What Is the FE Exam? A Complete Guide

Last updated: August 2026

For engineering students and graduates who are considering professional licensure, the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam is usually the first major examination in the process. But if you have never looked into engineering licensure before, terms such as FE, EIT, EI, PE, NCEES, ABET, and jurisdiction can make the process seem more complicated than it actually is.

This guide explains what the FE exam is, who administers it, who can take it, the different versions of the exam, how long it lasts, what you can bring, how scoring works, when results are released, current pass rates, how retakes work, and what happens after you pass.

The information below is based primarily on the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), the organization that develops and administers the FE exam. Requirements that depend on an individual state or licensing jurisdiction are identified separately.

What Is the FE Exam?

FE stands for Fundamentals of Engineering.

The FE exam is an engineering fundamentals examination that is generally considered the first examination in the process of becoming a licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) in the United States.

NCEES describes the exam as being designed primarily for recent engineering graduates and students who are close to completing an undergraduate engineering degree from an EAC/ABET-accredited program. However, the exact eligibility requirements for taking the exam are determined by the engineering licensing board of the jurisdiction through which the candidate registers.

Passing the FE exam does not make someone a Professional Engineer. It is normally an early step in a longer licensure process that also involves meeting education and experience requirements and, eventually, passing the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam.

Who Administers the FE Exam?

The FE exam is developed and scored by NCEES, the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying.

NCEES is a national nonprofit organization whose members include engineering and surveying licensing boards from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. NCEES develops uniform examinations that licensing boards use as part of their licensure processes.

The actual computer-based examination is delivered at Pearson test centers. Registration begins through a candidate's MyNCEES account, while Pearson operates the physical testing centers and appointment system.

FE Exam Quick Facts

NCEES's main FE page describes the appointment as six hours. The May 2026 NCEES Examinee Guide itemizes the appointment as 5 hours 55 minutes: 2 minutes for the nondisclosure agreement, 8 minutes for the tutorial, 5 hours 20 minutes of exam time, and a 25-minute scheduled break. In practical terms, candidates should plan for approximately six hours at the testing appointment, not including arrival and check-in time.

Who Should Take the FE Exam?

The FE exam is most closely associated with engineering students approaching graduation and recent engineering graduates. NCEES specifically identifies students nearing completion of an EAC/ABET-accredited undergraduate engineering program and recent graduates as the exam's primary audience.

That does not mean someone must take the exam immediately after graduation. Engineers who have been working for several years may also take the FE exam if they meet the requirements of their licensing jurisdiction.

Eligibility can be especially important for candidates with engineering technology degrees, non-ABET-accredited degrees, foreign engineering degrees, or other educational backgrounds. Some licensing boards allow these candidates to register directly, while others may require an application, credential evaluation, additional education, experience, or prior board approval.

For that reason, a candidate should check the requirements of the licensing board under which they plan to register before paying for the examination. NCEES specifically states that eligibility to sit for an NCEES examination varies by licensing board.

What Does "Jurisdiction" Mean for the FE Exam?

When registering for the FE exam, candidates will encounter the term jurisdiction or licensing board.

A jurisdiction is essentially the state, territory, or other licensing authority whose rules govern the candidate's eligibility and subsequent engineering licensure process.

This distinction matters because the FE exam itself is a national NCEES examination, but engineering licensure is regulated by individual jurisdictions.

For example, one state may allow an eligible engineering student to register directly with NCEES, while another may require the candidate to submit an application to the state engineering board first. Some boards may also charge their own application fee in addition to the NCEES examination fee.

The licensing jurisdiction is also not necessarily the same thing as the physical test location. NCEES states that candidates approved through U.S. and Canadian jurisdictions generally may sit for the exam at any NCEES-approved test center in Canada, the United States, or U.S. territories. Different rules can apply to candidates approved through international entities.

What Are the Different FE Exams?

