FE Electrical and Computer exam
Candidates can fast-track their exam preparation through our Study Guide, Practice Exams and Online course.
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How to prepare for the FE Electrical and Computer exam?
If you are not sure how difficult the FE exam truly is, then read on. The FE exam has 110 questions that can be asked in a variety of formats such as multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blanks, match the columns, drag and drop etc. These are collectively called as Alternative-Item Types (AITs). There is no negative marking for guessing the correct answers. One of the biggest challenges on this exam is the time constraint. A total exam time of 5 hours and 20 minutes is available to the candidates which can be divided between the morning and afternoon sessions. This translates into roughly 3 minutes per question. After factoring in the time required for reading the question, thinking through the solution, doing the calculations and selecting the correct answer, 3 minutes per question is generally a short amount of time even with good understanding of all the underlying concepts.
Another major challenge is the fact that FE Electrical and Computer exam practically covers all areas of the 4-year undergraduate Electrical and Computer Engineering curriculum. As you’d probably agree, most of the Electrical and Computer Engineering course work is not easy. When you combine this difficult coursework with time constraints and package it all into one exam, you get the FE Electrical and Computer exam!
The NCEES® FE examination is a crucial step in an engineer’s career since it is one of the two exams that is required for PE license. A lot of students find the FE exam even more difficult than the PE exam and find it challenging to prepare for the latest computer-based FE exam. In fact, a large number of FE students spend upwards of 300 hours to prepare for this exam. That’s and incredible amount of effort!
Step-by-step FE Exam Preparation Guide
1- Download the NCEES® FE Reference Handbook
One of the most important steps in your FE exam preparation is would be to download the NCEES® FE Reference Handbook. It contains all necessary formulas, equations and other information that you need to have for the FE Exam. Furthermore, it is the only resource you’ll have during the actual exam so it’s a great idea to practice using it. To get your free download, sign up and log in on their website.
NCEES® also offers sample practice exams that can help a lot in FE exam prep. The NCEES® practice exams are available in paperback format and they can be directly purchased from their website.
2 – Use effective exam preparation resources
When it comes to FE Electrical and Computer exam preparation, the resources that you use are crucial to the outcome of your exam. At Study for FE, we believe that the most effective strategy to prepare for this challenging exam must combine in-depth understanding of all concepts and problem-based learning through tons of FE-style practice problems.
To accomplish this, we’ve developed a comprehensive On-Demand FE Exam Preparation Online Course. This incredible resource has 150+ lectures, 70+ Quizzes, and 10+ Mini-Exams to help you fast-track your FE Electrical and Computer exam preparation.
3 – Get an an approved calculator for FE exam
NCEES® only allows a handful of calculators for the FE and PE exams. The only models permitted during examinations of 2022 are mentioned on their exam policy. Effectively using your calculator can save you a lot of time on the exam and also reduce the number of errors.
You can check out our blog which outlines which calculators you’re permitted to use and also a guide on how to use them. Your primary step is to obtain one of several calculators long before the examination starts. You should try to practice on the very same calculator that you use while you prepare for the FE examination whether it involves completing instance questions or completing the practice test.
4 – Make a study schedule for FE exam preparation
You should design and stick to a study timetable to finish your study of all test subjects. A number of stages, strategies, and processes could be followed whenever a candidate has enrolled for the FE examination.
These procedures differ from individual to individual and rely on how long and how much work a candidate is prepared for the test. The creation of a curriculum may be quite complicated since the personal circumstances, the availability of time, current knowledge and comprehension of the subject matter, learning speed and capacities, and experiences of each applicant will be very different as well as distinctive.
If you are looking for an excellent free prep resource, then take a look at the FE Exam Planner. It can massively help you in making a daily routine and schedule to prepare for the FE exam. You can download it for free and start streamlining your study schedule ahead of time.
