How to Study for the FE Electrical Exam (13+ Preparation Tips)

Have you ever encountered an engineering student boasting that they are a phenomenal test taker? What does this imply? Can this help them ace the FE exam if they are knowledgeable about the FE exam topics? Well, not always.

Even if you are a top engineering student, can clarify complicated concepts to others, and perform practical work, being a good test taker is very different from genuinely comprehending the subject matter.

So now, you might be wondering how to pass the FE exam. To help you out, we have written this comprehensive article to provide you with the best study tips to pass the FE exam.

So without any further ado, let’s have a look at them.

The 3 Biggest Challenges in FE Exam Preparation

Following are the four most significant challenges that candidates have to deal with during the FE Electrical and Computer exam preparation:

1. Lack of motivation
2. Exam preparation resources
3. A broad range of exam topics

1. Lack of Motivation

When it comes to the exam preparation, the biggest challenge that many students struggle with is finding the motivation to keep going.

We know that one has to put in a lot of effort and hard work to pass the FE exam, and while it can be rewarding when you pass, most candidates don’t feel an intense sense of accomplishment. That’s why even the most dedicated students often feel burnt out when the FE exam season hits, and they find it hard to stay motivated when they feel like they are not preparing well or making any progress.

2. Exam Preparation Resources

Studying is not enough to pass the FE exam, but studying from the right exam preparation resources is! But with many study materials available in the market and on the internet, many students find it challenging to pick up the most appropriate ones.

Plus, it becomes a hard nut to crack when it comes to purchasing reference materials without having to throw in a hefty amount of cash. In fact, it is not just a matter of spending money; it is also about the time you’ll be putting in over the next 3-4 months while using these resources. Surprisingly not, for most students, the more significant cost involved in this process is that of their time.

If you’re seeking a comprehensive resource for your FE Electrical exam preparation, check out our FE Electrical Exam Prep course.

Our proven, on-demand content and live training have successfully helped thousands of students pass their FE exam.

3. Broad Range of Exam Topics

No one likes studying. Especially not for a test with so many subject areas, it becomes hard to know where to begin. The FE electrical exam is no exception. It covers 17 sections that encompass almost the entire four years of Electrical and Computer Engineering undergraduate coursework, which can be very overwhelming. Because of this, many prospective FEs find themselves stuck in the massive amount of topics and complexity they involve, making them hard to narrow down their focus.

Become a FE Electrical MASTER with Cal Newport’s Proven Study Method

How Long Does It Take To Prepare for the FE Electrical and Computer Exam?

The preparation process for the FE Electrical and Computer Exam is difficult and long. Although every student varies in how much time they spend preparing for the exam, we have compiled average lengths based on the estimates of many of our students.

The average passing student studies around 200-400 hours, which is usually distributed as around 3-4 hours per day for 3 months. In contrast, the average failing student studies around 100-300 hours, or around ~2 hours per day for 3 months.

13 Best Study Tips to Pass the FE Electrical Exam

Here’s a list of the 13 study tips to pass the FE exam:

1. Know The Topics For The Exam
2. Know Your Weak And Strong Subjects
3. Follow The Fe Exam Prep Source
4. Make A Schedule
5. Take Help From The Calculator’s Advanced Features
6. Solve Every Problem
7. Leave Subjects You Didn’t See In School
8. Try To Solve Each Problem From Scratch
9. Grasp The Concept But Avoid Going Deep Down Into A Practice Problem
10. Using The Latest Version Of The Fe Reference Handbook
11. More Sleep Is Recommended Before The Exam
12. Manage Time During the FE Exam
13. Avoid Studying With Out-Of-Date Textbooks

1. Know the Topics for the Exam

You might know that most of your engineering college subjects, such as mathematics, are included in the FE exam. However, it is also essential to know that NCEES®, the organization that designs the FE exam, also provides a list of the specific FE exam topics that could be addressed on the FE exam.

In this way, you can avoid being startled by the FE exam by being aware of the specific FE exam topics that will be tested, such as state machine design, rather than solely the general category, like digital systems.

2. Know Your Weak and Strong Subjects

Each of us possesses both strong and weak points. Some students may excel in economics yet struggle in statistics. Hence, it’s critical that we actively analyze, determine the subjects that need more improvement, and devote more time and energy to those FE exam topics to master them.

