FE Industrial and Systems Exam Prep

Comprehensive study materials for the FE Industrial and Systems exam.

Explore FE Industrial and Systems Exam Prep Options

The FE Industrial exam tests your baseline understanding of industrial and systems engineering principles. Most students take this exam soon after they graduate. Prep with PPI, and you’ll know what to expect on exam day with resources that mirror the real exam—all built by leading professional engineers.

About Learning Hub

The Learning Hub Bundle is perfect for those who need a refresher before the exam. The review materials in this bundle are updated to the current NCEES exam specs, contain thorough coverage of industrial engineering principles, and include numerous practice problems to challenge your knowledge of the concepts. This curated bundle includes FE Review Manual web book, practice problems, and the most realistic practice exams on the market.

PPI Learning Hub is the go-to destination for FE Industrial and Systems exam prep. The Learning Hub is more than an eLearning platform—it is a time-tested program that guides examinees through their exam prep from start to finish. Our philosophy has a simple framework: kick-off your studies with a personalized PPI Study Plan, then “Assess, Review, Practice” until you are ready for exam day.

PPI Learning Hub is ideal if you need to review key knowledge areas and would like extensive practice to be part of your exam preparation.

Access Time

Access to Learning Hub begins immediately upon purchase. For 3-month, 6-month, and 1-year Learning Hub products, access ends automatically at the end of your chosen duration. For monthly and weekly Learning Hub products, access renews monthly or weekly until you cancel the subscription. 

Learning Platform Demo

Note: the FE Industrial Learning Hub platform does not include video review.

What's Included:

Digital Materials
Begin your studies efficiently by assessing your knowledge of NCEES exam topics. Use this information to focus your studies.
FE Review Manual Book Cover
Michael R. Lindeburg, PE’s FE Industrial Review is the most comprehensive review manual for the NCEES FE Industrial exam. It offers complete coverage of FE Industrial exam knowledge areas and the relevant elements.
Increase your recall of essential principles, equations, laws, and formulas.
Practice using NCEES-like exam simulations. Each exam contains a unique set of questions. To simulate an exam-day experience, you can reference your copy of the NCEES Handbook on the left, and answer questions on the right.
Your Learning Path is a study calendar that acts as a central hub and takes you week-by-week through your studies. It links you directly to all your study materials from one central location. For Live Online students, your schedule is automatically customized to your class schedule. For OnDemand and Learning Hub students, you can customize the number of hours you want to study per week, as well as any days off, and your Learning Path will automatically update to match your availability.
The Activity Library contains all the same study materials that are available in your Learning Path in an easy-to-search interface. Filter by exam topic to see all available activities in that topic. You can also search by activity name for easy lookup.
Create custom quizzes from a database of thousands of exam-like problems to master problem-solving skills for each topic. The Qbank allows you to filter by exam topic as well as quantitative and non-quantitative questions.

Purchase Options

Select an Access Period
Save 53% vs Monthly
Learning Hub: FE Industrial - 1 Year
1-Year Learning Hub Access
$849.00
PPI’s Self-Study: Learning Hub Bundle gives you 12 months of access to all of the powerful features and Learning Hub study materials. No need to worry about renewing or cancelling a subscription. Get started today!
$849.00
Learning Hub: FE Industrial - 6 Months
$649.00

This 6 month subscription is the ideal choice if your exam date is set and you are interested in structuring your study process. This subscription will help you to review key topics, and offers extensive practice.

PPI Learning Hub is the go-to destination for NCEES FE Industrial exam prep. Our philosophy has a simple framework: kick-off your studies with a personalized PPI Study Plan, then “Assess, Review, and Practice” until you are ready for exam day. 

FE Industrial Learning Hub includes:

  • FE Industrial Study Plan acts as a central hub, assigning tasks and connecting directly to digital products, to keep you on track for your exam date.
  • Four Diagnostic Exams with exam-like questions that will test your knowledge and assess your skill level.
  • Michael R. Lindeburg, PE’s FE Review Manual is the most comprehensive review manual for the NCEES FE Industrial exam. It offers complete coverage of FE Industrial exam knowledge areas and the relevant elements.
  • Quiz Generator lets examinees create custom quizzes with unique problems to master problem-solving skills for each exam topic. Choose from a database of over 1,000 problems.
  • 500+ Flashcards help increase your recall of essential principles, equations, laws, and formulas.

  • Two Full Practice Exams each with 110 multiple-choice problems consistent with NCEES exam format, scope of topics, number of problems, and level of difficulty.

Additional Features:

  • Performance reports that let you track your weakness and strengths for each section
  • Take your review on-the-go with access anytime, anywhere on your computer, tablet, or phone

This subscription is for 6 months and begins on the date of purchase.

