Find answers to all of your questions about engineering, architecture, and design exams, as well as subscriptions, course videos, and etextbooks below. If you have any additional questions or would like to work with our Customer Support team, just contact us.
PPI Exam FAQs
FE Exam
The NCEES FE Handbook was never intended to be something you study or learn from, so it is most definitely inadequate for that purpose. Background, preliminary and supporting material, explanations, extensions to the theory, and application rules are all missing from the NCEES Handbook. Many subtopics (e.g., contract law) listed in the exam specifications are not represented in the NCEES Handbook.
We use a process called continuous improvement to ensure our materials are always up-to-date with the latest exam specifications and handbook references. We are constantly reviewing and our revising our materials, and when a new handbook or new specifications come out, we specifically revise content related to that update.
The average pass rate for first-time FE examinees is 68.3% across all disciplines. The FE Environmental exam has the highest first-time pass rate at 76%, while FE Other Disciplines has the lowest at 60%.
The FE exam includes 110 questions. The exam appointment time is 6 hours and includes:
- Nondisclosure agreement (2 minutes)
- Tutorial (8 minutes)
- Exam (5 hours and 20 minutes)
- Scheduled break (25 minutes)
It really depends on the individual. The recommended advice is 12 to 14 weeks of serious study for a minimum of 3 hours a day.
You can take the FE exam once per three-month testing window and a maximum of three times per year.
The FE exam fee is $175. Some licensing boards also require you to file a separate application and pay an application fee to sit for your exam. Reasonable accommodations are available for examinees who meet certain eligibility criteria and accurately document their requests.
A $175 exam fee is payable directly to NCEES. Some licensing boards may require you to file a separate application and pay an application fee as part of the approval process to qualify you for a seat for an NCEES exam. Your licensing board may have additional requirements. Special accommodations are available for examinees who meet certain eligibility criteria and sufficiently document their requests.
You can divide your time between the two sessions any way you’d like. For example, if you want to spend 4 hours in the first section, and 1 hour and 20 minutes in the second section, you could do so. Between sessions, you can take a 25-minute break. You can take less time if you would like, but you cannot work through the break, and the break time cannot be added to the time permitted for either session.
Once each session begins, you can leave your seat for personal reasons, but the “clock” does not stop for your absence. Unanswered questions are scored the same as questions answered incorrectly, so you should use the last few minutes of each session to guess at all unanswered questions.
Our exam practice questions are exam-like, which means they reference the appropriate NCEES Handbook, they are a similar length to the real exam, and they use multiple-choice questions like the exam. Some questions may be a little easier or a little harder than the actual exam, but they are all designed to bring you success on exam day.
Yes. The FE exam consists of 110 computer-based, multiple-choice questions.
The current FE exam pass rates as of January 2022 are:
- FE Chemical: 73%
- FE Civil: 62%
- FE Electrical and Computer: 73%
- FE Environmental: 70%
- FE Industrial: 62%
- FE Mechanical: 71%
- FE Other Disciplines: 65%
- FE Chemical (effective beginning July 1, 2020)
- FE Civil (effective beginning July 1, 2020)
- FE Electrical and Computer (effective beginning July 1, 2020)
- FE Environmental (effective beginning July 1, 2020)
- FE Industrial and Systems (effective beginning July 1, 2020)
- FE Mechanical (effective beginning July 1, 2020)
- FE Other Disciplines (effective beginning July 1, 2020)
To prevent unauthorized transcription and distribution of the exam questions, calculators with communicating and text editing capabilities have been banned by NCEES. You may love the reverse Polish notation of your HP 48GX, but you’ll have to get used to one of the calculators NCEES has approved. If you start using one of these approved calculators at the beginning of your review, you should be familiar enough with it by the time of the exam. NCEES approved calculators are listed at ppi2pass.com/calculators.
If you need to cancel or reschedule your FE exam appointment, you can do this through your MyNCEES account. Depending on the date that you cancel or reschedule the exam, you may be entitled to a refund.
