Which FE exam should I take?
Take the exam that matches your degree's courses. Pick your degree for the exam, its pass rate and what is on it.
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Pick your degree
NCEES, updated July 2026: first-time takers from EAC/ABET programs within 12 months of graduation.
How to choose
The FE tests undergraduate coursework, so the best match is the exam written for your degree. All seven have 110 questions in 5 hours 20 minutes and use the same reference handbook.
If no exam is written for your degree, take FE Other Disciplines. It covers the fundamentals every engineering degree shares: mathematics, statics, dynamics, strength of materials, fluids, thermodynamics and basic electrical engineering.
Is one exam easier?
Pass rates run from 61% to 73%, but each exam is taken mostly by graduates of its own discipline, so a higher rate does not mean an easier exam for you. Mechanical graduates who took FE Other Disciplines passed at 60%; examinees on FE Mechanical passed at 73%.
Next step
Questions people ask
Which FE exam should I take?
The one written for your degree: FE Civil for civil engineering, FE Mechanical for mechanical, FE Electrical and Computer for electrical or computer, FE Chemical, FE Environmental or FE Industrial and Systems for those degrees, and FE Other Disciplines if no exam is written for yours.
Which FE exam has the highest pass rate?
FE Mechanical, at 73% for first-time takers from EAC/ABET-accredited programs within 12 months of graduation (NCEES, updated July 2026). FE Other Disciplines is lowest at 61%.
Who takes FE Other Disciplines?
Graduates whose degree has no FE exam of its own. NCEES reports its pass rate for architectural, biological, engineering physics, general, materials, mechanical, mining, naval architecture and nuclear engineering graduates.
Do all FE exams have the same format?
Yes. Each has 110 questions in 5 hours 20 minutes of exam time, with a 25-minute scheduled break and the FE Reference Handbook on screen.