Name: Complete Geotechnical Civil PE Exam Prep
Price: 90 USD
Availability: InStock

Question 1

Does this course cover all 10 NCEES PE Civil Geotechnical topic areas (site characterization, soil mechanics, foundations, slope stability, etc.)?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the PE Geotechnical course covers every NCEES PE Civil Geotechnical specification area, including site characterization, soil mechanics, lateral earth pressure, shallow and deep foundations, slope stability, soil deformation and settlement, in-situ testing (SPT, CPT, geophysical methods), and earth structures, across 24 modules and 270+ animated video lessons. The course is mapped against current NCEES specifications, so you can study by exam blueprint or by topic area depending on how you prepare.

Question 2

How does the $90 PE Geotechnical course compare to PPI's $2,076 PE Civil Geotechnical course?

Accepted Answer

PPI's PE Civil Geotechnical course is the established premium option at $2,076 with 70+ hours of live and on-demand content, instructor-graded homework, and a homework-conditional pass guarantee. PEwise's PE Geotechnical course is built around a different bet: 270+ animated videos optimized for working engineers who can't sit through 60+ hours of lectures, at $90 for 3 months. Both courses cover the same NCEES specifications. PEwise's pass guarantee gives you a free 3-month re-enrollment if you don't pass, with no homework conditions.

Question 3

How does PEwise's PE Geotechnical course compare to School of PE's PE Civil Geotechnical course?

Accepted Answer

School of PE's PE Civil Geotechnical course runs roughly $1,599 for on-demand access and is best known for its "94% pass rate" claim and 4+ month course length. PEwise's PE Geotechnical course is $90 for 3 months and uses animated visual lessons in place of recorded lectures — 270+ short videos across 24 modules, each averaging a few minutes. The two courses cover overlapping NCEES specifications; the differences come down to format (animation vs. lecture), price (~17× lower at PEwise), and study time (compact vs. comprehensive).

Question 4

How long does it take to finish the PE Geotechnical course?

Accepted Answer

Most engineers complete the PE Geotechnical course in 8–14 weeks, depending on study cadence. The 270+ animated video lessons total roughly 10 hours of viewing time, plus practice problems, 2 NCEES-style practice exams, and quiz reviews. A 12-week schedule of 2–3 hours per day is a typical pace; an 8-week intensive pace works for engineers studying 4–5 hours per day. Your $90 access window is 3 months, which covers either pacing comfortably.

Question 5

What if I fail the PE Geotechnical exam after taking this course?

Accepted Answer

PEwise's pass guarantee means another 3 months of full course access free — no refund, no homework requirement, just continued study time. Get your NCEES diagnostic report, identify weak topic areas, and use the relevant course modules to focus your retake prep. Most engineers who fail their first attempt pass on the second; targeted study based on your diagnostic is the difference. PEwise also offers a 14-day money-back guarantee if you've completed less than 25% of the course.

Question 6

Is the PE Geotechnical course built around the current NCEES PE Civil Geotechnical specifications (April 2024)?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The PE Geotechnical course content is built against the current NCEES PE Civil Geotechnical specifications, last revised April 2024. The next NCEES revision is scheduled for April 2027. The 24 modules cover every spec area on the current blueprint — including the topics added or reweighted in the April 2024 revision (in-situ testing methods, advanced retaining wall analysis, soil deformation) — and the course reflects the current computer-based test format with NCEES-style practice exams.

Question 7

Does the practice exam reflect the new computer-based PE Civil Geotechnical format?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The PE Geotechnical course includes 2 NCEES-style practice exams — a 59-question focused review and a full 80-question simulation — both built around the current CBT exam format. The simulator includes a built-in TI-36X Pro calculator, the same reference PDFs you'll have on the real exam, a timer, the official break system, and question-flagging. The practice exam mirrors how questions are presented and timed at Pearson VUE testing centers so the format is familiar on exam day.

Question 8

Who built the PE Geotechnical course content?

Accepted Answer

Mahdi Bahrampouri, Ph.D., Geotechnical Earthquake Engineer and Co-Founder of PEwise, authored every video, problem, and explanation in the PE Geotechnical course. Mahdi's research specialty is liquefaction, seismic slope stability, and dynamic foundation analysis — the topic areas where most engineers struggle on the geotechnical exam. His background means the course gives unusually deep coverage of seismic geotechnics compared to general PE prep providers.

Question 9

What's included for liquefaction, in-situ testing, and slope stability — the harder geotech topics?

