Fundamentals of Engineering exam: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|United States engineering exam}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2021}}

{{Infobox examination

The '''Fundamentals of Engineering''' ('''FE''') '''exam''', also referred to as the '''Engineer in Training''' ('''EIT''') '''exam''', and formerly in some states as the '''Engineering Intern''' ('''EI''') '''exam''', is the first of two examinations that engineers must pass in order to be licensed as a {{nowrap|[[Professional Engineer]] (PE)}} in the United States. The second examination is [[Principles and Practice of Engineering Examination]]. The FE [[exam]] is open to anyone with a [[Academic degree|degree]] in engineering or a related field, or currently enrolled in the last year of an [[Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology]]&nbsp;(ABET) accredited engineering degree program. Some state licensure boards permit students to take it prior to their final year, and numerous states allow those who have never attended an approved program to take the exam if they have a state-determined number of years of work experience in engineering. Some states allow those with ABET-accredited "Engineering Technology" or "ETAC" degrees to take the examination. The state of [[Michigan]] has no admission pre-requisites for the FE.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.michigan.gov/lara/0,4601,7-154-35299_61343_35414_60647_35472-114639--,00.html |title=Professional Engineers Examination}}</ref> The exam is administered by the [[National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying]] (NCEES).

| image_name =

| image_size =

| image_alt =

| caption =

| acronym = FE

| type = Computer-based exam

*| test_admin = [[National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying]] (NCEES)

| skills_tested = Analytical reasoning, quantitative reasoning, discipline-specific subjects

| purpose = Professional licensure

| year_started = {{start date|1965}}

| year_terminated = <!-- {{End date|YYYY}} -->

| duration = 6 hours

| score_range = Pass/fail

| score_validity =

| offered = Varies

| regions =

| language =

| test_takers =

| prerequisite = Varies per state

| fee = Varies per state

| score_users = Professional state licensing boards

| qualification_rate =

| website = {{URL|https://ncees.org/engineering/fe/}}

| footnotes =

}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=December 20212022}}

==Structure==

The '''Fundamentals of Engineering''' ('''FE''') '''exam''', also referred to as the '''Engineer in Training''' ('''EIT''') '''exam''', and formerly in some states as the '''Engineering Intern''' ('''EI''') '''exam''', is the first of two examinations that engineers must pass in order to be licensed as a {{nowrap|[[Professional Engineer]] (PE)}} in the United States. The second examinationexam is the [[Principles and Practice of Engineering Examinationexam]]. The FE [[exam]] is open to anyone with a [[Academic degree|degree]] in engineering or a related field, or currently enrolled in the last year of an [[Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology]]&nbsp;(ABET) accredited engineering degree program. Some state licensure boards permit students to take it prior to their final year, and numerous states allow those who have never attended an approved program to take the exam if they have a state-determined number of years of work experience in engineering. Some states allow those with ABET-accredited "Engineering Technology" or "ETAC" degrees to take the examination. The state of [[Michigan]] has no admission pre-requisites for the FE.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.michigan.gov/lara/0,4601,7-154-35299_61343_35414_60647_35472-114639--,00.html |title=Professional Engineers Examination}}</ref> The exam is administered by the [[National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying]] (NCEES).

As of 2014, the FE and FS exams are offered only via [[Computer-based testing|Computer Based Testing]] (CBT). The exam consists of 110 questions and is given during a 6-hour session, of which 5 hours and 20 minutes is designated as time for answering the questions. The remaining time includes a tutorial, presented at the beginning of the session, and an optional 25-minute break. Examinees must apply to be tested in one of seven fields: chemical, civil, electrical and computer, environmental, industrial and systems, mechanical, and other disciplines.

==History and structure==

Prior to 2014, the exam was divided into two 4-hour sessions with a lunch break in between. The morning session consisted of 120 questions in a range of scientific/engineering subjects and had to be taken by all examinees, while the afternoon session consisted of 60 questions and could be taken either in a specific discipline or as a general engineering test. In 2015, content changes in the exam were instituted to make it entirely discipline-specific, with a plan of weaving general engineering subject matter (e.g. math and science fundamentals) throughout the exam.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nspe.org/resources/pe-magazine/march-2015/evolution-fe |title=The Evolution of the FE - National Society of Professional Engineers |website=National Society of Professional Engineers}}</ref> Less of the "full breadth" of most traditional engineering undergraduate curricula will be captured with this approach - such as the broad math and science foundation spanning chemistry, physics, mechanics (i.e. statics and dynamics), materials science, computer science, electronics/circuits, engineering design, and the standard range of engineering mathematics (i.e. calculus, differential equations, statistics). A concern was that, while most undergraduate engineering students are in fact exposed to most of these subjects, they may not necessarily take courses in specialized topics such as thermodynamics and fluid mechanics.

