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Civil and Environmental Engineering FE Preparation

FE Exam Preparation Notes

General exam information from NCEES: https://ncees.org/engineering/fe/

The FE Exam is a critical first step towards licensure in professional engineering. It is the culmination of your engineering degree and serves as a nationally recognized credentials that you are prepared to begin working as a practicing engineer-in-training (EIT).

Like any standardized exam, the strategy of the FE Exam should be to maximize problems answered correctly in the allotted time given. Take a look at the exam specifications below to determine which subjects are on the exam and how many questions of each subject you can expect. Aim to score 75% or above (83/110 questions) to guarantee that you Pass the FE exam.

FE Civil Exam Specification: https://ncees.org/wp-content/uploads/FE-Civil-CBT-specs-1.pdf

FE Environmental Exam Specification: https://ncees.org/wp-content/uploads/FE-Environmental-CBT-specs.pdf

FE Exam Prep Materials:

I highly recommend getting the FE Practice Exam and Reference Handbook prior to taking the exam. It is the most realistic representation of the FE exam. My (Dr. Phillips) recommendation is to prepare for your practice test for 8-10 weeks minimum, then take the practice test 3 weeks out from your actual exam date. The final 3 weeks can be focused on improving weaknesses identified in the practice test. Remember, the goal is to maximize questions answered correctly in the given timeframe. Be strategic with your time!

NCEES FE Practice Exam and Reference Handbook store: https://account.ncees.org/exam-prep/

To study, my (Dr. Phillips) preferred method is repetition of problems with known solutions. The practice problem study books below are what I used to study for my FE Exam (in Civil… about 10 years ago when it was 8 hours, in-person, and on paper). This is also how many PE’s and SE’s will study for those exams as well. As they say, “practice makes perfect”.

FE Civil Practice Problems: https://www.amazon.com/Civil-Practice-Problems-Michael-Lindeburg/dp/1591264405

FE Environmental Practice Problems: Option 1 , Option 2

Another option in the digital age is to review the material from qualified sources online. Below are YouTube review videos from … However, I will caution everyone studying for this exam that watching a video and “understanding” is different from doing. Make sure you can complete practice problems under testing environmental (i.e. time, calculator, and resources).

Marshall University YouTube videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCV9OyAY5K-V-bki_dxxq_uVpyIoyIJ8P