There are currently seven FE exam disciplines:

These are separate, discipline-based FE examinations. NCEES recommends aligning the FE discipline with the candidate's engineering education when a corresponding examination exists. The Other Disciplines exam covers a broader range of engineering topics and is particularly relevant to engineering majors without one of the six corresponding discipline-specific examinations.

Each exam has its own official NCEES Exam Specifications, which show the subjects covered and the approximate number of questions expected from each subject area. Anyone preparing for the FE should use the specifications for their particular discipline rather than assuming that every FE exam covers the same material.

How Many Questions Are on the FE Exam?

Every FE discipline contains 110 questions.

Most questions use the familiar multiple-choice format with one correct answer, but the computer-based exam can also include several alternative item types. These can require candidates to select multiple correct answers, click a location on a graphic, drag and drop items into appropriate locations, or enter a numerical answer in a fill-in-the-blank field.

Questions are scored as either correct or incorrect. There is no partial credit.

NCEES also includes a limited number of pretest questions that are being evaluated for possible use on future examinations. These questions do not count toward the candidate's result, but candidates are not told which questions are pretest items, so every question should be treated as if it is scored.

How Long Is the FE Exam?

Candidates receive 5 hours and 20 minutes of actual examination time.

The examination is divided into two sections. After completing approximately half of the questions, the candidate is prompted to review and submit that portion of the exam. Once those questions have been submitted, the candidate cannot return to them.

The scheduled 25-minute break occurs at approximately this midpoint. Candidates may take less than 25 minutes, but unused break time is not added to their remaining examination time. Candidates can also take unscheduled breaks, but time spent on an unscheduled break is deducted from their 5-hour-20-minute exam clock.

The exam does not allocate a fixed amount of time to each individual section. Candidates receive the overall testing time and must manage it themselves.

Where Is the FE Exam Taken?

The FE is a computer-based examination administered exclusively at NCEES-approved Pearson test centers.

It is available year-round rather than being limited to one or two specific national examination dates. Candidates register through MyNCEES and then choose an available Pearson testing center, date, and appointment time. NCEES recommends scheduling well in advance because testing center capacity is limited.

Although the exam is available throughout the year, NCEES organizes testing into four windows: January to March, April to June, July to September, and October to December. These windows become important when determining how soon someone can retake the examination.

How Much Does the FE Exam Cost?

As of August 2026, the NCEES registration fee for the FE exam is $225 per attempt.

That is the fee paid directly to NCEES. Some licensing boards may require a separate state or jurisdictional application and may charge an additional application fee.

Candidates approved to test through certain foreign entities may also have additional fees. Therefore, $225 should be viewed as the standard NCEES FE examination fee rather than necessarily the complete cost for every candidate.

Each new exam attempt requires payment of the full examination fee.

What Is the FE Reference Handbook?

The FE exam is not an open-book examination in the traditional sense.

NCEES provides the FE Reference Handbook electronically on the exam computer. The handbook contains equations, tables, charts, engineering properties, and other reference information that can be used while answering questions.

The current handbook appears as a searchable PDF alongside the examination. NCEES uses 24-inch monitors at its approved Pearson centers so candidates can view the question and reference material on the same screen. Candidates can access the current handbook through their MyNCEES account before taking the exam.

Candidates may not bring their own printed handbook, textbooks, formula sheets, notes, or other reference material into the examination room.

Unlike some PE examinations, the FE exam does not have additional design standards supplied during the examination; the NCEES Examinee Guide lists the FE as using the electronic reference handbook with no separate design standards.

Learning where commonly used equations and tables are located in the handbook is therefore an important part of becoming familiar with the actual testing environment.

One small but useful detail: the exam software has its own reference-material search box. The normal Ctrl+F keyboard search is not available.

What Calculators Are Allowed on the FE Exam?

NCEES maintains an approved calculator list and reviews its calculator policy annually.

For 2026 NCEES examinations, the approved calculator families are:

A Casio calculator must have fx-115 or fx-991 in its model name, and a Texas Instruments calculator must have TI-30X or TI-36X in its model name.

