FE Civil study guide

FE Civil, administered by NCEES (National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying), is mapped here as 15 topic areas; the heaviest are Water Resources and Environmental Engineering (10%), Structural Engineering (10%) and Geotechnical Engineering (10%).

About this course: FE Civil practice with domain-weighted worked calculations walked step by step, a confusable trainer, and FE Reference Handbook find-the-formula drills. The FE is PASS/FAIL and criterion-referenced; NCEES publishes no percent-correct cut.

FE Civil at a glance

Questions

110

Time allowed

6-hour appointment: 2-minute nondisclosure agreement + 8-minute tutorial + 5 hours 20 minutes exam + 25-minute optional scheduled break

Passing standard

PASS/FAIL only

Format

Computer-based test (CBT) at NCEES-approved Pearson VUE test centers, offered YEAR-ROUND

Standard / edition

FE Civil CBT Exam Specifications effective beginning with the July 2020 examinations

Administered by

NCEES (National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying)

Source: FE Civil CBT Exam Specifications effective beginning with the July 2020 examinations, NCEES (National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying). Confirm current details with the exam owner before you book.

Topic areas and weights

Study plan in this course

1. Sitting the FE: Format, Scoring & the Reference Handbook — 5 cards · free
2. Math & Statistics: Vectors, Calculus & the Normal Curve — 3 cards · free
3. Ethics & Professional Practice: Public Safety First — 2 cards · free
4. Engineering Economics: Time Value of Money & Decisions — 3 cards · full course
5. Statics: Equilibrium, Trusses & Moment of Inertia — 3 cards · full course
6. Dynamics: Kinematics, Kinetics & Friction — 2 cards · full course
7. Mechanics of Materials: Stress, Beams & Bending — 3 cards · full course
8. Materials: Stress-Strain, Steel & Concrete — 2 cards · full course
9. Fluid Mechanics: Hydrostatics, Continuity & Reynolds — 3 cards · full course
10. Surveying: Leveling, Coordinate Areas & Earthwork — 3 cards · full course
11. Water Resources & Environmental: Runoff, Manning & Water Quality — 4 cards · full course
12. Structural: Determinacy, Deflection & Buckling — 4 cards · full course
13. Geotechnical: Effective Stress, Soils & Earth Pressure — 4 cards · full course
14. Transportation: Sight Distance, Traffic Flow & Pavement — 3 cards · full course
15. Construction: CPM Scheduling, Earned Value & Delivery — 3 cards · full course

Exam Orientation

Exam Orientation is one of the 15 areas in this course's FE Civil blueprint. The course teaches it in 1 study unit: Sitting the FE: Format, Scoring & the Reference Handbook.

Official references for Exam Orientation

• ncees.org/exams/fe-exam/
• ncees.org/exams/fe-exam/ discipline list
• ncees.org/exams/exam-scoring/ + studyforfe.com passing-score explainer
• NCEES FE Civil CBT Exam Specifications PDF
• NCEES FE Civil CBT specs

In the app this area comes with 5 memory cards and 5 module-quiz questions and is part of the free starting modules.

Mathematics and Statistics

Mathematics and Statistics carries 8% of the FE Civil blueprint used in this course, the 5th-largest of its 14 weighted areas. The course teaches it in 1 study unit: Math & Statistics: Vectors, Calculus & the Normal Curve.

Official references for Mathematics and Statistics

• FE Reference Handbook

In the app this area comes with 3 memory cards and 6 module-quiz questions and is part of the free starting modules.

Ethics and Professional Practice

Ethics and Professional Practice carries 4% of the FE Civil blueprint used in this course, the 13th-largest of its 14 weighted areas. It spans 1 concept. The course teaches it in 1 study unit: Ethics & Professional Practice: Public Safety First.

What Ethics and Professional Practice covers

• What is the engineer's PARAMOUNT ethical obligation? — NSPE Code of Ethics

Official references for Ethics and Professional Practice

• NSPE Code of Ethics
• NCEES licensure model

In the app this area comes with 2 memory cards and 4 module-quiz questions and is part of the free starting modules.

Engineering Economics

Engineering Economics carries 5% of the FE Civil blueprint used in this course, the 11th-largest of its 14 weighted areas. It spans 2 concepts. The course teaches it in 1 study unit: Engineering Economics: Time Value of Money & Decisions.

What Engineering Economics covers

• How does a present value grow to a future value? — FE Reference Handbook
• How do you bring a future cash flow back to today? — FE Reference Handbook

Official references for Engineering Economics

• FE Reference Handbook

In the app this area comes with 3 memory cards and 4 module-quiz questions in the full course.

Statics

Statics carries 8% of the FE Civil blueprint used in this course, the 6th-largest of its 14 weighted areas. The course teaches it in 1 study unit: Statics: Equilibrium, Trusses & Moment of Inertia.

Official references for Statics

• FE Reference Handbook

In the app this area comes with 3 memory cards and 7 module-quiz questions in the full course.

