Passing the FE Exam the First Time
Hi all, I am writing this post as I sit on vacation in the Outer Banks, NC. My family has made it a tradition to go to OBX with a few families at the beginning of August every year. As such, I was thinking back to last year's trip and realized it had been exactly one year since I found out that I had passed my FE (fundamentals of engineering) exam on the first try.
In honor of one year of me being a certified EIT (engineer in training), I thought it was fitting that my first blog post kicked off the “hot engineer sh*t” discussion with my tips for how you too can pass the FE exam. Below are things I wish I knew before going down the research rabbit hole, links to the correct websites, and my study system for passing after just two months of preparation.
Thinking about taking the FE exam?
You’ve got your engineering degree, now what? If you are reading this post, you are probably in one of two situations:
- You’re working for (or are looking for) a company that requires their engineers to work towards becoming a PE(progressional engineer).
- You want to set yourself apart without starting a Masters's degree.
If you are looking/working for an employer who values engineers who are EITs/PEs, taking the initiative to prepare for the exam will show that you are driven to jumpstart your credibility as an engineer. For those whose work does not require this certification, (🙋♀️this is the boat I am in) the benefits are not as direct. My current employer sees my certification as personal/professional development. For me, the benefits are that the EIT certification and eventual PE license support my future goals of opening my own firm or working as an engineering consultant. No matter your reasoning for thinking about becoming a PE, know that the license will indicate that you are serious about engineering as a profession.
Let’s talk about the title “Engineer in Training”. My first thought when I learned I’d be taking an exam, after already securing my shiny engineering degree, to be called an Engineer in Training was “What the heck is the point?!” The title is not the sexiest, but becoming an EIT is the first step in the path to becoming a Professional Engineer.
Specifics about the exam can be found here. Spots are limited, so I would suggest signing up for a slot as soon as you decide on taking the exam. Bonus tip: I used my test date as motivation to stay on schedule when studying.
When to take:
If you have decided to take the FE exam, you are likely close to your graduation date from an engineering program or have worked as an engineer for years. In either case, my advice is the same… plan to take the exam ASAP!
In preparation for my exam, I noticed the trend that people who took the exam as close to their graduation date (or whenever they finished all applicable courses) as possible passed the FE on the first try much more commonly. There is info on the passing rates for each specification on the NCEES site under ‘pass rates’ or shown below.
I found the same trend to be true for my studying. While becoming an FE and eventually going for my PE wasn’t something I originally planned, I am extremely glad that I got the initial exam out of the way because now I can focus on developing my skills in the field while being mentored by licensed PEs. My studying began 1 month after college graduation and lasted 2 months. I knew that I wanted to take the exam before starting my full-time job, so studying from June to the beginning of August worked perfectly for me (see the ‘What to study’ section for my study schedule).
What to study:
There are plenty of companies that will encourage engineers to sign up for their guided study courses which can cost thousands of dollars. While these courses may be helpful to some people, you know yourself best of course, it is completely possible to pass with less than two months of studying if you have a bit of discipline.
The first thing you must do is download the free ~500 page pdf reference book. This book will be your lifeline during the exam; get familiar with its layout and content. The way I attacked the exam was by timing myself (5 hours and 20 mins with a 25 min break halfway) with the only practice exam that exists (make sure to use the reference book), writing my answers on a separate piece of paper, then having a friend mark which ones were incorrect. It is important that you do not know the correct answers because you will use this practice test as your final check at the end of your study program. Also using the timing that happens during the actual exam will help simulate the testing environment.
After I knew which questions I had done incorrectly, I used the reference info in the practice test booklet to identify which of the 14 categories that the questions belonged to. My brain likes color coding, so I separated the categories into 14 colors. Using the number of incorrectly answered questions in each category as a guide, I began building my weeks of studying focussing more heavily on the categories I got most commonly wrong.
With my study plan mapped out for me, I began scouring the internet for practice problems in each category. There are tons of videos from FE exam prep courses posted online that are very useful. I treated these videos as lectures and took notes on relevant topics for around three hours every day (this is a doable amount of time even with a full-time job).
Once I completed studying all topics, I retook the practice exam in a simulated testing environment. The key to this exam is to make sure that you answer every single question, even if you do not know the answer. This time, I looked at the answers I got wrong and re-reviewed those topics with my remaining review days.
Leading up to test day, I made sure that I was getting physical exercise and plenty of sleep to ensure peak mental performance. On test day, I was nervous of course, but was able to convince myself that I was excited because I was finally getting the test done. Nervous dancing outside of the test center during my 25 min break may have also helped a bit lol.
After the exam:
Congrats! Taking the FE exam is a big accomplishment. Take some time to relax and wait for the board to respond with a pass/fail result within 5-10 days.
After passing the FE exam, you must apply to be certified as an EIT online at your State’s Board of Professional Engineers. Depending on the state, EITs may be required to complete four years of PE-mentored engineering work before going for the PE exam. I am currently finishing my first year of this process and would be happy to speak more in-depth in a later post.
If you are unsuccessful in your first attempt, no worries as you can retake the exam once per quarter and up to three times per year.
By reading this, you’ve already taken the first step in setting yourself apart as a serious engineer. Please feel free to email me with any additional questions you have about the exam process. Get on your Hot Engineer Sh*t!
Helpful resources:
Pass the FE Exam Youtube Channel
