Identified Competency Focus Areas

and Core Courses for National Exit

Examination

Program: Bachelor of Science

Degree in Civil Engineering

Prepared By:
Abenezer Tariku (Addis Ababa Science and Technology University)
Teshome Chala (Haramaya University)

August 2022
Addis Ababa
 Ethiopia

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Identified Competency Focus Areas and Core Courses for National Exit
Examination
Prepared By
Addis Ababa Science and Technology University
And
Haramaya University

Validated By:
Minas Moges (Debre Birhan University)
Mitiku Adare (Mattu University)
Tatek Yenehun (Bahir Dar University)
Tsegaye Kassa (Adama Science and Technology University)
Yodit Fekadu (Adama Science and Technology University)

August,2022
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia

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 Contents
List of Tables ...................................................................................................................................... iii
1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 1
1.1. Objectives of the Exit Examination ...................................................................................... 1
1.2. Significance of the Document ............................................................................................... 2
2. Expected Profiles of Graduates’ .................................................................................................. 2
3. Learning Outcomes and Competencies ....................................................................................... 3
3.1. Learning outcomes ................................................................................................................ 3
3.1.1. Construction Materials, Building Construction, and Construction Management .......... 3
3.1.2. Structural Analysis and Design ...................................................................................... 3
3.1.3. Geotechnical Engineering .............................................................................................. 4
3.1.4. Road and Transport Engineering ................................................................................... 4
3.1.5. Hydraulics Engineering ................................................................................................. 4
3.2. Core Competencies ............................................................................................................... 6
4. Courses to be Included in the Exit Exam in Different Thematic Areas....................................... 8
5. Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 9

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 List of Tables
Table 1: Core competencies ................................................................................................................. 6
Table 2: Courses to be included in the exit exam ................................................................................ 8

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1. Introduction
Civil engineering concerns the study of conception, design, construction and maintenance of large
public and private projects. Civil engineers build and maintain bridges, highways, railways, tunnels,
airports, dams, water treatment and distribution systems and large buildings, along with many other
structures. Environmental considerations, such as water supply, pollution control and preservation
of soil quality, are also a part of the course of study. With thorough knowledge of both the
principles of construction and the possible environmental consequences of a structure, the civil
engineer's expertise is one that is essential to our present civilization and one that will become ever
more valuable in the future.

The Civil Engineering undergraduate program is aimed at creating well-qualified Civil Engineers
with adequate knowledge in the area of structural, highway, geotechnical, and water resources and
who can be actively engaged in the planning, development, and management of Civil Engineering
projects. Currently, 33 public higher institutions host Civil Engineering as undergraduate programs,
and thousands of new graduates join the construction industry every year. It has been reported that
most of these graduates lack the required competency by the stockholders who hire them. One of
the recommended strategies is the implementation of a university exit examination for prospective
graduates to tackle this problem. University Exit Exam is a standardized comprehensive curriculum-
based test that is designed to assess if students have achieved the minimum competence that was
stipulated in the graduates’ profile. The implementation of exit examinations is related to the
improvement of the quality of higher education. The feedback from the results of the exit
examination is expected to contribute to institutional improvement. This draft document is aimed to
present the major focus areas which should be included in the preparation of the Exit Exam for Civil
Engineering graduates.

1.1. Objectives of the Exit Examination

The national public administration exit exam shall have the following objectives

 To produce skilled and competent manpower to national and international market

 Assessing students’ educational achievement in major areas of Civil Engineering.
 Ensuring whether the graduate profile of Civil Engineering curriculum have achieved at
least common standards of knowledge and practical skills.
 Facilitating the efforts of students to revise the core learning outcomes of the courses
covered by the exit examination.

