Question 1
A rectangular concrete channel 4 m wide carries water 1.75 m deep at uniform flow. Manning's is 0.013 and the bed slope is 0.004. What is the flow rate?
The FE Civil exam
14 knowledge areas in 110 questions. Water resources, structural and geotechnical engineering are the largest, at 10 to 15 questions each.
66%first-time pass rate
NCEES, updated July 2026: first-time takers from EAC/ABET programs within 12 months of graduation.
| Knowledge area | Questions |
|---|---|
| Mathematics and Statistics | 8–12 |
| Ethics and Professional Practice | 4–6 |
| Engineering Economics | 5–8 |
| Statics | 8–12 |
| Dynamics | 4–6 |
| Mechanics of Materials | 7–11 |
| Materials | 5–8 |
| Fluid Mechanics | 6–9 |
| Surveying | 6–9 |
| Water Resources and Environmental Engineering | 10–15 |
| Structural Engineering | 10–15 |
| Geotechnical Engineering | 10–15 |
| Transportation Engineering | 9–14 |
| Construction Engineering | 8–12 |
Where the questions are
About half the exam is civil engineering itself: water resources and environmental, structural, geotechnical, transportation and construction. The other half is the fundamentals: mathematics and statistics, ethics, engineering economics, statics, dynamics, mechanics of materials, materials, fluid mechanics and surveying.
How to practice for it
Work every question with the FE Reference Handbook open, as you will on the day. The exam gives about 2 minutes 55 seconds a question, so finding the right chapter quickly is a skill of its own.
The format
| Questions | 110 |
|---|---|
| Exam time | 5 hours 20 minutes |
| Scheduled break | 25 minutes, after about half the questions |
| Fee | $225, paid to NCEES |
Try 3 questions
Question 2
A soil profile has 3.5 m of sand ( kN/m³) above the water table, then saturated clay ( kN/m³). What is the vertical effective stress 8 m below the water table?
Question 3
A simply supported beam spans 34 ft and carries a uniform factored load of 2.5 kip/ft. What is the maximum bending moment?
Next step
Questions people ask
What topics are on the FE Civil exam?
Mathematics and statistics, ethics and professional practice, engineering economics, statics, dynamics, mechanics of materials, materials, fluid mechanics, surveying, water resources and environmental engineering, structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, transportation engineering and construction engineering.
How many questions are on the FE Civil exam?
110, in 5 hours 20 minutes of exam time. NCEES publishes a range for each knowledge area, from 4 to 6 questions on ethics and on dynamics to 10 to 15 each on water resources, structural and geotechnical engineering.
What is the FE Civil pass rate?
66% for first-time takers from EAC/ABET-accredited programs within 12 months of graduation (NCEES, updated July 2026).