California Civil Seismic Principles Exam Prep

Comprehensive study materials for the California Civil: Seismic Principles exam

California Civil Seismic Principles Exam Prep Options

The CA Civil Seismic Principles exam is an open book computer-based exam. Our Exam Prep Bundles are designed to make sure you have everything you need for exam-day success. Explore each bundle option below, or compare our bundles, to find the right study option that fits your learning style.

About the California Civil Seismic OnDemand Course Bundle

This OnDemand Course Bundle was created to help you study at your own pace, but also choose the course time frame that works best for you. We leverage over 45 years of PE exam prep experience when designing our OnDemand courses, offering you a thorough review of every exam topic. Our professional engineers have real-world experience and will guide you through each step of your exam prep. Your OnDemand course covers all California Civil Seismic Principles exam topics. Choose between the 3-month, 6-month, or 1-year options. 

Every PPI OnDemand course comes with:

  • Instruction from professional engineers. Includes 58+ hours of course activities including recorded lectures, problem-solving demonstrations, recommended reading, homework assignments, and practice exams.
  • Trusted exam prep materials designed to help you pass. You'll receive reference materials, and detailed class notes.
  • PPI's Learning Hub for a custom Learning Path, practice exam, web books, and more.

Access Time

Access to your OnDemand Course begins immediately upon purchase. For 3-month, 6-month, and 1-year courses, access ends automatically at the end of your chosen duration. For monthly and weekly courses, access renews monthly or weekly until you cancel the subscription.

Live Online Lecture Demo

Learning Platform Demo

What's Included:

Course Features

Upon registration for your course, you will gain instant access to OnDemand lectures to get your exam prep started.

All presentation slides are downloadable, providing you the opportunity to take notes as you follow along with your instructor.

The course syllabus and homework assignments help you stay on track and reinforce key concepts.

Proven test-taking and time management tips from your instructor are provided throughout your course to prepare you for exam day success.

Print Materials
California Civil Seismic Principles Solved Problems Twelfth Edition book cover
Provides comprehensive practice for both the California Civil Seismic Principles exam and the NCEES Structural Engineering (SE) exam.
California Civil Seismic Building Design Twelfth Edition Book Cover
Provides a comprehensive introduction to core seismic concepts and principles, and offers essential background information for engineering and architecture exams.
Customizable Book Tabs Product Image
Organize your exam references using these attractive, durable, and easily customizable crack-and-peel book tabs.
Easily find the codes and terms you will need during the exam with the California Civil Seismic Building Design, 12th Edition downloadable index.
California Civil Seismic Principles Practice Exam Twelfth Edition Book Cover
Contains two realistic, full-length exams, each with 55 multiple-choice problems. This edition is updated to comply with the exam spec changes announced by the California Department of Consumer Affairs Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists, who offer the California Civil (Engineering Surveying/Seismic Principles) Examinations.
Digital Materials
California Civil Seismic Principles Solved Problems Twelfth Edition book cover
California Civil Seismic Principles Solved Problems Web Book includes 360 multiple-choice problems covering all exam topics, with step-by-step procedures to solve numerical problems, and detailed explanations for qualitative problems.
Practice using NCEES-like exam simulations. Each exam contains a unique set of questions. To simulate an exam-day experience, you can reference your copy of the NCEES® Handbook on the left, and answer questions on the right.
California Civil Seismic Building Design Web Book provides a concise but thorough review of seismic theory, code application, design principles, and structural analysis with over 150 example problems.
Your Learning Path is a study calendar that acts as a central hub and takes you week-by-week through your studies. It links you directly to all your study materials from one central location. For Live Online students, your schedule is automatically customized to your class schedule. For OnDemand and Learning Hub students, you can customize the number of hours you want to study per week, as well as any days off, and your Learning Path will automatically update to match your availability.
The Activity Library contains all the same study materials that are available in your Learning Path in an easy-to-search interface. Filter by exam topic to see all available activities in that topic. You can also search by activity name for easy lookup.

Purchase Options

Select Access Period
OnDemand Course: California Civil Seismic - 1 Year Access
1-Year Access (Non-Renewing)
$695.00
$1,195.00

This course is a 12-month subscription that begins upon purchase. This course will not renew.

