Review of Engineering

Fundamentals

CIVL 4197
Course Format
 26 review sessions
 Half-length mock FE exam
• 3-hour exam
• 55 questions (~3 minutes per question)
• $44 payable online on the day of the exam
What Do I Need?
 NCEES Supplied Reference Handbook
 You can purchase it for $13.95 (plus
shipping) at https://account.ncees.org/exam-
prep/store/category/FE/product/fe-reference-
handbook-9-3-edition
 You can also download it for free at
http://ncees.org/exams/fe-exam/
How do I pass the course?
 Attend at least 22 of the review sessions
AND
 Score at least 40% on the mock exam
OR
 Pass the real exam
The FE Exam

Exam Particulars

Preparation Strategies

Test-Taking Strategies
FE Exam Format
 6-hour exam
• 8-minute tutorial
• 110 questions @ 1 point per question
• 25-minute break halfway through
 All multiple choice questions
• 4 choices per question
• No penalty for wrong answers
• All choices equally represented
When Can I Take the Exam?
1. January, February

2. April, May

3. July, August

4. October, November

You can only take the exam once per “window”

and no more than 3 times in a 12-month period.
How Do I Register for the Exam?
1. Download and complete the application “For Senior
Engineering Students” at
http://www.tn.gov/commerce/article/arch-forms-and-downloads

2. Download and complete the “FE Exam Certification

Form” at
http://www.memphis.edu/ce/docs/fe_exam_certification_of_eligibility.pdf

3. Have your advisor sign the certification form

4. Take both forms to Dr. Pezeshk for his signature.

How Do I Register for the Exam?
5. Give the certification form to Racheal to put in your
folder.

6. Mail the application form and $15 application fee to

the Tennessee Board of Examiners.

7. Once you have been approved to sit for the exam,

register with NCEES (www.ncees.org) and pay the
$225 exam fee.
How Do I Register for the Exam?
8. Once you have been authorized by NCEES, you
can schedule an exam at any Pearson VUE testing
center in the country.

9. You will then receive an appointment confirmation

from the Pearson VUE testing center.

10. When your appointment time arrives, take the exam

at the Pearson VUE testing center you selected.
Where Can I Take the Exam?
Where Can I Take the Exam?
Where can I find more info?

http://ncees.org/exams/fe-exam/

http://www.tn.gov/commerce/article/arch-engineer-interns
The FE Exam

Exam Particulars

Preparation Strategies

Test-Taking Strategies
How to Prepare for the Exam
 Attend all the review sessions
 Take the practice exams
 Become familiar with the NCEES
FE Supplied-Reference Handbook
(9th Edition)
 Consider purchasing review books
 Take the exam seriously!
Texas A&M Digital FE Review

http://engineeringregistration.tamu.edu/downloads/MP4/index_FE.htm
The FE Exam

Exam Particulars

Preparation Strategies

Test-Taking Strategies
What to Bring to the Exam
 Government-issued photo id
• Must have a valid expiration date
• Must have your name and date of birth
• Must have your signature
• STUDENT ID CARDS ARE NOT ACCEPTED
 NCEES-approved calculator
Calculators Allowed

HP-33s Casio TI-30X

HP-35s FX-115 ES TI-36X
FX-115 MS
Strategies for Taking the Exam
 Start with the areas you know best
 Don’t confuse “long” and “difficult”
 Read the entire question before solving
 Read all the answers before selecting
 Answers often reflect common mistakes
 Many questions ask for “closest” answer
Strategies for Taking the Exam
 Make sure you answer every question
 If you don’t know the answer …
• Try to eliminate clearly incorrect answers
• Try to work backwards from the remainder
• If all else fails, GUESS
 Make sure you don’t run out of time
How is the exam scored
 Passing grade is 70% but …
• Unfair problems are thrown out
• Beta test problems aren’t scored
• Scores are curved for consistency
 Bottom line …
• You need to answer approximately 55 of
the 110 questions on the exam correctly
What are my chances?
Exam Volume Pass Rate
FE Chemical 853 77%
FE Civil 4,874 70%
FE Electrical & Computer 1,217 75%
FE Environmental 657 75%
FE Industrial 248 64%
FE Mechanical 3,547 82%
FE Other Disciplines 1,439 81%

Based on first-time test takers who took the exam between January and May of 2015
Resources

Available from
ncees.org

$49.95

FE Civil Online Practice Exam 1

Resources

Available from
ppi2pass.com

$85

FE Civil Practice Exam 1 (FECE1EX)

Resources

Available from
Kaplanengineering.com

$67.95
Resources

Available from
Amazon.com

$243.20
Resources

Available from
Amazon.com

$115.14
Resources

Available from
iTunes

$19.99
Resources

Casio 115ES Users Guide

http://support.casio.com/pdf/004/fx-115ES_991ES_Eng.pdf

Casio 115MS Users Guide

http://support.casio.com/pdf/004/fx115MS_991MS_E.pdf
Resources

HP 35s Scientific Calculator User Guide

http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c01579350

HP 33s Scientific Calculator User Guide

http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c00251639.pdfl
Resources

TI 30X and TI 36X Guidebooks

https://education.ti.com/en/us/guidebook/search/scientific-calculators