$649.00
Learning Hub: FE Industrial - 3 Months
$399.00

This 3-month subscription is the ideal choice if your exam date is set and you are interested in structuring your study process. This subscription will help you to review key topics, and offers extensive practice.

PPI Learning Hub is the go-to destination for NCEES FE Industrial exam prep. Our philosophy has a simple framework: kick-off your studies with a personalized PPI Study Plan, then “Assess, Review, and Practice” until you are ready for exam day. 

FE Industrial Learning Hub includes:

  • FE Industrial Study Plan acts as a central hub, assigning tasks and connecting directly to digital products, to keep you on track for your exam date.
  • Four Diagnostic Exams with exam-like questions that will test your knowledge and assess your skill level.
  • Michael R. Lindeburg, PE’s FE Review Manual is the most comprehensive review manual for the NCEES FE Industrial exam. It offers complete coverage of FE Industrial exam knowledge areas and the relevant elements.
  • Quiz Generator lets examinees create custom quizzes with unique problems to master problem-solving skills for each exam topic. Choose from a database of over 1,000 problems.
  • 500+ Flashcards help increase your recall of essential principles, equations, laws, and formulas.

  • Two Full Practice Exams each with 110 multiple-choice problems consistent with NCEES exam format, scope of topics, number of problems, and level of difficulty.

Additional Features:

  • Performance reports that let you track your weakness and strengths for each section
  • Take your review on-the-go with access anytime, anywhere on your computer, tablet, or phone

This subscription is for 3 months and begins on the date of purchase.

$399.00
Recurring Subscription
Learning Hub: FE Industrial - Monthly Renewing
$149.00

This monthly renewing subscription is the ideal choice if you are seeking flexibility or do not know when your exam date is quite yet.

PPI Learning Hub is the go-to destination for NCEES FE Industrial exam prep. Our philosophy has a simple framework: kick-off your studies with a personalized PPI Study Plan, then “Assess, Review, and Practice” until you are ready for exam day. 

FE Industrial Learning Hub includes:

  • FE Industrial Study Plan acts as a central hub, assigning tasks and connecting directly to digital products, to keep you on track for your exam date.
  • Four Diagnostic Exams with exam-like questions that will test your knowledge and assess your skill level.
  • Michael R. Lindeburg, PE’s FE Review Manual is the most comprehensive review manual for the NCEES FE Industrial exam. It offers complete coverage of FE Industrial exam knowledge areas and the relevant elements.
  • Quiz Generator lets examinees create custom quizzes with unique problems to master problem-solving skills for each exam topic. Choose from a database of over 1,000 problems.
  • 500+ Flashcards help increase your recall of essential principles, equations, laws, and formulas.

  • Two Full Practice Exams each with 110 multiple-choice problems consistent with NCEES exam format, scope of topics, number of problems, and level of difficulty.

Additional Features:

  • Performance reports that let you track your weakness and strengths for each section
  • Take your review on-the-go with access anytime, anywhere on your computer, tablet, or phone

This subscription is for 1 month and begins on the date of purchase. It will renew each month until canceled.

$149.00
Learning Hub: FE Industrial - Weekly Renewing
$59.00

This weekly renewing subscription is the ideal choice if you are seeking flexibility or do not know when your exam date is quite yet.

PPI Learning Hub is the go-to destination for NCEES FE Industrial exam prep. Our philosophy has a simple framework: kick-off your studies with a personalized PPI Study Plan, then “Assess, Review, and Practice” until you are ready for exam day. 

FE Industrial Learning Hub includes:

  • FE Industrial Study Plan acts as a central hub, assigning tasks and connecting directly to digital products, to keep you on track for your exam date.
  • Four Diagnostic Exams with exam-like questions that will test your knowledge and assess your skill level.
  • Michael R. Lindeburg, PE’s FE Review Manual is the most comprehensive review manual for the NCEES FE Industrial exam. It offers complete coverage of FE Industrial exam knowledge areas and the relevant elements.
  • Quiz Generator lets examinees create custom quizzes with unique problems to master problem-solving skills for each exam topic. Choose from a database of over 1,000 problems.
  • 500+ Flashcards help increase your recall of essential principles, equations, laws, and formulas.

  • Two Full Practice Exams each with 110 multiple-choice problems consistent with NCEES exam format, scope of topics, number of problems, and level of difficulty.

Additional Features:

  • Performance reports that let you track your weakness and strengths for each section
  • Take your review on-the-go with access anytime, anywhere on your computer, tablet, or phone

This subscription is for 1 week and begins on the date of purchase. It will renew each week until canceled.

