<p>Just wondering what are people's thoughts on the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam to get professional licensing. What are the practical benefits? Do employers care? Or is it just a pedantic test of knowledge like the SAT? Any feedback would be appreciated!</p>
<p>That depends entirely on your field of study. In civil engineering, for example, it is VERY important and you gain significant benefit by taking and passing the FE and PPE exams. In a field like Computer Science, it is next to worthless.</p>
<p>It also depends on what your career goals are. If you want to go into private consulting, e.g. as a professor that also consults with industrial clients, then you would want to get a PE license in most fields. If you plan to just go work at a large company as an engineer like GM or Boeing or Intel or something, for anything other than civil engineering, you really won’t need that license.</p>
<p>The test itself is much more in depth than the SAT, and entirely based around engineering subjects. The general exam covers math, chemistry, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, circuits, structures, materials, statics, dynamics, and physics (maybe a few more that I forgot). It is given in two 4-hours sessions on a Saturday each fall and spring. You will definitely want to study for it, but it isn’t really a particularly hard test. There are no tricks, as it is just testing to see if you are competent in engineering knowledge to prepare you for earning your PE.</p>
<p>The FE exam is important if you want to work in an engineering field where licensing is important. Such fields are usually infrastructure-related, e.g. civil, structural, geotechnical, power, HVAC. </p>
<p>If you pass the FE exam while still in college, then future employers in these fields will be favorably impressed. The FE exam is normally a prerequisite for a Professional Engineer (PE license), so passing the FE exam shows that you are serious about licensure. </p>
<p>If you do not plan to work in an infrastructure-related field of engineering (and this includes most engineers), then future employers probably won’t care about the FE exam.</p>
<p>The FE exam is a multiple-choice test like the SAT, but much broader. Unlike the SAT, it is partially open book; you are provided with a standardized handbook for reference during the test. The FE exam largely tests you on the undergraduate engineering curriculum, not on “real-world” engineering issues. For this reason, it is easier to pass when you are an undergraduate, or recent graduate, and the material is still fresh in your mind. It becomes progressively harder to pass the longer you’ve been out of school.</p>
<p>As the others have said, the FE is a precursor to the PE exam and it’s importance varies from discipline. In fields where there is government, civil or structural work, it is almost a requirement. In petroleum engineering and some other fields, it doesn’t mean anything.</p>
<p>I thought the FE was a pretty easy exam and while it did test your engineering knowledge, you could just get by with the index of the massive equation book they give you. Most ABET or other reputable engineering programs have pretty high EIT passing rates. I would just take it since it’s pretty cheap and easy and it’s a hedge for the future. If you need it in the future, you’ll already be certified. If you don’t, it always looks good on your resume.</p>
<p>Is the license recommended for thermal fluid sciences?</p>
<p>It probably isn’t necessary, but I am getting one anyway because I want to some day be a professor probably, and if I do that I want to be able to consult on the side, which is where a PE will come in handy.</p>