TEXAS PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING LICENSING
EXAM ACTUAL 2026 VERIFIED QUESTIONS
WITH ANSWERS COMPREHENSIVE &
RATIONALE|INSTANT DOWNLOAD
1. A structural engineer is designing a simply supported steel beam
with a span of 12 m subjected to a uniformly distributed dead load
of 10 kN/m and a live load of 20 kN/m. According to LRFD
principles, which factored load should be used for the maximum
bending moment calculation?
A. 30 kN/m
B. 38 kN/m
C. 44 kN/m
D. 52 kN/m
Answer: C. 44 kN/m
Rationale: The governing LRFD load combination is 1.2D + 1.6L.
Therefore: (1.2 × 10) + (1.6 × 20) = 12 + 32 = 44 kN/m. This
combination accounts for uncertainties associated with dead and live
loads and is required by ASCE 7 for strength design.
2. A reinforced concrete beam has an effective depth of 550 mm and
a width of 300 mm. Increasing only the effective depth by 20%
while keeping all other parameters constant will primarily result in
which effect?
A. Decrease moment capacity by 20%
1
,B. Increase flexural capacity approximately proportional to depth
C. No change in flexural strength
D. Double the shear capacity only
Answer: B. Increase flexural capacity approximately proportional
to depth
Rationale: Nominal moment capacity Mn depends significantly on the
lever arm between compression and tension forces. Increasing effective
depth increases this lever arm, producing an almost proportional
increase in flexural capacity while also improving stiffness.
3. Which failure mode is generally considered most desirable in
reinforced concrete beam design?
A. Compression-controlled failure
B. Brittle shear failure
C. Tension-controlled ductile failure
D. Bond failure
Answer: C. Tension-controlled ductile failure
Rationale: ACI 318 requires tension-controlled sections whenever
practical because yielding of reinforcing steel provides visible warning
before failure. Brittle compression or shear failures occur suddenly with
little deformation.
4. A steel column has an unsupported length that doubles while all
other properties remain unchanged. Euler buckling load will:
A. Double
B. Remain unchanged
2
,C. Reduce to one-half
D. Reduce to one-fourth
Answer: D. Reduce to one-fourth
Rationale: Euler's equation is Pcr = π²EI/(KL)². Since critical load
varies inversely with the square of the effective length, doubling length
decreases buckling capacity by four.
5. Which soil type generally has the greatest bearing capacity under
similar conditions?
A. Organic clay
B. Loose sand
C. Dense gravel
D. Soft silt
Answer: C. Dense gravel
Rationale: Dense gravel possesses excellent particle interlock, high
friction angle, low compressibility, and superior drainage
characteristics, producing the highest allowable bearing pressures
among common soils.
6. Which structural analysis assumption is fundamental to first-order
elastic analysis?
A. Large deformations are included
B. Equilibrium is based on undeformed geometry
C. Plastic hinges form
D. Material behaves nonlinearly
3
, Answer: B. Equilibrium is based on undeformed geometry
Rationale: First-order analysis assumes deformations are sufficiently
small that geometry changes do not significantly alter internal forces.
Second-order analysis incorporates these geometric effects.
7. Which loading primarily governs fatigue design in steel highway
bridges?
A. Dead load
B. Wind load
C. Repeated live load
D. Snow load
Answer: C. Repeated live load
Rationale: Fatigue results from repeated stress cycles caused primarily
by vehicle traffic. Dead load is constant and therefore does not produce
fatigue damage.
8. Which structural member primarily resists torsion in a closed
rectangular steel box girder bridge?
A. Top flange only
B. Bottom flange only
C. Entire closed section
D. Web stiffeners only
Answer: C. Entire closed section
4
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING LICENSING
EXAM ACTUAL 2026 VERIFIED QUESTIONS
WITH ANSWERS COMPREHENSIVE &
RATIONALE|INSTANT DOWNLOAD
1. A structural engineer is designing a simply supported steel beam
with a span of 12 m subjected to a uniformly distributed dead load
of 10 kN/m and a live load of 20 kN/m. According to LRFD
principles, which factored load should be used for the maximum
bending moment calculation?
A. 30 kN/m
B. 38 kN/m
C. 44 kN/m
D. 52 kN/m
Answer: C. 44 kN/m
Rationale: The governing LRFD load combination is 1.2D + 1.6L.
Therefore: (1.2 × 10) + (1.6 × 20) = 12 + 32 = 44 kN/m. This
combination accounts for uncertainties associated with dead and live
loads and is required by ASCE 7 for strength design.
2. A reinforced concrete beam has an effective depth of 550 mm and
a width of 300 mm. Increasing only the effective depth by 20%
while keeping all other parameters constant will primarily result in
which effect?
A. Decrease moment capacity by 20%
1
,B. Increase flexural capacity approximately proportional to depth
C. No change in flexural strength
D. Double the shear capacity only
Answer: B. Increase flexural capacity approximately proportional
to depth
Rationale: Nominal moment capacity Mn depends significantly on the
lever arm between compression and tension forces. Increasing effective
depth increases this lever arm, producing an almost proportional
increase in flexural capacity while also improving stiffness.
3. Which failure mode is generally considered most desirable in
reinforced concrete beam design?
A. Compression-controlled failure
B. Brittle shear failure
C. Tension-controlled ductile failure
D. Bond failure
Answer: C. Tension-controlled ductile failure
Rationale: ACI 318 requires tension-controlled sections whenever
practical because yielding of reinforcing steel provides visible warning
before failure. Brittle compression or shear failures occur suddenly with
little deformation.
4. A steel column has an unsupported length that doubles while all
other properties remain unchanged. Euler buckling load will:
A. Double
B. Remain unchanged
2
,C. Reduce to one-half
D. Reduce to one-fourth
Answer: D. Reduce to one-fourth
Rationale: Euler's equation is Pcr = π²EI/(KL)². Since critical load
varies inversely with the square of the effective length, doubling length
decreases buckling capacity by four.
5. Which soil type generally has the greatest bearing capacity under
similar conditions?
A. Organic clay
B. Loose sand
C. Dense gravel
D. Soft silt
Answer: C. Dense gravel
Rationale: Dense gravel possesses excellent particle interlock, high
friction angle, low compressibility, and superior drainage
characteristics, producing the highest allowable bearing pressures
among common soils.
6. Which structural analysis assumption is fundamental to first-order
elastic analysis?
A. Large deformations are included
B. Equilibrium is based on undeformed geometry
C. Plastic hinges form
D. Material behaves nonlinearly
3
, Answer: B. Equilibrium is based on undeformed geometry
Rationale: First-order analysis assumes deformations are sufficiently
small that geometry changes do not significantly alter internal forces.
Second-order analysis incorporates these geometric effects.
7. Which loading primarily governs fatigue design in steel highway
bridges?
A. Dead load
B. Wind load
C. Repeated live load
D. Snow load
Answer: C. Repeated live load
Rationale: Fatigue results from repeated stress cycles caused primarily
by vehicle traffic. Dead load is constant and therefore does not produce
fatigue damage.
8. Which structural member primarily resists torsion in a closed
rectangular steel box girder bridge?
A. Top flange only
B. Bottom flange only
C. Entire closed section
D. Web stiffeners only
Answer: C. Entire closed section
4
