Interpreting FE exam results?

Print anything with Printful



The FE exam is a pass/fail test for engineering students in the US, with feedback provided in case of failure. Passing indicates competence, while failure may indicate poor test-taking skills or incomplete knowledge. Results take 8-10 weeks and may require retesting or tutoring.

Foundations of Engineering (FE) exam scores are offered on a pass/fail basis, with feedback in the event of a fail. Participants who pass the test can be assured that they have demonstrated competence to work in their chosen field, while failure indicates poor test-taking skills or an incomplete knowledge of the materials. It is advisable to read the feedback provided with the FE exam results to learn more about test performance and to decide how to move forward with retesting, tutoring, additional tutoring, and other measures.

Engineering students in the United States often take the FE exam before graduating to prepare to work as professional engineers. Without taking licensing exams, the type of work an engineer can do is more limited and the engineer may not be able to advertise as a professional engineer. The FE exam has 180 multiple-choice questions, 120 of which cover core topics, while 60 focus on a specific discipline or “module”.

Passed results change with each exam. Test designers work with statisticians and engineering experts to determine what score should equal a passing score on each exam, keeping in mind that a passing score indicates that an engineering student is competent. Statisticians should also consider the need to be able to compare scores so that the PE test results of engineers taking the test at different times can be fairly compared.

It can take eight to 10 weeks to receive your FE exam results. If a student passes, they meet the test requirements. If the student fails, the feedback will provide specific information about the areas of the test the student failed. Students may find it helpful to discuss the FE exam results with advisors and mentors to decide what they should do next. It may also be beneficial to look at the publicly released pass/fail rates for that exam and pay special attention to specific subjects.

Some students may know the materials well but feel uncomfortable in testing environments. These students may need a few sessions with a tutor to develop test-taking skills so they can retake the EF exam and have a better chance of passing. In other cases, feedback with FE exam results can reveal gaps in engineering education; in that case, you may need to take another class or series of courses before retaking the exam. Students may have taken the test too early in their educational careers or they may have missed out on a core competency in their courses.




Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN


Skip to content