Practice and make sure that you are proficient in all subjects. However, you should also strive to refine your expertise in the knowledge areas you do well while putting in relatively less effort. You can increase your chances of passing the FE exam by paying enough attention to your shortcomings and strengths.

3. Follow the FE Exam Prep Source

Indeed, you undoubtedly have many FE practice engineering questions lying around. There are certainly a few more you can find online. These approaches may be effective, but skipping the FE review book or online exam prep course by Wasim Asghar risks having knowledge gaps in your prepping with 150+ lectures, 70+ quizzes, and 10+ mini-exams to help you fast-track your exam preparation.

By using a structured and comprehensive FE Electrical exam review course, you can avoid spending so much time preparing for subjects that won’t even be on the examination or, worse, failing to cover those topics essential to passing the FE exam.

4. Make a schedule

The next FE exam tip is to create a daily or weekly schedule to study for the FE exam. This should include concise outlines of the subjects you must grasp and the intended number of practice hours.

Once you’ve developed a solid FE exam study schedule, don’t deviate from it – instead, stick to it religiously and let it guide you since keeping a written record of everything will keep you on track.

5. Take Help From the Calculator’s Advanced Features

Calculators are an essential part of an effective study plan for the FE Electrical examination. They have the potential to enhance timeliness significantly and help you solve questions more swiftly.

Therefore, it is imperative that you maximally take benefit from your NCEES® approved FE examination calculator by comprehending its fundamental and advanced features, such as those listed below:

• Solving a variable-dependent equation.
• Creating a layered display for lengthy equations.
• Inserting the value from one step into a variable and using it in the following step.
• Solving derivatives and integrals.
• Solving vector questions.
• Converting binary, decimal, hexadecimal, and octal numbers.

6. Solve Every Problem

It takes a lot of effort to complete the FE exam in the allotted time. You must know the solution methods, equations, and valuable information available to pass the FE exam. This is only doable if you practice extensively. Set a goal of solving a certain number of questions per day.

Don’t skip out on any FE exam practice questions. Instead, aim to solve every problem to boost your agility and effectiveness. Try to read and comprehend each question as thoroughly as possible. This will strengthen your memory and enable you to solve the questions in the least amount of time.

7. Leave Subjects You Didn’t See in School

The FE examination may include questions on one or two knowledge areas not covered in your undergraduate engineering degree. You might be able to comprehend and learn enough about these FE exam topics on your own to tackle them on the exam. But, you will undoubtedly have to put in more time and effort to study those topics rather than prepping for the ones you covered in the class.

We’re not implying that you should entirely skip these areas; instead, it’s our FE exam advice for you to save your review for last. Prioritize solving the problems that you have a higher prospect of answering correctly.

8. Try to Solve Each Problem From Scratch

Our next best FE exam prep tip is that if you fail to solve a practice question correctly, do not just peek through the solution, concluding, “this makes sense,” and immediately turn to attempt the next practice problem. Instead, analyze the solution and figure out what the question is asking.

Then, re-attempt that question from square one, but this time don’t look through the answer. Doing so will build some “muscle memory” for that kind of problem, and you will be prepared to react accordingly if you encounter it on the FE exam.

9. Grasp the concept but avoid going deep down into a practice problem

Most FE problems will be “plug ‘n chug,” but not all of them. Additionally, the FE exam likes to surprise you with a few curve balls. To deceive you into believing you solved the problem perfectly, they will purposefully work out a question wrong and then provide that answer as one of the potential solutions.

You will be able to decipher any trickery the FE may use if you comprehend the core logic underlying the practice problem. As there are several topics to study for the FE exam, avoid delving too deeply into the intricacies of the theory to the point where it becomes challenging for you to dedicate time to other FE exam topics.

10. Using the Latest Version of the FE Reference Handbook

As you know, the sole reference item permitted during the FE examination is the NCEES® FE Reference Handbook. It comprises a plethora of exam-relevant equations, formulas, terminologies, and information that can assist you in answering problems rapidly without having to memorize any of those nuances.

That’s why you must use the latest version of the FE reference handbook to study for the FE exam, as it often changes over the years, impacting your preparation and results. It is also essential for you to study from the PDF version rather than the printed copy because you will be only allowed to use the electronic version of the FE Reference Handbook during the exam.

11. More Sleep Is Recommended Before the Exam

On the off chance that you want to cram the night before the FE test, don’t. It’s not worth the effort. Don’t put your months of diligent studying at stake by remaining up all night. Allow your mind to recharge so you can wake up the morning of the FE exam refreshed and all set to go.

