200+ Free PE Transportation Practice Questions

Pass your PE Civil Transportation Engineering exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.

✓ No registration✓ No credit card✓ No hidden fees✓ Start practicing immediately

55% first-time / 42% repeat Pass Rate

200+ Questions

100% Free

1 / 200

Question 1

Score: 0/0

A contractor can buy a pump for $48,000 and sell it for $8,000 at the end of the project, or rent it for $3,000 per month. Ignoring operating cost and time value of money, what is the approximate break-even use period?

10 months

13.3 months

16 months

18 months

to track

2026 Statistics

Key Facts: PE Transportation Exam

Exam Questions

NCEES

9 hrs

Appointment

NCEES

55%

First-Time Pass Rate

NCEES Jan 2026

$400

Exam Fee

NCEES

Year-round

Availability

NCEES

Content Domains

NCEES

The PE Civil Transportation exam is a year-round 80-question CBT with a $400 fee and Jan 2026 pass rates of 55% for first-time takers and 42% for repeat takers. As of March 12, 2026, NCEES still uses the Transportation specification effective beginning April 2024 and the standards list that includes the 2009 MUTCD with Revisions 1 and 2, even though FHWA's current MUTCD moved to the 11th Edition with Revision 1 in March 2026.

Sample PE Transportation Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your PE Transportation exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 200+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1A contractor can buy a pump for $48,000 and sell it for $8,000 at the end of the project, or rent it for $3,000 per month. Ignoring operating cost and time value of money, what is the approximate break-even use period?

A.10 months

B.13.3 months

C.16 months

D.18 months

Explanation: The net ownership cost is purchase price minus salvage value, or $40,000. Dividing $40,000 by the rental cost of $3,000 per month gives about 13.3 months for break-even.

2In CPM scheduling, which activities have zero total float?

A.Procurement activities only

B.Critical path activities

C.Activities with the largest budget

D.Activities assigned to the largest crew

Explanation: Critical path activities control the project duration, so a delay to one of them delays the entire project unless recovery action is taken. That is why their total float is zero in the baseline network.

3An activity has ES = 6, EF = 10, LS = 8, and LF = 12. What is its total float?

A.0 days

B.2 days

C.4 days

D.6 days

Explanation: Total float is LS - ES or LF - EF. Here, 8 - 6 = 2 days, which matches 12 - 10 = 2 days.

4Why is a linear schedule especially useful for repetitive work such as pipeline installation along a corridor?

A.It replaces the need for a quantity takeoff

B.It shows crew location and production rate along the project alignment

C.It can only be used when every activity has zero float

D.It automatically levels resources without planner input

Explanation: Linear scheduling is strong for projects that repeat similar work over distance or time. It lets planners compare production rates and crew spacing so trades do not interfere with each other along the alignment.

5An activity has a normal duration of 8 days at a cost of $12,000 and a crash duration of 5 days at a cost of $16,500. What is the crash cost slope?

A.$1,000 per day

B.$1,500 per day

C.$2,250 per day

D.$4,500 per day

Explanation: Crash cost slope equals the increase in cost divided by the reduction in time. Here, ($16,500 - $12,000) / (8 - 5) = $4,500/3 = $1,500 per day.

6A highway resurfacing bid includes 12,500 square yards of milling at $4.80 per square yard and 8,000 tons of HMA at $92 per ton. Ignoring mobilization and tax, what is the direct construction cost?

A.$676,000

B.$796,000

C.$868,000

D.$1,174,000

Explanation: Compute each pay item separately, then add them. Milling costs 12,500 x $4.80 = $60,000 and HMA costs 8,000 x $92 = $736,000, for a total of $796,000.

7An embankment section has end areas of 420 sq ft and 580 sq ft over a 100 ft station interval. Using the average-end-area method, what volume of compacted fill is required?

A.1,111 cu yd

B.1,667 cu yd

C.1,852 cu yd

D.2,315 cu yd

Explanation: Average-end-area volume equals ((A1 + A2) / 2) x L. Here that is ((420 + 580) / 2) x 100 = 50,000 cu ft, which is 50,000 / 27 = 1,852 cu yd.

8A signal-upgrade estimate has a base construction cost of $480,000, a 12% contingency, and 8% engineering and construction administration applied to the base cost only. What is the total programmed amount?

A.$537,600

B.$576,000

C.$633,600

D.$675,840

Explanation: The contingency is 0.12 × $480,000 = $57,600. Engineering and construction administration is 0.08 × $480,000 = $38,400. The programmed amount is $480,000 + $57,600 + $38,400 = $576,000.

9A contractor must place 18,000 tons of aggregate base. If the crew can place 1,500 tons per day, how many working days are needed, assuming no weather delays?

A.10 days

B.12 days

C.14 days

D.18 days

Explanation: Duration equals quantity divided by production rate. Here 18,000 / 1,500 = 12 working days.

10Two paving trains are available. Train A costs $16,000 per day and places 1.4 lane-miles per day. Train B costs $19,500 per day and places 1.9 lane-miles per day. Which train has the lower unit production cost per lane-mile?

