FE Civil Exam information
What it is, what's tested, and how it's scored.
FE Civil exam details
The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Civil exam is the first step for early-career civil engineers seeking a Professional Engineer (PE) designation. The exam is designed for students nearing completion of an undergraduate engineering program or recent graduates preparing to enter the field.
Civil engineers plan, design, and supervise public and private construction projects, often focusing on crucial infrastructure such as roads, bridges, sewage systems, and the structural components of buildings. Only licensed PEs can sign, seal, and stamp technical documentation verifying that a project complies with applicable codes and regulations.
The FE Civil exam is hosted by NCEES and costs $225 to register. Participants have 6 hours to answer 110 multiple-choice questions. The passing score is ~70%.
State licensing boards determine the detailed requirements for the FE Civil exam. Generally, applicants must hold a degree from an EAC/ABET-accredited undergraduate program or be in their final year of study to sit for the exam. In some cases, candidates must receive approval from the state board and pay an additional fee to register for the exam.
Examinees are typically provided one attempt per testing period, though the number of retakes overall can vary by state. The exam is offered year-round within these testing windows:
January - February
April - May
July - August
October - November
The total exam appointment time is 6 hours long and includes:
Nondisclosure agreement and signature: 2 minutes
Tutorial: 8 minutes
Exam: 5 hours and 20 minutes
Scheduled break: 25 minutes
You may take the scheduled break at any time during the second half of the exam, or choose not to take it at all.
Examinees can register for the FE Civil exam by creating an account through the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying, the organization that administers engineering licensing exams. The FE Civil can be taken at an approved Pearson VUE test center, either in the U.S. or in select countries. Remote testing is not available for the FE Civil.
NCEES' FE Civil exam summary
Mathematics and Statistics
7-11%
8-12 questions
Assesses fundamental mathematical and quantitative skills in analytic geometry, single-variable calculus, variable operations, regression analysis, and distributions.
Ethnics and Professional Practice
4-5%
4-6 questions
Evaluates knowledge of ethical codes, professional liability, standards for licensure, and contracts and contract law.
Engineering Economics
5-7%
5-8 questions
Tests the ability to accurately calculate costs associated with construction and engineering projects (time value of money, fixed costs, variable costs, cost-benefit analysis, uncertainty, and risk assessments are all covered in this section)
Statics
7-11%
8-12 questions
Covers essential physics and geometric concepts relevant to engineering, such as force systems, equilibrium, inertia, centroid of an area, and static friction.
Dynamics
4-5%
4-6 questions
Dives into the physics of motion, covering kinetics, mass moments of inertia, force acceleration, and work, energy, and power.
Mechanics of Materials
6-10%
7-11 questions
Requires an understanding of how materials respond to stress and physical pressure, covering shear and moment diagrams, deformations, combined stresses, and Mohr’s circle.
Materials
5-7%
5-8 questions
Covers practical knowledge of building materials, including mixing design of concrete and asphalt, and the test methods, specifications, and physical and mechanical properties of metals, concrete, aggregates, asphalt, and wood.
Fluid Mechanics
5-8%
6-9 questions
Includes questions on flow measurement, fluid properties, fluid statics, and energy, impulse, and momentum of fluids.
Surveying
5-8%
6-9 questions
Tests knowledge of land surveying, project preparation and development, and related mathematical topics. Covers trigonometry, area computations, earthwork and volume computations, coordinate systems, and leveling.
Water Resources and Environmental Engineering
9-14%
10-15 questions
Evaluates knowledge of basic hydrology, hydraulics, pumps, water distribution systems, flood control, water quality testing, and other key components of water and wastewater system management.
Structural Engineering
9-14%
10-15 questions
Covers structural analysis and design, including analysis of statically determinate beams and other structures, deflection, column analysis, loads, the engineering behavior of different materials, and component designs.
Geotechnical Engineering
9-14%
10-15 questions
Includes index properties and soil classifications, phase relations, laboratory and field tests, and other topics related to earth materials such as soil and rock.
Transportation Engineering
8-13%
9-14 questions
Tests skills and knowledge in geometric design (streets, highways, etc.), pavement system design, traffic capacity and flow theory, and other aspects of transportation planning.
Construction Engineering
7-11%
8-12 questions
Covers project administration and required documents, operations and methods, safety and equipment, estimation, and interpretation of engineering drawings and diagrams.
Achievable FE Civil content outline
1
Mathematics
Covers essential math topics, including algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus, and linear algebra. Vectors and matrices for engineering problem solving are also included.
2
Probability and Statistics
Introduces basic probability, statistics, data interpretation, and common distributions used in engineering applications.
3
Engineering Economics
Focuses on the time value of money, interest calculations, project evaluation, depreciation, and cost-benefit analysis.
4
Statics
Covers equilibrium of particles and rigid bodies, force systems, trusses, frames, moments, and centroids.
5
Dynamics
The fundamentals of motion, including kinematics and kinetics of particles and rigid bodies. Newton’s laws and energy methods are also tested.
6
Mechanics of Materials
Explores stress, strain, deformation, and internal forces in materials. Topics include torsion, bending, shear, and axial loading.
7
Materials
Reviews engineering properties of construction materials, including steel, concrete, asphalt, and composites.
8
Fluid Mechanics
Introduces fluid properties, fluid statics, and dynamics. Topics include continuity, energy equations, pipe flow, and flow measurement.
9
Soil Mechanics
Covers soil classification, compaction, permeability, effective stress, consolidation, slope stability, and bearing capacity.
10
Structural Engineering
Focuses on the analysis and basic design of structural members. Covers loads, support reactions, and behavior of steel and concrete systems.
11
Environmental Engineering
Includes water quality, water and wastewater treatment, solid waste, and air pollution fundamentals.
12
Water Resources Engineering
Examines hydrology, open channel flow, pipe networks, groundwater flow, and stormwater systems.
13
Transportation Engineering
Covers traffic flow theory, geometric design, signal timing, and pavement materials and design.
14
Ethics and Professional Practice
Reviews professional conduct, codes of ethics, engineering licensure, and public safety responsibilities.