Accepted Answer

These topic areas get dedicated coverage in the PE Geotechnical course. In-situ testing has 6 modules totaling 77 video lessons (Introduction, Boring Methods, SPT, CPT, Specialized Tests, Geophysical Methods). Slope stability is a full module with worked NCEES-style problems including the Ordinary Method of Slices. Liquefaction is covered as part of the seismic geotechnics content. Course author Mahdi Bahrampouri, Ph.D., specializes in geotechnical earthquake engineering, so the depth on these topics goes beyond what general PE prep providers offer.

Question 10

Can I access the PE Geotechnical course on my phone during commute study?

Accepted Answer

Yes. PEwise is fully responsive — every lesson, quiz, and practice problem works on phones, tablets, and desktops. Each animated video lesson is a few minutes long, so a 20-minute commute typically covers 4–6 lessons. Your progress syncs across devices, so you can start a lesson on your phone, finish on your laptop, and pick up the practice exam later on a tablet.

Provider	Price	Format	Hours	Pass guarantee
PEwise	$90	Animated video, self-paced	10+ hrs across 270+ videos	Yes (free re-enrollment)
PPI Live Online	$2,076	Live + on-demand	70+ hrs	Yes (homework conditional)
School of PE OnDemand	$1,599	On-demand	Not disclosed	Yes (4+ month courses)
ASCE OnDemand	~$1,200	On-demand	9 sessions	No

#	NCEES topic area	Questions	PEwise coverage
1	Site Characterization	8–12	M19 Introduction to In-Situ Testing M20 Boring Methods & Sampling Techniques M21 Standard Penetration Test (SPT) M22 Cone Penetration Testing (CPT) M23 Specialized In-Situ Tests M24 Geophysical Testing Methods
2	Soil Mechanics, Laboratory Testing, and Analysis	8–12	M2 Soil Particle Analysis & Fine-Grained Classification M3 Advanced Soil Classification (Coarse-Grained, AASHTO, RQD) M4 Phase Relationships in Soil M5 Laboratory and Field Compaction
3	Construction Observation, Monitoring, QA/QC and Safety	6–9	M5 Laboratory and Field Compaction (earthwork sub-topic) Construction-safety, geotechnical instrumentation, and erosion-protection sub-topics are covered through dedicated practice-exam questions with worked solutions and OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926 / FHWA reference citations.
4	Earthquake Engineering and Dynamic Loads	5–8	M6 Liquefaction Analysis and Seismic Fundamentals
5	Earth Structures, Ground Improvement, and Pavement	9–14	M7 Slope Stability Analysis M8 Ground Improvement and Geosyntech Application
6	Groundwater and Seepage	4–6	M9 Groundwater Flow and Seepage
7	Problematic Soil and Rock Conditions	4–6	M3 Advanced Soil Classification (Coarse-Grained, AASHTO, RQD) (classification framework for identifying problematic soils) Karst, expansive soils, frost susceptibility, and rock-slope sub-topics are covered through practice-exam questions with worked solutions and FHWA reference citations.
8	Retaining Structures (ASD or LRFD)	10–15	M11 Lateral Earth Pressure Fundamentals M12 Advanced Retaining Wall Analysis and Design M13 Earth Retention — Anchored Walls
9	Shallow Foundations (ASD or LRFD)	6–9	M14 Shallow Foundations: Bearing Capacity M15 Soil Deformation Part 1 M16 Soil Deformation Part 2 M17 Settlement Due to Compression
10	Deep Foundations (ASD or LRFD)	10–15	M18 Deep Foundations (drilled shafts, driven piles, micropiles)

Complete Geotechnical Civil PE Exam Prep

Why it works

Visual Learning

Exam-Like Practice

Weekly PE Power Hour

What Our PE Exam Students Say

How PEwise compares

Introduction

Soil Particle Analysis & Fine-Grained Classification

Advanced Soil Classification: Coarse-Grained, AASHTO & RQD

Phase Relationships in Soil

Laboratory and Field Compaction

Liquefaction Analysis and Seismic Fundamentals

Slope Stability Analysis

Ground Improvement and Geosyntech Application

Groundwater Flow and Seepage

Lateral Earth Pressure Fundamentals

Advanced Retaining wall Analysis and design

Earth Retention—Anchored Walls

Shallow Foundations: An Introduction to Bearing Capacity

Soil Deformation and Settlement due to consolidation Part 1

Soil Deformation and Settlement due to consolidation Part 2

Settlement Due To Compression

Deep Foundations (drilled shafts, driven piles, micropiles, etc.)

Introduction to In-Situ Testing

Boring Methods & Sampling Techniques

Standard Penetration Test (SPT)

Cone Penetration Testing (CPT)

Specialized In-Situ Tests

Geophysical Testing Methods

PEwise Practice exam

Practice Exam

NCEES exam blueprint coverage

Frequently Asked Questions