$59.00

Exam Details for the FE Industrial and Systems Exam

  • The FE Industrial exam is a closed-book, computer-based exam and includes 110 questions. The exam appointment time is 6 hours long and includes:
    • Nondisclosure agreement (2 minutes)
    • Tutorial (8 minutes)
    • Exam (5 hours and 20 minutes)
    • Optional scheduled break (25 minutes)
  • The only resource you will have on exam day is a digital version of the NCEES FE Reference Handbook
  • The exam is administered year-round at NCEES-approved Pearson VUE test centers
  • The exam fee is $225
  • The average pass rate of a first-time taker of the FE Industrial exam is 78% as of July 2024

Prerequisites and requirements before taking the exam vary by state. Please visit the NCEES website for more information.

  • Analytic geometry (e.g., areas, volumes)
  • Calculus (e.g., derivatives, integrals, progressions, series)
  • Linear algebra (e.g., matrix operations, vector analysis)
  • Thermodynamics and fluid mechanics
  • Statics, dynamics, and materials
  • Electricity and electrical circuits
  • Codes of ethics and licensure
  • Agreements and contracts
  • Professional, ethical, and legal responsibility
  • Public protection and regulatory issues
  • Discounted cash flows (e.g., nonannual compounding, time value of money)
  • Evaluation of alternatives (e.g., PW, EAC, FW, IRR, benefit-cost)
  • Cost analyses (e.g., fixed/variable, break-even, estimating, overhead, inflation, incremental, sunk, replacement)
  • Depreciation and taxes (e.g., MACRS, straight line, after-tax cash flow, recapture)
  • Probabilities (e.g., permutations and combinations, sets, laws of probability)
  • Probability distributions and functions (e.g., types, statistics, central limit theorem, expected value, linear combinations)
  • Estimation, confidence intervals, and hypothesis testing (e.g., normal, t, chi-square, types of error, sample size)
  • Linear regression (e.g., parameter estimation, residual analysis, correlation)
  • Design of experiments (e.g., ANOVA, factorial designs)
  • Data, logic development, and analytics (e.g., databases, flowcharts, algorithms, data science techniques)
  • Linear programming and optimization (e.g., formulation, solution, interpretation)
  • Stochastic models and simulation (e.g., queuing, Markov processes, inverse probability functions)
  • Principles and tools (e.g., planning, organizing, motivational theory, organizational structure)
  • Project management (e.g., WBS, scheduling, PERT, CPM, earned value, agile)
  • Performance measurement (e.g., KPIs, productivity, wage scales, balance scorecard, customer satisfaction)
  • Decision making and risk (e.g., uncertainty, utility, decision trees, financial risk)
  • Manufacturing processes (e.g., machining, casting, welding, forming, dimensioning, new technologies)
  • Manufacturing and service systems (e.g., throughput, measurement, automation, line balancing, energy management)
  • Forecasting (e.g., moving average, exponential smoothing, tracking signals)
  • Planning and scheduling (e.g., inventory, aggregate planning, MRP, theory of constraints, sequencing)
  • Process improvements (e.g., lean systems, sustainability, value engineering)
  • Flow, layout, and location analysis (e.g., from/to charts, layout types, distance metrics)
  • Capacity analysis (e.g., number of machines and people, trade-offs, material handling)
  • Supply chain management and design (e.g., pooling, transportation, network design, single-level/multilevel distribution models)
  • Human factors (e.g., displays, controls, usability, cognitive engineering)
  • Safety and industrial hygiene (e.g., workplace hazards, safety programs, regulations, environmental hazards)
  • Ergonomics (e.g., biomechanics, cumulative trauma disorders, anthropometry, workplace design, macroergonomics)
  • Methods analysis (e.g., charting, workstation design, motion economy)
  • Work measurement (e.g., time study, predetermined time systems, work sampling, standards)
  • Learning curves
  • Quality management, planning, assurance, and systems (e.g., Six Sigma, QFD, TQM, house of quality, fishbone, Taguchi loss function)
  • Quality control (e.g., control charts, process capability, sampling plans, OC curves, DOE)
  • Requirements analysis and system design
  • Functional analysis and configuration management
  • Risk management (e.g., FMEA, fault trees, uncertainty)
  • Life-cycle engineering
  • Reliability engineering (e.g., MTTF, MTBR, availability, parallel and series failure)

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FE Industrial and Systems Exam FAQs

The FE exams are 6 hours long. They include a nondisclosure agreement, a tutorial of 8 minutes, the exam for 5 hours and 20 minutes, a scheduled break of 25 minutes, and a brief survey.   
Unfortunately, no. This exam is computer-based and considered a “limited reference exam,” which means that during the exam, the only reference material you can use is the NCEES FE Reference Handbook which is provided on screen. You can't bring any reference books to the exam. The FE Industrial Engineering Review and practice books will prepare you for exam day by familiarizing you with the handbook.
The passing score varies, but we recommend aiming for at least 70% on exam day.
The FE Industrial exam covers the following topics:

 

  • Mathematics
  • Engineering Sciences
  • Ethics and Professional Practice
  • Engineering Economics
  • Probability and Statistics
  • Modeling and Quantitative Analysis
  • Engineering Management
  • Manufacturing, Service, and Other Production Systems
  • Facilities and Supply Chain
  • Human Factors, Ergonomics, and Safety
  • Work Design
  • Quality
  • Systems Engineering, Analysis, and Design
For more information on specifications for the exams effective July 1, 2020, please view this PDF.