In 1965, 30 states administered the first FE exam. The FE tests knowledge of what college graduates should have mastered during school. In 1966, a national uniform PE exam was offered.<ref>{{cite web |access-date=December 20, 2022 |title=Exams |url=https://100.ncees.org/licensure-begins/exams/ |website=Celebrating 100 Years of NCEES}}</ref> As of 2014, the FE and FS exams are offered only via [[Computer-based testing|Computer Based Testing]] (CBT). The exam consists of 110 questions and is given during a 6-hour session, of which 5 hours and 20 minutes is designated as time for answering the questions. The remaining time includes a tutorial, presented at the beginning of the session, and an optional 25-minute break. Examinees must apply to be tested in one of seven fields: chemical, civil, electrical and computer, environmental, industrial and systems, mechanical, and other disciplines. Each examinee is provided with an electronic copy of a reference handbook compiled by [[NCEES]], the only reference that may be used during the exam.

Prior to 2014, the exam was divided into two 4-hour sessions with a lunch break in between. The morning session consisted of 120 questions in a range of scientific/engineering subjects and had to be taken by all examinees, while the afternoon session consisted of 60 questions and could be taken either in a specific discipline or as a general engineering test. The reference handbook was distributed as a hard copy; examinees were not allowed to bring their own copies and had to return the provided ones at the end of each session.

Prior to 2014, the exam was divided into two 4-hour sessions with a lunch break in between. The morning session consisted of 120 questions in a range of scientific/engineering subjects and had to be taken by all examinees, while the afternoon session consisted of 60 questions and could be taken either in a specific discipline or as a general engineering test. In 2015, content changes in the exam were instituted to make it entirely discipline-specific, with a plan of weaving general engineering subject matter (e.g. math and science fundamentals) throughout the exam.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nspe.org/resources/pe-magazine/march-2015/evolution-fe |title=The Evolution of the FE - National Society of Professional Engineers |website=National Society of Professional Engineers}}</ref> Less of the "full breadth" of most traditional engineering undergraduate curricula will be captured with this approach - such as the broad math and science foundation spanning chemistry, physics, mechanics (i.e. [[statics]] and dynamics), [[materials science]], [[computer science]], electronics/circuits, engineering design, and the standard range of [[engineering mathematics]] (i.e. calculus, differential equations, statistics). A concern was that, while most undergraduate engineering students are in fact exposed to most of these subjects, they may not necessarily take courses in specialized topics such as [[thermodynamics]] and [[fluid mechanics]].

Since July 2020, the NCEES has made updates across all FE exam disciplines.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ncees.org/engineering/fe/ |title=NCEES FE exam information |website=National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying}}</ref> For example, the topic "Computational Tools" was removed for the civil and mechanical disciplines. In other cases, topics and subtopics have been merged or combined. The NCEES also published an updated version of the tenth edition of the FE Reference Handbook. The handbook was revised incorporating a coherent single-page layout instead of a two-column layout, the addition and removal of a few new equations, and updated FE Exam Specifications.

== License ==

Those who pass the exam are sometimes designated [[Engineer In Training]] or [[Engineer Intern]] depending on their state's licensure board's approach to recognizing those who are partway through the licensure process. Many engineering firms will judge an engineering job applicant based on whether they have passed the FE exam and registrationregistered as an EIT. Passing the FE Exam shows that an applicant has not forgotten the basic fundamental engineering principles they learned as an undergraduate student.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.directhub.net/are-your-undergraduate-studies-preparing-you-for-the-fe-exam/ |title=Are your undergraduate studies preparing you for the FE exam? |website=DirectHub|date=March 24, 2021 }}</ref> After obtaining a given amount of work experience (the length of which is set by state law and may be based on the type of degree received), an EIT/EI may qualify to take the [[Principles and Practice in Engineering Examexam|Professional Engineer]] (PE) exam. Actual licensure can then be applied for and awarded upon successful completion of the PE exam. The standard time of work experience (which may need to be under a [[Professional Engineer]]) is four years in most US states, for graduates of an ABET-accredited engineering program. <ref>{{cite web |title=How to get a Professional Engineer (PE) license in the US? |url=https://resumeperk.com/blog/how-to-get-a-professional-engineer-pe-license#what-is-the-process-of-becoming-a-professional-engineer-pe |quote=A candidate for a PE license needs to complete a four-year ABET-accredited engineering program and take the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Examination first. After graduation, you need four years of qualifying engineering experience in most US states before taking the PE test.}}</ref>

