Review of Engineering

Fundamentals

CIVL 4197
Course Format
 13 review sessions
 Half-length mock FE exam
• 3-hour exam
• 55 questions (~3 minutes per question)
• $44 payable online
What Do I Need?
NCEES FE Reference Handbook

You can purchase it for $13.95 (plus shipping) or

download a pdf version of the handbook for free at
https://account.ncees.org/exam-prep/
How do I pass the course?
1. Attend 12 of the 13 review sessions
2. Register and sit for the FE exam
3. Pass the FE exam OR
Score at least 40% on the mock FE

If you can’t sit for the exam before the end of the semester, you’ll get an
incomplete. You will then have 45 days to clear the incomplete or it will
automatically turn into a “U” and you will have to take the course again.
Remember that it takes 7-10 days to get your exam scores!
77% Pass Rate
88% Fail Rate
The FE Exam

Exam Particulars

Preparation Strategies

Test-Taking Strategies
FE Exam Format
 6-hour exam
• 8-minute tutorial
• 110 questions @ 1 point per question
• 25-minute break halfway through
 All multiple choice questions
• 4 choices per question
• No penalty for wrong answers
• All choices equally represented
How Do I Register for the Exam?
1. Register with NCEES (www.ncees.org) and pay the $225
exam fee.

2. Once you have been authorized by NCEES to sit for the

exam, you can schedule the exam at any Pearson VUE
testing center in the country.

3. You will then receive an appointment confirmation from the

Pearson VUE testing center.

4. When your appointment time arrives, take the exam at the

Pearson VUE testing center you selected.

5. If you passed the exam …

How Do I Apply for Certification?
6. Complete and print the application “For Senior Engineering Students”
at http://tn.gov/commerce/article/arch-forms-and-downloads

7. Complete and print the “FE Examination Certification Form” at

http://www.memphis.edu/ce/forms.php

8. Have your advisor sign the certification form.

9. Take both forms to Dr. Pezeshk for his signature.

10. Give the certification form to Lavitta to put in your folder.

11. Mail the application form and $15 application fee to the Tennessee
Board of Examiners.
Where Can I Take the Exam?
Where Can I Take the Exam?
When Can I Take the Exam?
1. January, February, March

2. April, May, June

3. July, August, September

4. October, November, December

You can only take the exam once per “window”

and no more than 3 times in a 12-month period.
Where can I find more info?

http://ncees.org/engineering/

http://ncees.org/exams/fe-exam/

http://www.tn.gov/commerce/article/arch-engineer-interns
The FE Exam

Exam Particulars

Preparation Strategies

Test-Taking Strategies
How to Prepare for the Exam
 Attend all the review sessions
 Become familiar with the NCEES
FE Supplied-Reference Handbook
(9th Edition)
 Consider purchasing review books
 Consider purchasing practice exams
 Take the exam seriously!
 Texas A&M Digital FE Review

http://engineeringregistration.tamu.edu/downloads/MP4/index_FE.htm
Georgia Tech FE Exam Review

https://www.coursera.org/learn/fe-exam
Resources

Available from
ncees.org

$49.95

FE Civil Online Practice Exam 1

Resources

Available from
ppi2pass.com

$85

FE Civil Practice Exam 1 (FECE1EX)

Resources

Available from
brightwoodengineering.com

$67.95
Resources

Available from
ppi2pass.com

$160
Resources

Available from
ppi2pass.com

$110
Resources

Available from
amazon.com

$120
Resources

Available from
iTunes

$19.99
Interesting Strategy

http://engineeringcareercoach.com/?s=fe+exam
Subject Low High ABC
Mathematics 7 11 A
Probability and Statistics 4 6 A
Computational Tools 4 6 A
Ethics and Professional Practice 4 6 B
Engineering Economics 4 6 A
Statics 7 11 A
Dynamics 4 6 C
Mechanics of Materials 7 11 A
Materials 4 6 B
Fluid Mechanics 4 6 B
Hydraulics and Hydrologic Systems 8 12 B
Structural Analysis 6 9 B
Structural Design 6 9 C
Geotechnical Engineering 9 14 A
Transportation Engineering 8 12 B
Environmental Engineering 6 9 C
Construction 4 6 C
Surveying 4 6 B
How is the exam scored
 Passing grade is stated as 70% but …
• Unfair problems are thrown out
• Beta test problems aren’t scored
• Scores are curved for consistency
 Bottom line …
• You need to answer approximately 55 of
the 110 questions on the exam correctly
FE Exam Format
 All multiple choice questions
• 4 choices per question
• No penalty for wrong answers
• All choices equally represented
 Theoretically, you’ll get 25% of questions
correct by simply guessing
Assume the worst case: You get the maximum number of
questions in each “C” category, the minimum number in each
“A” category, and the balance in the “B” category.

Assume you get 85% of all the “A” questions correct and 60%
of all the “B” questions correct. The rest you’ll guess on, so
statistically, you’ll get 25% of those correct.

