Free PE Civil Transportation Practice Problems with Step-by-Step Solutions

If you’re preparing for the PE Civil Transportation Exam, you already know it’s a major step in your engineering career. One of the most effective ways to boost your confidence and sharpen your problem-solving skills is by working through realistic, exam-style practice problems. Why practice problems? Because they push you to actively engage with the material, understand the underlying concepts, and identify exactly where you need improvement. The PE exam requires you to think critically under time pressure, so simulated practice is key. Below are two sample problems with full solutions at the bottom of the page to help you practice.

Sample Problem 1

If the radius of a horizontal curve is 400 ft and the mid ordinate is 13 ft, the length of the horizontal curve is most nearly:

A. 150 ft

B. 175 ft

C. 200 ft

D. 225 ft

Sample Problem 2

According to the Highway Capacity Manual, traffic flow within a basic freeway or multilane highway segment can be categorized into which three general types?

A. Interrupted, uninterrupted, and congested

B. Free flow, forced flow, and breakdown

C. Undersaturated, queue discharge, and oversaturated

D. Light traffic, moderate traffic, and heavy traffic.

Why practice problems are crucial for PE success

The PE exam allows access to a Reference Handbook and design standards during the test. But don’t let that fool you—success still depends on how well you understand and can apply those references quickly. By working through practice problems with detailed solutions, you’ll develop strategies for efficient problem-solving and effective reference use, both critical for the exam.

To further help you prepare, StrataWay offers a Civil PE Transportation Sample Exam, which features 80 exam-style problems with step-by-step solutions.

Solution to Sample Problem 1

Answer: C

M = R[1 – cos(Δ/2)]

M/R = 1 – cos(Δ/2)

cos(Δ/2) = 1 – 13 ft/400 ft

(Δ/2) = cos^-1(0.9675)

Δ = 29.3°

Calculate the length of the curve:

L = 2πR(Δ°/360°)

L = 2π × 400 ft × (29.3°/360°)

L = 204.6 ft

Solution to Sample Problem 2

Correct answer is C.

A is incorrect. Interrupted and uninterrupted flow refer to types of traffic facilities, not flow conditions within a segment. This choice mixes unrelated concepts and does not reflect the HCM classifications for traffic flow types.

B is incorrect. Free flow, forced flow, and breakdown are general traffic behavior descriptions, but they are not the three specific categories used in the HCM for analyzing basic freeway or multilane highway segments.

C is correct. Reference Chapter 12 of the Highway Capacity Manual, 6^th edition, 2016. The HCM defines three general traffic flow types within freeway and multilane highway segments: undersaturated, queue discharge, and oversaturated. These describe whether demand is below, at, or above capacity and are used to evaluate operational performance.

D is incorrect. Light, moderate, and heavy traffic are informal terms and not part of the HCM's structured framework for classifying traffic flow on freeway or highway segments.