A.Train A

B.Train B

C.They are equal

D.There is not enough information

Explanation: Unit cost is daily cost divided by daily production. Train A is $16,000 / 1.4 = $11,429 per lane-mile, while Train B is $19,500 / 1.9 = about $10,263 per lane-mile, so Train B is cheaper per unit.

About the PE Transportation Exam

The NCEES PE Civil Transportation exam is an 80-question year-round CBT for civil engineers whose practice centers on roadway planning, traffic operations, geometric design, traffic control, pavement, and drainage. The exam uses the PE Civil Reference Handbook plus the listed transportation design standards supplied in the testing software.

Assessment

Computer-based test; official exam includes multiple-choice and alternative item types

Time Limit

9-hour appointment

Passing Score

Scaled score; NCEES does not publish a fixed passing percentage

Exam Fee

$400 (NCEES (Pearson VUE))

PE Transportation Exam Content Outline

6-9 questions

Project Management

Quantity and cost estimating, scheduling, and economic analysis for transportation projects.

10-15 questions

Traffic Engineering

Capacity analysis, traffic studies, transportation planning, nonmotorized analysis, safety analysis, and traffic forecasting.

7-11 questions

Roadside and Cross-Section Design

Forgiving roadside design, barriers, cross sections, and multimodal roadside elements.

8-12 questions

Horizontal Design

Curve geometry, superelevation, horizontal sight distance, and special curve treatments.

8-12 questions

Vertical Design

Vertical alignment, crest and sag considerations, and stopping or passing sight distance.

7-11 questions

Intersection Geometry

Intersection sight distance, interchanges, and at-grade layouts including roundabouts.

5-8 questions

Traffic Signals

Signal timing, warrants, and geometric or operational signal design decisions.

5-8 questions

Traffic Control Design

Permanent signing and markings plus temporary traffic control in work zones.

6-9 questions

Geotechnical and Pavement

Subgrade evaluation, soil properties, earthwork, traffic characterization, pavement design, and rehabilitation.

8-12 questions

Drainage

Hydrology, runoff control, culverts, storm sewers, open-channel flow, detention, and water-quality mitigation.

How to Pass the PE Transportation Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: Scaled score; NCEES does not publish a fixed passing percentage
Assessment: Computer-based test; official exam includes multiple-choice and alternative item types
Time limit: 9-hour appointment
Exam fee: $400

Keys to Passing

Complete 500+ practice questions
Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
Focus on highest-weighted sections
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

PE Transportation Study Tips from Top Performers

1Study from the NCEES Transportation specification, not from a generic civil breadth checklist.

2Drill traffic engineering and safety-analysis problems because that domain carries the largest official question range.

3Practice curve geometry, superelevation, and sight-distance setups until the equations and units feel automatic.

4Use the NCEES handbook and listed standards in searchable-PDF form while practicing so your workflow matches exam day.

5Review both roadway design judgment and computational problems because the exam mixes application, design, and analysis.

6Treat drainage as a major scoring area and stay fluent with Rational Method, Manning, culvert, and storm-sewer concepts.

7Memorize common temporary traffic control relationships such as taper length and device spacing logic from the listed MUTCD edition.

8Run timed mixed sets so you can shift quickly between project management, traffic operations, geometry, pavement, and drainage.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the PE Civil Transportation exam?

NCEES lists the PE Civil Transportation exam as an 80-question computer-based test. The 9-hour appointment includes the tutorial and an optional scheduled break, and the exam uses both U.S. customary and SI units.

What is the pass rate for PE Civil Transportation?

NCEES updated its Civil pass-rate table in January 2026 to show a 55% first-time pass rate and a 42% repeat pass rate for the Transportation depth exam. Those are official NCEES population-level snapshots, not a guaranteed predictor for any individual candidate.

Does NCEES publish a passing score for PE Transportation?

No. NCEES says it scores exams using the total number of correct answers converted to a scaled score, then compares that result to the minimum ability level set through psychometric methods. NCEES does not publish a fixed passing percentage.

What references are provided during the PE Transportation exam?

NCEES provides the searchable PE Civil Reference Handbook and the transportation design standards listed in the current specification PDF. The current standards packet includes references such as the Green Book, Highway Capacity Manual, Highway Safety Manual, Roadside Design Guide, MEPDG, HDS 5, and the exam's listed MUTCD edition.

Did anything change in 2026 that PE Transportation candidates should know?

As of March 12, 2026, NCEES has not posted a new Transportation blueprint after the specification effective beginning April 2024. The important 2026 standards nuance is that FHWA's current MUTCD moved to the 11th Edition with Revision 1 in March 2026, but the NCEES Transportation standards list still names the 2009 MUTCD with Revisions 1 and 2, so candidates should study the NCEES-listed version for exam purposes.

Which topics matter most on the PE Transportation exam?

Traffic Engineering is the largest official domain at 10-15 questions, and several other high-volume areas sit at 8-12 questions each: Horizontal Design, Vertical Design, and Drainage. In practice, that means candidates need strong command of traffic studies, curve geometry, sight distance, and highway hydrology and hydraulics rather than relying on only one subdiscipline.