Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam
What is the FE exam?
The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam is your first step in the process of becoming a professionally licensed engineer. The exam is designed for recent graduates and students who are nearing the end of their undergraduate engineering degree from the ABET-accredited programs in the College of Engineering.
The FE exam is a computer-based exam administered year-round at National Council of Examiners Engineering Surveying approved Pearson VUE test centers.
The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying is a national non-profit organization dedicated to advancing professional licensure for engineers and surveyors. The NCEES is responsible for developing, administering, and scoring the exams used for engineering and surveying in the United States.
Why take the FE exam?
Professional Engineers (PE) are important for some engineering career trajectories. Passing the FE exam after graduating from an ABET-accredited engineering program (like Boise State University) is typically the first step in working toward a licensure in engineering or surveying.
Passing the FE exam also looks great on a resume, and keeps the PE licensure an option if you decide to pursue it later in your career.
How many times can I take the exam?
One attempt is allowed per quarter with only three attempts allowed in one calendar year. Quarters are as follows:
January-March
April-June
July-September
October-December.
How much does it cost?
$175.00 per attempt
When should I take the exam?
The FE exam is recommended to be taken during your final semester of your specific undergraduate program or within a year of finishing your undergraduate program.
The Fundamentals of Engineering exam is exactly that. The exam tests your knowledge of engineering coursework you will have learned throughout your academic program. Completing the majority of your undergraduate coursework will help prepare you for the exam.
Does my major require I take the FE exam?
Currently, none of our engineering majors require you complete the FE exam in order to graduate. You are encouraged to take the FE exam if you plan on obtaining a Professional Engineering (PE) license. Talk to your major advisor to learn more.
Where Can I Take The Exam?
NCEES approves testing locations across the country for FE exams. Boise State currently does not offer a testing location, however, Pearson does offer an approved location within a few miles of the university’s campus.
How To Study?
Login to your MyNCEES account and download the free Reference Handbook in PDF. This booklet contains many of the formulas students need to know for the exam, and is available during the exam.
It is strongly recommended that students download this handbook and familiarize themselves with it beforehand as each FE exam uses the same booklet (there may be many pages that don’t apply to you based on your discipline).
Becoming familiar with the manual prior to the exam will ensure that students don’t waste precious exam time searching for formulas. Download the exam specification for your discipline: It lists the various topics that will be on the exam and an approximate number of how many questions will be in each category.
FE EXAM
The FE Exam covers a comprehensive range of engineering subjects which are taught in a typical ABET-accredited engineering program. The exam is a computer-based and closed book test with an electronic reference. It consists of 110 multiple-choice questions and must be completed in six hours, which includes a tutorial, a break, and a brief survey at the end.
Resources
These resources provide additional information to help you familiarize yourself with the testing format, how to use the references and tools that are available to you and generally help you be prepared so that nothing is a surprise on exam day. Many of your questions will be answered by: