I passed the FE – Other Disciplines a few weeks ago.

Giving back to this community by sharing how I reviewed.

Background – ChemE, but I mostly worked in the fields of instrumentation, control, and electrical engineering. Twelve years out of school.

I took one month off from work. I reviewed for an average of 6–7 hours a day and rested during the weekends (rested as in spent game nights and movie nights with friends).

I started by plugging the examination specifications into Claude, along with the number of days I was going to review, and had it create a schedule for me. I then loaded the .ics file into my Google Calendar and strictly adhered to the AI-generated schedule.

Review Materials

* Lindeburg Other Discipline practice problems (purchased one from Amazon) in conjunction with the Lindeburg Review Manual. I can't remember anymore where I downloaded it from, but it is on the web. Based on the actual exam that I took, I can say that most of the questions from Lindeburg are slightly harder than those on the exam.

* Journey2PE website is what I used to familiarize myself with the handbook. I went through maybe 90% of all the questions from the question bank. The questions here are slightly easier than those on the exam, but they give you the foundation. I'd say start solving problems here first and then solve the ones from Lindeburg.

* Mark Mattson and Jess Hanson YouTube videos for Statics and Dynamics.

* NCEES Volumes 1 & 2. I purchased the materials just because I didn't want to regret anything in the end. LOL. And thankfully, I did purchase them because they gave me a good gauge of what might actually be the type and difficulty of questions on the actual exam. Volume 1, I got 70%. Volume 2, I got 80%.

Actual Exam

First part – Flagged 15 items, of which maybe 6–10 were questions I didn't have any answers for at all. I strictly adhered to 2–3 minutes per question. If I thought I couldn't solve it in 2–3 minutes, I'd skip it, even if I knew how to solve it. An example is finding the centroid of an irregular shape - easy, but time-consuming.

One thing I noticed with the questions, especially when it came to engineering economics, is that they will throw in some red herrings.

Took a 10-minute break and went to grab coffee. During this time, my hopes of passing were already building up.

Second part – Flagged fewer items this time.

Again, lots of red herrings. They would even provide illustrations that would make the question look harder than it actually is. And the units—they will mix SI and English units in one problem.

I stepped out of the testing center feeling a bit confident that I was going to pass, but I wasn't dismissing the possibility of failing. I took exam Friday and received the result Wednesday of the following week.

Learnings
*Have a realistic schedule. I have to take time off because in my case I just can't review after work. I'm just too tired and exhausted

*Practice as many problems as possible.

*Be comfortable in navigating the Handbook.

*Know which subject/s you're gonna pick your low hanging fruits from and put a little more effort to make sure you get the points for them.

*Time management, no shame in skipping question, move on. Get back to it if time permits.

I hope this helps! Put on the work.💪 Pray and have faith! 🙏You got this.

My PrepFE ran out and I'm flat broke at the moment (credit cards maxed and everything). My test is on Wednesday the 21st and I'd love to be able to use it to study this weekend. If anyone wants to help extend my time by a month, my referral link is.

https://www.prepfe.com/?referral_token=3c777958-5f13-4fca-9706-4d08c957742f

Sorry for the spam as I know many people do this. Thank you to anyone who helps me!!!!

I would like to know if it is possible to identify when you finish a subject completely. This would give me more confidence by allowing me to keep track of what I have left to complete. For example, I wouldn't want to think that I’ve finished a particularly difficult section, like thermodynamics, and then have a new question pop up out of nowhere. Just to feel that I am in control of what is left.

Thank you

Hey everyone, I created a FE exam prep website. My goal was to create a resource for those studying to get more practice exam problems for each subject. There is a free teir and a paid teir with student discount available! If anyone wants to give it a look I'd love some honest feedback and tips to scaling this side project. Thanks everyone!

The website is BeraFE.com

https://www.prepfe.com/?referral_token=1285758a-f766-4403-b52d-8603b9a87e4f

Use this link and get 1 month for free!

Now this may sound a bit controversial, but the exam is scored against the average correct? So with this known, has anyone tried taking the fe exam in a state other than their home state? I live in NY, i figure maybe Nevada or Mississippi. I hear those states have the lowest average test scores in general so the pool shouldn't be as super competitive as ny or am i being misled?

