What to Expect on NCEES FE Exam Day
Test with confidence by reviewing what to expect on FE exam day. The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE exam) is administered year-round at NCEES-approved Pearson VUE test centers. Passing this exam is the first step to becoming a professional engineer. Prepare for exam day by getting answers to frequently asked questions, including what you can bring into the FE exam testing room. Learn about the structure of the FE exam and the question formats you will encounter so there are no surprises when you’re taking the test. We’ll walk you through everything you need to know about your upcoming FE exam.
FE Exam Day FAQs
- What is the morning session of the FE exam? The FE exam is split into a morning session and an afternoon session. The morning session is more general and typically covers the first five semesters of engineering coursework. During the afternoon session, candidates have the option to take a discipline-specific exam or a general exam.
- Is the FE exam open-book? No, the FE exam is not an open-book exam. You cannot bring any FE exam prep books into the examination room.
- Can you bring notes for the FE exam? No, you are not allowed to bring notes for the FE exam. However, you will be provided with an electronic version of the NCEES® reference handbook to use during your FE exam.
- Should you bring writing materials to the FE exam? No, you do not need to bring writing materials to the FE exam. The NCEES will provide writing materials along with a laminated notebook and marker to use as scratch paper during your exam.
- Should you bring lunch or snacks to the FE exam? Yes, it’s a good idea to bring lunch, snacks, and water with you when you take the FE exam. You will have a 25-minute break to refuel and keep your energy up. Most states require food and drinks to be kept outside the examination room while you’re taking the FE exam.
- Can you drink water during the FE exam? Whether or not you can bring water into the examination room varies. We recommend checking with your testing center before exam day for confirmation.
The Structure of the FE Exam
The NCEES FE exam is a computer-based test that contains 110 questions given over two consecutive sessions: the morning session and the afternoon session. During either session, you cannot view or respond to questions in the other session. Each session contains approximately 55 multiple-choice questions that are grouped together by knowledge area. The subjects are not explicitly labeled, and the beginning and end of the subjects are not noted. No subject spans the two exam sessions. For example, if a subject appears in the first session of the exam, it will not appear in the second. Each question has four possible answer choices labeled (A), (B), (C), and (D). Only one question and its answer choices are given onscreen at a time.
Is the FE Exam Adaptive?
No, the FE exam is not adaptive (i.e., your response to one question has no bearing on the following question). Even if you answer the first five mathematics questions correctly, you’ll still have to answer the sixth question.
Why is the FE Exam Unique?
The FE exam is unique because the one that you take will not be the same test the person next to you has. Differences between exams go beyond mere sequencing differences. NCEES says that the CBT system will randomly select different, but equivalent, questions from its database for each examinee using a linear-on-the-fly (LOFT) algorithm. Each examinee will have a unique exam of equivalent difficulty, so looking at your neighbor’s monitor would be a waste of time.Thinking about taking the FE exam? Download the Preparing for the FE Exam eBook.
FE Exam Question Types
The FE exam includes traditional multiple-choice questions as well as alternative item types (AITs), which measure your technical knowledge. All question types on the FE exam are scored as either correct or incorrect. Below is a list of the FE exam question types and how they work:
Multiple Choice Questions
- Select one correct answer from four given options.
- If you are unsure of what the correct answer is, you should make an educated assumption. You will not be penalized for a wrong answer.
Multiple Choice (Check-All-That-Apply) Questions
- Select all the correct choices from the list by clicking on each one.
- All of the correct answers (and only all of the correct answers) must be selected; there is no partial credit.
- If you change your mind, click on a choice to deselect it.
Point-and-Click (Hot Spot, or Mark Location) Questions
- Click on a single target, or hotspot icon, to place on the base image in the correct location or general area.
- If you change your mind, click again on your choice to unselect, or click on the new preferred answer.
Drag-and-Place Questions
- These questions may ask you to sort, rank, place, or label items. Confirm whether all items need to be chosen or moved, then be sure to sort, rank, place, or label each one.
- After you have decided the proper sorting, ranking, placing, or labeling, click and drag an object to the target spot.
- If you change your answer, you can move an object to a different open spot in the target area, or you can move it back to the starting area.
Fill-in-the-Blank Questions
- Read the answer specification carefully; it should state the number of decimal places for your numeric answer.
- Compute your answer, then round if needed to the required number of decimal places (0-4, round down; 5-9, round up).
- Do not enter the units for your answer.
- Do not spell out a number, like "four."
- If you change your mind, blank out the entire field before you enter another answer.
Case Study Questions
- May be multiple-choice, check-all-that-apply, hot spot, drag-and-place, or fill-in-the-blank.
- You are able to click on browser-like tabs on top of the computer screen to go back and forth between the case study scenario and resource documents provided.
You will also encounter several unknown FE exam questions which will not count toward or against your final score. These questions are “pretest items” and are used by the NCEES to determine the viability of new FE exam problems for future exams.
FE Exam Duration
How Much Time Should You Spend on Each FE Exam Session?
You can divide your time between the two sessions on the FE exam any way you’d like. For example, if you want to spend four hours on the first section, and one hour and twenty minutes on the second section, you can 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.
The FE Exam Clock
It’s important to use your time wisely and to keep an eye on the FE exam clock. Once each session begins, you can leave your seat for personal reasons; however, the “clock” does not stop for your absence. So every minute you spend out of your seat is one less minute you have to work on the exam. 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.
The Week Before the FE Exam
As you are wrapping up your FE exam review, consider familiarizing yourself with the exam center; visit the testing center building, parking areas, examination room, and restrooms. We recommend packing two examination kits (see checklist below). The first kit includes items that can be left in your assigned locker (e.g., your admittance letter, photo ID, and extra calculator batteries). The second kit includes items that should be left in your car in case you need them (e.g., a copy of your application, a warm sweater, and extra snacks or beverages).
FE Exam Day Checklist
There is a limited amount of items you are allowed to bring into the testing room. Below is an FE exam day checklist:
- Your ID
- Key to your test center locker
- One NCEES-approved calculator (without a case)
- Anything included on the Comfort Aid List
- Eyeglasses (without cases)
- A light sweater or jacket
Get our complete guide to what to bring to the NCEES FE exam.
The Day Before the FE Exam
If possible, take the day before the examination off from work to relax. Do not cram the last night before your FE exam. At this point, you have done all you possibly could for your FE exam review. A good prior night’s sleep is the best way to start the examination. If you live far from the examination site, consider getting a hotel room so you don’t have to travel far on exam day. Double-check that your exam kits are packed and ready to go.
The Day of the FE Exam
You should arrive at least 30 minutes before your scheduled start time. This will allow time for finding a convenient parking place, bringing your items to the testing center, and checking in.
During the FE Exam
Once the FE exam has started, observe the following suggestions. As you may have practiced during your FE exam review, do not spend more than four minutes working on a problem. (The average time available per problem is slightly less than three minutes.) If you have not finished a question in that time, flag it for later review if you have time, and continue on. Don’t waste time asking your proctors technical questions. Proctors are pure administrators. They don’t know anything about the exam or its subjects.
Good luck on your FE exam!
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