The NCEES FE exam (Fundamentals of Engineering exam) is the first exam you will need to pass in order to become a professional licensed engineer (PE). You can take the FE exam as early as your last year in an undergraduate engineering degree program. Many exam candidates take the FE exam right after graduation.
FE exam scores are based on the total number of questions answered correctly, with no deductions made for questions answered incorrectly. Raw scores may be adjusted slightly, and the adjusted scores are then scaled. In the past, NCEES has rarely announced a minimum required passing score for the FE exam, ostensibly because the average score changed slightly with each administration of the exam. However, inside information reports that the raw percentage of questions that must be answered correctly was low—hovering around 50%
For some questions, you might have to look up a value, but in those cases, you must use the value in the NCEES Handbook. For example, you might know that the modulus of elasticity of steel is approximately 29 106 psi for soft steel and approximately 30 106 psi for hard steel. If you needed the modulus of elasticity for an elongation calculation, you would find the official NCEES Handbook value is “29 Mpsi.” Unless the question is specifically determining whether you can read a table or figure, all relevant values needed to solve the question are often included in the question statement. NCEES does not want the consequences of using correct methods with ambiguous data.
The NCEES FE exam is a “limited-reference exam.” So keep in mind during exam preparation that nothing except what is supplied by NCEES may be used during the exam. NCEES provides its own searchable, electronic version of the NCEES Handbook for use during the exam. Computer screens are 24 inches wide, so there is enough room to display the exam questions and the NCEES Handbook side-by-side.
Bring proper identification (a government-issued ID, military ID, or passport) with you on exam day. The NCEES also recommends bringing a copy of your appointment confirmation letter to speed up the check-in process. You can take one NCEES-approved calculator, eyeglasses, a sweater or jacket, and anything else on the Comfort Aid List into the exam room as well.
PE Exam
Due to copyright, PPI VitalSource etextbooks cannot be printed. Most PPI books are also available in printed format as an add-on option on our website.
Some states require a BS degree from an ABET-accredited engineering program to sit for the PE exam. Other states allow you to take the PE exam with a degree in engineering technology, physics, math, or chemistry—or without any degree—as long as you’ve met the required work experience. Check your state requirements to see if you can take the PE exam without an engineering degree.
It is an 8-hour exam. It contains 80 total questions: 40 multiple-choice questions in the 4-hour AM session, and 40 multiple-choice questions in the 4-hour PM session.
You can take most PE exams once per three-month testing window and no more than three times per year. Certain PE exams are only offered once per year in October. Some licensing boards are more restrictive, so check your state licensing board to confirm how often you can retake the exam.
Our exam practice questions are exam-like, which means they reference the appropriate NCEES Handbook, they are a similar length to the real exam, and they use multiple-choice questions like the exam. Some questions may be a little easier or a little harder than the actual exam, but they are all designed to bring you success on exam day.
The PE exam can be difficult. The exam tests your competency in all aspects of engineering and should not be taken lightly. You should plan on taking several weeks to prepare and study before sitting for the exam. Here are the most recently updated PE exam pass rates.
The PE structural exam is the only open-book exam remaining. All other PE exams are now closed-book computer-based exams, commonly referred to as CBT.
The PE exams are not considered easy to pass, but the exam will become easier if the content reflects topics that you're familiar with from your current line of work. Think about your career goals when considering the PE exam. Are you seeking a promotion in your current role? You should select the exam that best supports your current career. Are you trying to switch industries? Choose the exam that will set you up for success in your new field. Rather than seek out the easiest PE exam, select the one that will support your goals.
The PE exam tests for a minimum level of competency in engineering. You need a minimum of four years of post-college work experience to be able to sit for the exam.
Most states allow you to take the PE exam after passing your FE exam and gaining at least four years of post-college work experience. However, some states now allow examinees to sit for the PE exam before completing their work experience. Check your state requirements to see when you’re qualified to sit for the exam.
