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.

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