# how much to review for FE preparation



## jayden (May 19, 2009)

My special field is Electrical E.

thanks to rudy for posting this: http://engineerboards.com/index.php?showtopic=5039

I had downloaded the materials and started reading. I found, for example, the chemistry, that there are more in the notes than the NCEES guideline books.

do I have to study beyond the guideline of NCEES?

thanks.


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## Lord2005 (May 20, 2009)

jayden said:


> My special field is Electrical E.thanks to rudy for posting this: http://engineerboards.com/index.php?showtopic=5039
> 
> I had downloaded the materials and started reading. I found, for example, the chemistry, that there are more in the notes than the NCEES guideline books.
> 
> ...


Of course but try FERM book it help you a lot.


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## jharris (May 29, 2009)

If this is your first time taking the test, FERM is all you need. Second time or more and I'd suggest supplementing the FERM with some other books to get a better range of problems to work. Basically, the more problems you work, the better. Just don't get stuck doing only problems you like.


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## illini1022 (Jun 25, 2009)

jayden said:


> My special field is Electrical E.thanks to rudy for posting this: http://engineerboards.com/index.php?showtopic=5039
> 
> I had downloaded the materials and started reading. I found, for example, the chemistry, that there are more in the notes than the NCEES guideline books.
> 
> ...


I just passed on my first go around as an EE. I found a decent amount of material I had never been exposed to, but thought I'd go with a minimalistic approach for my first test taking experience. I did buy the Lindenburg book but only got through the first few chapters (which was a good review of basic math/calc I forgot.)

I studied for maybe 2 days total. There was a lot of control systems and digital electronics on the afternoon section, I would have been more confident if I brushed up on those a bit.


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## cdnEngr (Jun 25, 2009)

I took the FE for the first time in April 2009. This was 22 years after I graduated with my Bachelors degree in EE. Yesterday, I was informed by the GA Board that I passed the FE exam, so I feel confident to tell you how I prepared for the exam.

For the morning session, I used the _*FE Review Manual*_ by Lindeburg. I practiced by solving the questions in the "Problems for Sample Examination Morning Section".

If I did not know how to solve a question, I would then refer to the chapter in the (Lindeburg) book that treated the topic.

For me, this was a better strategy than trying to read the Lindeburg book, chapter by chapter.

For the afternoon session, I used the same strategy with the _*Electrical Engineering: FE Exam Preparation*_ book by Lincoln Jones.

On the day of the exam, during the morning session, I suggest that you start by solving the EE questions. Once you are finished with the EE questions, you can then solve the other questions, starting from question number 1.

Best wishes.


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## antonio (Jun 26, 2009)

congrats cdnengr.....how many months did you prepare for the exam? i also took the exam last april 2009 after 25 years out of school. the morning part is not that bad but the afternoon session is challenging.


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## cdnEngr (Jun 26, 2009)

Thanks antonio. I started in October 2008. The initial preparation was very haphazard because of my job. I finally hunkered down in January 2009 and that was much better.

I found the morning session to be quite challenging. After about 2.5-3 hrs, I realized that I had only done about 60 questions, and I had not yet reached the EE questions. I then went into semi-panic mode, and jumped to the EE questions. Once I finished those questions, I decided to search for easy questions. The last 15 minutes or so were spent guessing and filling in the blanks in the remaining questions.

The afternoon session (EE Discipline specific) was much better. I had more time and (most of) the questions were easier.


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## Environmental_Guy (Jul 6, 2009)

FWIW, I was out of school ten years and started reviewing in October and studying hard in February. I estimate I studied for nearly 200 hours( weekly review class, study group, the works), which might have been a little much, but I found the test very straightforward and I walked out feeling pretty good.


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## chaocl (Jul 7, 2009)

Time should not be a problem because the most important thing is not how much time were you spent on study. You can sit there for 5 hours but just reading the boring stuff in the book (which might rarely shown on the exam). Or you can study only 1~2 hours and forcus on the problems in the sample tests or ex. in the book.

DO MORE PROBLEMS WILL HELP YOU PASS THE FE....DO NOT "READ" TOO MUCH IN THE BOOK.


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## pavell (Jul 27, 2009)

chaocl is right. dont get caught up in the little details of the lindberg book. you will never remember all those little things when it comes to test time. Just familiarize yourself with where the forumulas are in the manual and some general solutions to the problems.


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## dastuff (Jul 27, 2009)

I spent two or three days reading over the FERM book, then i figured out my strong areas and realized that a 50% would be a passing, so i studied up on the big sections.

All in all i threw out some sections that I knew I wouldn't be able to learn (thermodynamics, and EE), and studied up on the ones that I'd just passed in college (chemistry, etc.)... This test definitely becomes easier the earlier you take it (I took it my 3rd year), since more things seem familiar.


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