In this post, I will tell you about the FE exam: what it is, why it’s important for you to take it, my tips to pass it, and my story.

The FE exam

What it is?

The FE or the Fundamentals of Engineering exam is part of the engineering licensing process. If you’re about to graduate or already graduated from an ABET/EAC accredited college, then you can take it. It is currently computer-based, with 110 questions to be answered in 5 hours and 20 minutes. Check out the NCEES website: Home | NCEES for more information.

Why is it important?

Now you might be wondering why you need to sit in front of a computer screen for 5 hours, answering questions that you don’t know the answer to instead of going to work and making those extra bucks? Let me draw you a picture.

Meet Kay. She is a civil engineering student and just graduated from an accredited college. She just got her first job, and she’s trying to figure out how to grow in the engineering industry, increase her salary, and even sign and seal her own engineering drawings. If you want to do any of that, you should probably take the FE.

Resources

• NCEES Website: Find information about the exam specification, calculator policy, the FE handbook, and practice manuals.
• Review courses: I will not recommend any because I personally didn’t use any, but review courses can be used if you want to maximize your chances of passing the FE and/or if you have been out of school for a while.
• Notes from classes: Hopefully, you have been taking notes during your 4 years in engineering school, and you didn’t burn them on the last day of every semester as I did in high school. If you did, it’s time to collect the ashes and glue them back together.
• Google: There is plenty of material online. Once you know what topic you’re studying, Google it, and you’ll be surprised how much there is. Don’t get caught up in the sea of information though.
• YouTube: Plenty of videos to help you review.

Tips

If you’re just starting your degree, you should focus on learning and understanding the engineering principles and concepts you’re being taught. Use effective study strategies, so that you don’t forget everything after your final. For tips on effective study techniques, check out my notes from Make It Stick by Peter C. Brown.

If you’re at the end of your degree and you are getting ready to take the exam by reviewing by yourself, then welcome to the club. Here are some tips:

• Create an account with NCEES.
• Do ample research on the topics that will be on your specific exam.
• Organize the topic by weight and competency level.
• Choose a study period (preferably 3 to 6 months).
• Familiarize yourself with the most recent FE handbook. I used this handbook as a formula sheet for my classes my whole senior year.
• Get a practice book.
• Review the heavier-weighted subjects first, starting with those you feel less competent in.
• Study new subjects towards the end of your study period.
• Test yourself as you study.
• Focus on understanding the principles behind every problem instead of trying to memorize every problem.
• Take a mock exam a few weeks prior to your exam date.
• Make sure to practice using a calculator approved by NCEES.

My Story

I took the FE exam during finals’ week as a senior. That wasn’t my best decision, because I was slammed, and I could barely find time to review that last week.
But, it did not factor in whether I passed the exam. I passed the exam because of the work I put in the months before.

Here is a list of the topics on the FE civil arranged by weight and color-coded based on my level of comfort with them:

-Green: Confident

-Orange: Neutral

-Red: Not Confident

-Purple: Never studied

I took a practice exam before I started studying to gauge my comfort level with each subject. Over a period of 3 months, I studied most days for an hour or more and tested myself on each topic as I studied. Two weeks before the exam, I took another practice exam to judge my progress.

I felt awful on the day of the exam, but I went through my checklist and dragged myself to the test center. I was really nervous, but once I started answering the questions I knew, I got more confidence. Solving the questions you know how to answer is a great strategy to boost your confidence and ensure that you’re answering as many questions as possibly you can.

I used this order to answer the questions:

1. Easy questions that I could answer in 1 minute or less
2. Questions that I could answer in more than 1 minute
3. Questions I wasn’t sure about
4. Questions I didn’t know how to answer
5. Review

After making sure I had an answer for every question, I reviewed the answers I knew. It’s so easy to make a mistake, and I wanted to get all the questions that I knew how to solve right.

I got the results a few days later, and when I saw the green light; I was ecstatic.

Next Steps

I am currently working full-time as a junior transportation engineer, and I am studying to take the PE exam next year.

You’ve been through three/four years of engineering school, and you can pass the FE. I believe in you.