This paper presents a finite element (FE) model for predicting the nonlinear response and behavior of a reinforced concrete T-beam deficient in shear under cyclic loading. Cracking loads, failure loads, response hysteresis envelopes and crack patterns were used as bench mark for comparison between experimental and FE results. A parametric study was carried out to predict the optimum combination of the open and close crack shear transfer coefficients (${eta}_t$ and ${eta}_c$) of the constitutive material model for concrete. It is concluded that when both shear transfer coefficients are equal to 0.2 the FE results gave the best correlation with the experimental results. The results were also verified on a rectangular shear deficient beam (R-beam) tested under cyclic loading and it is concluded that the variation of section geometry has no effect on the optimum choice of the values of shear transfer coefficients of 0.2. In addition, a parametric study based on the variation of concrete compressive strength, was carried out on the T-beam and it is observed that the variation of concrete compressive strength has little effect on the deflection. Further conclusions and observations were also drawn.