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  Ensuring all graduates from HEIs satisfy the requirements of the labor market and
employability through the national wide implementation of competency-based exit exam

1.2. Significance of the Document

It is important to set competency areas of the subject matter (program) in order to measure the how
much graduates are acquired with skills, knowledge and attitudes. The following shows us the
significance or setting competencies and identifying core courses of the program;

 To set competencies that helps to assess the basic skills, knowledge and attitude of
graduating students.
 To systematically identify the core courses which will be included the exit exam.

2. Expected Profiles of Graduates’

A graduate Civil Engineer is expected to have:

 An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics and science in a specialized area related to

Civil Engineering.
 An ability to critically analyze and interpret data in major Civil Engineering areas.
 An ability to analyze and design systems, components, or processes to meet desired needs
within realistic constraints such as technical, economic, environmental, social, political,
ethical, health and safety, constructability, and sustainability, in major Civil Engineering
areas.
 An ability to identify, formulates, and solves Civil Engineering problems in major Civil
Engineering areas.
 To conduct experiments, and basic and applied research concerning construction industries
to solve various technical, organizational, and social problems.
 An ability to use the techniques, skills, modern engineering tools, and software necessary in
major Civil Engineering areas.
 An understanding of professional practice issues such as project management, contract
administration, and interactions between the development, design, and construction
professions.
 An ability to function in multidisciplinary teams.
 An ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing.
 An understanding of the professional and ethical responsibilities of Civil Engineers.

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3. Learning Outcomes and Competencies
3.1. Learning outcomes
The main and program specific learning outcomes of the BSc program in civil engineering be
categorized in to five main thematic areas.

3.1.1. Construction Materials, Building Construction, and Construction Management

 Get basic knowledge of construction materials for Civil Engineering projects.
 Select suitable construction materials for the perspective Civil Engineering project.
 Develop an engineering solution for problems related to construction materials
 Identify different elements of a building
 Understand different building construction techniques & technologies
 Understand and interpret basic building working drawings
 Apply cost-efficient construction principles for building structures and systems to
design efficient facilities and optimize their use.
 Understand and apply basic construction procurement and contract management
processes.
 Understands basic guidelines and application of contract formulation and
administration; and planning and management techniques/tools of construction
projects
 Apply major principles of the bidding process, specification writing, quantity
surveying, project cost estimation, and construction supervision.
 Schedule construction projects with different scheduling techniques and computer
applications.
 Perform economic analysis and evaluation of Civil Engineering projects.
 Apply the principles of safety and health in construction project management and take
safety and health measures in construction projects.

3.1.2. Structural Analysis and Design

 Get basic knowledge of the properties and strengths of major construction materials.
 Carry out basic and advanced structural frame analysis with various loading conditions
using different methods of structural analysis.
 Comprehends structural mechanics of different civil structures and applies the
knowledge in the design of the structures

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  Analyze and dimension different structural members using Ethiopian and other
standards.
 Ability to apply basic design procedures to design different structural members in a
manner that ensures the safety and utility of the structure.
 Solve dimensioning and design problems
 Analyze and design complex structural elements

3.1.3. Geotechnical Engineering

 Understand the behavior of soil/rock.
 Evaluate engineering properties of soil; determine the bearing capacity, lateral earth
pressure, and stability of slopes of soil.
 Analyze and design different types of shallow and deep foundations using a different
technique.
 Understand & interpret the behavior of different types of soils and be able to design
foundations for structures which is the plan to be constructed on these soils.

3.1.4. Road and Transport Engineering

 Understand transportation systems and demonstrate the ability to plan, analyze, and
design the basic elements of an integrated surface transportation system for safe and
efficient movement.
 Collect, Analyze and interpret traffic flow data.
 Acquainted with the principles of geometric and pavement analysis and design.
 Acquire basic knowledge and practical perspective of highway materials, construction
practice, and quality control.
 Evaluate the condition of an existing highway system.
 Identify and solve different geometric and pavement design and material problems.

3.1.5. Hydraulic Engineering

 Comprehends fundamental concepts of fluid mechanics and can understand the basic
laws of physical science which govern the mechanics of fluid flow.
 Analyze and design hydraulic structures such as dams, spillways, and flood control
structures.

