The FE exam, short for Fundamentals of Engineering exam, is the test most engineering students hear about long before they understand it. It is a computer-based exam from the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), and it is generally the first step toward becoming a licensed professional engineer.
You do not need it to graduate, and plenty of engineers never take it. But if licensure is anywhere in your future, the exam shapes how you plan your last years of school. Here is how it works, what it costs and how to prepare without guessing.
What the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam Measures
The FE exam tests the broad foundation of an undergraduate engineering education: mathematics, basic science and the core engineering subjects you studied in your major. It is not a test of one school’s curriculum. It is a common yardstick that state licensing boards can use for graduates of many different programs.
Think of it as a checkpoint rather than a final credential. Passing it does not make you a professional engineer. It shows that you have mastered the fundamentals, which is the first requirement on the road to the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam.
Who Can Take the FE Exam and When to Sit for It
NCEES describes the exam as designed for recent graduates and for students who are close to finishing an undergraduate engineering degree from an EAC/ABET-accredited program. That wording is a useful guide to timing: the material is freshest in your final year or just after graduation.
Many students schedule it during senior year, while thermodynamics, circuits, statics and mathematics are still recent. Waiting several years means relearning a lot. Your state board has the final say on eligibility, so confirm its rules before you register.
FE Exam Format, Length and Questions
The FE is computer-based and offered year-round at Pearson test centers, so you pick a date rather than waiting for a single national test day. The exam includes 110 questions. The appointment lasts six hours in total, though that includes more than testing time.
Of those six hours, the exam itself runs 5 hours and 20 minutes. The rest covers a two-minute nondisclosure agreement, an eight-minute tutorial and a 25-minute scheduled break. Plan to be mentally ready for a long day, and practice with timed sets rather than only working problems at your own pace.
Picking the Right FE Exam for Your Major
NCEES offers separate FE exams by discipline. The list includes Mechanical, with HVAC, machine design and thermal and fluids areas, and Electrical and Computer, with electrical and electronics, power and computer engineering areas. Civil, Chemical, Industrial, Environmental and several other disciplines have their own versions.
Choose the exam that best matches your coursework and the PE exam you expect to take later. If you study mechanical engineering or electrical engineering, the match is straightforward. If your degree is broader, ask your department advisor which exam its graduates usually take.
Exam Fee, Results and Retake Rules
NCEES lists the exam fee at $225, paid directly to NCEES, and you register through a MyNCEES account. Results are typically available within 7 to 10 business days. Some state boards or universities may charge separate application or processing fees, so check both places.
The retake policy gives you one attempt per testing window and no more than three attempts in a 12-month period. That is generous, but each attempt takes a full day and a fee, so treat your first sitting as the real one and prepare accordingly.
How the FE Exam Leads to a Professional Engineer License
NCEES notes that the PE exam is designed for engineers with at least four years of post-college work experience in their discipline. A typical path is a degree, the FE exam, several years of supervised work, then the PE exam in your specialty.
State and territorial boards, not NCEES, set the actual licensure rules, and those rules vary by jurisdiction. Licensure matters most in work that affects public safety, such as consulting, utilities and infrastructure. Many product-development and research careers never require it.
Plan for the FE Exam When You Compare Programs
Because the exam assumes an accredited program, accreditation is the first thing to check when you compare schools. Our engineering accreditation guide explains how to confirm that the exact degree is listed.
Then look at how a program prepares you. Some departments run review sessions or require students to take the exam. Browse our mechanical engineering program rankings, electrical engineering program rankings and general engineering program rankings, and ask each admissions office what support it offers.
Sources for this story
These primary sources support the reporting and analysis above.
- NCEES: FE Exam · Checked 2026-10-01
- NCEES: PE Exam Eligibility and Licensure · Checked 2026-10-01