Preparation needed for FE

[mkp520]

Hi All,

I am just curious, might be boost up those already preparing, how long would it generally take to prepare for FE??

I completely understand that it depends on individual caliber but if we see replies from 10 different people, we can easily estimate average time it would take for a fellow of average caliber. I m just looking at that. Please post, how long it took for you.

Regds,

Pa1

 

[GTE_273]

It really depends upon a couple of things: 1. How long you have been out of school 2. If you are working, how comprehensive is your current job responsibilities directly correlating to FE topics, and 3. of course, how much time you spend everyday. I was fortunate in the sense, I took FE while I was still doing my Master's. But the most important thing which really helped me is I was tutoring a lot of undergraduate courses in my university. I took a refresher course offered (free) from my university. Still I will say, I spent 2-3 months, at least part time, I had nothing better to do anyway, plus I enjoyed it.

I passed in the first attempt with a score of 91 (from Ohio in April 2001). That motivated me to go to teaching career. On one fine day, I gathered all material from my tutoring and teaching. Made a site, gave a nice company name. GTE Services. The math stuff is still free. Please have a review and post your opinion if possible.

Thanks,

GTE_Admin

General Training and Educational (GTE) Services

www.GTEservices.com

 

[FutureCSE]

I estimate that I spent the following times preparing for the FE (passed in April 07):

general study: average of 1 hour/day for 100 days = 100 hours

sample test 1: 4 hours

sample test 2: 8 hours

sample test 3: 8 hours

resource search/browsing test forums: 10 hours

total: 130 hours

I took the industrial specific exam -- this meant I had to spend a lot more time reviewing that material in addition to the generic engineering stuff :smileyballs: . If I had taken the general in the afternoon, I might have been able to cut down on some of the study time.

 

[Natee]

I just passed it in Apr 2007. This is my second time taking it, I started studying after I got the results of the first try, which was about 10 weeks. I studied 2 hours every week night and 8 hours on the weekends, with some days off of course. I basically followed the Linburg FE Review book schedule.

 

[VA_Env_Engr]

I passed the FE exam in 2004. As I recall, I studied for about 12 weeks, 1-2 hours on weekdays and 8-10 hours on the weekends. I took the General exam, so the prep time for subject-specific exam may vary.

 

[roadwreck]

I think what GTE said rings true, it will depend heavily on your situation. I took the FE while I was finishing up my undergrad, I didn't study anything until the week before the exam and I only studied the general topics (AM subjects) and went to the few general review courses that were offered free by the university. I didn't study any of the industry specific topics (even though I took the industry specific afternoon portion) b/c I was still in school and so most subject were still fresh in my mind. If it has been several years since you have dealt with some of these subjects you are going to have to take more time to refresh your memory.

 

[Ona]

Both my husband and I took the FE exam in Apr 07 and passed. Our situation is that we are both out of school for 10+ yrs (ChemE and Civil E). We have never had "true" engineering jobs/titles. I worked for an environmental software company and my husband was an inspector for pre-cast concrete.

We signed up for a review course which began on January 3rd and met every week for 3 hrs.

We used the FERM book and only studied the general.

We started studying on our own 6 weeks before the exam (I felt that this was too late)

We studied 3 days per week for 3-4 hrs and on the weekends for 6 hrs.

The week before the exam we did cram a bit (I believe every night).

We did almost every sample problem in the FERM chapters and did the sample exam problems as we went along. We never did sit for a full practice exam.

I am not saying that this is the best way, but it worked for us.

GOOD LUCK TO ALL WHO ARE TAKING IT!!!

 

[FusionWhite]

I will say I was a VERY VERY VERY mediocre student in college. The FE had me completely freaked out. I took it one and half years after I got out of school. I purchased my study materials a year before I took the exam and studied here and there for many months. With about 4 months to go I started hitting the material hard. 4 or 5 days a week working practice problems. Work those problems and then study the methods used to get them.

Toward the end I wouldnt even work the problems, I would look at it, figure out the method and check the answer.

 

[Ritchie503]

I took the FE senior year of college, October 2001, General afternoon and passed. We had a 1 hour review class at college for like 10 weeks that I attended. I studied some on my own and some with a group of people, probally a total of less than 40 hours. If I was out of college awhile I would have needed to study much more.

 

[snickerd3]

Like some others I was fortunate enough to take the FE was I was finishing my undergrad. The school offered a review course about two months before the exam. Three of us went to the review classes and studied together a couple hours on sundays maybe a month before the exam. I didn't study near as much for the FE. As chem Es, the math and chemistry parts (where most of the morning points are focused) weren't going to be a problem, we just had to reteach ourselves physics. ALthough I think the afternoon Chem E problems on the FE exam were MUCH more difficult than those on the ChemE PE exam. They were formatted like 4 to 6 questions on the same problem scenario and if you messed up the first on you wouldn't get the others. I don't think I completed single afternoon problem set, just one or two for each. The morning part is probably the only thing that saved me.