Candidates may bring one approved physical calculator into the testing room. Calculator covers must remain outside the testing room. The current NCEES Examinee Guide also states that a TI-30XS calculator is available on-screen during the exam.

Because NCEES reviews the approved calculator list every year, candidates should verify the calculator policy again before their actual exam date rather than relying on an older preparation guide.

What Else Can You Bring Into the Testing Room?

Candidates must bring an acceptable physical government-issued photo ID. Digital identification and student IDs are not accepted. The first and last name on the ID must match the name used for the examination registration. NCEES also recommends bringing the appointment confirmation to help avoid delays at check-in.

Inside the testing room, candidates generally have their approved ID, one approved calculator, the test-center locker key when applicable, eyeglasses if needed, and approved comfort or accommodation items. Pearson supplies reusable booklets and markers for scratch work.

Personal pencils, pens, paper, books, notes, phones, smartwatches, watches, computers, bags, food, and beverages are not permitted in the testing room. Personal belongings are normally stored in a locker outside the room.

NCEES recommends arriving at the Pearson test center approximately 30 minutes before the scheduled appointment to complete the admission and security procedures.

How Is the FE Exam Scored?

NCEES determines the result from the number of correctly answered scored questions.

There is no penalty for an incorrect answer, so wrong answers do not subtract points from the candidate's score. After scoring, NCEES converts the result to a scaled score to account for minor differences in difficulty between different versions of the computer-based examination.

This is important because candidates taking the same FE discipline do not necessarily receive identical sets of questions.

NCEES compares the scaled result with the minimum ability level established for that examination through psychometric procedures involving engineering subject-matter experts.

What Percentage Do You Need to Pass the FE Exam?

There is no officially published percentage such as 60%, 65%, or 70% that guarantees a passing FE result.

NCEES explicitly states that it does not publish the passing score. The required scaled score can vary slightly because different exam forms can have slightly different levels of difficulty. NCEES also does not decide beforehand that a particular percentage of candidates must pass or fail.

This means statements online such as "you need 60% to pass the FE" should not be treated as official NCEES passing-score information.

What Are the First-Time FE Exam Pass Rates?

A pass rate is different from a passing score.

The passing score is the standard an individual must meet. A pass rate simply tells us what percentage of a particular group of candidates successfully passed.

NCEES publishes pass-rate statistics by FE discipline and educational background. In its 2025 Squared report, covering the NCEES fiscal year from October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025, the overall first-time pass rates were as follows.

Therefore, there is not one single official "FE first-time pass rate." In the most recent NCEES annual statistics, first-time pass rates for the seven disciplines ranged from 61% to 69% for all first-time examinees.

NCEES also breaks the results down according to candidates' educational backgrounds. For example, candidates with EAC/ABET bachelor's degrees had somewhat different pass rates from the overall population. Pass-rate statistics should therefore be interpreted according to the population being reported rather than as a prediction of whether any individual candidate will pass.

When Do FE Exam Results Come Out?

FE exam results are typically available 7-10 days after the examination.

NCEES sends an email notification when the result is available, and candidates access it through their MyNCEES account.

The result is reported simply as Pass or Fail.

Candidates who fail receive a diagnostic report showing their relative performance in the major subject areas covered by their examination. The diagnostic report is intended to help identify areas that may need improvement before another attempt. Candidates who pass do not receive a detailed numerical score report.

How Many Times Can You Take the FE Exam?

Under NCEES policy, a candidate may attempt a particular FE examination once during each testing window and no more than three times during any 12-month period.

The four testing windows are January to March, April to June, July to September, and October to December.

For example, someone who fails during the January to March window cannot simply schedule another attempt later in March. The next NCEES testing window must begin before that candidate can attempt the same exam again.

A licensing board is permitted to impose more restrictive retake requirements, so candidates should also verify their jurisdiction's policy.

What Happens After You Pass the FE Exam?

Passing the FE exam is an important milestone, but it is not the same as receiving a professional engineering license.

After passing, many candidates apply for recognition as an Engineer Intern (EI) or Engineer in Training (EIT).