We recommend 200 to 300 hours of study time in order to prepare for the PE exam. If you have a full time job, that would be five to seven months spending 10 to 15 hours per week studying. Six months is a good starting point.
You should prioritize your engineering interests and professional background when determining which PE exam to take. The difficulty level of each discipline is also important to consider. Reach out to licensed engineers in your network for additional perspectives, too.
ARE Exam
ARE 5.0 is a computer-based test and has content divided into six divisions that may be taken in any order. They are:
- Practice Management (80 items, 2 hours and 45 minutes test duration)
- Project Management (90 items, 3 hours and 15 minutes test duration)
- Programming & Analysis (95 items, 3 hours and 15 minutes test duration)
- Project Planning & Design (120 items, 4 hours and 15 minutes test duration)
- Project Development & Documentation (120 items, 4 hours and 15 minutes test duration)
- Construction & Evaluation (95 items, 3 hours and 15 minutes test duration)
For more information, you can visit ncarb.org.
After you pass an ARE division, it remains valid during the delivery of the version of the exam under which it was taken. Your passed division could also be used to establish credits during the delivery of the next exam version. After two versions of the exam, passed divisions will expire. Please see NCARB's website for more information on their score validity policy.
- Practice Management: 51%
- Project Management: 62%
- Programming & Analysis: 53%
- Project Planning & Design: 46%
- Project Development & Documentation: 53%
- Construction & Evaluation: 70%
NCARB recently launched the Approved Test Prep Provider Program in an effort to help candidates prepare for the ARE 5.0 exam. Through this program, companies submit their ARE 5.0 study materials to NCARB subject matters experts to review. These products are evaluated to determine whether the materials adequately address the content areas and objectives outlined in the NCARB ARE 5.0 Handbook to help candidates adequately prepare for ARE 5.0. PPI, a Kaplan Company, is proud to have designated NCARB-approved materials for ALL six divisions!
To learn more about the Approved Test Prep Provider Program, please visit the NCARB website.
The Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®) is a multi-division exam used to assess your knowledge and skills regarding the practice of architecture. The current version of the exam, ARE 5.0, is developed by NCARB and features six divisions. Completing the ARE 5.0 exam by passing all six divisions is required by all US jurisdictions as a key step on the path to earning a license. The division exams can be taken in any order.
ARE 5.0 has a mixture of item types. There is not a set percentage of any one type of item type on an exam. Here are the item types found on the ARE 5.0:
- Multiple Choice
- Check-All-That-Apply
- Hotspot
- Case Studies
The tests are administered at Prometric test centers and must be scheduled three days in advance.
In addition to testing, there are other education and work experience requirements that must be fulfilled to earn a license. For more information on additional requirements, exam policies, and eligibility, please visit the NCARB website.
There are three different item types utilized during each ARE 5.0 exam division. Here are the item types:
- Multiple Choice
- Check-All-That-Apply
- Hotspot
PPI, a Kaplan Company, has decades of experience helping millions of architects prepare for and pass their ARE 5.0 exam. We suggest you start by reading through our tips for exam review success (link to resource on the site) and then explore our PPI Learning Hub.
NCIDQ Exam
The Interior Design Fundamentals Exam (IDFX), Interior Design Professional Exam (IDPX), and the Interior Design Practicum Exam (PRAC) exams are scored by computer. Scores are reported on a scale ranging from 200 (0 correct) to 800 (all correct), with the passing point anchored at 500. Results for each exam are processed within 6-8 weeks of the close of the window. Candidates who sat for the exam will receive an email notification once the score has been processed and is available to view in MyNCIDQ. CIDQ takes this time to guarantee that all scores are fair and accurate.
