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Georgia Professional Engineer
Examination Advanced Practice Exam
2026 | 100 Questions & Answers with
Detailed Rationales | Complete Exam
Prep & Study Guide
1. A steel tension member carries an axial service load of 180 kN. Its gross
cross-sectional area is 2,400 mm². What is the average tensile stress?
A. 60 MPa
B. 75 MPa
C. 90 MPa
D. 120 MPa
Answer: 75 MPa
Rationale: Average normal stress is ς = P/A = 180,000 N / 2,400 mm² = 75
N/mm² = 75 MPa.
2. A simply supported beam spans 8 m and carries a uniformly distributed
load of 12 kN/m over the entire span. What is the maximum bending
moment?
A. 48 kN·m
B. 72 kN·m
C. 96 kN·m
D. 128 kN·m
,Answer: 96 kN·m
Rationale: For a simply supported beam with a uniform load, Mmax = wL²/8 =
12(8²)/8 = 96 kN·m.
3. A concrete column is subjected to a factored concentric axial load. Which
failure mode becomes particularly important when the column is slender?
A. Local yielding only
B. Buckling and second-order effects
C. Fatigue cracking only
D. Shear lag
Answer: Buckling and second-order effects
Rationale: Slender compression members can experience lateral deflection that
amplifies bending moments, producing P-Δ and P-δ effects and potentially
instability.
4. For a homogeneous beam subjected to elastic bending, the neutral axis
passes through the:
A. Top extreme fiber
B. Bottom extreme fiber
C. Centroid of the cross-sectional area
D. Shear center only
Answer: Centroid of the cross-sectional area
Rationale: For a homogeneous prismatic member under ordinary elastic
bending, the neutral axis passes through the centroid of the cross section.
5. A soil has a total unit weight of 19.5 kN/m³ and a saturated unit weight of
20.5 kN/m³. If the groundwater table is at the ground surface, what
approximate effective unit weight should be used for submerged soil when
γw = 9.81 kN/m³?
,A. 9.81 kN/m³
B. 10.69 kN/m³
C. 19.50 kN/m³
D. 30.31 kN/m³
Answer: 10.69 kN/m³
Rationale: The submerged or buoyant unit weight is γ′ = γsat − γw = 20.5 − 9.81
= 10.69 kN/m³.
6. Darcy's law for one-dimensional saturated groundwater flow relates
discharge to:
A. Hydraulic gradient and hydraulic conductivity
B. Soil cohesion and friction angle only
C. Atmospheric pressure and density only
D. Porosity and temperature only
Answer: Hydraulic gradient and hydraulic conductivity
Rationale: Darcy's law is q = −kA(dh/dL), showing that flow depends on
hydraulic conductivity, cross-sectional area, and hydraulic gradient.
7. A pump supplies water at 0.08 m³/s against a total dynamic head of 45 m. If
the pump efficiency is 78%, what is the approximate required shaft power?
A. 32 kW
B. 45 kW
C. 55 kW
D. 72 kW
Answer: 45 kW
Rationale: Hydraulic power is ρgQH = 1,000(9.81)(0.08)(45) ≈ 35.3 kW. Dividing
by 0.78 gives approximately 45.3 kW.
8. In open-channel hydraulics, a Froude number greater than 1 indicates:
, A. Subcritical flow
B. Critical flow
C. Supercritical flow
D. Hydrostatic equilibrium
Answer: Supercritical flow
Rationale: Fr < 1 indicates subcritical flow, Fr = 1 critical flow, and Fr > 1
supercritical flow.
9. A Reynolds number substantially greater than the critical transition range in
a circular pipe generally indicates:
A. Laminar flow
B. Transitional flow
C. Turbulent flow
D. Static flow
Answer: Turbulent flow
Rationale: For internal pipe flow, sufficiently high Reynolds numbers indicate
turbulent conditions, where inertial effects dominate viscous effects.
10.The Darcy-Weisbach equation is primarily used to calculate:
A. Structural deflection
B. Pipe friction head loss
C. Soil consolidation
D. Electrical voltage drop
Answer: Pipe friction head loss
Rationale: The Darcy-Weisbach equation calculates major head loss caused by
friction along a pipe: hf = f(L/D)(V²/2g).
11.A closed system receives 500 kJ of heat and performs 150 kJ of boundary
work. Neglecting changes in kinetic and potential energy, what is the
change in internal energy?