== Passing rates ==

The NCEES posts passing rates bi-annuallybiannually on their website, butwith thesethe passing rates are restricted to a fewfollowing criteria:<ref>{{Cite web |title=NCEES FE exam information |url=https://ncees.org/engineering/fe/ |access-date=September 29, 2020 |website=NCEES}}</ref>

[[File:Fe-exam-pass-rates.png|thumb|FE exam pass rates over time]]

The NCEES posts passing rates bi-annually on their website, but these passing rates are restricted to a few criteria:<ref>{{Cite web |title=NCEES FE exam information |url=https://ncees.org/engineering/fe/ |access-date=September 29, 2020 |website=NCEES}}</ref>

* Took the FE exam for the first time

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* Took the FE exam within 12 months of graduation

ThisThe subsetpassing ofrate passingbased rateson tendsthe tocriteria bespans betweenfrom 7063 to 80%76 forpercent eachas disciplineof 2021.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ncees.org/wp-content/uploads/Squared-2021_web.pdf |title=Squared: A Year in Numbers |website=NCESS |year=2021 |page=8-9 |access-date=December 16, 2022}}</ref><!--Based on the second column shown under "Takers with EAC/ABET bachelor's degree"--> The Theyorganization also postposts complete passing rates annually in their ''Squared: ReportA Year In Numbers'' report, which includes all examinees.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NCEES archived annual reports and Squared |url=https://ncees.org/about/publications/past-annual-reports-squared/ |access-date=SeptemberDecember 2916, 20202022 |website=NCEES}}</ref> These reports have been available since 2014 and show an interesting general trend of gradually decreasing over time.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Is the FE Exam hard? |url=https://www.prepfe.com/blog/2020/9/is-the-fe-exam-hard |access-date=September 29, 2020 |website=PrepFE}}</ref>

=== Passing scores ===

The exam results are based on the total number of correct answers with no reductions for wrong answers.<ref name="EG">{{cite web |url=https://ncees.org/wp-content/uploads/NCEESExamGuide_November-2022_opt.pdf |publisher=NCESS |title=NCESS Examinee Guide |date=November 1, 2022 |access-date=December 16, 2022 |page=13, 19}}</ref> A scaled score is converted from the original number of correct answers. Examinees take a unique exam generated from a volunteer-sourced NCEES problem bank. The organization does not publish the passing score because it varies slightly based on the difficulty of the exam. If an examinee does not pass an exam, the organization provides a diagnostic report to help them identify the knowledge areas they need to improve before retaking the exam.<ref name="EG"/>

NCEES does not officially state how many questions must be right to pass. Instead, NCEES claims that a passing score is based on psychometric statistical methods without revealing what the actual passing score is.

To protect the integrity of the exam, examinees are taking unique exams, generated from a large, volunteer-sourced NCEES problem bank. This is why the NCEES provides a [https://ncees.org/wp-content/uploads/CBT-Diagnostic-for-the-web-site_October-2018.pdf scaled score report], so while exam difficulty is generally about the same for everyone, they do vary some, and the scaling is necessary for comparison purposes. Passing scores are established by the NCEES and are not curved relative to other examinees' performances. This is made clear when you see that each exam's pass rates are different from others and vary year to year in the plot above.

==U.S. Patent Office==

Passage of the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam, along with graduation with any Bachelor's degree or equivalent, satisfies the [[United States Patent and Trademark Office]] (USPTO)'s technical requirements for sitting for its [[USPTO registration examination|registration examination]] to become either a registered [[patent attorney]] or patent agent.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.uspto.gov/ip/boards/oed/GRB_March_2012.pdf |access-date=December 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130426051321/http://www.uspto.gov/ip/boards/oed/GRB_March_2012.pdf |archive-date=April 26, 2013 |url-status=dead |title=General Requirements Bulletin for Admission to the Examination for Registration to Practice in Patent Cases Before the United States Patent and Trademark Office |website=United States Patent and Trademark Office |page=8 |format=pdf}}</ref>

==See also==

* [[National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying]] (NCEES)

* [[Principles and Practice of Engineering Examination]] (PE exam)

* [[Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering]] (GATE)

* [[Graduate Record Examination]] (GRE)

==References==

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* [http://www.ncees.org Official NCEES website]

* [https://ncees.org/engineering/fe/ NCEES website on Fundamentals of Engineering Examination]

* [http://ncees.org/exams/calculator/ NCEES Calculator Policy]

* [http://www.ncees.org/Licensing_boards.php State Licensing Boards]

* [https://www.prepfe.com PrepFE website and iOS apps offer FE exam preparation]

* [https://www.schoolofpe.com/fe/ School of PE Website offers FE Exam review courses]

[[Category:Engineering education]]