NCEES announces changes to FE exam

The current specifications for the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam will change in January 2014 in conjunction with the exam’s transition to computer-based testing (CBT). At that time, the FE exam will be seven freestanding, discipline-specific exams: Chemical, Civil, Electrical and Computer, Environmental, Industrial, Mechanical, and Other Disciplines. NCEES has posted the major domains for these exams online, and the complete specifications will be available in 2013.

In 2010, NCEES announced a move toward CBT. The final pencil-and-paper exam will be offered in October 2013. All FE exams administered before CBT will use the exam specifications currently available on the Exams portion of the NCEES website.

This notice of new domains follows a previous call for volunteers to participate in a content review. The cross-section of participants included licensed professional engineers, academics teaching engineering courses, and engineer interns from all engineering disciplines. These individuals were surveyed about the fundamental knowledge and skills necessary for an engineer intern to work in a manner that protects the health, safety, and welfare of the public.

For a list of the new FE exam domains for the January 2014 administration, go to ncees.org/cbt.