$695.00
$1,195.00
OnDemand Course: California Civil Seismic - 3 Months Access
3-Month Access (Non-Renewing)
$695.00
This course is a 3-month subscription that begins upon purchase. This course will not renew.
$695.00
OnDemand Course: California Civil Seismic - 6 Months Access
6-Month Access (Non-Renewing)
$395.00
$895.00
This course is a 6-month subscription that begins upon purchase. This course will not renew.
$395.00
$895.00

About the California Civil Seismic Learning Hub Bundle

PPI Learning Hub is the go-to destination for California Civil Seismic Principles exam prep. The Learning Hub is more than an eLearning platform—it is a time-tested program that guides examinees through their exam prep from start to finish. Our philosophy has a simple framework: kick-off your studies with a personalized PPI Learning Path, then “Assess, Review, Practice” until you are ready for exam day.

PPI Learning Hub is ideal if you need to review key knowledge areas and would like extensive practice to be part of your exam preparation. This bundle will also include our industry-leading print materials.

Access Time

Access to Learning Hub begins immediately upon purchase. For 3-month, 6-month, and 1-year Learning Hub products, access ends automatically at the end of your chosen duration. For monthly and weekly Learning Hub products, access renews monthly or weekly until you cancel the subscription. 

 

 

 

 

Learning Platform Demo

 

 

 

What's Included:

Print Materials
California Civil Seismic Principles Solved Problems Twelfth Edition book cover
Provides comprehensive practice for both the California Civil Seismic Principles exam and the NCEES Structural Engineering (SE) exam.
California Civil Seismic Building Design Twelfth Edition Book Cover
Provides a comprehensive introduction to core seismic concepts and principles, and offers essential background information for engineering and architecture exams.
Customizable Book Tabs Product Image
Organize your exam references using these attractive, durable, and easily customizable crack-and-peel book tabs.
Easily find the codes and terms you will need during the exam with the California Civil Seismic Building Design, 12th Edition downloadable index.
California Civil Seismic Principles Practice Exam Twelfth Edition Book Cover
Contains two realistic, full-length exams, each with 55 multiple-choice problems. This edition is updated to comply with the exam spec changes announced by the California Department of Consumer Affairs Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists, who offer the California Civil (Engineering Surveying/Seismic Principles) Examinations.
Digital Materials
California Civil Seismic Principles Solved Problems Twelfth Edition book cover
California Civil Seismic Principles Solved Problems Web Book includes 360 multiple-choice problems covering all exam topics, with step-by-step procedures to solve numerical problems, and detailed explanations for qualitative problems.
Practice using NCEES-like exam simulations. Each exam contains a unique set of questions. To simulate an exam-day experience, you can reference your copy of the NCEES® Handbook on the left, and answer questions on the right.
California Civil Seismic Building Design Web Book provides a concise but thorough review of seismic theory, code application, design principles, and structural analysis with over 150 example problems.
Your Learning Path is a study calendar that acts as a central hub and takes you week-by-week through your studies. It links you directly to all your study materials from one central location. For Live Online students, your schedule is automatically customized to your class schedule. For OnDemand and Learning Hub students, you can customize the number of hours you want to study per week, as well as any days off, and your Learning Path will automatically update to match your availability.
The Activity Library contains all the same study materials that are available in your Learning Path in an easy-to-search interface. Filter by exam topic to see all available activities in that topic. You can also search by activity name for easy lookup.

Purchase Options

Select Access Period
Learning Hub Bundle: California Civil Seismic - 1 Year Access
1-Year Learning Hub Access
$895.00

PPI’s Learning Hub Bundle gives you 12 months of access to all of the powerful features and learning hub study materials. No need to worry about renewing or cancelling a subscription. Get started today!

$895.00
Learning Hub Bundle: California Civil Seismic - 6 Months Access
6-Month Learning Hub Access
$595.00
PPI’s Learning Hub Bundle gives you 6 months of access to all of the powerful features and learning hub study materials. No need to worry about renewing or cancelling a subscription. Get started today!
$595.00
Learning Hub Bundle: California Civil Seismic - 3 Months Access
3-Month Learning Hub Access
$395.00
PPI’s Learning Hub Bundle gives you 3 months of access to all of the powerful features and learning hub study materials. No need to worry about renewing or cancelling a subscription. Get started today!
$395.00

About the California Civil Seismic Print Bundle

This collection of print resources provides you a traditional exam prep experience to help you prepare for and pass the California Civil Seismic Principles exam the first time. The review materials in this bundle are updated to the current exam specs, contain thorough coverage of principles and codes, and include numerous practice problems to challenge your knowledge of the concepts. This curated bundle includes California Civil Seismic Building Design, the leading reference manual in the industry, practice problems, the most realistic practice exams on the market, as well as the latest CodeMaster Seismic guides.