What Our FE Industrial and Systems Students Say

Sharker
"Good material and review, especially if you have been out of college for some time and forgot most of the subjects. This course covers the whole exam very well."
FE Customer
“The instructor was so helpful and professional, not to mention very patient with us all. I cannot thank the folks at PPI enough! They have been very helpful throughout the entire process, even before the course began. Thank you!"
Kevin
“After researching several study courses, I decided to enroll in the PPI review course for the FE. I chose it primarily for the schedule. It was flexible enough to allow me to study AND still have time for my wife and two young kids...not to mention working full time. I took the FE immediately following the course and PASSED!”
FE Customer
“I consider this an investment in my future, and I feel it has made a difference in my ability to pass the exam. If you take the time to do the homework, look at the course material, and ask questions during the class, the expense is worth it. I am confident it gave me a leg up towards passing the exam!"
DD
"As an engineer who has been out of school for awhile, this review course gave me direction and assistance in my studying. I would recommend it to anyone who needs to remember how to study again. The expectation of having to complete the assignments and quizzes got me back in the rhythm of studying, which was fantastic."
Roger
"Amazing instructor! Patient, knowledgeable, professional. My instructor not only provided us with the technical knowledge, but he also gave us test taking tips, told us the latest updates on how the test will be structured, and gave us a lot of encouragement. Solid study schedule. Really helpful lecture slides. Excellent review course!"
FE Customer
“The Live Course, with instructor and student interaction, makes it easier to be attentive to getting the homework done and working through the entire review. I cannot imagine attempting the exam with any less of a review/preparation than this course.
Peter
"As an engineer with a 30-year hiatus between undergraduate degree and taking the exam, I found the course to be a great review and overview of all the necessary engineering concepts and an excellent preparation for the FE Exam.”
Stan
"This course was well worth it. Be prepared to work hard and do your homework! The instructor was passionate about delivering quality course material and exam tips. Well worth the time and money!"
FE Mechanical Customer
"The lessons we went through in class were representative of what was on the FE exam. If anything, some of the sample problems in the lessons were a bit more involved than what was on the actual exam. This better prepared me to solve the problems."
Anthony
"I enjoyed the class and lectures and found them to be very informative and helpful in reviewing everything I learned in college. I am sure the other students in the class are well prepared as well after completing the online review course."
Joshua
"This course did a very good job helping me prepare for the FE exam. You are provided with all the tools necessary to pass the exam, and the instructor is very knowledgeable about the material, as well as exam-taking strategies."
Adrian
"This review course helped me prepare for (and pass) the FE in ways that I would not have been able to do by studying on my own. The online lectures, taught by a knowledgeable instructor, coupled with homework and quizzes, cover all subjects seen on the exam. I would recommend this course to anyone who is serious about passing the FE. In fact, I plan on taking the PE Online Review Course."
Mike
"The FE review course was very helpful, and the instructor did a great job explaining the course material. I would highly recommend taking this course for anyone who will be taking the FE exam."
Scott
"The material provided with this course was very helpful and a great way to practice for the exam. Tough homework problems drill the concepts and how to use equations. I passed the test the first time after being out of school for 4 years."
Kersen
"This course was extremely helpful to prepare for the FE exam and was a great refresher after graduating 10+ years ago. The combination of the reading materials, homework, quizzes, flashcards, handouts, office hours, and a very knowledgeable instructor really prepared me to know what to expect for the exam. I highly recommend this course."
FE Electrical Customer
“I passed right after taking this course! The course is set up to make you accountable for the homework and quizzes, and gives you the structure you need. Thanks PPI!"
Joey
"This course helped me tremendously! It’s hard for me to make and follow my own study schedule. The structure of the class was what I needed, and it was very beneficial to me. If you’ve been out of school for a few years, this is the course to take.”
Will
"The review course does an excellent job of providing many different problems for you to solve. Here's the catch: you still need to put in the effort and solve the problems. I don't normally like online format courses, but this one was better than most. The instructors are super responsive."
Phillip
"If you have been out of school for a couple of years, this course is extremely beneficial. It contains a comprehensive review of my undergraduate coursework, combined with suggested study schedules, that helped me tremendously. I utilized the quiz generator and practice exams extensively and have no doubt that they were instrumental to my preparation. I took the FE exam a month after the course and passed!"