In collaboration with interior designer practitioners, educators, and testing professionals, CIDQ has set a passing point (or cut score) for each NCIDQ Exam. Meeting the passing standard for all three exam sections and achieving NCIDQ certification demonstrates that a candidate is competent to practice in a way that protects the health, safety, and welfare of the public. The passing point does not change based on your location, the number of candidates taking the exam, or the performance of other candidates taking the exam.
The Interior Design Fundamentals Exam (IDFX) covers eight distinct areas that capture the core competencies of interior design:
- Programming and Site Analysis
- Relationship between Human Behavior and the Designed Environment
- Design Communication Techniques
- Life Safety and Universal Design
- Interior Building Materials and Finishes
- Technical Specifications for Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment and Lighting
- Construction Drawings, Schedules, and Specifications
- Professional Development and Ethics
The Interior Design Professional Exam (IDPX) covers seven distinct areas that capture the core competencies of interior design:
- Project Assessment and Sustainability
- Project Process, Roles, and Coordination
- Professional Business Practices
- Code Requirements, Laws, Standards, and Regulations
- Integration with Building Systems and Construction
- Integration of Furniture, Fixtures, & Equipment
- Contract Administration
The Interior Design Practicum Exam (PRAC) covers four distinct areas that capture the core competencies of interior design:
- Programming, Planning, and Analysis
- Code Requirements, Laws, Standards, and Regulations
- Integration with Building Systems and Construction
- Contract Documents
The Council for Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ) administers the NCIDQ Exam. CIDQ, which is composed of regulatory boards from across the United States and Canada, takes seriously its responsibility to protect the public. Accordingly, CIDQ specific education and work experience requirements exist to be eligible to sit for the NCIDQ Examination. You must have official education transcripts must include a minimum of 60 semester or 90 quarter credit hours of post-secondary interior design coursework that encompasses a certificate, degree, or diploma from an accredited institution to be eligible. Plus you must have 'experience'; Which is: up to 1,760 hours of interior design work experience, earned prior to graduation. Regardless, CIDQ also warns that meeting CIDQ's education and work experience requirements does not guarantee that a candidate will meet their jurisdiction's requirements to be a licensed interior designer. Individuals are reminded to check with their jurisdiction regarding those specific requirements.
The NCIDQ exam is administered by the Council for Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ) - the certifying organization for interior design professionals.
The NCIDQ exam is divided into three sections:
- Interior Design Fundamentals Exam (IDFX),
- Interior Design Professional Exam (IDPX),
- Interior Design Practicum Exam (PRAC),
all administered by computer and machine graded. All three exams are available to take throughout the entire months of April and October.
For more detailed information on topics for this exam section, please visit the CIDQ website.
NCIDQ Certification is the industry's recognized indicator of proficiency in interior design principles and a designer's commitment to the profession.
To become a certified interior designer in the United States, you’ll need to take the NCIDQ (National Council for Interior Design Qualification) exam. The NCIDQ is administered by the CIDQ, which stands for Council of Interior Design Qualification, and is currently the only nationally-recognized competency exam for interior design. Obtaining your NCIDQ Certification recognizes your proficiency in interior design principles and your commitment to the profession.
The NCIDQ ensures the safety and wellbeing of the public by requiring that design professionals are held to the highest standards in the industry. The content of the exam represents the foundational knowledge you need to be able to branch out into a specialty design area afterwards. The NCIDQ exam consists of three sections: the Fundamentals Exam (IDFX), the Professional Exam (IDPX), and the Practicum Exam (PRAC). Each section focuses on public health, safety and welfare.
PPI, a Kaplan Company, has decades of experience helping thousands of designers prepare for and pass their NCIDQ exam. We suggest you start by reading through our resource pages and explore our Study Options.
PPI Subscription FAQs
No. There is not an option to cancel a partial subscription. If you cancel your subscription, access to all products that are part of the subscription will end at the end of the term.
PPI subscriptions cannot be paused. Once a cycle has begun it will continue until the next renewal or the fixed expiration date.
PPI's digital content is protected by all applicable federal copyright laws. Use is not transferable. Sharing is prohibited. Access is restricted to the user identified as the "enrollee" during check out. See our Privacy Policy for additional details.
