Let us help answer the most common questions about the NCEES FE exam.
The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam costs $175.
You are given 6 hours total.
There are 110 questions on the exam
Before July 1st, 2017, only multiple-choice questions will be on the computer based exams (CBT). Now, alternative item types (AIT) have been introduced (here is a video on AITs provided by NCEES), and all exams will have all of, but not excluded to, the following:
FE exam results are typically available 7–10 days after you take the exam. You will receive an email notification from NCEES with instructions to view your results in your MyNCEES account. Results include information specific to your licensing board regarding how you should proceed based on your performance.
Results are based on total number of correct answers. There are NO deductions for wrong answers, so make sure to answer everything. Since exam questions may vary, scores are scaled for difficutly, accordingly. The NCEES does not publish a passing score and claims that no predetermined percentage of examinees pass or fail.
Exam results are reported pass/fail. If you did not pass the exam, you will receive a diagnostic report indicating subject areas of relative strength and weakness. The diagnostic report can assist you if you decide to retake the exam. Download a sample diagnostic report (PDF).
It is a computer based exam, administered by the NCEES and taken at Pearson VUE test centers. As of 2014, the FE exams are discipline-specific, but there are still general engineering topics in addition to discipline-specific ones on each exam.
Unfortunately, you will have to register with the NCEES and pay a $175 exam fee in order to see and select a date.
You can take exam up to three times a year. See the NCEES site for details.
No, you can revisit problems during the first half of the exam, but once you move onto the second half, you cannot go back to the first half.
The FE exam questions are grouped by section, but there are no headers. Once you are in the final set of questions (like the last 10), they may not be grouped and may be a randomized group of "trial" questions for future exam takers. While these are common on standardized tests and generally don't count against you, it would be wise to treat all questions as if they count.
You cannot CTRL-F like a typical PDF, but the user interface has its own search bar you will have to use. Search results include page numbers, so familiarizing yourself with the handbook ahead of the test is vital.
The most time-effective thing you can do is WORK PRACTICE PROBLEMS over and over. Those who have passed the FE exam, academia, and the best test prep providers all suggest this should be your primary focus.
Yes, the consensus is that the problems are more difficult, complex, and time consuming than the typical problems found on the exam.
We believe it's around 10%.
The exam difficulty doesn't vary during the year, and the NCEES makes sure that qualified examinees pass without applying a "curve". The best advice is to schedule it such that you have the most amount of time to prepare thoroughly.