If you’re planning to take the Fundamentals of Engineering exam in October the registration deadline is coming up.  Check out www.ncees.org for information on registering.

The FE Exam is three months away.  If you are taking the FE in October now is the best time to start getting ready.  Start with practice problems.  There is nothing better for preparing for the test than to work problems similar to what you will find on the exam.

There are a lot of sources for practice problems.  Search any book store for sample exams.  You can also find several website with practice tests and sample problems.  My favorite is eitexam.com.  I especially like their 10 minute quizzes.  It’s easy to find time to do a quick 10 minute quiz.  It’s not so easy to find the time to do a four hour practice exam.  They also have full instructions on how to work the problems and explanations why the answers are right or wrong.  And finally they have both general exam and civil specific questions.  All for only 15 bucks for three months.

That’s enough free advertising for now.  Whatever method you choose, find one that works for you.  Also find regular time to practice and study.  Remember to get a copy of the Supplied-Reference Handbook from the NCEES website.  The pdf version is free.  Or you can have a paper copy mailed to you.  You can check out the study material that NCEES sells as well.  It’s not cheap, but hey, they wrote the test, so they know what’s on it.

Registration deadline is September 4^th.  Don’t wait until the last minute.  The date may be different in your area.  I’ve known people that had to wait until the next exam because they waited until the last minute to register and ended up being late.

Any other tips or strategies that you can think of?  How about things that have worked for you, or things that didn’t?

What you will need

Calculator – Make sure you have an approved calculator.  NCEES has a very specific list of calculators that you can use.  From their website:

Casio: All fx-115 models. Any Casio calculator must contain fx-115 in its model name.

Hewlett Packard: The HP 33s and HP 35s models, but no others.

Texas Instruments: All TI-30X and TI-36X models. Any Texas Instruments calculator must contain either TI-30X or TI-36X in its model name.

Get one early and use it for your homework.  That way you will be familiar with it come test time.

Spare calculator or set of batteries – Just in case

Some snacks – Make sure they don’t make any noise.  The proctors will ask you to pre open any snacks in plastic wrappers that may make noise.

Drinks

Ear plugs

Packed lunch – We only had about 45 minutes for lunch, and there weren’t very many places nearby to eat.  Packing your lunch can ease the stress a little and also give you more time to review for the next part of the test.

The test itself

The test is not easy.  You can pass it, though.

The test is in two parts.  The morning session has 120 questions and you have 4 hours to complete it.  That gives you about 2 minutes per question.  It covers general engineering knowledge.  Here’s a list from the NCEES Supplied-Reference Handbook of the areas covered on the morning session and the approximate percentage of questions on that subject:

Mathematics – 15%
Engineering Probability and Statistics – 7%
Chemistry – 9%
Computers – 7%
Ethics and Business Practices – 7%
Engineering Economics – 8%
Engineering Mechanics (Statics and Dynamics) – 10%
Strength of Materials – 7%
Material Properties – 7%
Fluid Mechanics – 7%
Electricity and Magnetism – 9%
Thermodynamics – 7%

The questions are short and for the most part just cover the basics of the subject.  The Supplied-Reference Handbook includes a breakdown of specific things in each section that you should be prepared for.

The afternoon session has 60 questions and is 4 hours long.  Four minutes per question.  You get to pick the afternoon test.  I highly recommend that if you are a civil engineering major that you take the civil engineering exam in the afternoon.  I found the questions very similar to what I saw in class.  However the choice is up to you.  If you don’t want to take the civil engineering exam then I would recommend the general engineering exam in the afternoon.  You are given a thick book with all of the different tests in it.  If you still haven’t decided by the time you get to the exam then quickly skim through the civil and general exams and see which one will be easier for you.  Remember you can only pick one and you have to do all of the questions in the one you pick.  No mixing and matching.

Below is a list of what is in the CE exam and the approximate percentages:

Surveying – 11%
Hydraulics and Hydrologic Systems – 12%
Soil Mechanics and Foundations – 15%
Environmental Engineering – 12%
Transportation – 12%
Structural Analysis – 10%
Structural Design – 10%
Construction Management – 10%
Materials – 8%

If you choose the general exam in the afternoon it will contain the same basic subjects as the morning exam just in much more detail.

Test Day

Get there early.  You will not be allowed in if you are late.  Follow all of the rules.  Even the ones that you wouldn’t normally have to follow for a final exam in a class.  The proctors take the exam very seriously and so should you.  Several people get kicked out every time for breaking the rules.

Have your ID and your paperwork ready

If you think you might get cold then bring a jacket

Listen to what the proctors say

Work quickly

But use all of the available time

When you have about 5 minutes left guess on all of the rest – pick a letter and stick with it.

Read the questions and answers carefully – you thing that you will see a lot is “pick the one that most nearly matches” your answer.  Sometimes that may mean that none of them are close but one of them is closer than the other.  For example, say you do the calculation and the answer is 53.  The answers to choose from are 0, 100, 200, and 300.  None of them really seem to fit, but 100 is “most nearly” the same because it’s the closest to 53.

Make sure you do it their way – They may tell you to use a certain method.  Then in the answers they will have the correct answer as well as the answers that you would get using other methods.  So if you use the wrong method you will still find the answer on the list but will get the question wrong because you didn’t use their method.

Registration for the October exam is open already in some states and will be opening soon in others.  The last day for registration is September 4^th.  Though, that may vary by state.  Don’t wait until the last minute.  Good luck for those getting ready to take it.

There are probably nearly as many strategies to passing the FE as there are people that have passed it. But here are some tips to help you along the way.

