FE/EIT Exam Information

It is highly recommended to take the FE (Fundamentals of Engineering) exam in the spring semester of your senior year!

General Information

  • The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam is generally your first step in the process to becoming a professional licensed engineer (P.E.). It is designed for recent graduates and students who are close to finishing an undergraduate engineering degree from an EAC/ABET-accredited program. The FE exam is a computer-based exam administered year-round at NCEES-approved Pearson VUE test centers.
  • The FE exam includes 110-questions. The exam appointment time is 6 hours long and is as follows: 
    • Nondisclosure agreement (2 minutes)
    • Tutorial (8 minutes)
    • Exam (5 hours and 20 minutes)
    • Scheduled break (25 minutes)
  • To take the exam, you must register with NCEES
  • Go to https://account.ncees.org/login to create MyNCEES account
  • Examinees will be provided one attempt per testing window and no more than three attempts in a 12-month period
  • The FE Examination is $175 payable at the time of the online registration
  • Passing this exam does not ensure that the student will be certified as an Engineer in Training (E.I.T). To obtain certification, the student must file an application with an engineering licensing board and meet that board’s requirements for certification.
  • The New Jersey Board does not require examinees to submit an application or additional fee prior to registering with NCEES and scheduling an FE exam. After passing the FE exam, the NJ Licensing Board requires you to file a separate application to become certified Engineer-In-Training (EIT). Here is the link to download the NJ Board EIT instructions and application: http://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/pels/Applications/Professional-Engineer-in-Training-Application.pdf

Test Center Locations and Dates

  • Choosing the exam location and date is typically the last step of the exam registration process

How to Prepare for the FE exam

  • Reviewing the FE exam specifications, fees, and requirements
  • Reading the reference materials
  • Understanding scoring and reporting
  • Viewing the most up-to-date FE exam pass rates
  • Special accommodations are available for examinees who meet certain eligibility criteria and sufficiently document their request

Reference Materials and Exam Preparation

  • The NCEES FE Reference Handbook is the only reference material that can be used during the exam.
    • You will be provided with an electronic reference handbook during the exam.
    • For access prior to your exam, you may either purchase a hard copy or download a free electronic copy.
  • Register or log in to MyNCEES to download your free copy of the FE Reference Handbook.
  • NCEES offers practice exams. These practice exams contain questions that have been used on past exams and questions written just for study materials to give you extra practice.
  • The NCEES practice exams now come in paperback print copies. Online practice exams are no longer available. If you have already purchased an online practice exam, you will have access to the exam until the exam is completed or until your purchased time expires.
  • 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.

Calculator Policy

  • The only calculator models allowed in the 2018 exams are:
    • ​Casio: All fx-115 and fx-991 models
    • HP: All HP-33 and HP-35 models
    • TI: All TI-30X and TI-36X