What's Included:

Print Materials
California Civil Seismic Principles Solved Problems Twelfth Edition book cover
Provides comprehensive practice for both the California Civil Seismic Principles exam and the NCEES Structural Engineering (SE) exam.
California Civil Seismic Building Design Twelfth Edition Book Cover
Provides a comprehensive introduction to core seismic concepts and principles, and offers essential background information for engineering and architecture exams.
Customizable Book Tabs Product Image
Organize your exam references using these attractive, durable, and easily customizable crack-and-peel book tabs.
Easily find the codes and terms you will need during the exam with the California Civil Seismic Building Design, 12th Edition downloadable index.
California Civil Seismic Principles Practice Exam Twelfth Edition Book Cover
Contains two realistic, full-length exams, each with 55 multiple-choice problems. This edition is updated to comply with the exam spec changes announced by the California Department of Consumer Affairs Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists, who offer the California Civil (Engineering Surveying/Seismic Principles) Examinations.
2018 CodeMaster Seismic Design Image
This two-page laminated, handy reference tool contains everything you need to know about the determination of seismic design categories. It is a great time-saving tool and provides a step-by-step procedure to determine a structure's seismic design category in accordance with the 2018 IBC and ASCE 7-16. Shortcuts and illustrations are provided to help quickly assess applicability of exceptions and find the needed information.
2018 CodeMaster Seismic Design Image
This 6-page laminated reference guide provides an easy-to-follow 11-step procedure for seismic design in accordance with the 2018 IBC and ASCE 7-16, with emphasis on the seismic design of a typical one-to-three story building. Illustrations are provided for many of the difficult to understand requirements. Subjects addressed include determination of mapped spectral response accelerations; consideration of exceptions to the seismic code requirements; Seismic Design Category determination; consideration of plan and vertical structural irregularities; determination of seismic base shear, redundancy coefficient and seismic load effects; and compliance with drift control requirements.

Purchase Options

Print Bundle: California Civil Seismic
$370.00
$370.00

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California Civil Seismic Exam FAQs

It’s recommended that you submit your application for licensure to the Board after you have passed the NCEES Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE Civil) exam. You must schedule and sit for the exam in the quarter following the quarter in which your application and exam fees are processed and approved by the Board.
You can see the specifications and exam topics here.
The exam tests the entry-level competency of a candidate to practice civil engineering within the profession’s acceptable standards for public safety. It is administered by the Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists in California. You must pass the PE Civil exam, as well as both the CA Civil Engineering Surveying exam and the California Civil Seismic Principles exam, in order to be licensed as a Civil PE in California.
The exam is 2.5 hours long with 55 multiple-choice questions. It’s a computer-based exam, but you are allowed to bring in as many reference materials as one trip and one box will permit. See prometric.com for the latest guidelines.
The passing rate for the exam is 49 percent. PPI offers an OnDemand prep course to support you in your studies and boost your chances of passing the exam.