Way before you take the test

1) Pay attention in class
Most of the problems on the exam are similar to what you saw in your classes. The only difference is that they are broken down to only one segment of a larger problem. For example, instead of being asked to calculate all of the forces in a truss, you will be given some information and asked to calculate the force in only one member.
2) Get a copy of the NCEES FE Exam formula book.
You can get a copy of the formula book straight from the NCEES website. Click on Study Materials and find the FE Supplied-Reference Handbook. It has virtually every formula that you will need as a CE student. Get used to how it’s laid out so that when you get to the FE Exam you don’t have to search for the formulas that you need. It makes a great reference while doing home work. I also found that many professors will let you use it in place of formula sheets for tests and quizzes. Plus, I still use mine even after I graduated.
3) Actually read some of your text books
Some of the questions on the FE Exam check whether or not you understand a concept not if you can calculate a formula. So make sure you understand the science and reasoning behind the concepts and formulas that you learn in class.
4) Get a calculator that you can use on the test
NCEES has a very specific list of calculators that you can use on the test. Get one and learn how to use it. Sometimes knowing the special functions can save you valuable time when you’re in the exam.

The semester before

1) Pick up some study guides.
There are a lot of good study guides out there. One that I used and found helpful was the FE Review Manual written by Michael Lindeburg. You can buy it directly from PPI at the website ppi2pass.com. You can also get it from a lot of other book stores. They put out other books including subject specific books and sample exams.
2) Take a review course
I didn’t take a review course, but several of my friends did. They can be helpful because they review the material and give you a lot of practice questions.
3) Make sure you have the latest copy of the FE Supplied-Reference Handbook
They update it from time to time. Make sure you are studying from the one you will be using on the actual exam.
4) Do practice problems.
Do lots and lots of practice problems. Then do some more. This is the best possible way to get ready for the exam. I used eitexam.com. They are inexpensive and have a ton of practice problems. What I found most helpful were their ten minute quizzes. I never felt like I had the time to sit down and study a lot for the exam, but I did have time to do a ten minute quiz a few times a day. Plus the site will show you how to work each problem and tell you why the right answer is right and the other answers are wrong. You can also get FE Exam question books. Make sure they are up to date, though.
5) Make sure you register on time
I know several people that didn’t take the exam when they wanted to because they didn’t register on time. They waited until the last minute and then found out the last minute was really the day before. So register early when you know you are going to take it.

The days before

1) Do more practice problems
Continue to do more practice problems. Again, they are the best way to prepare. They help you review the material, and get your mind thinking the way the exam works.
2) Get your stuff ready
Get your calculator and other things ready to take to the exam. They will give you a list of what you can and can’t bring. Put together all of your stuff. Make sure you aren’t going to be scrambling for anything that morning.
3) Get a good night’s sleep
Just relax the day before. If you do study stop early and give your brain a chance to rest. Then get a full night’s sleep so that you are well rested and ready in the morning.

Those are just some quick tips on preparing for the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam. I’m sure a lot of people have other tips. Feel free to share them or ask any questions that you might have. I’ll talk more about test day strategies in a later post.

Today I’m going to talk about something important to engineering students. I’m going to go over what the FE exam is and why you should take it as soon as you can. Another time I’ll going over what to expect at the test, study strategies and tips to help you pass.

First of all the FE or Fundamentals of Engineering Exam is a comprehensive engineering exam that you generally take your last semester before getting your bachelors degree. It pretty much sums up all of your science and engineering courses. It is generally recommended to take it your last semester so that you have already completed most of your engineering course. That way you will have the best chance of passing the exam. The exam is multiple choice, but the questions are designed to make it hard to just guess.

The exam is broken into two main parts, the morning part and the afternoon part. In the morning everybody takes the same general engineering exam. It covers physics, chemistry, and all of your other general science and engineering subjects. In the afternoon you can choose a specific engineering subject or take a more in depth general exam. Most people majoring in civil engineering will pick the civil engineering specific exam in the afternoon. That’s what I recommend since that’s what will be the freshest in your mind.

The test is a national test. It is administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). They grade your test then send your score to your states licensing board. They are very secretive about how they score the tests. All they will say is that they use a statistical method and a group of subject matter experts to determine how many questions must be correct to get a passing score. They say that they use this method to make sure that the tests are fair. That way a student wouldn’t be punished if the test is harder that time that usual. Once the scores are reported, though, you will need a 70 percent to pass. They have said for several years that they will stop telling students their score, but when I took it I was sent my score.

Passing the FE Exam and getting your degree is what earns you your Engineer in Training (EIT) title. The test is only offered twice per year, in April and October. So make sure you are ready when it comes.

Why you should take it soon

As I mentioned before, it is required to get your EIT. The test is commonly considered the first step to getting your license. That’s because it is required to get your EIT and because you will have to pass the FE Exam before your can take the Professional Engineering (PE) Exam.

The FE Exam covers the theory and general information that you learn in school. Taking it while you are still taking the classes will make it much easier to remember the information than if you wait until just before you take the PE.

Some other reasons to take it before you finish school
You’re still in test taking mode
One less thing to worry about when you graduate
It’s hard to find time to study when you’re working
It shows future employers that you know your stuff
Many employers pay more if you already have it done
Some employers require it

That is just some basic information about the test and a few bullet points as to why you should take it while in school. Next I’ll go into more about the exam and about strategies to study and strategies to use during the exam.

In the mean time you can find more information about it a NCEES’s website www.ncees.org.

Has anybody here already taken it? Or plan to take it soon? What are your thoughts or questions about it?