The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, also known as Engineer-In-Training (EIT) exam, is the first step in the journey to obtain your Professional Engineering (PE) license. Click here if you want to learn more about it, but if you know about the exam and are thinking about taking it, follow these 7 easy steps for your best chance of passing it!
Step 1: Get the Best Study Materials
The FE exam tests you on a wide span of subject matters. Luckily, if you have the right study materials, they will cut down on your study time dramatically in addition to improving your odds of passing the test. So what are good study materials? They definitely are not your sister’s ex-boyfriend class notes from two years ago! In all seriousness, what I mean is that you need the most current, accurate, and focused study materials possible. Right now, the best self-studying package out there is the FE Print Bundle from PPI. It consists of basically everything you need to pass the test on the first try: FE review textbook, FE practice problems, NCEES FE reference handbook, NCEES FE practice exam, customized book tabs, and even an NCEES approved calculator! Get this best and latest study package so you don’t waste your valuable time and end up spending more money if you don’t pass it the first time around.
Step 2: Familiarize Yourself with the Exam Specifications
Before diving into studying, download the latest exam specifications from NCEES and take a little bit of time going through it. Divide all the subjects from the exam specifications into three buckets: subjects you know very well, subjects you know but are not totally confident about, and subjects that you don’t know at all. If you find that the majority of the subjects belong to “subject you know but are not totally confident about,” then I suggest you focus the vast majority of your study time there. Don’t waste too much time trying to learn new subjects that you might not ever use in your life again. If, however, you find that most of the subjects are “subject you don’t know at all,” then I suggest that Step 5 below is mandatory for you.
Step 3: Download, Learn, and KNOW the NCEES Handbook
This NCEES Handbook is the only reference that you are allowed to have for the FE exam so make sure you know it well. An electronic version of it will be available onscreen during the actual exam for you to refer to. However, review this handbook thoroughly prior to exam day and familiarize yourself with the charts, formulas, tables, and other reference materials in the handbook. In fact, you should be using it extensively and exclusively while studying for the exam so you know where everything is in it. Also, if you find that you use some formulas repeatedly while studying and they are NOT in the NCEES handbook, make sure you memorize them for the exam.
To get a free copy of the NCEES Handbook, register or log in to MyNCEES to download it. You will find it on the dashboard under Common Tasks/Useful Documents/View reference handbooks. If you want a physical copy of the NCEES Handbook, it is included in the study bundle mentioned in Step 1. Please note that printed copy of the handbook will not be allowed in the exam room.
Step 4: Study! Study! Study!
Start your studying a minimum of 2 months before the actual test. The best way to study is to do as many practice problems as you can. The study bundle mentioned above offers a large amount of problems that you can practice with. When doing practice problems, make sure you do them under a timed condition so you can simulate what it is like to do problems under time pressure. In addition, give more time to do practice problems in areas that you know you are weak at but at the same time don’t spend too much time spinning your wheels if you find that you are spending too much time in one area. In other words, try to do as a wide variety of practice problems as possible before the exam.
If you want a more prescriptive online studying tool, try the PPI Learning Hub. This program has these excellent features:
- Begin your studies by diagnosing your knowledge of key NCEES FE Civil exam topics
- Deepen your understanding of all knowledge areas with problems that include clear, complete, and easy-to-follow solutions
- Practice with two NCEES-like exam simulations – each with a unique set of problems
- Study key knowledge areas with access to a review manual that is current to exam specifications and follows NCEES exam guidelines
- Test your skills with quizzes that draw from 2,700+ quantitative and non-quantitative problems and solutions covering all knowledge areas
Step 5: Take a Review Class
If you find from Step 3 or through a little bit of studying that you are spinning your wheels, then I highly suggest for you to sign up for an FE review class. You can take a review class with a live instructor or an on demand class to fit your busy schedule. I have personally taught review classes for PPI in the past and I know that my students get a lot out of them. There’s no other more efficient way of learning then having someone explain concepts to you and be there to answer any questions you might have about the subject.
Step 6: Take the FE Practice Exam(s)
This step is a must do. In fact, I think there are two parts to this step. Part 1 is for you to do problems from the printed NCEES FE practice exam that is written by the very same folks to write the actual FE exam. In fact, the NCEES FE practice exam contains problems that are very similar or exactly the same as problems from past FE exams. By doing this NCEES practice exam, you get to have a preview of your level of knowledge and whether or not you are prepared for the real exam. This practice exam is included in the study bundle mentioned above or you can buy it here.
In the past, NCEES had a digital version of the NCEES FE practice exam for you to do so you can see what it is like to take an NCEES computer-based exam. Unfortunately, they have discontinued this exam. However, I still think it is important for you to practice doing problems in a computer-based testing format so that’s why I recommend Part 2 where you do the exam simulations in the PPI Learning Hub. Even though the questions here might not be directly from NCEES, you still get to see what it is like to do a computer-based test and spend less time to get adjusted to this format during the actual exam.
Step 7: Take the Real FE Exam and CRUSH IT!
This is it! You have studied hard and now all you have to do is take the actual exam. In the weeks prior to the test, make sure you read up on the NCEES website to know what to expect on exam day and do the NCEES demo of the computer-based exam to get familiarize with this format. In addition, make it a priority to get a good night sleep the night before the exam. Good luck! Go crush it!