EIT Exam Review Course

What Is The Fe/eit Exam?

Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) certification is the first step toward becoming a professional engineer (PE). It establishes that you possess the minimum level of competency to mitigate possible risk and to safeguard the welfare, health, and safety of the public. The FE exam is also frequently called the Engineer in Training (EIT) exam. Once you pass, you will officially be an EIT until you pass your Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam.

When Should I Take The Exam?

It is recommended to take the FE exam as soon as possible after obtaining your undergraduate degree because the exam covers material you likely learned in college, and it will be fresh in your mind.

What Qualifications Are Required?

The exam is open to anyone with a degree in engineering or a student currently enrolled in their final year of an EAC/ABET-accredited engineering program.

How Should I Prepare For The Exam?

Once you have registered for the exam, log in to your MyNCEES account to access a free copy of the FE Reference Handbook. Don’t wait until the last minute to review it for the first time. Although you will be able to search for concepts and equations in the electronic reference, familiarizing yourself with the handbook and what to look for will avoid wasting time. You should be able to navigate it with ease during the exam.

Be sure to study all concepts, including what you know best. You should be able to anticipate the types of questions that could be asked, the relevant formulas, and what they stand for.

A dedicated study schedule will help you prepare for a test of this complexity. Find a quiet place where you can study without distractions. Determine a realistic schedule and do your best to maintain it. Be sure to hold yourself accountable and try not to deviate from your schedule. With that said, don’t forget to schedule some down time. Allow yourself a free weekend at least once a month, and don’t wait until the weekend before the test to learn a specific topic. Give yourself some time to rest so you’ll feel relaxed and prepared on exam day.

How Is The Exam-taking Experience?

The FE/EIT exam is a computer-based test (CBT), which can be scheduled at your convenience (subject to test center availability). It includes the topics and subtopics listed on the exam specifications.

The exam is approximately 6 hours long, including a tutorial and optional scheduled break. It includes 110 questions, which are scored as either correct or incorrect—no partial credit is given. The NCEES exam specifications include exam topics & subtopics, plus the number of questions you can expect to see per topic.

You will be provided with an electronic copy of the NCEES FE Reference Handbook for use during the exam. Keep in mind that no personal copies of any material may be brought into the exam room. You will be able to view it via split screen, so the exam questions will appear on one side and the reference handbook will appear on the other.

What Should I Expect On Exam Day?

Proctors will be present in the exam room to ensure that examinees follow the rules at all times. Therefore, knowing what to expect and preparing accordingly will help you avoid an uncomfortable situation.

An optional scheduled break may be taken midway through the exam. You are not required to take the full designated amount of time for your scheduled break; however, be aware that any unused break time will not extend the amount of time allotted to finish the remainder of the exam.

If you need to take an unscheduled break at any time during the exam, raise your hand to notify a proctor. Please note that the amount of time you take will be deducted from your testing time, and you are not permitted to leave the building during unscheduled breaks.

As with any exam, taking too much time on any one problem will reduce the time you have remaining for other potentially difficult problems. Pay close attention to units and read each question carefully to make sure you answer what is asked. If you find yourself stuck on a multiple-choice problem, try reverse-engineering it with the available solutions to see which one works best.

What Happens After The Exam?

Your results should be available 7 to 10 days after taking the exam. You will receive an email notification from NCEES with instructions for viewing your results in your MyNCEES account. NCEES exams are scored based on the total number of correct answers, and there are no deductions for wrong answers. The results are reported as pass/fail.

If you passed, congratulations! You’ve just successfully taken the first step in your journey to becoming a licensed engineer. The email from NCEES will contain instructions on following up with your state licensing board. Although each location sets its own guidelines on becoming a PE, the general path is the same. If your state has an EIT status, you will need to submit an application on the NCEES website to officially receive your EIT certification.

Although application criteria may differ from one state to another, it generally includes exam results, completion dates, evidence of your engineering degree, and references. There is also an application fee.

If you didn’t pass, do not be discouraged. Keep in mind that this test is quite challenging, and you are certainly not alone. Your exam results will provide a breakdown of how you scored in each category to help you determine the areas where you need to improve on your next attempt. Per NCEES policy, you may retake the test once per testing period, up to three times in one year, beginning with your first attempt. Because some states may have stricter policies than others, it is a good idea to review the policy of your local licensing board at https://ncees.org/state-links/ before you register for the exam.

What Are The Next Steps After I Pass?

Passing the FE exam is the first crucial step toward professional engineering licensure. But before you can officially add the title of Engineer before your name, there are some important things you’ll need to do.

Gain Engineering Experience

Regardless of your area of expertise, you will learn the most on the job and by working with experienced engineers. NCEES requires you to provide professional engineers as references. With that in mind, it is a good idea to keep detailed notes of professional engineers you’ve worked under, including the following information:

• The engineer’s name and contact information
• Your responsibilities under their supervision
• The start and stop date of projects
• The supervisor’s name and contact information (if different from the engineer)
• The client’s name and contact information
• Calculations you performed
• Inspections and assessments you made
• Any other relevant information pertaining to the project

Keeping detailed and organized notes will make it easier to write your summary of engineering experience for the licensing board. Remember to keep in contact with previous employers and ask for their permission before including them as references.

Prepare for the Principles & Practice of Engineering (PE) Exam

At this point, it’s not too soon to start thinking about PE licensure, which ultimately leads to more challenging projects, the ability to sign off on engineering designs, and being recognized as an expert in your field. State requirements and restrictions vary regarding work experience needed to qualify for the PE exam.

Generally, you will need at least four years of work experience under the supervision of one or more licensed professional engineers in your chosen engineering discipline.

To learn more about the exam, visit the NCEES website. For information regarding individual state requirements, visit the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) website.

School of PE Is Here to Help You Succeed!

When you’re ready for the next step in advancing your career, School of PE has you covered! Our comprehensive PE exam review courses are available in most disciplines and are taught by professional engineers with both industry and teaching experience. Their main objective is to help you prepare for and pass your PE exam, and our pass rates average 93%! Visit www.schoolofpe.com/pe to learn more about our PE course offerings and flexible delivery methods.

We’re so confident in the quality of our exam prep courses that we provide our students with a pass guarantee. If after taking our course you don’t pass your exam, you may be eligible to repeat the course free of charge if you meet the following criteria:

Fully participate in your School of PE review course.

Live Online: Attend all Live Online classes prior to taking your exam (watching recordings after class does not count toward the pass guarantee offer; you must attend the live courses to be eligible).

Ondemand: Watch all the course videos prior to taking your exam. Pass guarantee offer is not eligible for monthly subscriptions.

Take your exam at any authorized testing site within one year after completing your exam review course with School of PE.

Request your free repeat within 18 months after originally attending your School of PE review course. To do this, log into your School of PE account and provide documentation that you took your exam and failed (a letter from your state’s engineering board is sufficient).

Good or bad, please follow up and let us know how you did on your exam! We appreciate your feedback, and it will help us to continually improve our courses.