Currently PPI offers different levels of subscription access to different products. You can view details for all PPI Learning Hub subscriptions on our Subscription page. Prep course related subscriptions can be found our on Courses page.
Your credit card will automatically be charged on the first day of the new term, for every new term, until you cancel your renewing subscription.
PPI offers a variety of subscriptions that are paired up to work perfectly with your exam review. Each subscription has a predetermined length, that we refer to as the "subscription term". For weekly subscriptions, 1 term equals 1 week of access. For monthly subscriptions, 1 term equals 1 month of access. Your subscription term is communicated on the product page, in the shopping cart prior to checkout, and in your subscription details after purchase.
Subscriptions start immediately upon completion of purchase. For monthly subscriptions, you'll be charged on the same day each month.
No. Your access will continue until the end of the current subscribed term. Subscription terms start immediately upon completion of purchase.
No. When you use a promo code on subscriptions, the discount will apply to the first payment only. Future renewals will be charged at the pre-discounted subscription price.
If you continue your subscription, uninterrupted, your original pricing will remain the same. If your subscription is cancelled or expires, you will need to pay the current retail price for any new purchase.
PPI Course Video FAQs
You will need to be online to view recordings or to connect to a live course. Supplemental course materials such as Live Lecture Slides can be printed or saved for viewing offline. At this time, PPI does not offer any downloadable courses or videos, but we do sell eTextbooks that can be viewed offline.
An Enrollment Confirmation document is available upon enrollment. This serves as a receipt and can be downloaded from your online Moodle course page. A Completion Certificate becomes available after the final access day of your Live Course. In order to receive a completion certificate, you need to submit all required homework and complete the final course evaluation. Completion Certificates are not available for OnDemand courses. *If you have a special circumstance, please Contact Us for additional support.
PPI uses an online learning platform called Moodle, as “home” for all of our courses and videos. From Moodle, you use links to access purchased content and track your progress. Our live sessions are presented on E360. Some PPI videos are presented directly within the Moodle interface using Amazon Web Services.
If you have previously taken a PPI Live course, we are happy to offer a repeat discount if you wish to repeat the same Live course at any time in the future. For questions, or to take advantage of a repeat discount, send an email to info@ppi2pass.com or call 650-593-9119.
Please visit our PPI Passing Guarantee page for the available options.
On your course home page you will see an orange "Join Live Lecture" button. Refer to your course schedule for dates/times of each live lecture.
Please visit our Product Enrollment Changes to view our "Risk-Free" transfer and cancel options.
We recommend you complete the reading and practice homework before each live session to be familiar with the topic and prepared to ask the Instructor questions. If you fall behind, no worries, you can submit the homework for feedback from the Instructor at any time prior to the last access day, which is published on your course schedule. All homework assignments are required to qualify for the Passing Guarantee.
Please visit our Product Enrollment Changes page for the available options.
Trouble viewing the live lecture may include not being able to hear the instructor or not being able to see the presentation. Please close all browser windows, open a new window, clear your cache, and sign in again. Chrome (the latest version) is the recommended browser to use for PPI courses.
PPI is committed to ensuring that persons with disabilities have full and equal access to our services as provided by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and implementing regulations. Please visit our ADA Policy for more information on accessibility and accommodation requests.
Email directly using our Contact Us tool or call (650) 593-9119. PPI Customer Service phone support is available Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., PT.
If you have a computer or mobile device that has been purchased in the last five years, you should have no trouble accessing PPI courses. The most important free software is a current internet browser. We’ve found that Google Chrome works best. Here is a list of basic desktop system requirements.
At PPI, we are committed to providing the best possible experience for students. We do our best to provide classes on the date/time advertised, and to ensure that online systems are free from technical problems. That said, there may be a time when schedule changes or unresolvable technical issues arise. We will always notify you of any planned schedule changes as far in advance as possible.If unresolvable technical issues arise during class, PPI will reschedule the class as quickly as possible. All rescheduling notifications are communicated via your enrollment email address and will also be posted on the classroom discussion forum.
