Seismic Design Review

Absolutely not. You should wait for the new books to be released in October 2026, and the 2027 Live Webinars or 2027 On-Demand Webinars in early 2027.

In order to be licensed as a Civil engineer in the State of California, applicants must take and pass all of the following: NCEES Principles & Practice of Engineering (PE) Examination – computer-based test (CBT) format, 80 questions, multiple-choice, 8 hours in length California P.E. State Laws & Board Rules Exam (Take Home Exam) Civil Engineering Surveying (CES) Principles Exam – computer-based test (CBT) format, 55 questions, multiple choice, 2.5 hours in length Civil Seismic Principles (CSP) Exam – computer-based test (CBT) format, 55 questions, multiple choice, 2.5 hours in length Exams do not have to be passed concurrently; they may be passed separately. Applicants licensed as a Civil PE in another State may apply for comity, and typically are only required to take and pass the CA Special Civil Engineer exams (i.e., CES and CSP exams), and the Take Home exam.

On 7/10/2026, BPELSG posted on their homepage that they will begin testing on the 2025 CBC & ASCE 7-22 in 2027 (i.e., January 1, 2027).

Besides the SDR Workbook and SDR Practice Exams, it is recommended that participants also have access to ASCE 7-22 - Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures and either the 2024 International Building Code (IBC) or the 2025 California Building Code (CBC) - Volume 2.

Yes, BUT be aware that some questions on the CSP exam may refer to 2025 CBC sections, tables or figures. These are essentially identical to the very same sections, tables and figures found in the 2024 IBC, BUT they DO NOT necessarily share the same page numbers. The advantage to using the 2024 IBC is that it is simpler (i.e., one volume instead of two volumes) and it is nearly half the cost of the 2025 CBC.

You can certainly attempt to pass the CSP exam using the previous SDR Workbook. But if you do not pass the exam, you should consider purchasing the new SDR Workbook. Also, do not use the previous SDR Workbook with the 2027 SDR Live Webinars or 2027 SDR On-Demand Webinars since the material will not match up.