Test Overview
The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, otherwise known as
the Engineer-in-Training (EIT) exam, is administered by the
National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying and
is required for any individual interested in becoming a
professional engineer. The FE
exam covers subject matter taught in a typical
EAC/ABET-accredited undergraduate engineering program and covers
a comprehensive range of subjects in engineering.
Each exam is 8 hours long, with one 4-hour session in the
morning and another in the afternoon. During the morning session,
all examinees take a general exam common to all disciplines.
During the afternoon session, examinees can opt to take a general
exam or a discipline-specific (chemical, civil, electrical,
environmental, industrial, or mechanical) exam. Examinees
must participate in both sessions on the same day. Both exams are
closed book, and reference material is supplied.
The FE exam consists of 180 multiple-choice
questions (120 questions in the general morning exam and
60 questions in the afternoon exam) and is held in
conventional English and SI units.
The topics for the morning exam are weighted
accordingly:
15% - Mathematics
10% - Engineering Mechanics (Statics & Dynamics)
9% - Electricity & Magnetism
9% - Chemistry
8% - Engineering Economics
7% - Engineering Probability & Statistics
7% - Fluid Mechanics
7% - Material Properties
7% - Strength of Materials
7% - Computers
7% - Ethics and Business Practices
7% - Thermodynamics
Your Score
Examinees must earn a scaled score of 70 or higher to pass the
FE exam. Scores arrive approximately 8 weeks after the exam
date however the schedule varies by state.
How to Register
The FE exam is given every April and October, and is typically
taken by junior or senior college engineering students.
Registration and requirements for taking the exam vary from state
to state. Contact your state licensing board or visit
els-examreg.org for rules and regulations for each state and to
register for an exam.
