4 Exams, 1 Goal: Sequencing Your SE Registrations to Streamline Your Licensure

Many candidates are uncertain about which SE exam component to attempt first. This decision is subjective and depends on individual factors such as prior experience, areas of strength and weakness, and available study time. However, the following points may help guide the choice:

• Overlap between gravity and lateral exams:

The lateral exams cover many of the same design topics as the gravity exams. Ultimately, both require the design of structural elements—beams, columns, and beam-columns—subjected to different loading conditions (gravity versus lateral). While the load types differ, the resulting internal forces (axial, flexural, shear, torsional, etc.) are similar, with the addition of seismic ductility requirements (e.g., width-to-thickness ratios, unbraced length limitations, etc.) for lateral design.

• Focusing on one component type (breadth vs depth):

For“buildings” components, the key difference between the breadth and depth exams lies in the bridge-related content. Therefore, taking the depth exam first allows candidates to exclude bridge topics from their initial study plan—an advantage for those who are less comfortable with bridge design and need additional preparation time.

• Taking all four exams together:

Although some candidates attempt all four exams at once and succeed, this group represents a very small percentage. This approach is not generally recommended, as the overall volume of material is substantial and requires significant study time to master.

In summary, the sequence of taking the SE exams varies among engineers. Some prefer to take the breadth and depth exams for the same component together, others choose to complete both breadth exams first, and a few takes both depth exams together. Only a small fraction of candidates attempts all four exams simultaneously.