FE Exam Prep: Fundamentals of Engineering

This course is designed for:

• Engineering students preparing to take the FE exam
• Recent engineering graduates beginning the licensure process
• Working professionals returning to FE exam preparation after time away from school
• Students preparing for the FE Mechanical exam, FE Civil exam, or FE Other Disciplines exam
• Professionals who want a structured review of core engineering fundamentals

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

• Describe the structure, timing, and expectations of the FE exam
• Identify the FE exam pathway that best matches your academic or professional background
• Navigate and use the NCEES FE Reference Handbook more effectively during problem solving
• Review core engineering concepts commonly tested on the FE Mechanical, Civil, and Other Disciplines exams
• Apply fundamental engineering principles to FE-style practice questions
• Select appropriate equations, tables, and reference material from the FE Reference Handbook
• Recognize common mistakes in FE problem solving
• Use time-management and test-taking strategies for computer-based FE exam questions
• Build a personalized study plan based on exam discipline and topic strengths or weaknesses

This is a cohort-based online course delivered through Canvas LMS, with shared review content and exam-specific practice pathways. New cohorts begin the first Tuesday of every month, starting November 3, 2026. To complete this course, you must:

• Complete all assigned modules
• Complete the exam preparation section
• Complete the shared knowledge review modules assigned to your selected pathway
• Complete the practice question section for your selected FE exam
• Complete module quizzes or knowledge checks, if assigned

Time commitment: TBD

Access period: TBD

Learners can move through the course in order or focus on the topics most relevant to their FE exam discipline.

1. Exam Preparation and Rules: Introduces the FE exam experience, including exam format, timing, computer-based testing expectations, calculator considerations, question types, time-management strategies, and effective use of the FE Reference Handbook.

2. Knowledge Review: Reviews core engineering concepts organized into 12 topic modules. Each module includes topic explanations, key formulas or concepts, common mistakes, and knowledge checks.3. Practice Questions: Provides exam-focused practice questions organized by discipline pathway. Choose the practice question path that matches your target exam:

This depends on the requirements of the state in which you would like to eventually be licensed. For example, Texas does not require that you take an exam in any given specific discipline. It is suggested that you take the exam that best fits your knowledge and experience.

Contact your state’s Licensing Board to learn more about whether you are required to take the FE Exam in each discipline.

No, attendance is not mandatory. The decision to attend all or only a subset of the subjects is up to you. If you miss a session, you will still receive the training materials for that day and will have access to the recording for an allotted amount of time. We encourage leaving your camera on during class, as that helps the faculty member with teaching when they are able to see students.

You can obtain a FREE copy through the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying: https://account.ncees.org/login.

Note that you must register for an account and login to download the handbook.

Passing the FE Exam is your first step to becoming a professional engineer and kickstarting your career. While you will be able to use the NCEES handbook as a reference during the exam, you still need to be prepared and familiar with the information as you would any other big assessment. Taking an exam prep helps solidify your knowledge and increases your chances of passing the exam.

This FE Exam Prep is taught by world-class UT engineering faculty. Students can work through problems with instructors and ask questions as needed, which is not typically provided by other prep courses. This refresher course is broken into digestible sections to help optimize students’ retention and absorption of the review material. This course also gives students the flexibility to pick and choose which sessions to attend, allowing students to focus on what areas they need to focus on while still receiving information for all sections of the exam. All sessions are recorded and are made available to students for later viewing, allowing them to refer back to the test prep while studying individually.

Email: epd@engr.utexas.edu for more information.