CERTIFIED STRUCTURAL ENGINEER
EXAM QUESTION AND CORRECT
ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS
RATIONALES 2026 Q&A INSTANT
DOWNLOAD PDF
1. Which load is considered a permanent load on a structure?
A. Wind load
B. Live load
C. Dead load
D. Seismic load
Dead load consists of the self-weight of structural and permanently
attached nonstructural components.
2. The primary purpose of load combinations in design codes is to:
A. Reduce construction cost
B. Increase member sizes
C. Account for uncertainty and variability of loads
D. Simplify calculations
Load combinations reflect the probability that different loads act
simultaneously.
3. Which material property defines stiffness in the elastic range?
A. Yield strength
B. Modulus of elasticity
C. Ultimate strength
D. Toughness
Modulus of elasticity relates stress to strain in the linear elastic region.
,4. In reinforced concrete design, the strain compatibility method assumes:
A. Concrete carries tension
B. Plane sections remain plane
C. Steel and concrete have equal strength
D. Cracking does not occur
This assumption allows linear strain distribution across the section.
5. The critical buckling load of a column is governed primarily by:
A. Material density
B. Slenderness ratio
C. Cross-sectional area only
D. Column weight
Higher slenderness ratios increase susceptibility to buckling.
6. Which factor most affects seismic base shear?
A. Live load
B. Soil color
C. Seismic zone and site class
D. Wind exposure
Seismic coefficients depend on seismicity and soil conditions.
7. A simply supported beam with uniform load has maximum moment at:
A. Supports
B. Midspan
C. Quarter span
D. Random location
Bending moment is maximum at midspan for this loading condition.
8. The function of stirrups in reinforced concrete beams is to resist:
A. Bending
B. Compression
C. Shear and torsion
D. Shrinkage
Stirrups provide shear resistance and confinement.
, 9. Which steel section is most efficient in bending?
A. Solid rectangle
B. Circular bar
C. I-section
D. Square bar
I-sections place material far from the neutral axis.
10.Creep in concrete is:
A. Immediate elastic strain
B. Time-dependent deformation under sustained load
C. Thermal expansion
D. Plastic failure
Creep increases deflection over time.
11.The load factor applied to dead load in ultimate limit state design is
typically:
A. 1.0
B. Greater than 1.0
C. Less than 1.0
D. Zero
Dead load is factored upward to ensure safety.
12.In prestressed concrete, losses occur due to:
A. Steel corrosion only
B. Creep, shrinkage, and relaxation
C. Temperature rise
D. Over-reinforcement
Time-dependent effects reduce effective prestress.
13.Which foundation is suitable for weak surface soils?
A. Isolated footing
B. Pile foundation
C. Strip footing
D. Raft on rock
Piles transfer loads to deeper, stronger strata.
EXAM QUESTION AND CORRECT
ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS
RATIONALES 2026 Q&A INSTANT
DOWNLOAD PDF
1. Which load is considered a permanent load on a structure?
A. Wind load
B. Live load
C. Dead load
D. Seismic load
Dead load consists of the self-weight of structural and permanently
attached nonstructural components.
2. The primary purpose of load combinations in design codes is to:
A. Reduce construction cost
B. Increase member sizes
C. Account for uncertainty and variability of loads
D. Simplify calculations
Load combinations reflect the probability that different loads act
simultaneously.
3. Which material property defines stiffness in the elastic range?
A. Yield strength
B. Modulus of elasticity
C. Ultimate strength
D. Toughness
Modulus of elasticity relates stress to strain in the linear elastic region.
,4. In reinforced concrete design, the strain compatibility method assumes:
A. Concrete carries tension
B. Plane sections remain plane
C. Steel and concrete have equal strength
D. Cracking does not occur
This assumption allows linear strain distribution across the section.
5. The critical buckling load of a column is governed primarily by:
A. Material density
B. Slenderness ratio
C. Cross-sectional area only
D. Column weight
Higher slenderness ratios increase susceptibility to buckling.
6. Which factor most affects seismic base shear?
A. Live load
B. Soil color
C. Seismic zone and site class
D. Wind exposure
Seismic coefficients depend on seismicity and soil conditions.
7. A simply supported beam with uniform load has maximum moment at:
A. Supports
B. Midspan
C. Quarter span
D. Random location
Bending moment is maximum at midspan for this loading condition.
8. The function of stirrups in reinforced concrete beams is to resist:
A. Bending
B. Compression
C. Shear and torsion
D. Shrinkage
Stirrups provide shear resistance and confinement.
, 9. Which steel section is most efficient in bending?
A. Solid rectangle
B. Circular bar
C. I-section
D. Square bar
I-sections place material far from the neutral axis.
10.Creep in concrete is:
A. Immediate elastic strain
B. Time-dependent deformation under sustained load
C. Thermal expansion
D. Plastic failure
Creep increases deflection over time.
11.The load factor applied to dead load in ultimate limit state design is
typically:
A. 1.0
B. Greater than 1.0
C. Less than 1.0
D. Zero
Dead load is factored upward to ensure safety.
12.In prestressed concrete, losses occur due to:
A. Steel corrosion only
B. Creep, shrinkage, and relaxation
C. Temperature rise
D. Over-reinforcement
Time-dependent effects reduce effective prestress.
13.Which foundation is suitable for weak surface soils?
A. Isolated footing
B. Pile foundation
C. Strip footing
D. Raft on rock
Piles transfer loads to deeper, stronger strata.