The terminology varies by jurisdiction. Some states use EI, some use EIT, and the exact application and education requirements can differ.

Passing the FE exam also does not necessarily cause an EIT or EI certification to be issued automatically. For example, NCEES's state-specific information shows jurisdictions in which successful candidates must apply to their state board for certification after passing the examination. Other jurisdictions have different requirements regarding education and certification.

In general, an EI or EIT has completed an important early portion of the engineering licensure process but is not yet a licensed Professional Engineer.

Is EIT the Same as a PE?

No.

An EIT/EI designation generally indicates progress toward engineering licensure, typically including passage of the FE exam and satisfaction of the jurisdiction's applicable education requirements.

A Professional Engineer (P.E.) license is the professional engineering license issued by a state or other licensing jurisdiction after the applicant satisfies that jurisdiction's complete licensing requirements.

Those requirements generally involve education, examinations, and qualifying engineering experience. NCEES develops both the FE and PE examinations, but the actual professional license is granted by the licensing board, not by NCEES.

Is the FE Exam the Same in Every State?

The NCEES FE examination is a national examination, so an FE Civil candidate does not receive a special "Texas FE Civil exam," "California FE Civil exam," or "New York FE Civil exam."

What can differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction are the requirements surrounding the examination: who is eligible to take it, whether board approval is required before registration, whether an additional application or fee is necessary, the requirements for receiving EIT/EI status afterward, and the requirements for eventually becoming a PE.

This is why candidates should distinguish between NCEES exam rules, which apply to the examination itself, and licensing-board rules, which determine eligibility and professional licensure requirements.

How Do You Register for the FE Exam?

Registration begins by reviewing the requirements for the licensing board under which the candidate intends to register. The candidate then creates a MyNCEES account, registers for the appropriate FE discipline, pays the required fee, completes any board approval requirements, and receives authorization to schedule the examination.

Once authorization is granted, the candidate selects a Pearson testing center and available appointment through MyNCEES. NCEES currently gives approved candidates 12 months to take the exam after approval; otherwise, the registration can expire and the fee can be forfeited.

NCEES also states that its examinations are administered in English only.

What Should Someone New to the FE Exam Remember?

The FE exam is best understood as one part of the larger engineering licensure system. NCEES creates and scores a standardized national examination, Pearson provides the computer-based testing centers, and individual engineering licensing boards determine eligibility, EIT/EI certification requirements, and eventual PE licensure requirements.

For someone encountering the FE for the first time, the most important facts are straightforward: there are seven FE disciplines, the exam contains 110 questions, candidates receive 5 hours 20 minutes of testing time, it is offered year-round at Pearson test centers, the current NCEES fee is $225, only approved calculators may be brought into the testing room, the FE Reference Handbook is supplied electronically, results normally arrive within 7-10 days, and candidates may generally attempt the exam no more than three times during a 12-month period.

Passing the FE does not by itself make someone a Professional Engineer, and it may not by itself grant EIT or EI status. It does, however, satisfy one of the major examination requirements that appears early in the traditional path toward professional engineering licensure.

Preparing for the FE

If you are still deciding whether the exam makes sense for your situation, that question is worth settling first: is taking the FE exam necessary? If you have already committed to it, here is how to prepare, and this covers who benefits most from one-on-one tutoring.

You can also see how discipline-specific prep works for FE Mechanical, FE Civil, and other FE disciplines.

Official NCEES Sources

The primary source for current exam information is the NCEES FE Exam page. Exam-day procedures, registration policies, testing rules, and permitted items are covered in the NCEES Examinee Guide. Details about how results are calculated are available on the NCEES Exam Scoring page. The approved calculator list is published on the NCEES calculator policy page, and licensure requirements by jurisdiction are outlined on the NCEES licensure page. Candidates should also use their MyNCEES account to obtain the current FE Reference Handbook, exam specifications, and official practice materials.

Because NCEES policies, fees, calculator lists, exam specifications, and individual licensing-board requirements can change, candidates should verify current requirements with NCEES and their selected licensing board before registering.