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01.10

Don't Be Scared of Taking the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam
By Jignasa Ray, P.E., IEEE Member since 2006

Before we can discuss the fears of taking the FE, it is important to know what the FE is — the Fundamentals of Engineering exam. The FE is just one step toward becoming a licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.). For engineers working in the private sector, adding P.E. to your name may be the ticket to greater job security, more career opportunities and a higher salary.  What must one do to earn a P.E. license?

While each state licensing board has its own laws regarding engineering licensure, there is a general four-step process for obtaining your professional engineer's license:

1. Earn a degree from an ABET-accredited engineering program.

2. Pass the FE exam (given in April and October each year).

3. Gain acceptable work experience (typically a minimum of four years).
   In most cases, this must be completed under the supervision of a Professional Engineer (P.E).

4. Pass the Professional Engineering (PE) exam in the appropriate discipline.

Many engineers complete the first step — obtaining a degree from an accredited engineering program — and they delve into the work force.  Before they know it, years have passed and it is only when there is a promotion announcement with a P.E. licensure requirement that they consider obtaining their P.E. license.  At that point it's been years after their academic studies and the FE seems like a bigger hurdle than taking the PE.  Why is that you ask?

The FE is designed for students who are close to finishing their undergraduate engineering degree. The four-hour morning session of the FE exam is the same for everyone — 120 multiple-choice questions about mathematics, engineering probability, chemistry, computers, ethics and business, engineering economics, engineering mechanics (statics and dynamics), material strength and properties, fluid mechanics, electricity and magnetism, and thermodynamics.  The four-hour afternoon session is discipline-specific, with 60 multiple-choice questions in either chemical, civil, electrical, environmental, industrial or mechanical engineering. For those considering taking the FE much later in their career, studying/reviewing all of those subjects can be overwhelming and defeating.

Having been out of college for a few years before pursuing getting my P.E. license, I had to face my fears of taking the FE exam.  The first challenge I faced was completing the application process and getting approved to take the exam.  Today, the application can be easily downloaded from NCEES.  After completing the application and sending it to the appropriate licensure board with references and college transcripts, I patiently waited for my application to be approved so that I could take the FE exam.  It was already less than two months before FE exam day!  I obtained the NCEES FE Supplied-Reference Handbook and FE review books, and registered for an FE review class to get a better understanding of what the exam would cover and be able to ask questions on material that was foreign to me.  The major benefit from taking the review course was that I met engineers from various disciplines that could better explain topics related to their studies.  Taking sample exams and solving a variety of problems led to more questions.  Developing a rigid study plan and following it through eased some anxiety of taking the eight-hour exam.  On exam day, I arrived at the test site to find a long line of people waiting to also begin their FE exam battle.  By lunch time, I was exhausted and couldn't imagine going back for the afternoon session!  I returned and completed the rest of the test and then had to wait 6-8 weeks for the results.  Although it seemed like forever, the results came and my sacrifices and hard work had paid off with positive results — I passed the FE exam! And you can too!

Below are common fears of FE exam takers and my recommendations for how to cope with them: 

As Franklin D. Roosevelt said: "We have nothing to fear but fear itself."

Jignasa Ray has been an active IEEE volunteer since 2006.  In 2009, she served as the NY Section conference coordinator and Region 1 southern area Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD) coordinator.  She worked with the IEEE NY Section societies and affinity groups for conference coordination and volunteered at the 2009 IEEE-USA Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah.  She also co-chaired the 2009 Region 1 Women in Engineering PDS Conference in White Plains, NY on September 25-27, 2009.  In previous years, she has served as Vice Chair of NY WIE and NY GOLD.  Professionally, she is a licensed engineer in New York and works as an Intelligent Transportation Systems Project Manager for MTA Bridges and Tunnels.

Comments may be submitted to todaysengineer@ieee.org.