What are my state’s FE Exam Requirements?

Some of the most common questions we get on this site involves the specific state requirements for an individual engineer. Whether it’s about getting some sort of exam waiver and experience exemption, or simply about testing and engineer registration, a lot of times you’ll just have to ask your state’s engineering board.

That’s why we’ve created this handy interactive map with info and links to each state’s board website.

You can find the map on the ABOUT THE FE EXAM page.

FE Exam State Requirements

 

Scroll to the bottom of the About page and just click your residing state.

 

How to Focus on the FE Exam

What is your goal?

We spend a lot of time talking about specific tactics and actions to take in preparing to take the FE exam. This article is going to be a little more strategic than the typical tactical stuff. In fact, we’re going to talk about mindset and attitude. You know, the touchy feely stuff that engineers aren’t really known for (bet you’re excited right?).

But this stuff is important. If you don’t have the right mindset going into your studying and into test day, you’ll have a hard time finding success.

Look, you don’t need to be lectured. If you’re an engineer and you’re reading this you obviously know how to study. If you’re able to get an engineering degree then you have to be somewhat intelligent albeit a little crazy.

But don’t go into this exam and studying with a nonchalant attitude. If you’re going to register to take the FE exam, don’t go into it just to see what happens. It’s amazing how many examinees will come out of the exam and say things like “I didn’t have enough time to finish the last section” or “I spent 20 minutes working that one problem.” Or the biggest mind blower, “I’ll just take the test and see what happens.”

Epic Fail. These are the people that don’t pass and struggle on test day.

What is your end goal?

You should have one main goal going into the FE exam: JUST PASS.

This is not about what grades you got. Not about how smart you are. Not about how good an engineer you’ll make.

And you don’t need to overachieve. It doesn’t matter if you get a 70 or 100. There’s no bonus points or extra recognition for getting every problem right. Your main goal going into studying and taking the exam is to pass. Period.

Ok, so how is this actionable?

DURING STUDYING

It’s not the easiest thing in the world to go and spend a long grinding night studying after doing your homework or a long day in the office. And let’s face it, we engineers tend to procrastinate, get lazy, or just plain blow things off.

You don’t need to study every single concept. But…you need to have a strategy and be prepared to implement it.

ON TEST DAY

Focus on the task at hand that day. You’re just worried about scoring points. Plain and simple.

This may sound like the biggest duh-ism in the world. But it’s guaranteed that you’ll see other engineers go into the test and just wing it. Then wonder why they didn’t pass.

Don’t be one of them.

Have a strategy, be prepared, and treat the FE Exam with purpose. Just remember that the end goal is to pass so you can move on with your life.

You don’t want to have come back in 6 months and pay another registration fee. Yuck.

The Top FE Exam Study Guide

One big question many would-be test takers have is what FE exam prep material they should buy.

Probably the most popular method to prepare is to use a review study guide to do practice problems and review basic engineering concepts. And there’s probably no better guide than the FE Review Manual from PPI.

This big yellow book is the holy bible for FE exam prep. It’s not just among the cheap FE Exam prep books. It’s the number one selling FE Exam preparatory text and is a regular reference for countless prep classes. Why do you ask?

First off, the FE Review Manual is extremely detailed and comprehensive. It goes subject by subject for everything and anything you’re bound to face on FE Exam Saturday.

Every section is broken down with a basic reviews of concepts. Some of it may seem simple depending on your knowledge level, but there is a great overview of the fundamental concepts of each section, whether it be thermodynamics or linear algebra. This is great for those that just want some mind-jogging or haven’t looked at a particular subject in years.

Next there are plenty of practice problems. Check that. A ginormous size set of problems. The text is loaded with example problems for you to work from every angle.  And our recommendation for the best way to study is just that; do practice problems.

In the end, we know it can be a drag. When you first start to think about preparing for the FE exam, the thought of going through the FE Review textbook can be daunting. But if you have the time, going through the review manual is a good idea. There’s no way around it; you’re going to have to grind out problems. That is hands down the most effective way to study.

The Bottom Line

The FE Review Manual is a great refresher and an excellent source for practice problems. It provides answers with explanations for all sections of the general exam. It is one of the best ways to prepare for the exam and may even be supplied to you for free through a FE Exam prep class.

What to Expect on FE Exam Saturday

FE Exam Room

Ok, so you’ve studied hard and reviewed everything in one of the popular FE exam study guides. You bought your approved calculator and are ready to take on the FE exam. But maybe you’re a little nervous when the lights are on and a real score sheet is in front of you. Knowing what to expect and having a plan for test day can go a long way in calming your nerves so you can focus. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

Here are a few tips leading up to game day:

Day Before Exam:

  • On the day before the exam, it is recommended you take a vacation day off from work (assuming you are a working professional).  You don’t want to be working late or be stressed out from a long day.
  • Make a test run to the exam site. Make sure you know the route to the test location and have an alternate route ready. The exam is held on a Saturday so traffic shouldn’t be too bad, however prepare for the worst. Murphy’s law could rear its head on test day.
  • Find out where the parking is, whether you’ll have to park in the street or if there is an open lot. Figure out where the building and entrance are. Scope out the building if you can get in.
  • Fill your car with gas. Again, you want to be prepared for everything.
  • Pack your lunch for the next day. Get breakfast ready if you can, and set the coffee maker on auto-brew.
  • Take some time for your mental health. Go to the gym or go for a jog outside. Go shopping, or just go hang around the house and relax. DO NOT STUDY! It’s like cramming for an exam, if you don’t know it by now it won’t matter. Plus, you don’t want to stress yourself out. You want to go into the test cool, calm, and collected.

When you get there on test day:

  • Check in with the admission folks and make sure you know where the door to the exam room is. There will be a lot of people standing around waiting for the exam so just relax.
  • Go to the bathroom. You don’t want nature calling when you’re sitting down cranking out answers.
  • Once the doors open, find your assigned seat in the room. Make sure you have all of your materials ready (calculator, etc).  Usually this will be a very large room with rows of chairs and desks lined up in an ordered fashion. A proctor is usually assigned to a section.
  • You will be supplied with your NCEES materials (pencil, reference book, etc) by a proctor.  You’ll be instructed by the proctor and/or a moderator for the whole room on what to do.

Once this is completed it’s time to get to work. Hopefully by taking care of all of these items you’ll be ready for battle.

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