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FE · 10% of the exam

Structural Engineering practice questions

10 free Structural Engineering questions for the FE Civil Exam (FE) exam, each with the correct answer and an explanation for every option.

Start the questionsFree 10-question FE quiz

What this domain covers

One of the three largest domains: analysing determinate structures and designing basic steel and reinforced concrete members to code.

Exam weight
10%
On a real exam
≈ 11 questions
In our bank
59 questions

Topics that come up most

  • Analysis of determinate beams, trusses and frames
  • Deflection and structural stability
  • Loads, load combinations and load paths
  • Steel beams, columns, tension members and connections
  • Reinforced concrete beams, columns and slabs

How to study it

Work through steel and concrete design examples using only the Handbook's tables and equations, so you know where each design check is before exam day.

Sample Structural Engineering questions

Try each one before opening the answer. Original questions written to the official exam objectives.

  1. Question 1

    For a simply supported beam under uniform load, doubling the moment of inertia, with everything else unchanged, makes midspan deflection:

    • AFour times as large
    • BTwice as large
    • CHalf as large
    • DUnchanged
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: C) Half as large

    • AIncorrect. That isn't the effect of doubling I.
    • BIncorrect. Stiffness increases with I.
    • CCorrect. Deflection is inversely proportional to I.
    • DIncorrect. I affects deflection.

  2. Question 2

    A compact steel beam has Fy = 345 MPa and a plastic section modulus Z = 1.0 × 10⁶ mm³. Its plastic moment is:

    • A345 kN·m
    • B34.5 kN·m
    • C3,450 kN·m
    • D2.9 kN·m
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) 345 kN·m

    • ACorrect. \(M_p = F_yZ = 345(10^6)\) N·mm.
    • BIncorrect. Recheck the units.
    • CIncorrect. Recheck the units.
    • DIncorrect. Multiply, don't divide.

  3. Question 3

    A point of contraflexure on a beam is where:

    • AThe bending moment changes sign
    • BThe shear force is at its maximum
    • CThe beam is supported
    • DThe deflection is zero everywhere
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) The bending moment changes sign

    • ACorrect. It's also called an inflection point.
    • BIncorrect. That isn't the definition.
    • CIncorrect. It occurs within the span.
    • DIncorrect. That isn't the definition.

  4. Question 4

    Two members meeting at a joint have equal stiffness. In moment distribution, each member's distribution factor is:

    • A0.25
    • B1.0
    • C0.5
    • D2.0
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: C) 0.5

    • AIncorrect. That's for four equal members.
    • BIncorrect. The moment is shared.
    • CCorrect. Each takes half the unbalanced moment.
    • DIncorrect. Distribution factors sum to 1.

  5. Question 5

    A pin-ended steel column is 4,000 mm long with a radius of gyration of 50 mm. Its slenderness ratio KL/r is:

    • A200
    • B80
    • C40
    • D0.0125
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: B) 80

    • AIncorrect. Recheck the division.
    • BCorrect. (1.0)(4,000)/50.
    • CIncorrect. K = 1.0 for pinned ends.
    • DIncorrect. That's inverted.

  6. Question 6

    The rotational stiffness of a prismatic beam with the far end fixed is:

    • A4EI/L
    • B3EI/L
    • CEI/L
    • D2EI/L
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) 4EI/L

    • ACorrect. It's 3EI/L with the far end pinned.
    • BIncorrect. That's with the far end pinned.
    • CIncorrect. Recheck the coefficient.
    • DIncorrect. That's the carry-over moment's coefficient.

  7. Question 7

    A beam fixed at both ends spans 6 m and carries a single 40-kN concentrated load at midspan. What is the magnitude of the fixed-end moment at each support?

    • A20 kN·m
    • B60 kN·m
    • C30 kN·m
    • D45 kN·m
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: C) 30 kN·m

    For a beam fixed at both ends with a midspan point load, each fixed-end moment is PL/8 = 40(6)/8 = 30 kN·m.

