NCEES FE Exam Study Material

Only days left for this deal!

Barron's just posted their new FE review book (688 pages). It is now in pre-order until March 1, 2015. If you put in your order, you can get this huge book for a paltry $12.01. Don't delay, place your order. It's basically 1.75 cents per page; you can't beat this kind of a price.

And post a link to this page on Facebook. Your engineering friends will notice that you support them. And that will be reinforced when they read this. Nice.

Now go get your copy! And get the FE Civil Review Manual as well.

Although more people take the FE exam than take the PE exam, there are fewer options for the FE examination. Largely, this is because examinees are not permitted by the NCEES to bring reference books into the FE exam.

This makes it a little easier to identify the most popular NCEES FE exam study materials. The top 5 books to prepare for the exam are:

1. FE Civil Review Manual (Lindeburg, published Feb 25, 2014)
2. FE Supplied-Reference Handbook, 8th Edition, 2nd Revision
3. FE Sample Questions and Solutions (by NCEES, several versions by discipline)
4. FE/EIT Sample Examinations, 2nd Edition (See below how to convert the 2 old format exams in this book into 3 new format sample exams.)
5. 1001 Solved Engineering Fundamentals Problems, 2nd Edition

There are seven disciplines covered in the new FE exams. Each is completely independent of the others. The former, uniform, morning breadth exam is gone. What remains the same is the standard of questions. You will find the closest representation of the quality, variety, and difficulty of actual FE exam questions in the FE Sample exam books prepared by NCEES.

They have seven titles:

1. Mechanical FE Sample Questions and Solutions
2. Electrical FE Sample Questions and Solutions
3. Environmental FE Sample Questions and Solutions
4. Civil FE Sample Questions and Solutions
5. Chemical FE Sample Questions and Solutions
6. Industrial FE Sample Questions and Solutions
7. Other Disciplines FE Sample Questions and Solutions

Each of these books is 90 questions. They were created as a half-exam according to the old format of 120 morning and 60 afternoon questions. So, you will find 60 morning and 30 afternoon questions. The morning questions were designed for 2 minutes each. The afternoon were 4 minutes each. Overall, 90 questions / 240 minutes = 2.67 minutes per question (2 minutes 40 seconds.) In the new format, you have 2.91 minutes per question (2 minutes 55 seconds.)

To use one of these books as a method to sample your skills, work all 90 problems in 4 hours. Find your percentage correct. Internet rumor is, if you can score 60% raw score, it will scale up to 70. The scaled passing score is rumored to be 70. Personally, I did not trust that. I prepared to score a 70% raw score on the FE exam.

Whatever you do, be sure to protect your $225 registration fee by investing in some practice exams. Make the time to study. It is worth it to pass!

I studied long and hard for my FE exam. I used just one of the very large, popular FE exam study books. I also purchased a copy of the Fundamentals of Engineering Supplied-Reference Handbook.

After the morning questions, I felt really great. The questions were easier than I had expected. However, when I hit the afternoon portion, I was glad I had done so well in the morning!

My experience seems typical. I have read other engineers' testimonies of their experience. The FE prep books provide problems more difficult than on exam day. This makes sense that exam book authors would make the preparation materials more difficult. They want their customers to pass and to leave good reviews to elevate sales.

Reference books and code books are requirements in engineering. My accountant told me to include these costs as office supplies. So, when buying your books, keep your receipts. Remember your books are an investment. And, you will receive a discount come tax time.

How long should you study for the FE exam? The answer differs for everyone. But, start your review with a sample FE exam. Analyze your score. Note your strengths and weaknesses.

After the practice exam, schedule a conservative (read, longer than you think you need) period for review. And, begin the review.

After two weeks, take another sample exam. Consider the time remaining until your scheduled exam. Will you achieve the practice exam goal before that date?

Continue studying and adjust your target date as needed or preferred. If you want to keep your date, just reduce the number of hours you study per session. But, keep the schedule alive. Don't put it off. Keep studying, keep self-testing, too.

I recommend a minimum three and recommended six sample exams for your study period. Sample exam books are a necessary component of your FE exam study materials. Be sure to buy what you need.

This FE Sample Exams book contains two complete sample examinations. They are created for the old format. Each exam has 120 morning questions and 60 afternoon questions.

That will not be a problem. Here is how you use these sample exams to create THREE practice exams for the new 110-question CBT exam format.

The new format is 55 questions, a break, and then another 55 questions. You cannot return to the first 55 question set after you close it and go on your break.