There’s nothing more awful than sacrificing weeks or months of studying for the FE exam because you stayed up all night studying a subject that might only appear in one of the 110 exam problems.

12. Manage Time During the FE Exam

The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam can be daunting for engineering students and professionals. With 110 questions to answer in a limited time frame, efficient time management is essential for success.

One of the most underutilized assets during the FE Exam is your calculator. To make the most of it, follow these steps:

• Familiarity is Key – Choose a calculator you’re comfortable with, preferably one you used during college. Being familiar with its functions can save you precious seconds.
• List Calculator Features – Create a list of functions relevant to your specific FE exam. Features like rectangular-to-polar conversion, matrix calculations, and number systems are invaluable.
• Time Savings – Consider this scenario: manually solving a problem takes three minutes, but with your calculator, it only takes 30 seconds. Mastering your calculator saves 2.5 minutes per question, potentially adding up to 25 extra minutes for tackling more challenging questions.

During the exam, be strategic in handling questions:

• Flag Difficult Questions – If you encounter a challenging question that seems time-consuming, flag it and move on. Spending too much time on one question can be counterproductive.
• Solve Easier Questions First – Prioritize questions you can solve quickly. Knocking them out early leaves more time for challenging ones.
• Never Leave Questions Blank – Make an educated guess even if you’re unsure. There’s no penalty for wrong answers, but unanswered questions guarantee no points.

13. Avoid Studying With Out-Of-Date Textbooks

The NCEES® has updated the list of the FE exam topics in July 2020. Several textbooks are available to study for the FE exam; however, many of them comprise information that is no longer accurate or pertinent because it hasn’t been revised in years.

So, it is always advisable to keep checking your studying resources, as not prepping from the latest ones will only let your efforts go down the drain.

How to Overcome Procrastinating in Your Studying

There are multiple reasons for procrastination in FE Electrical and Computer exams. Student procrastination is more prevalent in today’s generation due to instant access to various distractions. Although distractions contribute to a significant extent to procrastinating students, other social and psychological factors also lead to procrastination.

Below are some proven tips for students to help them fix this issue and maximize their chances of success in their FE exam preparation by ensuring dedication and consistency.

• Break complex tasks into smaller and achievable milestones to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
• Don’t think about the outcome and focus on the task you must complete within an hour or a day.
• You are human, and humans are not perfect. Give yourself a little roam to commit mistakes and learn from your mistakes to avoid them in the final exam.
• Follow Urgent-Important Principal. Focus more on Urgent and Important tasks (that you need to define), delegate the urgent but not important ones, delay the important but not urgent ones, and cut the non-urgent and non-important burdens.
• Reward yourself (like eating your favorite chocolate) at the end of each milestone to turn your preparation into an exciting journey. Also, punish yourself a little for not meeting deadlines (like not having your favorite meal for a week).
• Eliminate all the potential distractions one by one. Go easy and slow with your elimination drive to lessen the withdrawal symptoms.
• Once you decide on doing something, stand firm with it and try to start it within 5 minutes of deciding to close doors for laziness and comfort zone.
• Scientifically, it takes only 10-15 minutes to enter the flow state while doing something with focus. Take the first step and adapt isolation to ensure focus. You might not be lacking focus but lacking solitude.
• Set milestones with an achievable but strict deadline. Try to set deadlines for each exam topic for better focus and urgency.
• Craft an effective exam preparation strategy and monitor your day-to-day progress critically.
• Identify your fears and practice overcoming them. If the problem is too complicated, it is recommended to seek help from a psychologist.
• Change it immediately if your environment is full of noise, demotivation, negativity, and distractions.
• Manage your time effectively and align your routine tasks following your exam preparation strategy and study calendar.
• Practice meditation and yoga to improve your focus.
• Self-assessment is the key to success if you master it. You can lie to anyone in this world except yourself. At the end of each day, question yourself did you give the best in your entire day, or if it was just an average day without any progress?
• If the condition exacerbates with every passing day or a month, consult a good psychologist immediately. Different underlying mental health issues like ADHD, Easily Distracted Syndrom, etc., must be identified and fixed immediately.

Different Learning Styles when Studying for the FE Exam Electrical and Computer Exam

The FE Exam is a crucial step for aspiring engineers, but studying can feel overwhelming with a vast amount of information to cover. The good news is that effective study strategies aren’t one-size-fits-all. Understanding your preferred learning style can significantly enhance your FE Exam preparation journey.