PPI eTextbook FAQs
You can access an eTextbook across 4 devices - 2 mobile and 2 desktop. If you want to access a 3rd mobile or desktop device, you will need to deactivate an older device. For assistance visit VitalSource Support.
Printing PPI's VitalSource etextbooks is prohibited due to copyright. However, most of our books are available in print format as an add-on option on our website.
PPI eTextbooks are non-returnable and non-refundable.
PPI eTextbooks cannot be shared. PPI's content delivered to you in an electronic format is protected by all applicable federal copyright laws. Use is not transferrable. Access is restricted to the user identified as the "enrollee" during check out. See our Privacy Policy for additional details.
No. You can access 100% of your eTextbooks without an internet connection. To access your eTextbook offline, you will need to download the Bookshelf app onto your computer, tablet, or mobile device.
No. PPI has implemented a Single Sign-on (SSO) feature that automatically links your PPI eTextbook purchase with VitalSource Bookshelf. If you created a VitalSource Bookshelf account or had one previously, you will need to log in to your PPI account and select the eTextbook option from the My Online Product Access dropdown to provision the eTextbook to your VitalSource account. Another option is to log in to VitalSource My Account and look for the option to "complete your account setup".
The VitalSource Bookshelf application has the ability to use the built in Text to Speech function in Windows and Mac OS to have your books read aloud to you. Visit VitalSource Support for more information on this feature and other eTextbook accessibility options. If the book you are seeking is not currently available in the eTextbook format, please visit our ADA Policy for more information on accessibility and accommodation requests. PPI is committed to ensuring that persons with disabilities have full and equal access to our services as provided by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and implementing regulations.
While PPI references codes and standards in our study materials, you'll need to obtain them directly from the publishers due to copyright restrictions.
VitalSource has detailed instructions for all kinds of devices. Simply navigate to VitalSource 24/7 Support and search "install Bookshelf on (device type)" and follow their instructions. They are available to support you 24/7.
This special promotional package includes both. If you wish to return the print, your access to the eTextbook will be removed when you are issued a Return Authorization. Once the returned book is received, a full refund will be processed. If you want to keep the eTextbook, you should not return the print.
Visit VitalSource Support for a complete list of supported devices and system requirements.
PPI offers different levels of access for our eTextbooks. Visit the specific product page for the eTextbook you plan to purchase to confirm the access period.
PPI Customer Sales Support Team can assist you with your prior purchase. Contact Us.
For detailed technical information, video tutorials, and complete assistance with your eTextbook, visit VitalSource 24/7 Support.
PPI eTextbooks are digital versions of our printed books that you can access online, or you can download to your desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone and view offline. Your eTextbooks are managed on your VitalSource Bookshelf. PPI updates our eTextbooks as needed to correct reported errata.
Bookshelf is a free application that downloads files to your device or lets you access your eTextbook online. Using the app, you can study at home, at work, flying in an airplane, or sitting on the beach. Bookshelf keeps everything in sync and at your fingertips.
PPI eTextbooks are offered through VitalSource using their Bookshelf ereader platform. Bookshelf is the most used digital content delivery platform in the world. PPI's Single Sign-On experience with VitalSource streamlines how you access your newly purchased content. PPI previously used Adobe Digital Editions, which is another well known ereader, but it required more effort to get to your content.
The access period starts on the date of purchase. From that date of purchase, it cannot be delayed or extended. If you want additional time, you will need to repurchase.
NCEES offers a free digital Reference Handbook on their website. Create a MyNCEES account to download it. While PPI doesn't publish the Handbook, our platform allows you to view it alongside our practice questions.
Download the free VitalSource Bookshelf application here.
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Include these strategies when preparing for the NCEES FE Exam.