PE-S Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 54 Content Areas

What the 54 Content Areas Actually Are

If you search for the structure of the PE Structural exam (widely called the SE exam, and labeled PE-S on this site), you will find that NCEES publishes four separate specification documents rather than one tidy list of domains. This guide flattens the headings and subheadings from those four documents into 54 sequential lines so you can see the entire scope at once. That number is an organizational device. NCEES does not declare 54 independent examination domains, and it does not publish a percentage weight for each line.

The lines fall into six groups:

• Domains 1-12: Vertical forces (gravity/other) and incidental lateral, breadth
• Domains 13-24: Lateral forces (wind/earthquake), breadth
• Domains 25-33: Vertical depth, Buildings
• Domains 34-39: Vertical depth, Bridges
• Domains 40-48: Lateral depth, Buildings
• Domains 49-54: Lateral depth, Bridges

Because you choose only one depth option, you will never face all 54 lines. A Buildings candidate works from Domains 1-33 and 40-48 (the Bridges lines 34-39 and 49-54 drop out). A Bridges candidate works from Domains 1-24, 34-39, and 49-54. The breadth lines are shared by everyone.

For the broader orientation behind this structure, see What Is PE-S? and the walkthrough of PE-S requirements, eligibility, and prerequisites.

How the Exam Is Built: Four Sections, Two Components

Pearson VUE administers the exam as four separately scheduled computer-based sections. It is not one 23-hour exam; it is four sittings that together total 23 actual testing hours across 25 hours of appointment time. Each appointment also includes a 2-minute nondisclosure agreement, an 8-minute tutorial, and a 20-minute scheduled break.

Breadth sections use multiple-choice, single-response questions covering both Buildings and Bridges. Depth sections are different: each 2026 depth section contains five 12-item alternative-item-type scenarios. Four of those scenarios contain 10 scored and 2 pretest items each, and one contains 12 pretest items. Alternative item types receive no partial credit, which changes how you should rehearse depth-style problems.

The two components, Vertical and Lateral, are scored separately, and both must reach an acceptable result. An acceptable completed-component result does not expire. You can read the fee and logistics side in the PE-S certification cost breakdown; the exam fee is USD 350 per section, a calculated USD 1,400 for one attempt at all four, before board charges, preparation costs, and retakes.

Vertical Breadth: Domains 1-12

The Vertical breadth outline covers vertical forces (gravity and other) plus the incidental lateral component. NCEES publishes question ranges for its two main branches: Analysis of Structures runs 15 to 23 questions, and Design and Details of Structures runs 30 to 48. Design and Details has the larger range, which is why material-specific design skill carries so much of this section. No fixed percentage weights should be inferred from those ranges.

Analysis of Structures (Domains 1-3)

Design and Details of Structures (Domains 4-12)

Domain 4 is the umbrella heading, followed by General Structural Considerations (Domain 5) and Structural Systems Integration (Domain 6). Domains 7 through 12 are the material and foundation areas:

• Domain 7, Structural Steel: member and connection design under the supplied electronic standards.
• Domain 8, Cold-Formed Steel: a distinct material with its own standard; do not fold it into hot-rolled steel prep.
• Domain 9, Concrete: the heaviest reference-navigation load for many candidates.
• Domain 10, Wood: often underestimated because it looks simpler than it tests.
• Domain 11, Masonry: a smaller-feeling area that still appears across breadth and depth.
• Domain 12, Foundations and Retaining Structures: bridges the structural and geotechnical interface.

Lateral Breadth: Domains 13-24

The Lateral breadth outline mirrors the Vertical one but focuses on wind and earthquake. Its published ranges are Analysis of Structures 17 to 26 questions and Design and Details of Structures 28 to 46. Again, Design and Details has the larger range, and no percentage weights are published.

The twelve heading names repeat those of the vertical outline: Analysis of Structures (13), Generation of Loads (14), Load Distribution and Analysis Methods (15), Design and Details of Structures (16), General Structural Considerations (17), Structural Systems Integration (18), Structural Steel (19), Cold-Formed Steel (20), Concrete (21), Wood (22), Masonry (23), and Foundations and Retaining Structures (24).

The repeated names are a trap for studying efficiently, because the content is not interchangeable. "Generation of Loads" under Vertical means gravity and related demands; under Lateral it means wind and seismic demands. "Structural Steel" under Lateral points you toward lateral-system behavior, detailing, and connections rather than the gravity member checks you drilled for the Vertical component.

