Is The FE Exam Hard?

Posted by Wasim Asghar on January 5th, 2022

The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam is a test administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). The exam covers a broad base of subjects related to most engineering fields. The best FE exam prep tips are similar to those for most major tests: Study thoroughly and with others, have multiple resources, and get plenty of rest. However, unlike most tests, many months of preparation are generally recommended to ensure a good result when attempting FE. If you’re wondering if the FE exam is hard, you can take private training courses to help in the study process.

The FE exam is taken to obtain certification as an Engineer in Training (EIT) in the United States. As of 2011, the assessment is a closed book and consists of 180 multiple-choice questions in many engineering-related subjects. These include physics, chemistry, statistics, soil mechanics, and electrical engineering. The exam lasts eight hours and is scored as pass/fail. Results are usually reported two to three months after sitting down for the test.

Is the FE Exam hard?

 If yes, then how hard is the FE electrical exam? The exam consists of 110 multiple-choice questions, with the bulk of the questions being multiple-choice. There is no cost for speculating whenever it comes to addressing difficulties. Some problems, on the other hand, enable the student to point and click, drag and drop, or fill in the blank, making them more difficult to predict.

Examinees that have completed a four-year degree in electrical engineering are likely to be familiar with the FE exam’s content. The following is a list of the FE exam’s topics. Taking the FE exam and having to apply everything you’ve studied in every one of those classes all at once is a completely different ballgame.

The total exam time is 5 hours and 20 minutes, and there are 110 problems to solve. One hundred and ten questions are broken up into two halves. You can take a 25-minute pause between portions in the second part of the examination, which has 50-60 problems. Since the allotted time for the exam is 5 hours and 20 minutes, and a 25-minute interval somehow does not count against that time. If you do not take a break, you will not be able to spend time dealing with problems in the second quarter of the exam.

An accessible pdf-like edition of the FE Reference Handbook will be available to you during the FE test. There are almost 500 pages of equations in the FE Reference Handbook to help you with any difficulty you run into. All of the exam-related formulas are contained in this reference guide. Because many theoretical problems do not require equations, the FE Reference Handbook is of no value during the exam. Conceptual-theoretical challenges account for 15% of the topics you will find.

School computer examination halls are restricted to the use of only FE-approved calculators. The exam proctor will provide thin markers and a spiral book for you to use for a manual calculation.

Exam basics have been learned. Given that, a test lasting more than five hours is going to be psychologically and physically taxing.

What does the FE Exam consist of?

Most college students studying an engineering field have the opportunity to take the FE exam while still in college. One of the best ways to prepare for the FE exam, for two reasons, is to study while completing an engineering degree. First, it is very likely that the information has been studied recently and is fresh in mind. Second, if there are questions about the study material, there is likely quick access to classmates, instructors, courses, or books that can help answer those questions.

Like most major companies, it is best to use many small efforts over a long period of time when studying for FE. Regardless of whether someone preparing for FE exam preparation is still in college or graduated, studies must begin no less than three months before the test date. Some find it helpful to take just one or two subjects per week for the first month, so there is a constant focus on the subjects in question. As the test date approaches, sample issues from all engineering-related areas should be examined to help ensure that the material is less likely to be forgotten.

A very helpful tip for FE exam preparation is to make sure you get the correct study materials. It is certain that the university exams of personal property or available from acquaintances have all kinds of relevant problems that can help in the study. NCEES® offers many study materials for sale, including books containing sample questions and answers. The NCEES® Study Book is valuable because it indicates the exact format of the questions in the FE.

What’s the experience Like of Giving the FE Exam? 

In your first attempt at the exam, do not attempt to answer any questions that you are unsure about. Every second counts when it comes to passing the FE exam, so don’t waste it. When you take your exam for the first time, only answer the questions that you are absolutely sure of. Don’t answer questions that you’re unsure of, and come back to them later if you’re confident in your answers.

There is no time to waste, so you must get as many questions correct as possible. Regardless of how difficult the questions are or how much you know about the subject matter, many people take the exam, dealing with one problem at a time. A drawback of this strategy is that it may avert you from attempting to answer other questions which you could easily answer because you didn’t have enough time to get to them. To avoid this mistake, focus on the easier problems first and then tackle the more difficult ones later.

One of the most common mistakes made by students is to hand in their exams early, even though they have plenty of time remaining. Double or triple-check all of your answers on both halves of the exam. As an example, if you get through half of a test early, don’t just hand it in and move on. Double-check your answers to any questions you had difficulty with, especially those that were difficult for you.

The difference between passing and failing an exam may be as simple as finding a mistake in one or two of the questions. Use the extra time to double-check or recalculate any answers that you were unsure of. Even though time is a major consideration, DO NOT rush through the exam!

Preparing for an exam by taking practice exams in a timed environment will help you better understand how long each problem takes, so you don’t rush through it and make mistakes. Once again, a single blunder can mean the difference between passing and failing an exam.

What’s the passing ratio for the FE exam? 

As of July 2021, the current FE Exam pass rates are as follows:

  • FE Chemical: 74%
  • FE Civil: 70%
  • FE Electrical and Computer: 72%
  • FE Environmental: 79%
  • FE Industrial: 67%
  • FE Mechanical: 75%
  • FE Other Disciplines: 63%

Is the FE exam curved?

A large, volunteer-sourced NCEES problem bank has been used to generate unique exams for the exam. NCEES provides a scaled score for exam comparisons because the difficulty level of the exam varies from person to person, and the scale is necessary for that purpose. The NCEES sets passing scores that are not influenced by the achievement of other examinees. When you take a look at the pass rates for each exam, you’ll see that they vary year over year.

 What’s a passing score on the FE?

The average passing score for the FE exam is 50%. To be on the safe side, keep in mind that these figures are subject to sudden shifts. This is because the board uses the test takers’ minimum ability score as a basis for calculating the score. Test scores may not reflect the difficulty of a test if the number of people taking it is higher than average. The fluctuation in the passing score may not be an accurate reflection of the tests’ difficulty. Take care to ensure that the preparations are adequate to deal with these issues.

 

 

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Wasim Asghar

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Wasim Asghar
Joined: May 18th, 2016
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