If you’re an engineering student nearing the end of your undergraduate career, or a recent grad, you’ve probably heard of the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, which you have to pass to in order to become a licensed Engineer-in-Training.
For civil and structural engineers in the US, Professional Engineering licensure is pretty much required to progress very far in the technical field as an engineer, though many end up going into management instead. The EIT license is the first step towards that licensure, and to get that license, you have to pass the comprehensive FE Exam.
But for many, this examination, covering the full breadth of engineering knowledge in your selected discipline, can be quite daunting. Often only about 2/3 of the examinees pass in any given exam administration.
Here are some tips to help you prepare to take the FE exam confidently.
Review the Exam Specifications & Reference Handbook
Years ago, each state had its own engineering licensure exams and process, but today it’s almost all centralized (a few states have some lingering unique additional requirements) and the exams are written and administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying® (NCEES).
In my experience, the biggest thing that causes students to perform poorly on the FE is simply coming in unprepared for what the test looks like, unfamiliar with the reference handbook, or having forgotten certain key topics.
NCEES is actually kind enough to give us a detailed breakdown of the tested topics, even providing a number of questions in a particular topic area. Go grab your disciplines Exam Specification from the NCEES FE Exam Information page and give it a read-through, you may find you’re surprised that some topics actually have very few questions, and perhaps aren’t as worth spending lots of time reviewing.
The other huge piece of information you can grab from NCEES is a copy of the current FE Reference Handbook you’ll have on half of your screen during the exam.
If you’re unfamiliar with the way this works, you’ll be going to a computer-based Pearson VUE testing center (find a test center here) and taking the exam on their computer. Half of your screen will be the exam, showing one question at a time, and the other half is the searchable FE Reference Handbook.
This handbook is hands-down awesome. I took my FE Exam only one month into my senior year, so hadn’t actually had much concrete design yet, and hadn’t had any steel design at all, but when I got a steel beam problem, the brief summary that I instantly found in the handbook quickly taught me all I needed to know about the Lateral-Torsional Buckling equations for the steel design question.
Go to MyNCEES, where you’ll register for your FE exam, PE exam, and probably use their multistate licensing feature later in your career, and create your account. Once you’re logged in, go to “View reference handbooks” in the top-right “Common Tasks” area, as highlighted below. Then select the FE Exam Reference Handbook from the top of the next list, and at least give it a readthrough.
It’s a searchable pdf file that you’ll be using extensively during the exam, and it’s frankly so well-written and comprehensive, it should be a nice security blanket once you learn to use it. I highly recommend training like you perform, so use this reference when you study or take practice exams, alongside your NCCES-approved calculator.
Grab an FE Review Manual
When I took the FE exam, there weren’t as many resources available, but the one that was the absolute gold standard, and still is, was the FE Civil Review Manual by Michael Lindeburg (which you can grab from PPI2Pass.com with a 15% discount if you use my link).
I studied for the exam over the summer by following the study plan laid out in the front matter of Lindeburg’s book, and between taking a few minutes a day to read a section at a time of the book, and taking a practice exam / studying my weak areas, I was extremely prepared for the exam, to the point that I left 2 hours early.
My only regret in using this review manual is that I don’t still have it. Like the PE reference manual, this thing is a great reference to have on the shelf, but I sent mine off to a friend, who then sent it on to another friend.
Take a Practice Test
Depending on how much time you have to prepare and how confident you’re feeling, taking a practice test should either be your first or second step. They’re great diagnostic tools to let you know what you know well, and what you need to study some more on.
For me, I needed to go back and do a little more on geometric road design, which I hadn’t thought about in a while.
NCEES has one practice exam for each area, and I do recommend trying these directly from the source, as they’re going to be the most realistic.
Make sure that when you take your practice exam(s), you try to match the actual exam conditions as well as possible. Use your NCEES-approved calculator, the NCEES FE Reference Handbook, and lock yourself in a room away from distractions. Try to give it a full run-through at least once so as to get used to the timing and format.
If you want more exams, places like PPI2Pass have practice problem sets in specific areas, or full exams available for you. If you use my link, you’ll get 15% off all books from PPI2Pass.
Study for your Weak Areas
Once you’ve taken a practice test or two, you should start to notice which areas you have nailed down, and which ones you need to give a little more love.
Take your time, go back over old class notes, check out YouTube videos on specific topics you need to review, or consider grabbing a review course if you have a few you need to work on.
Grab a Review Course
If it’s been a while since you graduated, you’re not having a great time studying, you prefer to have a little more structured study plan, or you maybe didn’t pass the first time around, grabbing a paid review course is another great option.
While many groups offer these, I’ve been nothing but impressed with those from PPI2Pass (a Kaplan company), and while there are a few others in about the same price range, I do have a 15% off code for you for anything from PPI2Pass, good for all books and Learning Hub subscriptions.
These courses come in a wide variety of structures, from self-study packets to rigorous live classes on a regular schedule. Whatever you need they or someone else probably has it.
After you Pass
After you pass the exam, make sure to finish up with your state on all the paperwork, transcripts, and possibly letters of recommendation you might need to get your EIT license.
Once you have that nice certificate, make sure to let your employer know, and to also let them know that you’re interested in pursuing further licensure. Many employers have study rooms and resources for EITs to spend a few hours a week preparing to take the next step, the PE exam.