How to Study and Pass the Mechanical FE Examination?

In the past, the Fundamentals of Engineering exam was a paper based, general engineering test to assess your minimum understanding of fundamental engineering principals. Since then, the NCEES has created a computer based, discipline specific examinations with additional question type options, like multiple answer choices and select a point answer to better test your understanding of concepts. As a mechanical engineer, you are given the option of taking either the mechanical FE exam or the other discipline exam, which is a general engineering test. The first step is choosing which exam is appropriate for you. While both have quite a bit of overlap, the general exam has a broader reach on subjects such as chemistry, safety, more mathematics and statistics, less emphasis on dynamics, and more fundamental rather than application concepts on fluids and thermodynamics. Some examinees that have taken both exams have said that the general exam is easier, but others say that even the mathematics section can be more difficult. The best method to determine which exam you should take is reviewing the Exam Specification for each test. Look at the number of questions listed under each topic and determine which exam provides more subjects that you are overall more comfortable with. If you have done well with mathematics, chemistry, and thermodynamic cycles, then the other discipline exam may be beneficial for you.

Note that when reviewing the pass rate of engineers that have taken the other discipline exam, mechanical engineers have one of the lowest pass rates. There are many interpretations that can be taken from this. Perhaps those that have done better in their classes tend to choose the mechanical specific exam, while those that are hesitant choose the general exam. Perhaps there is no real difficulty difference between the two. Based on the education you received during your college career as a mechanical engineer, you should be able to pass either exam. Whichever test you choose to take, use the following tips to help study and pass.

Use the following tips to help you study and pass the exam.

• Sign up for the exam. Believe it or not, this is the hardest step for some examinees that are afraid of the study commitment or in general just afraid of failing. The exam is not as difficult as you think. Each question is answerable in less than 3 minutes and there is a searchable pdf of all the equations you will need. Sign up. Give yourself a couple months of study time and schedule your test date to force yourself to keep on track with your studying.
• Begin with taking a good look at the Exam Specification posted on the NCEES website. This will give you the exact topics that you need to study. Break out your study period based on these topics, giving yourself more time to focus on the subjects that have more questions on the exam.
• Get the free online pdf of the latest NCEES FE Reference Handbook from your MyNCEES account. The handbook during the test will have the exact same formulas and format that are provided in the downloadable version. When you study, make sure you are always using this handbook to find the equations, graphs, and tables that you need. You may use other resources to help you learn and understand the material, but this handbook should be your sole reference for lookup material. Getting to know this format and how to apply the equations is essential in increasing your speed and accuracy on the test.
• Cross reference the handbook with the exam syllabus. Make sure you know where all the equations that are related to the listed topics are. Also, make sure you are able to understand the variables and the application of those equations. Realize that some of the mechanical equations might be in the civil, chemical, industrial sections. Read the ethics passages before you go to the exam, these questions may be harder to look up and will be easier if you are already familiar with it.
• Do many practice problems and focus on your speed and your familiarity with the handbook. Practice using the search function on the pdf. The NCEES and the Pearson test center have demo videos and sites that give you a better idea of how the exam will be laid out, including the search functions, the question types, the ability to flag problems, the timer, and if you need it, the calculator on the computer. Of course, you should bring your own NCEES approved calculator that you have learned all the advanced functions for.
• Don’t get stuck on a question. Time is of essence. The best method is to jam through the test and do all the questions you know first. Flag the questions you don’t know and revisit them later. If you have no idea, do a key word search on the handbook and if worse comes to worse, take an educated guess, there’s no penalty for wrong answers. If you can confidently answer 60-70% of the questions, you are in good shape. Be sure to be very conscious of the time. You are in charge of submitting the first half of the questions at your own time. You must do this in order to move on to the next half.
• Finally, relax. The problems aren’t meant to be overly difficult because there are so many to answer in such a short amount of time. As you study, go through your college material. The exam will cover things you’ve learned up until your junior year. It is something that all mechanical engineers should have encountered in their courses. Just remember that the questions will be basic versions of the homework problems you had in class.

The Mechanical FE exam can be a challenge, especially for those who have been out of school for a while. Engproguides offers study material for all subjects to make preparation for the mechanical FE exam easier.