What Our Customers Say

PE Civil Customer
“The instructor went over and above during lecture and office hours to get to everyone's questions. He managed to be a positive energy throughout the length of the course."
Matthew
“Just wanted to let you know, I received results for PE Exam today…PASS!! Thank you to PPI…Specifically Josh Ogle and Richard Austin, my instructors for the April 2021 review courses."
Andrea
"I had a great teacher, and the PPI material was laid out perfectly to help me prepare for my exam. Highly recommended!"
Brad
"This course provided a great foundation for PE exam preparation, and my instructor was very gracious with his exam-taking advice. The provided course material (slides and practice problems) were extremely helpful and, for the most part, the assigned homework was good practice."
Brian
"After completing the course, homework, and practice exams, I felt that the actual PE exam had much simpler problems, making it feel easier. I felt very confident after I finished the exam, thanks to this course."
Calvin
"A great comprehensive review of the Civil PE with a diverse class and knowledgeable instructor. It covered all the sections, provided great conceptual information on the topics, and gave excellent practical advice about taking the exam. Highly recommend it, especially if you have been away from an academic setting for a few years."
Cristin
"The course is very well structured to keep you on track. The content covered was extremely relevant to the exam. My instructor was very caring, motivational, and gave great tips and strategies for the exam. I highly recommend this course."
Dhruv
"My instructor was very good and always tried his best to answer the questions posed by his students. The course helped me move through all the study material in a timely manner and prepared us well to be ready for the exam. I highly recommend this course to anyone who is looking to pass the PE exam."
Eduardo
"I would definitely recommend this course to a friend or coworker. The course provided many homework problems and a lot of valuable study material. The instructor was great and answered many questions during office hours. Tips provided in the course were very useful!"
Emily
"This course will get you on the right track. Be prepared for many hours studying so that you can get through all the material. It's an investment in YOU."
Erich
"PPI does an amazing job at building the foundation for the PE exam and will easily prepare you for the exam. The class certainly goes into more depth than is necessary for the test, but as soon as you open the exam booklet, your confidence will grow once you see the simplicity of most of the problems.”
PE Civil Customer
“The class is intense, so do not take it lightly, but well worth the work. If you are willing to put in the effort and attend all the classes and do all the homework, you will be more than prepared.” 
PE Civil Customer
“PPI not only prepares you to ace the test, it also teaches you to be a better engineer and provides you with materials and experience that will last through your career.”
PE Civil Customer
“My instructor did an amazing job at teaching all the lectures and was always available for questions if you were having problems with a question. Her depth of knowledge was amazing, and even when she was asked something outside of her specific field of expertise, she would always find you the answer."
Haley
"This class gave me access to peers who take studying seriously and an instructor who had taught the class many times. It was incredibly valuable to interact with them to keep myself on track and encouraged. It's easy to get overwhelmed by the test but this class does a great job of instilling confidence."
Jesse
"The course was great. Really helped with knowing just what kind of questions would be expected on the exam. And the review material was a good reference to bring to the exam!"
Joanne
"I found the review course to be much more demanding than the actual exam, which was a relief on exam day. A lot of the material covered in the course was good to learn, since it gave me confidence in the subject matter."
Joshua
"The instructor was great at calming the nerves down for those first time takers like me and offered great exam day advice."
Justin
"Great overall course that kept me on track and made the exam preparation less stressful. I felt confident going into the exam and would recommend taking this course. The instructor was very helpful, knowledgeable, and responded to questions in a timely manner."
Kaitlyn
"I highly recommend this class to anyone struggling with the vast amount of information covered on the exam. The course was a great way to get on a schedule and forced me to complete practice problems and be exposed to thoughts and questions from my peers.”
PE Civil Customer
“The instructor went over and above during lecture and office hours to get to everyone's questions. He managed to be a positive energy throughout the length of the course."
Matthew
“Just wanted to let you know, I received results for PE Exam today…PASS!! Thank you to PPI…Specifically Josh Ogle and Richard Austin, my instructors for the April 2021 review courses."

David Connor, PE, SE

David Connor, PE, SE is currently a structural engineer for Haines, Gipson, and Associates in the Atlanta, Georgia metro area. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering, structural emphasis, from the Georgia Institute of Technology and his Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering, structural and geotechnical emphasis, from the University of South Carolina.

He has been a registered Professional Engineer (PE) in Georgia since 2002, and passed the 16-hour NCEES Structural Engineering (SE) Exam in 2014. He is registered as a PE in other states as well, and a registered SE in Illinois. Additionally, he wrote the book “Bridge Problems for the Structural Engineering (SE) Exam” which is currently available for purchase from PPI and other book sellers.

Meet Your Instructor »

David Micnhimer, PE, SE

David Micnhimer, PE, SE is a licensed professional engineer in California, Virginia, and North Carolina. He has known that he wanted to be a structural engineer since elementary school. The past few years, he has worked at a steel bridge manufacturing company, designing over 150 different bridges, including trusses, modular bridges, and buried structures.

Previously, he worked as a consultant designing bridges, retaining walls, solar site foundations, substations, and a variety of other structures. He has conducted bridge inspections and site investigations as well. He is particularly interested in the complexities of seismic design, finite element analysis, and soil-structure interaction. You will see his projects in nearly every state in the United States.

He received his BS in Civil Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines. He successfully defended his Master’s Thesis in “Stochastic Modeling by Polynomial Chaos Expansions on the Long-Term Behavior of Concrete Beams with CFRP Composites.” He is expected to complete his MS in Structural Engineering soon with only one class remaining. While at Mines, he ran DII Cross Country and Track, racing events from the 1500m to the 10k. He also participated in ASCE, AGC, Civil Engineering Honor Society, and the Navigators.

He recently moved back to Colorado with his wife, 2 dogs, and 1 cat. In his free time, David likes to run long distances and is currently training for ultra-marathons. He likes to spend time with his wife hiking, playing disc golf, and exploring.

Meet Your Instructor »

Elena Badilla, PE, MCE

Elena Badilla, PE, MCE earned a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from California State University–Northridge (CSUN) and a Master of Civil Engineering from Norwich University. She currently works as a survey engineer on a 10-mile segmental bridge project in Hawai’i.

She has over six years of experience in construction engineering, surveying, hydrology and hydraulics, geometry control and site development for residential, commercial and public works projects. Elena holds a professional engineer license in the State of California.

Meet Your Instructor »