The FE exam is not absolutely required; some engineers can find work without taking it. Though students often sign up for it, individuals who have been working in the engineering field may decide to take it because a license is needed for a promotion. The FE exam is an all-day affair. The morning session has 120 multiple-choice general questions for all engineers, no matter their specialty. Seven specific engineering options are available during the afternoon session: chemical, civil, electrical, environmental, industrial, mechanical and other disciplines. When registering, test-takers select one appropriate sub-test, depending on their degrees. Everyone faces 60 multiple-choice questions within the chosen specialty.
Though most people pass the FE exam the first time, results vary somewhat among the specialties. For the April 2013 FE exam, test-takers who graduated from chemical and environmental engineering programs did best: 86 percent of those who took the test for the first time passed. Mechanical and civil engineers were close behind, with 83 and 81 percent, respectively. Engineers in electrical, industrial and other disciplines scored between 70 and 74 percent. However, among people had to retake the test, fewer than half passed. Only industrial engineers had a higher passing rate, at 52 percent.
For test-takers who are finishing up school or have recently graduated, the content on the FE exam should not be extremely difficult, because the test covers the basic material from college courses. However, the format is not straightforward. Many of the questions do not have exact or clear-cut choices; questions often ask for the response that is closet to the correct answer. For many people, the real challenge comes from the stress of being at the testing facility for multiple hours. The morning session covers 12 topics, including probability and statistics, chemistry, computers and ethics. During the afternoon, the questions are focused on one area, but they are more complicated.
Beginning in January 2014, the form of the FE exam changes from paper-and-pencil to computer-based. The tests will only be available at Pearson VUE testing centers. The time required to take the test will be slightly shorter, so the process will be less physically and mentally taxing. The written exam took a full 8 hours. However, people will sit in front of computers for only 6 hours. This time includes computer orientation, the morning and afternoon sessions, breaks and a survey.