Georgia Professional Engineer
Examination Advanced Practice Exam
2026 | 100 Questions & Answers with
Detailed Rationales | Complete Exam
Prep & Study Guide
1. A steel tension member carries an axial service load of 180 kN. Its gross
cross-sectional area is 2,400 mm². What is the average tensile stress?
A. 60 MPa
B. 75 MPa
C. 90 MPa
D. 120 MPa
Answer: 75 MPa
Rationale: Average normal stress is ς = P/A = 180,000 N / 2,400 mm² = 75
N/mm² = 75 MPa.
2. A simply supported beam spans 8 m and carries a uniformly distributed
load of 12 kN/m over the entire span. What is the maximum bending
moment?
A. 48 kN·m
B. 72 kN·m
C. 96 kN·m
D. 128 kN·m
,Answer: 96 kN·m
Rationale: For a simply supported beam with a uniform load, Mmax = wL²/8 =
12(8²)/8 = 96 kN·m.
3. A concrete column is subjected to a factored concentric axial load. Which
failure mode becomes particularly important when the column is slender?
A. Local yielding only
B. Buckling and second-order effects
C. Fatigue cracking only
D. Shear lag
Answer: Buckling and second-order effects
Rationale: Slender compression members can experience lateral deflection that
amplifies bending moments, producing P-Δ and P-δ effects and potentially
instability.
4. For a homogeneous beam subjected to elastic bending, the neutral axis
passes through the:
A. Top extreme fiber
B. Bottom extreme fiber
C. Centroid of the cross-sectional area
D. Shear center only
Answer: Centroid of the cross-sectional area
Rationale: For a homogeneous prismatic member under ordinary elastic
bending, the neutral axis passes through the centroid of the cross section.
5. A soil has a total unit weight of 19.5 kN/m³ and a saturated unit weight of
20.5 kN/m³. If the groundwater table is at the ground surface, what
approximate effective unit weight should be used for submerged soil when
γw = 9.81 kN/m³?
,A. 9.81 kN/m³
B. 10.69 kN/m³
C. 19.50 kN/m³
D. 30.31 kN/m³
Answer: 10.69 kN/m³
Rationale: The submerged or buoyant unit weight is γ′ = γsat − γw = 20.5 − 9.81
= 10.69 kN/m³.
6. Darcy's law for one-dimensional saturated groundwater flow relates
discharge to:
A. Hydraulic gradient and hydraulic conductivity
B. Soil cohesion and friction angle only
C. Atmospheric pressure and density only
D. Porosity and temperature only
Answer: Hydraulic gradient and hydraulic conductivity
Rationale: Darcy's law is q = −kA(dh/dL), showing that flow depends on
hydraulic conductivity, cross-sectional area, and hydraulic gradient.
7. A pump supplies water at 0.08 m³/s against a total dynamic head of 45 m. If
the pump efficiency is 78%, what is the approximate required shaft power?
A. 32 kW
B. 45 kW
C. 55 kW
D. 72 kW
Answer: 45 kW
Rationale: Hydraulic power is ρgQH = 1,000(9.81)(0.08)(45) ≈ 35.3 kW. Dividing
by 0.78 gives approximately 45.3 kW.
8. In open-channel hydraulics, a Froude number greater than 1 indicates:
, A. Subcritical flow
B. Critical flow
C. Supercritical flow
D. Hydrostatic equilibrium
Answer: Supercritical flow
Rationale: Fr < 1 indicates subcritical flow, Fr = 1 critical flow, and Fr > 1
supercritical flow.
9. A Reynolds number substantially greater than the critical transition range in
a circular pipe generally indicates:
A. Laminar flow
B. Transitional flow
C. Turbulent flow
D. Static flow
Answer: Turbulent flow
Rationale: For internal pipe flow, sufficiently high Reynolds numbers indicate
turbulent conditions, where inertial effects dominate viscous effects.
10.The Darcy-Weisbach equation is primarily used to calculate:
A. Structural deflection
B. Pipe friction head loss
C. Soil consolidation
D. Electrical voltage drop
Answer: Pipe friction head loss
Rationale: The Darcy-Weisbach equation calculates major head loss caused by
friction along a pipe: hf = f(L/D)(V²/2g).
11.A closed system receives 500 kJ of heat and performs 150 kJ of boundary
work. Neglecting changes in kinetic and potential energy, what is the
change in internal energy?