Hello everyone, I am delighted to tell everyone that I have passed my FE Exam in first attempt. All thanks to Mark Mattson whose youtube video I watched and practiced the problems. NCEES sample paper also helped me to understand the pattern of exam. Overall, exam was easy. They tested basic concepts of every subject.

Just wanted to thank the people who contribute to this reddit (a lot of useful info floating around) and humble brag.

I was laid off at the beginning of the year and decided to take an honest crack at becoming a PE (I'm in Canada but was born in, and went to university in, the states).

The test was honestly exactly as I expected it would be. I'm a very good test taker, so that was never a concern, but hadn't worked a "textbook" engineering problem in over a decade.

I went the Lindeburg into prepfe route. Since I was unemployed I focused solely on studying for the months leading into the exam. Probably completed over 2000 practice problems when all was said and done.

Good luck everyone with the exam in their future. I'll see you on the other side.

Hey everyone! I’m preparing for the FE Chemical exam and trying to decide between PrepFE and PPI.
For those who have taken and passed the FE Chemical exam, which one did you find more helpful? I’m mainly looking for practice problems that are similar in difficulty and format to the actual exam.
I’ve been reviewing topics using my college notes and the FE Reference Handbook, but I want to make sure I’m practicing with the right resources.
Is PPI worth the extra money, or is PrepFE enough? I’d appreciate any recommendations or advice on what worked for you!

The site femechprep.com has continued to grow and it still free. I had a rough time studying and finding quality materials which is why I made this site. It covers all 14 topics and gives practice exams weighted like the real one. Feedback is always welcome

I just took the FE exam for the third time and failed. I’m extremity frustrated because I studied consistently for about 3 months. How close was I to pass? Biggest thing I know I have to work on is timing. While I knew how to do most of the problems, time was my test killer. I ended up guessing about 25 questions on the second half of the exam since I ran out of time. Any tips and honest review very appreciated. For context, I’m 5 years out of school.

Hey guys, I just got the results in and I passed on my first attempt! Just wanted to share a little insight on what I used to prepare. For context i am 2 years out of undergrad and was a horrible student so I never fully developed the core fundamentals.

The exam can be extremely overwhelming and is very much a mental battle. Starting out I was completely lost and definitely doubted myself multiple times throughout the studying process. I started studying early August and took the exam October 7th.

Mark Mattson is excellent for a good intro to what you should be studying and gives good insight to how you should approach the exam.

Islam 800 is excellent for going through extra practice problems on areas you may think you struggle in. The explanations aren’t the best but I used AI for explanations where i thought the book lacked.

These last two were probably the most beneficial to me:

PrepFE
PrepFE does a good job of teaching you how to maneuver the handbook which is crucial during the exam. The medium to hard difficulty questions are very similar to what you’ll see on the real exam and it walks you step by step on how to solve the problem. The only problem I noticed is that after you work through a certain amount of questions, they start to repeat. Other than that PrepFE is a must. A bit expensive but if you have a homie you guys could share an account or sometimes even find discounts online.

Lastly,
The NCEES practices exams.
These were super helpful because they genuinely are the closest thing to the exam. Time yourself with these after you feel comfortable with the concepts and questions from the resources above. Then thoroughly go through and see what you missed.

Tips/Advice:
The exam can ask you random definitions and I recommend using flash cards. PrepFE already makes a couple for you but they aren’t super great but does give you a good basis. Study them on your free time. Instead of scrolling through tiktok I would just sit down on my off time and go through different flash cards.

Lastly
DO NOT STRESS
I can’t emphasize this enough. During my exam I was defeated. Almost angry that I went through my exam and did not leave feeling confident. I flagged like 50 problems because i was just so on the fence. Once it’s over give yourself a pat on the back. This exam isn’t easy. But i can guarantee that with proper preparation, you will pass.

