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Fundamentals Of Engineering Exam




The exam is eight hours long altogether, split into two four-hour sessions with a short lunch break in between. The morning session is a 120-question general exam for which all examinees must sit, while the afternoon session consists of 60 questions and is more discipline-oriented, and far more difficult than the morning session. For this second half, examinees choose one of the following seven tests: Chemical Engineering , Civil Engineering , Environmental Engineering , Electrical Engineering , Mechanical Engineering , Industrial Engineering , or general engineering (similar in content to the morning exam, but far more detailed). The choice does not have to be made in advance, but rather on the day of the test.
Writing tools and scratch paper may not be brought to the testing site. Mechanical pencils are issued to all examinees, and the test booklet may be used as scratch paper for working problems. No calculators are allowed except for those specifically approved by NCEES; these models have no programming or communications capabilities which could allow people to cheat. The only reference material that may be used is a handbook issued to all examinees on the day of the test.

The topics covered by the general exam are covered in the courses taken by engineering undergraduates, and include (as of 2007):


A scaled score of 70 is required to pass the exam. This does not mean one needs to answer 70% of the answers correctly to pass, however. The tests are benchmarked against the October 1990 exam, where 124 out of 280 was deemed a passing score by a panel of experts. A portion of previous exam questions are then given on subsequent exams. After the exam, a statistical analysis of these questions is used to equate the new test to the benchmark test. In Oct. 1990, a score of 124 was given a 70/100 grade. This means one generally needs to answer 45% of the questions correctly to pass. The score which receives a 70/100 grade on newer tests is chosen based on the average score of people who receive about a 45% on the old test questions. This makes all of the tests more or less equal in difficulty.

Those who pass the exam are designated Engineers In Training or given an equivalent designation, such as Engineer Intern, by their state's licensure board for engineers, and are partway through the certification process. After completing an Apprenticeship (the length of which is set by state law and based on the type of degree received) an EIT may qualify to take the Professional Engineer (PE) exam. Certification is awarded upon successful completion of the PE exam. The standard time of apprenticeship under a Professional Engineer is 4 years of work experience for graduates of an ABET-accredited engineering program.


U.S. PATENT OFFICE

Passage of the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam, coupled with graduation with any bachelor's degree, satisfies the U.S. Patent And Trademark Office 's technical requirements for sitting for its Registration Examination to become either a registered Patent Attorney or patent agent. The typical way the technical requirements are satisfied is by possessing a bachelor's degree in a specified technical area or amassing a certain number of undergraduate credit hours in a designated technical area.


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