Information on Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam

The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, previously referred to as the Engineer in Training (EIT) exam, is the first of two examinations that engineers must pass in order to be licensed as a Professional Engineer in the United States. The exam is open to anyone with a degree in engineering or a related field or who is currently enrolled in the last year of an ABET-accredited engineering degree program.

Professional Engineering licensure can be a very useful element in the career of a Mechanical Engineer. Although it's not as commonplace in ME as in other engineering fields (the PE is almost required for Civil and Environmental Engineers), a PE for a Mechanical Engineer may open up future opportunities (consulting, etc) and certainly looks good on a resume. Most importantly, THERE IS NO BETTER TIME TO TAKE THE FE EXAM THAN BEFORE YOU GRADUATE; IT WILL NEVER BE EASIER. If you are even thinking that a PE might be something you are interested in down the road, my advice would be to take the FE Exam prior to graduation.

• A description of the FE Exam is available on Wikipedia.

If you are interested in learning more about the application process or resources available for preparation for the FE Exam, please see the Mechanical Engineering Staff Advisor in the Mechanical Engineering Department (second floor of the Carnegie Building) or email the ME Administrative offices at meadmin@stevens.edu. The ME Department needs to know as there are some elements of the application, such as a Statement of Good Standing and the transcript, that the department sends directly.

Once you are signed up for the FE Exam, it's time to prepare! Here are some notes that I hope will be helpful!

1. Stevens has in the past hosted free FE review classes on certain topics covered in the FE Exam in the FALL SEMESTER. Please contact the Mechanical Engineering Staff Advisor for more information and future scheduling of these review classes./

2. NCEES, the 'College Board' of the FE Exam, has a webpage discussing some of the specifics of the exam, as well as a copy of the 'formula sheets' that you will get at the exam. They also have exam prep books for sale if you are interested.

3. Additional free online materials and FE preparation courses, including a Coursera course developed by Georgia Tech, are listed here. (Note: "caveat emptor")

Note: if you are interested, a former Stevens Mechanical Engineering alumni has developed preparation materials for the HVAC PE Exam via a YouTube channel and a Udemy course (for the PE Exam).