    • AIncorrect. This comes from applying the uniform-load formula wL²/12 with the 40-kN point load treated as a total distributed load (PL/12). It does not apply to a concentrated load.
    • BIncorrect. PL/4 = 60 kN·m is the maximum midspan moment of a simply supported beam. It ignores the end fixity.
    • CCorrect. For a fixed-fixed beam with a central point load, FEM = PL/8 = (40)(6)/8 = 30 kN·m at each end. The positive moment at midspan is also PL/8.
    • DIncorrect. 3PL/16 = 45 kN·m is the fixed-end moment of a propped cantilever (fixed at one end, pinned at the other) with a midspan load. It is not the moment for a beam fixed at both ends.

  8. Question 8

    Prestressing a concrete beam mainly serves to:

    • AIncrease dead load
    • BAdd tension to the concrete before loading
    • CReplace the need for concrete
    • DPre-compress concrete to offset tension
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: D) Pre-compress concrete to offset tension

    • AIncorrect. It pre-compresses the concrete.
    • BIncorrect. It adds compression.
    • CIncorrect. It pre-compresses the concrete.
    • DCorrect. Reducing cracking and deflection.

  9. Question 9

    A slab panel supported on all four edges has a long-to-short span ratio greater than 2. It behaves mainly as a:

    • ACantilever
    • BTwo-way slab with equal action in both directions
    • COne-way slab spanning the short direction
    • DFlat plate with no beams
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: C) One-way slab spanning the short direction

    When the long-to-short span ratio is above 2, the stiffer short span carries almost all the load, so the panel is designed as a one-way slab spanning the short direction.

    • AIncorrect. A cantilever is fixed at one end and free at the other. This panel is supported on its edges, so it bends between supports rather than projecting from one.
    • BIncorrect. Roughly equal two-way action happens when the span ratio is close to 1. At ratios above 2, the long direction carries very little load.
    • CCorrect. The shorter span is much stiffer, so it carries most of the load to the long-side supports. The panel acts essentially as a one-way slab.
    • DIncorrect. A flat plate is a two-way system carried directly by columns without beams. The span ratio of a panel supported on its edges does not make it a flat plate.

  10. Question 10

    ACI minimum thickness tables for beams and one-way slabs are mainly intended to:

    • ASet fire ratings for every floor
    • BControl deflection without detailed calculations
    • CDetermine the concrete mix design
    • DSet reinforcement cover
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: B) Control deflection without detailed calculations

    • AIncorrect. That's a separate requirement.
    • BCorrect. Thinner members need deflection checks.
    • CIncorrect. That's materials.
    • DIncorrect. Cover is separate.

Structural Engineering: FAQs

How much of the FE exam is Structural Engineering?

Structural Engineering is 10% of the FE exam by the official exam guide's weighting, which on a 110-question form works out to roughly 11 questions. The real exam's exact split varies by form.

What does the Structural Engineering domain cover?

One of the three largest domains: analysing determinate structures and designing basic steel and reinforced concrete members to code.

How should I study Structural Engineering for FE?

Work through steel and concrete design examples using only the Handbook's tables and equations, so you know where each design check is before exam day.

Where can I practise more Structural Engineering questions?

This page has 10 free Structural Engineering questions with answers. The ExamWize FE question bank has 59 questions in this domain. Every practice exam result breaks your score down by domain, and Review Mode re-drills the questions you missed.

Other FE topics

Also: 15 free questions across all topics, the FE cheat sheet and the study guide.

Get Structural Engineering exam-ready

The full FE bank has 59 Structural Engineering questions. Timed practice exams match the real exam's length and domain weights, every result shows your score per domain, and Review Mode re-drills the questions you missed.

See the full FE practice examsTake the free diagnostic

Not affiliated with NCEES; questions are original, written from the official exam outline, and never copied from the real exam.