FREE STUDY · 6 MIN LESSON
Sitting the FE: Format, Scoring & the Reference Handbook
Read the lesson, then use the free narrated cards in the app to check what you remember. Knowledge practice does not replace approved training or any skills evaluation your certifying body requires.
Before You Sit the FE
- 110 questions, a six-hour appointment, one on-screen reference.
- This is the exact spec from NCEES's own Civil specification.
- Know the format cold so nothing on test day is a surprise.
How many questions is the FE exam, and how is the day str...
- How many questions is the FE exam, and how is the day structured?
- 110 questions in a 6-hour appointment — 5h20m of exam time, about 3 minutes a question.
- The FE comes in several discipline versions — what do you pick, and what stays the same?
- Choose ONE discipline at registration. Same 110-question shell + same Reference Handbook; only the spec differs.
How is the FE scored — what number do you need to pass?
- How is the FE scored — what number do you need to pass?
- PASS/FAIL only. Criterion-referenced cut, no numeric score. There is NO "70%." Answer every question.
- What are the 14 FE Civil knowledge areas, and which carry the most weight?
- Water/Env, Structural, Geotechnical (up to 15 Q each) are the giants. Study time follows exam weight.
What can you bring into the FE, and what units does it use?
- What can you bring into the FE, and what units does it use?
- Closed book — only the on-screen FE Reference Handbook. Both SI and USCS, so carry units every step.
There Is No Passing Percentage
- The FE is pass or fail — you never see a number.
- NCEES scales scores across forms and does not publish the passing score.
- Never chase "seventy percent." Answer every question; guessing carries no penalty.
Close the Session
- That is the Sitting the FE: Format, Scoring & the Reference Handbook brief.
- Cards next — active recall locks it in.
Quick Self-Check
- Before the cards, answer in your head:
- Without looking back: how many questions, how long is the exam time, is it scored pass/fail or by percentage, and which three areas carry...
- Then study to confirm it.