Dynamics

Dynamics carries 4% of the FE Civil blueprint used in this course, the 14th-largest of its 14 weighted areas. It spans 1 concept. The course teaches it in 1 study unit: Dynamics: Kinematics, Kinetics & Friction.

What Dynamics covers

• What are the constant-acceleration kinematic equations? — FE Reference Handbook

Official references for Dynamics

• FE Reference Handbook

In the app this area comes with 2 memory cards and 3 module-quiz questions in the full course.

Mechanics of Materials

Mechanics of Materials carries 7% of the FE Civil blueprint used in this course, the 8th-largest of its 14 weighted areas. The course teaches it in 1 study unit: Mechanics of Materials: Stress, Beams & Bending.

Official references for Mechanics of Materials

• FE Reference Handbook

In the app this area comes with 3 memory cards and 6 module-quiz questions in the full course.

Materials

Materials carries 5% of the FE Civil blueprint used in this course, the 12th-largest of its 14 weighted areas. The course teaches it in 1 study unit: Materials: Stress-Strain, Steel & Concrete.

Official references for Materials

• FE Reference Handbook

In the app this area comes with 2 memory cards and 4 module-quiz questions in the full course.

Fluid Mechanics

Fluid Mechanics carries 6% of the FE Civil blueprint used in this course, the 9th-largest of its 14 weighted areas. It spans 2 concepts. The course teaches it in 1 study unit: Fluid Mechanics: Hydrostatics, Continuity & Reynolds.

What Fluid Mechanics covers

• How does hydrostatic pressure grow with depth? — FE Reference Handbook
• What does the Reynolds number tell you? — FE Reference Handbook

Official references for Fluid Mechanics

• FE Reference Handbook

In the app this area comes with 3 memory cards and 5 module-quiz questions in the full course.

Surveying

Surveying carries 6% of the FE Civil blueprint used in this course, the 10th-largest of its 14 weighted areas. It spans 1 concept. The course teaches it in 1 study unit: Surveying: Leveling, Coordinate Areas & Earthwork.

What Surveying covers

• How does differential leveling find an elevation? — FE Reference Handbook

Official references for Surveying

• FE Reference Handbook

In the app this area comes with 3 memory cards and 5 module-quiz questions in the full course.

Water Resources and Environmental Engineering

Water Resources and Environmental Engineering carries 10% of the FE Civil blueprint used in this course, the largest of its 14 weighted areas. It spans 1 concept. The course teaches it in 1 study unit: Water Resources & Environmental: Runoff, Manning & Water Quality.

What Water Resources and Environmental Engineering covers

• What is the core water-quality relationship? — FE Reference Handbook

Official references for Water Resources and Environmental Engineering

• FE Reference Handbook

In the app this area comes with 4 memory cards and 7 module-quiz questions in the full course.

Structural Engineering

Structural Engineering carries 10% of the FE Civil blueprint used in this course, the second-largest of its 14 weighted areas. The course teaches it in 1 study unit: Structural: Determinacy, Deflection & Buckling.

Official references for Structural Engineering

• FE Reference Handbook

In the app this area comes with 4 memory cards and 8 module-quiz questions in the full course.

Geotechnical Engineering

Geotechnical Engineering carries 10% of the FE Civil blueprint used in this course, the third-largest of its 14 weighted areas. The course teaches it in 1 study unit: Geotechnical: Effective Stress, Soils & Earth Pressure.

Official references for Geotechnical Engineering

• FE Reference Handbook

In the app this area comes with 4 memory cards and 8 module-quiz questions in the full course.

Transportation Engineering

Transportation Engineering carries 9% of the FE Civil blueprint used in this course, the 4th-largest of its 14 weighted areas. It spans 1 concept. The course teaches it in 1 study unit: Transportation: Sight Distance, Traffic Flow & Pavement.

What Transportation Engineering covers

• What governs pavement, traffic control, and planning? — FE Reference Handbook

Official references for Transportation Engineering

• FE Reference Handbook

In the app this area comes with 3 memory cards and 8 module-quiz questions in the full course.

Construction Engineering

Construction Engineering carries 8% of the FE Civil blueprint used in this course, the 7th-largest of its 14 weighted areas. The course teaches it in 1 study unit: Construction: CPM Scheduling, Earned Value & Delivery.

Official references for Construction Engineering

• FE Reference Handbook

In the app this area comes with 3 memory cards and 7 module-quiz questions in the full course.

Official references

• ncees.org/exams/fe-exam/
• ncees.org/exams/fe-exam/ discipline list
• ncees.org/exams/exam-scoring/ + studyforfe.com passing-score explainer
• NCEES FE Civil CBT Exam Specifications PDF
• NCEES FE Civil CBT specs
• FE Reference Handbook
• NCEES licensure model
• ncees.org/exams/exam-scoring/
• NCEES FE Reference Handbook
• NCEES licensure model + individual state board rules
• NSPE Code of Ethics
• Standard engineering references
• 01b recon surface: ppi2pass, School of PE, PrepFE, prepineer, studyforfe, genieprep