What Is The Cost Of FE Exam: A Complete Analysis
Wasim Asghar 
December 28, 2022How much does the FE exam cost?
This question must constantly revolve around your mind if you decide to take the FE exam.
Right?
If so, then you have come to the right place!
Because in this article, we will do an in-depth analysis of the cost of the FE exam, the additional state charges, and other relevant expenses.
So keep reading to find out what amount of money you will have to spend for taking the FE exam.
How Much Does the FE Exam Cost?
In general, the cost of FE exam is $175, which is directly payable to NCEES® during the process of registration. However, multiple factors contribute to the overall FE exam cost.
These include:
- Accommodation expenditures
- Travel expenditures
- Reference material expenditures
- Review course expenditures
In addition:
Some states may call for separate application submission as a part of their approval process. This may lead you to pay an additional application price to take the FE exam.
The US States with Extra Test Fees
The NCEES® FE exam cost will be no more than $175 until and unless you are a resident of the following US states, which require an extra FE exam fee as mentioned below:
- Illinois: It demands 107 dollars as an extra fee, payable to the state board.
- Massachusetts: It requires extra charges of 136 dollars to the board of the state.
- Minnesota: If you are not enrolled in a degree or have already graduated, then this state only requires 25 dollars as an additional NCEES® FE exam fee.
- New Hampshire: Depending upon the schedule of the fee, it requires a minimum of 150 dollars or even more as an additional fee.
- New York: It only demands an additional fee of 70 dollars if you possess a degree that is foreign or not ABET-accredited.
- Mississippi: It asks for an extra fee of only 25 dollars.
- Puerto Rico: This state may ask for an extra cost for the process of exam registration. You can contact their testing administrator Didaxis for further details.
For convenience, you can use the following table to find out the total cost of the FE exam in your state, including the extra state fees if required:
| Name of State | Original Fee | Extra Fee | Total Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Arizona | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Alaska | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Arkansas | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Colorado | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| California | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Connecticut | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Delaware | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| District of Columbia | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Florida | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Guam | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Georgia | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Hawaii | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Idaho | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Illinois | 175 dollars | 107 dollars | 282 dollars |
| Indiana | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Lowa | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Kentucky | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Kansas | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Louisiana | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Maryland | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Maine | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Massachusetts | 175 dollars | 136 dollars | 311 dollars |
| Michigan | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Minnesota | 175 dollars | 25 dollars (only if not enrolled/graduated) | 175 dollars (200 dollars if you’re not enrolled/graduate) |
| Mississippi | 175 dollars | 25 dollars | 200 dollars |
| Montana | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Missouri | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Nebraska | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Nevada | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| New Hampshire | 175 dollars | 150 dollars | 325 dollars |
| New Mexico | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| New Jersey | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| New York | 175 dollars | 70 dollars (if you have non-ABET or foreign degree) | 175 dollars (245 dollars if you have non-ABET or foreign degree) |
| North Dakota | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| North Carolina | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Northern Mariana Islands | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Ohio | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Oregon | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Oklahoma | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Pennsylvania | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Puerto Rico | 175 dollars | Not known | More than 175 dollars |
| Rhode Island | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| South Dakota | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| South Carolina | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Tennessee | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Texas | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Utah | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Vermont | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Virginia | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Virgin Islands | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Washington | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| West Virginia | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Wisconsin | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
| Wyoming | 175 dollars | – | 175 dollars |
Additional Expenses
Apart from the extra FE exam fees in the table mentioned above, the cost of the FE exam may vary depending on one’s personal choices and expenditures.
Let’s go through them one by one:
Calculator
Out of the few items you can take into the test center, a calculator is the one on which you will have to spend money. NCEES® only allows three types of calculators.
Here is a table showing the three NCEES® approved calculators along with their costs:
| Brand | Model | Cost |
Casio | fx-115 fx-991 | $12–$15 $15–$20 |
Hewlett Packard | HP 33s HP 35s | $30–$35 $35–$40 |
Texas Instruments | TI-30X TI-36X | $8–$18$ $9.95–$21 |
So, the cost to take the FE exam will be approximately reach up to $195–$200, including the calculator.
Travel Cost
If the location of your test center is far from you, it adds up to your expenses as you’ll roughly have to pay $80–$100 to get to the test center.
So, your total cost of the FE exam might go up to around $275–$300.
Hotel Cost
If you live far away from the test center, you must accommodate yourself. The hotel expenses will cost you around $150-200$, increasing the total FE exam cost to about $425–$500.
Preparation Materials Cost
Suppose you opt to invest in educational books, notes, and reference materials to prepare for the FE exam. In that case, they will cost up to $100–$150, raising the total FE test cost to around $525–650.
Online Course Subscription Cost
Lastly, if you plan to purchase an online FE review course, you’ll have to shell out nearly $300–$500, causing the total cost of the FE exam to go up to around $825–$1150.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, the cost of the FE exam is $175 on the lower end of the spectrum and $1150 or more on the higher one. The overall FE exam cost depends upon your distance from the test center, your state’s additional fee, and whether or not you’ll buy the preparation materials and review courses.
We hope you found this article helpful. Do let us know in the comments section if we missed anything. We will answer your queries as quickly as possible.
Licensed Professional Engineer in Texas (PE), Florida (PE) and Ontario (P. Eng) with consulting experience in design, commissioning and plant engineering for clients in Energy, Mining and Infrastructure.