Is The Civil Engineering FE Exam Hard?
If you are close to completing your engineering degree or have just completed it, you are probably focusing on finding a career that will allow you to put your abilities to work. Before you can get that job, though, you still have one more barrier to conquer. And that is the FE exam Civil Engineering, administered to every aspiring engineer by NCEES, the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying. If you are about to take this civil engineering FE exam, this article by enGENIEer will provide a comprehensive explanation of the FE Exam’s difficulty level.
The FE examination, formerly known as EIT Exam (Engineer in Training), is given to ensure you meet the organization’s requirements before practising professionally. Remember that you have the knowledge and abilities necessary for civil engineering, thanks to your university education. The FE Civil Practice test grants you the authorization required to put your abilities to use. Before we answer whether the FE civil engineering exam is challenging, let us first understand the exam itself.
What are the Sections in the FE Exam Civil Engineering?
1. Engineering Economics
Your first thought is that you must start working on Engineering Economics immediately. Even though you may not have explored the subject before, skilled engineers must handle it on almost every project.
Expect questions about a project’s cost, current and future monetary value, and evaluations of the project, such as what advantages it provides, how long it will last, whether it uses renewable energy, and whether there is any cost uncertainty. This section will consist of 4–8 questions for you to respond to.
2. Professional Practice & Ethics
Another question that differs slightly from the typical engineering questions but is equally significant in the eyes of the examining body is the one on ethics and professional practice. Additionally, questions about professional liability, the Code of Ethics, your acquaintance with technical and professional societies, and sustainability will be asked of you. Licenses, contracts, and contract law.
With an emphasis on public safety in the projects you are likely to work on when licensed, you will have to respond to 4-6 questions here.
3. Topics from Engineering
Questions about subjects closely relevant to those you have studied in college are something you can anticipate. The list includes geotechnical engineering, environmental engineering, statics, dynamics, fluid mechanics, construction, mathematics, etc.
It is simple to disregard the list after looking at it because you are sure of its contents. Refrain from letting yourself become caught in that trap! When it comes to exams, we frequently perform poorly in subjects that we have studied in-depth. We lose interest in the subject matter, behave carelessly, and even forget it.
What Kind of Exam Format Is There?
The examination is a closed-book, computer-based test (CBT). The exam is scheduled to last longer than six hours, but with breaks, you have 5 hours and 20 minutes to work through 110 problems. There are two portions made up of the 110 questions. You move on to the second half of the exam after finishing the first section, which consists of 50–60 questions, with an optional 25–minute break.
Except for your FE-approved calculator, you are not permitted to bring any other items inside the computer lab exam room. You will be given a spiral notebook and thin markers by the person supervising the exam, which you can use to make calculations by hand.
The Results Given Are Simply a Pass or Fail
The FE exam for civil engineering focuses on your competence while working with building structures for the general public as a professional engineer. You will better grasp the types of questions asked on the test by working on sample papers, which will be especially helpful when dealing with subjects that may be brand-new to you. You can get your sample practice papers on ENGENIEER. All you need to do is sign up and start practicing.
Now that we know the sections and the format of the FE exam, we now come to the question that you all were waiting for us to answer, Is the FE Civil Engineering Exam Hard?
Here’s What We Think About the FE Exam Civil Engineering
FE Exam Civil Engineering is not challenging to clear, provided you are well prepared for it. There is hardly much in the FE exam civil engineering that you will be unfamiliar with, except the Economics of Engineering section. However, the closer the exam is to your graduation, you will find it more straightforward. All the concepts and theories will be fresh in your mind. Your preparations for the final exams of your graduation will give you a strong base to start preparing for the FE exam.
Also, remember that after our courses are over, we tend to forget stuff rapidly. However, if you prepare well, you will be able to ace the exam, allowing you to leave the world of academia behind and start establishing a name for yourself in the engineering industry.
To Sum Up
Do not let your previous exam-taking experience fool you into thinking you are more confident than you are when taking the exam. Your practice papers will demonstrate how this differs from your college exams. If you are preparing for an NCEES FE exam in civil engineering that will help you make the most of your years of rigorous college study, sign up with enGENIEer today and start preparing. You can walk in there and give it your best effort because you’ll have the confidence to do the job!
If you are one of the individuals preparing for the upcoming FE exam, you can get all the tools you need to ace a FE civil engineering exam with enGENIEer.