5 – In-depth studying of all FE exam topics
There is a myriad of different topics in the FE exam. It is important to thoroughly prepare for all the topics. Surface level learning is not quite helpful in solving challenging problems because if a question is asked in a way that you are not familiar with, your chances of getting the right answer will definitely nosedive. In-depth studying takes a lot of time and effort but it also greatly improves your odds of success on this challenging exam. Some students have a tendency to skip topics. This is a risky strategy because you can potentially miss easy scoring opportunities in easy sections.
Never leave anything out and make sure to go through each topic and aspect of the test at least once before actually taking the test.
6 – Solve a boat load of FE-style practice problems
Lastly, another tried and tested tip is to complete as many FE practice problems as you can until you feel confident in your abilities to tackle the true exam! Problem-based learning is one of the best strategies to prepare for any exam. At Study for FE, all of our exam preparation resources are centered on the principle of problem-based learning. It is important that that problems that you are practicing are high quality and provide your FE-style practice. Otherwise, you’ll be wasting your time and effort thinking you are making progress when in reality you probably won’t be getting closer to your goal of passing the FE exam.
Frequently Asked Questions
1- How do I prepare for the FE exam?
FE exam preparation requires proper planning, resources, commitment and execution. Start by setting a rough target exam date and then work towards it in a step-wise manner described above. You will need in-depth conceptual understanding and tons of practice to pass this exam.
2- How Long Does It Take to Prepare for FE?
Every student varies in how much they need to study. However, based on our research at Study For FE, the average passing student studies around 200-400 hours, which is usually distributed as around 3-4 hours a day for 3 months. You can take a look at our blog for more details.
3- How Much Does the FE Exam Cost?
NCEES® FE exam registration cost is $175.
4- Does The FE Exam Expire?
No, thankfully the FE exam doesn’t expire. After all the hard work, time, and money you put in, you will have this achievement for a lifetime.
If you are stuck and don’t know from where to start, head over to our tips for the FE exam prep and you are on your way to ace the FE prep and exam. Good luck!
5 – What is the FE Exam’s Retake Policy?
You can retake the exam once throughout every 2 month-period, and up to three times a year.
6 – How long should you study for the FE Exam?
Every student varies in how much they need to study. However, based on our research, the average passing student studies around 200-400 hours, which is usually distributed as around 3-4 hours a day for 3 months. You can take a look at our blog for more details.
7- Why take the FE Exam? Is the FE Exam worth it?
- It is the first step to PE Licensure, which allows you to become a licensed engineer in the US and can greatly enhance your career prospects.
- Certain jobs either require completion or reward completion of the FE Exam with improved salaries.
- The sooner you take the exam, the easier and more beneficial it’ll be.
8 – How hard is the FE Exam?
The FE Exam has 110 questions that need to be completed in under 5 hours and 20 minutes. Although that content itself is not widely considered to be difficult, the broad scope of topics can make the exam quite challenging. Additionally, the sooner you take the exam, the easier it will be to pass.
9 – What score do you need to pass the FE Exam?
As of January 2021, the passing rate for the FE Electrical and Computer Exam was 72%. This, however is a percentile scoring system which means that 72% of the people that took the exam on that date passed.
As a guideline to aid your preparation, you should roughly aim to get at least 65-70 questions out of the 110 correct to be in a safe position for passing.
10 – What can you bring with you to the FE Exam?
- ID
- An NCEES Approved Calculator (link to blog).
- Locker Key (Food and drink can be stored in lockers outside the testing room, locker is accessible during breaks)
- Face Mask during Covid-19
11 – What are the FE Exam’s rules?
- 110 questions to be solved in 5 hours and 20 minutes. Around 55 in the first section, followed by a 25 minute break and then around 55 in the second section.
- You can go back to a previous question only within the current section. Once you’re in section 2, you cannot go back to section 1.
- The only reference material you have access to during the exam is the NCEES FE Reference Handbook that will appear on the left side of the screen.
- The only items you can bring to the testing room is an ID, an NCEES approved calculator, locker key, and a face mask.