Next Steps
FE exam
The FE exam is typically the first step in the process leading to the P.E. license. It is designed for students who are close to finishing an undergraduate engineering degree. The exam lasts 8 hours and is administered in April and October.
View scheduled exam administrations.
FE exam specifications
The FE exam contains 180 multiple-choice questions and is split into a morning session (120 questions) and an afternoon session (60 questions).
The morning session is the same for everyone. For the afternoon session, you will be asked to select the module that best corresponds to your undergraduate degree.
Download FE exam specifications (PDF):Chemical
Civil
Electrical
Environmental
Industrial
Mechanical
Other Disciplines
Upcoming changes to the FE exam
Beginning in October 2010, the afternoon (PM) exam book for the FE exam will be split into seven individual books. When registering with NCEES, you will have to choose your PM module. On exam day, you will receive only the PM module you selected when registering.
Reference materials
The FE is a closed-book exam. You will be provided with an FE Supplied-Reference Handbook at your seat on exam day.
Scoring and reporting
NCEES typically releases exam results to the licensing boards 8–10 weeks after the exam. Depending on your state, you will be notified of your exam result online through your My NCEES account or via postal mail from your state licensing board.
Learn more about how NCEES exams are scored.
FE pass rates
These pass rates represent April 2010 FE candidates who attended EAC/ABET-accredited engineering programs.
| Exam Module | First-time takers | Repeat takers |
| Chemical | 86% | 46% |
| Civil | 75% | 33% |
| Electrical | 72% | 27% |
| Environmental | 82% | 38% |
| Industrial | 69% | 33% |
| Mechanical | 83% | 34% |
| Other Disciplines | 78% | 32% |
Other Disciplines module breakdown by examinee degree*
| Examinees' college/university degree discipline | First-time takers | Repeat takers |
| Aeronautical/Aerospace | 84% | 57% |
| Agricultural | 83% | 53% |
| Architectural | 77% | 37% |
| Biological | 80% | 40% |
| Biomedical | 81% | 33% |
| Chemical | 79% | 41% |
| Civil | 70% | 29% |
| Computer | 52% | 15% |
| Electrical | 61% | 24% |
| Engineering Mechanics | 67% | 17% |
| Engineering Physics | 80% | 18% |
| Environmental | 79% | 23% |
| General Engineering | 82% | 26% |
| Geological and Geophysical | 56% | 21% |
| Materials | 86% | 0% |
| Mechanical | 84% | 41% |
| Mining and Mineral | 67% | 48% |
| Naval Architecture and Marine | 84% | 38% |
| Nuclear | 90% | 0% |
| Ocean | 71% | 29% |
| Petroleum | 61% | 69% |
| Structural | 81% | 53% |
*Only EAC/ABET degrees with more than 50 examinees are reported.