For a candid look at what makes these sections demanding, see how hard the PE-S exam is.

Depth Option: Buildings (Domains 25-33 and 40-48)

The depth sections move from broad coverage to concentrated, scenario-driven problem solving. Each is organized by scenario topics (the subject of a scenario) and knowledge areas (the skills a scenario may draw on). Knowledge areas are topics that may be included, not guaranteed independent allocations.

Vertical Depth, Buildings

Lateral Depth, Buildings

Note two structural differences between the Buildings sides. Vertical depth lists wood and masonry as separate scenario topics, while Lateral depth combines them as "wood and/or masonry." And Lateral depth adds a general-analysis scenario topic (Domain 43) that explicitly names existing structures, secondary structures, nonbuilding structures, and computer verification. Candidates who skip nonbuilding and existing-structure topics because they rarely appear in their practice are leaving a named scope item unprepared.

Depth Option: Bridges (Domains 34-39 and 49-54)

Vertical Depth, Bridges

Lateral Depth, Bridges

The Bridges outlines are shorter than the Buildings outlines: six lines per component group rather than nine. That does not mean the depth is easier. Fewer headings means each one covers more ground, and the Lateral Bridges side leans heavily on seismic force analysis, piers, abutments, and foundations. Notice also that the Bridges knowledge areas end at "design and preparation of details" and omit a separate joints-and-connections or construction-administration line.

Choosing Buildings or Bridges

You choose one depth option, Buildings or Bridges, and you must use the same option in both the Vertical and Lateral components. You do not take both tracks. This makes the decision more consequential than it looks, because a mistake costs you in two sections.

What the published pass-rate table shows

The NCEES pass-rate table (updated July 2026) reports first-time and repeat cohorts separately for each section and option. These are separate section populations, not a single overall SE pass rate and not October 2026 outcomes.

Be careful with these numbers. The Bridges cohorts are small (for instance, 16 and 14 repeat examinees in two of the rows), so differences between options say little about which is "easier." Cohorts also differ in who they contain. Use the table for context on how demanding each section is, and see the PE-S pass rate analysis for how to read it responsibly. NCEES uses an equated minimum-competence standard and does not publish a universal passing score, so there is no raw-score target to chase; the passing score explainer covers what is and is not known.

Sequencing the Domains Across Your Prep

You do not have to sit the four sections together. Breadth is offered year-round, while depth is offered twice yearly; the next Lateral depth administration is October 27, 2026, and Vertical depth is October 28, 2026. Check the PE-S exam dates and scheduling guide for current windows. Because completed-component results do not expire, many candidates stagger the sections.

Here is one way to order the domain groups, built around dependencies rather than generic habit:

For a full preparation framework beyond sequencing, see the PE-S study guide, and keep the PE-S cheat sheet handy for quick facts. To check yourself against realistic question styles, use the practice test platform and the full question bank once you have covered a domain group.

Allowed resources shape how you study

The exam is closed book. You receive the electronic NCEES PE Structural Engineering Reference Handbook and the specified electronic design standards; no personal references are permitted. Calculations use USCS units with approved calculators. Because the standards appear searchable and organized by chapter, your preparation should emphasize finding the governing provision fast and applying it correctly, not memorizing equations.

The 2026 to 2027 Format Boundary

Everything above reflects the 2026 specifications, including the depth specifications effective April 2026 and the 60-question depth sections. Starting April 2027, each depth section changes to 48 questions, comprising 40 scored and 8 pretest, while retaining 6 hours of actual testing, and it includes multiple-choice plus alternative item types. NCEES posts separate 2027 specifications and standards.

Two cautions follow. First, do not apply 2027 specifications to your October 2026 preparation, and do not carry the 2026 domain scope or code editions forward without checking the new documents. Second, be aware of a published inconsistency: the NCEES Examinee Guide summary table (printed page 16) lists 60 depth questions alongside 2027 dates, while the dedicated Structural page explicitly specifies 48 beginning April 2027. The version-specific Structural notice governs the future format. Confirm any date-sensitive detail on the current NCEES Structural page before you schedule.

Passing the four sections is separate from licensure. Board eligibility, acceptance of the exam, license issuance, and continuing-education renewal are handled by your licensing board; see PE-S certification and whether the credential is worth it for the career side, along with PE-S jobs and the salary guide.

Frequently Asked Questions