this guide are designed to be slightly longer and more comprehensive, to build understanding across all aspects of transportation engineering and help candidates pass the PE Exam. The book places particular emphasis on up-to-date transportation manuals, codes and design standards, aiming to make this guide the go-to resource for exam takers.
Each question is accompanied by detailed figures that serve as visual aids, along with step-by-step solutions with proper, detailed references. Alternative solutions are also offered where possible.
Lastly, this book aims to replace expensive courses and resources that can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. It offers a simple yet highly effective method of learning at a fraction of the cost.
Exam standards covered:
- Highway Capacity Manual (HCM), 7th Edition
- MUTCD, 11th Edition (2023)
- Highway Safety Manual
- Hydraulic Design of Highway Culverts
- A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets (Green Book)
- Guide for the Planning, Design, and Operation of Pedestrian Facilities
- Roadside Design Guide
- Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide
- Guide for Design of Pavement Structures
- NCEES Handbook Version 2.2
This book features 160 comprehensive questions to help you pass the exam on your first try. Each question is educational and designed to cover a wide range of topics, with no straightforward answers. Almost everyone who has purchased this book, studied it thoroughly and taken the exam reports that it made passing significantly easier.
The questions are organized into five parts:
- Project Management – Covers cost estimating, scheduling and economic analysis, including present worth and lifecycle cost, to prepare you for the project management knowledge area.
- Traffic Engineering – Covers the traffic engineering knowledge area, including traffic signal design, traffic control and safety requirements, with emphasis on the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM), the MUTCD, the Guide for the Planning, Design, and Operation of Pedestrian Facilities and the Highway Safety Manual. Questions cover interrupted and uninterrupted flow, intersection and lane capacities, pedestrian traffic, traffic forecasts, trip generation, queuing diagrams and signal design.
- Design & Geometry – Covers geometric and cross-sectional design, including horizontal and vertical curve design, intersection geometry and roadside cross-section design, with emphasis on AASHTO’s Green Book and the Roadside Design Guide.
- Geotechnical & Pavement – Covers soil sampling, geotechnical evaluation, slope evaluation, consolidation and laboratory tests, with emphasis on the NCEES Handbook, AASHTO’s Guide for Design of Pavement Structures and the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide.
- Drainage – Covers hydrology, hydraulics, runoff, stormwater collection and culvert hydraulics, with emphasis on the NCEES Handbook and Hydraulic Design of Highway Culverts.
All answers are detailed and well referenced, with links to the relevant design manuals and codes for your benefit.
The online Transportation Civil Practice Exams have been developed to provide a balanced distribution of question difficulty, along with a representative mix of conceptual and calculation-based problems. They are available now with solutions based on the pre-2027 exam specifications, and in early 2027 solutions based on the 2027 specifications will be added, so both will be available.
Using both the online Practice Exams and the Essential Guide together provides a complete study strategy, reinforcing key concepts and maximizing your preparedness for the Transportation Civil PE examination.
