FE exam (formerly EIT)

[williamlove]

I graduated 25 years ago. I have an opportunity for a good job but they want me to estimate how long it will take me study for the FE (the equivalent of what used to be called the EIT) which is the same exam recent grads are urged to take if they are going to become a PE. My question is, how hard is that test and how long would a person studying in their spare time realistically take to prepare enough to pass it.

[JRoss]

I took the FE exam right after graduation, so I didn't think it was too terrible. I'd recommend getting a good study prep book and working through it. (I used this one, and got it as part of a set with sample test questions) How long depends a lot on how good you are at self-learning (especially from a book), how much you've used the concepts and principals over the years (even indirectly), and how much time you can devote to it. I'm 14 years out of college, and have been working in the controls field for most of that. I find it easy to grasp ideas from reading and working through problem sets. If I had a couple of hours a night to study, I think I'd want at least several months prep time. There are courses available if that's more your speed. Also, as I recall there were several flavors of the exam. When I took it, I could choose mechanical, electrical, or general (a little of both). I chose general, which meant I didn't have to work as hard on the electrical portion, but had to really study the mechanical portion to make up for not having as many classes in those subjects. Fortunately, my wife was studying at the same time, since her degree is in mechanical engineering, so we helped each other out. We both passed! Incidentally, the Fundaments of Engineering (FE) exam is what you have to pass to become an Engineer in Training (EIT).