Is the FE exam multiple choice?

Yes. The FE exam consists of 110 computer-based, multiple-choice questions. What to Expect on FE Exam Day

How do I prepare for the FE exam?

There are a few ways to begin your FE prep depending on time available, content knowledge, and more—but these six steps will put you on a path for success no matter where you stand. Get the NCEES FE Reference Handbook , and use it alongside your FE Review Manual. Determine which knowledge areas you need more help with through your FE Review Manual’s diagnostic exams. Make a schedule before beginning to ensure you can cover all of the exam topics. Work through every exam subject—skipping your weaker subjects won’t prepare you for success. Be thorough. Don’t skip over any problems, solutions, or necessary reference materials. Complete as many practice problems as possible. Fast recall will be critical on the FE exam and developing an instinct for how problems look will help you succeed.

What are the current FE exam pass rates?

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%

How long is the FE exam, and what is the current format?

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)

FE Exam Prep Courses and Materials

Get everything you need to pass the FE exam in one place. From NCEES-style practice to engineer-led instruction and study plans, PPI helps you prepare efficiently, build confidence, and perform at your absolute best on exam day.

Choose Your FE Exam Prep Course

The FE exam is your first step toward becoming a professionally licensed engineer. With PPI’s exam prep bundles leading your study routine, you’ll have all the expert guidance you need to pass.

FE Civil Exam Prep

Tests your baseline understanding of civil engineering principles.

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FE Mechanical Exam Prep

Tests your proficiency in the fundamentals of mechanical engineering.

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FE Chemical Exam Prep

Measures your knowledge of the basics of chemical engineering.

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FE Electrical and Computer Exam Prep

Tests your understanding of fundamental principles in electrical and computer engineering.

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FE Industrial Exam Prep

Assesses your baseline understanding of industrial engineering fundamentals.

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FE Environmental Exam Prep

Tests your knowledge of environmental engineering principles.

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FE Other Disciplines Exam Prep

Designed for engineers who haven’t decided on one track, this FE exam tests your knowledge of general engineering fundamentals.

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NEW! Tutoring + Live Online Course Money-Back Guarantee Bundle

Explore our new FE tutoring offerings and find the perfect match for your learning goals. When you put in the work and follow the preparation plan in our Tutoring + Live Online Course Money-Back Guarantee Bundle, we’ll guarantee you pass or your money back. *Conditions apply.

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PPI is Proud to Partner with the Society of Women Engineers®

We are thrilled to announce that PPI is the exclusive licensure prep partner for the Society of Women Engineers®. By joining forces with SWE®—the world's largest advocate for all women in engineering and technology and allies—we are doubling down on our commitment to professional excellence and the pursuit of licensure. Through this partnership, SWE® members will gain access to industry-leading resources to help them confidently navigate the path to licensure. Together, we are empowering the next generation of engineering leaders.

50+ Years

The number of years PPI has been in business helping students achieve their licensure goals

#1 Rated

Test Prep Insight names PPI their Editor’s Choice for both FE and PE Exam Prep.

Why Choose PPI for Your FE Exam Prep?

See why thousands of engineering students trust us to help them pass the FE exam.

Hyper-Realistic Practice

Your FE prep should be just like exam day. With materials that mirror the real thing, you’ll know exactly what to expect when you sit for the exam.

Designed by the Experts

In highly structured study plans built by professional engineers, you’ll focus on the most significant content on your FE exam and gain confidence for each section.

More than 5 Decades of Experience

Study with in-depth FE exam materials, practice exams, and more—all based on decades of advanced analytics and applied learning science.

Backed by Our Passing Guarantee

Take one of our FE Live Online exam prep courses, and we guarantee you’ll pass with our Passing Guarantee. It’s one more reason you’ll feel fully prepared.

Highlights of Our FE Exam Prep Bundles

Customizable Learning Path

Follow a study calendar that’s built around your exam date, and ensure that you’re always on track for exam day success.

Qbank

Learn from thousands of test-like FE exam questions that you can group into customized quizzes.

Diagnostic Exams

Find out where to focus your study efforts right from the start. With our comprehensive diagnostic exams, you’ll know exactly where you stand on each FE exam topic.

Activity Library

Easily find all of the study materials available on your Learning Path in this searchable online library.

Full-Length Practice Exams

Simulate test day with practice tests designed by our dedicated FE exam experts to be just like the real exam.

Web Books: Review Manual and Practice Problems

This is where you’ll tie all of your studies together. Start with a chapter of FE Review by Michael R. Lindeburg, PE, then solve all related practice problems from FE Practice.

Save 15% compared to individual exam prep materials when you purchase in a bundle.

What Our Customers Say

"The class provided numerous examples that prepared me for the more difficult problems"

''The course taught me several things to [help] improve my efficiency during the exam, such as tools and tricks that exist for the calculator [we were] allowed to use during the exam. [This] made several problems [go] much faster and gave me more time to focus on the lengthier problems. The class provided numerous examples that prepared me for the more difficult problems. The lecture focus was also helpful.''

- David H., FE Other Disciplines

"My instructor was Josh Ogle, a.k.a. The Hipster Engineer, and I couldn't recommend him highly enough"

''My instructor was Josh Ogle, a.k.a. The Hipster Engineer, and I couldn't recommend him highly enough. His explanations of the course material were excellent and he was completely willing to stop and clarify questions in the chat [as well as on the Discussion Board]. He speaks with confidence and clarity, and has the ability to answer most questions on the fly, which is especially impressive in cases where the question was in the form of 'Can it be done this way instead?' I know how difficult it can be to answer off-script questions.''

- Jeff D., FE Civil

"PPI and David were a key part to being able to pass the FE exam the first time"

"Having been out of college for almost two decades, I was nervous about taking an exam most people take during or right after college. There’s definitely a lot of material to cover, but the combination of classes, reading material, and practice problems helped out tremendously. David Connolly was our instructor and he was great. During the classes, he explained the material well and took time to answer questions during the lecture. He was very active in the forums answering any questions that came up. PPI and David were a key part to being able to pass the FE exam the first time."

- Jonathan W., FE Other Disciplines

Exam Details for the FE Exam

The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam is a computer-based test that can be taken year round. The FE exam is 110 questions which needs to be completed in 6 hours. The exam is offered in seven disciplines.

About the FE Exam

FE Exam FAQs

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.

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.

What to Bring to the FE Exam

You can take the FE exam once per three-month testing window and a maximum of three times per year.

The FE exam is offered year-round in four testing windows: January–March, April–June, July–September, and October–December.

Yes. The FE exam consists of 110 computer-based, multiple-choice questions.

What to Expect on FE Exam Day

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%.

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.

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.

There are a few ways to begin your FE prep depending on time available, content knowledge, and more—but these six steps will put you on a path for success no matter where you stand.

Get the NCEES FE Reference Handbook, and use it alongside your FE Review Manual.
Determine which knowledge areas you need more help with through your FE Review Manual’s diagnostic exams.
Make a schedule before beginning to ensure you can cover all of the exam topics.
Work through every exam subject—skipping your weaker subjects won’t prepare you for success.
Be thorough. Don’t skip over any problems, solutions, or necessary reference materials.
Complete as many practice problems as possible. Fast recall will be critical on the FE exam and developing an instinct for how problems look will help you succeed.

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%

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)

The FE exam is administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). This national nonprofit organization requires all potential examinees to read the NCEES Examinee Guide before registering for the exam. As of January 2016, FE exams are administered year-round.