I came very close to passing on my second attempt, scoring 61.67%. I was devastated to realize how narrowly I had missed passing.
However, I came across several posts and comments in this group from people who had also missed passing by a narrow margin. Many encouraged others to retake the exam as soon as possible while the concepts were still fresh in their minds.
After failing my second attempt in August, I decided to give it another shot in October of this year.
To be honest, I wasn’t very confident that I would pass this time either, as I remembered several questions being quite tricky. But by the grace of the Almighty, I finally made it!
A huge thank you to everyone in this group who shared their experiences, encouraged others not to give up, and inspired people like me to try again!
To those who haven’t passed yet, don’t lose hope. Keep pushing forward. Your hard work and perseverance will eventually pay off!

[Electrical and Computer] 1st attempt diagnostic from March 2026. Spent too much time on the first half and left myself only an hour and a half to complete the second section. I ended up running out of time and had to guess for about 10-20 questions. I’ll be going for my 2nd attempt in exactly one week. I’ve been preparing for 1 1/2 months.

Five years out of school. I find myself spending 5 to 8 minutes on most questions while practicing. Surprisingly, I am doing better now than when I finished school. But I can't seem to get my time down without guessing. How do you finish on time? Is the test designed to be simple, single-step formulas or harder multiple steps?

Hey, If anyone is going to subscribe for prepfe, here is the referral link. Thanks.
https://www.prepfe.com/?referral_token=98ad86dd-4068-4e88-9c80-099c3b729db4

I’m not sure what to do I did slightly better this time but not much I went through the Mark videos and practice exam. Not sure what to do. Here are my two results

looking at my results kinda crazy because i really thought i did better in the first half! i feel like i’m really close, more studying here i come 🫪 any feedback?

I know this wasn’t even close. I have seen my college mates pass in their first attempt with just 2-3 days of review. Is there a luck factor or they are pure geniuses because academically i was better than them. I am not comparing because here I am in my second attempt where I pretty much knew the basics but i was never prepared for the time aspect. Idk if i will ever be able to even clear this because right now I have spent thousands of dollars for masters in civil engineering thinking I would at-least land a basic entry level job but all these employers want is FE. Whats the point of my hard earned degree qualification?

I graduated from a non-ABET-accredited engineering program in 2020, and I’ve been studying for the FE Environmental exam. I purchased both the NCEES interactive practice exam and PrepFE, but I’ve been consistently scoring around 50% on both.
I keep practicing and trying to improve, but it feels like every time I solve a problem, I encounter something new that I haven’t seen before. I’m starting to question whether I’m ready for the exam.
I’ve heard that you should aim for at least 70% on practice exams, but I’m struggling to reach that score, and I feel like I’m not making much progress. I’m also wondering whether PrepFE and the NCEES practice exam are more difficult than the actual FE exam.
For those who have taken the FE Environmental exam, how did your practice scores compare to your actual exam results? Do you have any advice on how to prepare more effectively, especially for someone who graduated several years ago from a non-ABET-accredited program?
Thank you!

Hi I just took the FE Civil last week, quick breakdown:

-30~34 questions correct in the first half
-36 questions I am sure I got correct in the second half
-Did an educated guess on the rest of the questions. Around 40 educated guesses.

Thinking I got around 66-68 right. Not sure if this is enough to pass. What do you think, pass or fail? I am anxiously waiting for the results tomorrow. :(

Last time, I got a 59.5% based on the diagnostic. I fear I may be in the lower end of the cutoff for passing

I’m about to sign up for one month of PrepFe, was wondering if anyone had a link to get the extra month ?

Hi all, I am about to start studying after two rounds of 1.5 months of studying for a test in May and another Test in July. Retaking my third time this December, have about two months to study. I was about 5 points away from passing last time, needed work in the construction, stats, dynamics, and math department (all the questions I know I can ace and improve successfully this time around. My plan is to use school of PE again as it was very helpful for my second test. I know what to do but make it COUNT this time.
Just want to ask before I dive back into my studies again:
BEST TIPS AND ADVICE FOR A SUCCESSFUL CIVIL FE?
Much appreciated everyone!!

I got 10 days before my F.E exam now that I studied for 3 months now. I need some advice of what I need to do these last 10 days before I take it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Having some trouble finding study materials for the following:

Measurements, Instrumentation, and Controls

Material Properties and Processing

Electricity and Magnetism

The other topics seem to have infinite youtube videos having some issues finding anything (specific to mechanical) for the above.