Visual Learners: See It to Believe It

For visual learners, the world revolves around images and spatial relationships. Here are a few strategies to unleash your visual learning potential:

• Mind Mapping Magic: Transform your notes into mind maps. Mind maps are visual representations of information, using central themes, branches, and colors to connect key concepts and subtopics. This technique helps visualize relationships between different engineering principles, making them easier to remember and recall.
• Harness the Power of Simulations: Many online resources offer interactive simulations that bring engineering concepts to life. These simulations allow you to visualize real-world applications of the principles you’re studying, solidifying your understanding dynamically and engagingly.

Kinesthetic Learners: Learning by Doing

Kinesthetic learners thrive on a hands-on approach. Here are some strategies to ignite your kinesthetic learning experience:

• Build It Yourself: Construct simple physical models of the engineering concepts you’re studying whenever possible. The act of building reinforces theoretical knowledge through practical application. This can be particularly helpful for understanding mechanics, thermodynamics, or electrical circuits.
• The Lab Advantage (if applicable): Laboratory experiments offered by universities or online platforms can be invaluable for kinesthetic learners of specific engineering disciplines. These labs provide a controlled environment to apply theoretical knowledge and observe practical phenomena firsthand.

By catering your study approach to your learning style, you can transform the FE Exam preparation process from rote memorization to a stimulating and practical learning experience. Identify your strengths, explore these visual and kinesthetic strategies, and watch your understanding of engineering fundamentals soar.

How to Improve Problem Solving Skills for the Electrical FE Exam

If you think that forcibly feeding your brain with a ton of information through rote memorizing will help you pass the FE exam, you need to stop building castles in the air.

Because:

Rote memorization will not only seem extremely boring, but it will also prevent you from obtaining the most crucial benefit from learning, which is understanding.

So why choose to go through the tedious process when you can study for the FE exam in a fun and practical way by grasping the logic behind the concepts?

Just imagine:

You encounter an engineering problem on the actual NCEES® FE exam that differs somewhat from the one you had in mind. Not only will it leave you utterly stunned, but you will also be struggling to solve it, right?

That’s why:

It is always preferable to acquire the knowledge of the whys and hows instead of just mindlessly memorizing every bit of information. If you are curious to find out what you can expect to see on the FE exam, check out this guide.

Draw Out the Question in a Visual Form

You must have heard about the popular idiom “a picture is worth a thousand words.”

You can implement this by illustrating the information in a visual form when solving engineering problems while studying for the FE exam.

Drawing out the engineering problem demands elucidation on the meaning of the words and the interpretation of the theory into a new form, i.e., a diagram.

It will challenge you to engage with what you are studying and recreate it in a way that seems logical to you. You can either make symbolic or literal representations, which will assist you in knowing what you can do with the provided values.

Moreover:

Our brain processes visual representations 60,000 times more rapidly as compared to words as they transmit data directly to the visuospatial areas of the nervous system.

Therefore:

During studying, constructing a diagram will activate your brain’s visual centers and force you to be actively involved with the question. It will not only help you improve problem-solving skills for the FE exam but also your understanding and retention of complex information and concepts.

Can I Pass The FE Exam Without Studying?

You can’t pass the FE exam without studying, but here’s the magic trick: you can still ace it with less study time if you focus on studying efficiently. By applying the Pareto Principle (80/20 rule) correctly, you can concentrate on the 20% of topics that carry 80% of the weight — making your preparation smarter, not harder.

The “Pareto Principle,” a well-known time management concept, states that 80% of your intended result could be obtained with only 20% of the input. The remaining 80% of work will yield just an additional 20% of returns. Scholars and students have examined and applied this idea to real-world situations in order to determine whether the 80/20 rule works at all.

In other words, a small number of inputs are responsible for a large amount of output. If this concept is applied to exam preparation, it means that studying just specific topics may help you clear the exam. Other subjects may make a little impact on your ability to pass the exam.

Learn how to apply the pareto principle for your FE electrical exam preparation.

Conclusion

These 13 study tips to pass the FE exam can make your dreams come true. All your hard work aside, some strategies are necessary to study for the FE exam. We hope this article has guided you on how to pass the FE exam. And those intending to take the FE exam: Good work on stepping up and bettering your profession, and best of luck in your future endeavors!