PASS!
Subject Low High ABC
Mathematics 7 11 A
Probability and Statistics 4 6 A
Computational Tools 4 6 A
Ethics and Professional Practice 4 6 B
Engineering Economics 4 6 A
Statics 7 11 A
Dynamics 4 6 C
Mechanics of Materials 7 11 A
Materials 4 6 B
Fluid Mechanics 4 6 B
Hydraulics and Hydrologic Systems 8 12 B
Structural Analysis 6 9 B
Structural Design 6 9 C
Geotechnical Engineering 9 14 A
Transportation Engineering 8 12 B
Environmental Engineering 6 9 C
Construction 4 6 C
Surveying 4 6 B
Subject Low High ABC
Mathematics 7 11 A
Probability and Statistics 4 6 A
Computational Tools 4 6 A
Ethics and Professional Practice 4 6 B
Engineering Economics 4 6 A
Statics 7 11 A
Dynamics 4 6 C
Mechanics of Materials 7 11 A
Materials 4 6 B
Fluid Mechanics 4 6 B
Hydraulics and Hydrologic Systems 8 12 B
Structural Analysis 6 9 B
Structural Design 6 9 C
Geotechnical Engineering 9 14 A
Transportation Engineering 8 12 B
Environmental Engineering 6 9 C
Construction 4 6 C
Surveying 4 6 B
Subject Low High ABC
Mathematics 7 11 A
Probability and Statistics 4 6 A
Computational Tools 4 6 A
Ethics and Professional Practice 4 6 B
Engineering Economics 4 6 A
Statics 7 11 A
Dynamics 4 6 C
Mechanics of Materials 7 11 A
Materials 4 6 B
Fluid Mechanics 4 6 B
Hydraulics and Hydrologic Systems 8 12 B
Structural Analysis 6 9 B
Structural Design 6 9 C
Geotechnical Engineering 9 14 A
Transportation Engineering 8 12 B
Environmental Engineering 6 9 C
Construction 4 6 C
Surveying 4 6 B
Subject Low High ABC
Mathematics 7 11 A
Probability and Statistics 4 6 A
Computational Tools 4 6 A
Ethics and Professional Practice 4 6 B
Engineering Economics 4 6 A
Statics 7 11 A
Dynamics 4 6 C
Mechanics of Materials 7 11 A
Materials 4 6 B
Fluid Mechanics 4 6 B
Hydraulics and Hydrologic Systems 8 12 B
Structural Analysis 6 9 B
Structural Design 6 9 C
Geotechnical Engineering 9 14 A
Transportation Engineering 8 12 B
Environmental Engineering 6 9 C
Construction 4 6 C
Surveying 4 6 B
The FE Exam

Exam Particulars

Preparation Strategies

Test-Taking Strategies
What to Bring to the Exam
 Government-issued photo id
• Must have a valid expiration date
• Must have your name and date of birth
• Must have your signature
• STUDENT ID CARDS ARE NOT ACCEPTED
 NCEES-approved calculator
Calculators Allowed

Hewlett-Packard Casio Texas Instruments

HP-33s FX-115 ES TI-30X
HP-35s FX-115 MS TI-36X
(all models) (all models) (all models)
Strategies for Taking the Exam
 Start with the areas you know best
 Don’t confuse “long” and “difficult”
 Read the entire question before solving
 Read all the answers before selecting
 Answers often reflect common mistakes
 Many questions ask for “closest” answer
Strategies for Taking the Exam
 Make sure you answer every question
 If you don’t know the answer …
• Try to eliminate clearly incorrect answers
• Try to work backwards from the remainder
• If all else fails, GUESS
 Make sure you don’t run out of time
What are my chances?
Exam Volume Pass Rate
FE Chemical 524 75%
FE Civil 2,999 67%
FE Electrical and Computer 774 75%
FE Environmental 366 72%
FE Industrial 105 63%
FE Mechanical 2,278 80%
FE Other Disciplines 682 79%

Based on first-time test takers who took the exam in Summer and Fall of 2015
 Order of the Engineer Purpose
The Order of the Engineer was created to foster a spirit of pride and
responsibility in the engineering profession and to present to the public a
visible symbol identifying the engineer: a stainless steel ring worn on the
little finger of the working hand.

Initiates are asked to accept The Obligation, which is a creed similar to the
Hippocratic oath taken by medical school graduates and which sets forth an
ethical code for doctors. The Obligation likewise contains parts of the
Canons of Ethics of the major engineering societies.

Initiates who accept the Obligation pledge to uphold the standards and
dignity of the engineering profession and to serve humanity by making the
best use of the Earth’s precious wealth.
Order of the Engineer Ceremony
Tuesday, February 22, 2017
U of M Fogelman Executive Center

Tara Hoke
ASCE Deputy General Council

http://www.ce.memphis.edu/meier/ote.htm