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 Understand the fundamental techniques used in the analysis and design of hydraulic
structures for water resources development projects such as reservoirs, dams &
appurtenant structures, diversion weirs, and river and watershed management schemes.
 Comprehend the construction, operation, and maintenance aspects of hydropower
systems and infrastructure.

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 3.2. Core Competencies
The core competencies specific to the civil engineering undergraduate program suggested for the
exit exam can be summarized as given in Table 1.

Table 1: Core competencies

Learning
Competencies
Domains
 Understand properties of construction materials used in Civil Engineering Projects.
 Identify Civil Engineering structures and suitable construction techniques.
 Understand working drawings.
 Understand construction procurement and contract administration process.
 Understand structural design philosophies and procedures.
Knowledge  Know the mechanical properties of Civil Engineering materials.
 Understand and use relevant design codes and standards.
 Understand structural load types and applications.
 Understand basic knowledge of soil properties and characterization.
 Understand the basics principles of transport planning and modeling.
 Comprehend the design and construction aspects of hydraulic structures.

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  Evaluate Engineering properties of construction materials.
 Analyze and solve problems related to construction materials.
 Prepare material design for Civil Engineering projects.
 Apply different construction techniques.
 Interpret and use working drawings.
 Prepare specification, estimations and contract documents for Civil Engineering
projects.
 Interpret and use different standards related to Civil Engineering.
Skill  Identify and solve problems related to construction management.
 Develop and monitor construction project schedules.
 Lead and supervise construction projects.
 Analise and design Civil Engineering structural members (sub and super structures).
 Use Computer-Aided Design (CAD) programs.
 Perform and interpret geotechnical investigations.
 Plan and design highway and transport systems.
 Evaluate and select suitable site for hydraulic structures.
 Design and supervise hydraulic structure projects.
Attitude  Perform works as a team.

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 4. Courses to be Included in the Exit Exam in Different Thematic Areas
The courses to be included in the exit exam for Civil Engineering can be categorized into five main
groups based on their content as shown in Table 2. These categories don’t represent modules and
courses in the same category may be found in different modules on the curriculum.
Table 2: Courses to be included in the exit exam
Thematic area Courses CrHrs./ECTS
1. Construction Materials 3/5
Construction Materials, 2. Building Construction 3/5
Building Construction, 3. Contract, Specification and Quantity 3/5
and Management Surveying
4. Construction Management 3/5
5. Reinforced Concrete Structures (I & II) 3/5 (each)
6. Steel & Timber Structures 3/5
Structural Engineering
7. Fundamentals of Bridge Design 3/5
8. Structural Design 3/5
Geotechnical 9. Soil Mechanics (I & II) 3/5 (each)
Engineering 10. Foundation Engineering (I & II) 3/5 (each)
Road and Transport 11. Transport Engineering 3/5
Engineering 12. Highway Engineering (I & II) 3/5 (each)
Hydraulic Engineering 13. Hydraulic Structures (I) 3/5

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5. Conclusion
As a conclusion, this draft document was prepared based on the existing curriculums. The document
starts with the rationale behind the implementation of the exit exam which is improving the quality
of education in Ethiopian higher education institutions. It summarizes the major requirements which
are expected from every Civil Engineer upon successful completion of the program. Concerning
these requirements, major areas of competencies are described and courses that focus on these
competency areas are selected. These courses can be taken as the major focus areas in the
preparation of exit exam for students who have finalized their study in Civil Engineering in the
undergraduate program.

Due to its broad discipline behavior, civil engineering undergraduate program contains many
courses categorized under different specific fields of study. From the courses included in the
curriculum, 17 courses were selected as focus areas for the preparation of exit exam. Common and
some compulsory and elective courses of the program were excluded from the focus areas for the
exit exam preparation for civil engineering graduates.