How I Studied For The Engineering-In-Training (EIT) Exam or FE Exam And Tips
4:00 PM
The most frequently asked question about the EIT exam, or also called FE exam, is whether it is difficult or not. For me, the difficulty of any test varies from one person to another and their preparation for it.
Some people said that FE stands for 'F*cking Easy' as the questions are quite basic compared to those long complex problems we have for our major examinations in college. But take note, people still fail, so do not be complacent.
A number of questions can be done by simply plugging values into a formula and viola, 1 point! But of course, you must know what formula to use and the corresponding units that go with it.
It is easy if you prepare well enough. "Failing to prepare is preparing to fail"
1. Gather all the materails you can use. In this case, the more, the merrier. You can search the web for sample questions and free lectures, either for a specific topic, or even for the entire subject.
2. If you are under a review or refresher center, most probably, you have the access to an enormous library of past problems and organized lectures. Use it to your advantage, and practice solving all the problems.
To save money, I haven't taken any review classes. It will harder without any guidance, but it is possible to ace it by yourself. Everyone of us learns differently: some wants to study alone and the others opt to do it in a group.
3. The book I greatly recommend is "FE Civil Review Manual" by Lindeburg.
For every topic, and subtopic, there's a short lecture about it. This is good source of information for the objective-type questions that you'll encounter in the actual exam. It also contains examples for everything that involves computation.
Buy one here.
4. Buy the sample test that is being offered by NCEES. It will help you grasp the test experience and its difficulty with the arsenal of knowledge you already possess: you'll know if you are ready or not.
Relevant or similar questions in that sample test appeared in the actual exam.
Even after finishing the sample test, you will still have access to the questions and answers for a period of time.
5. Memorize the basic equations. I know that you are provided with a pdf file (FE Handbook) that contains all the equations to be used, but since it is a timed exam, you must answer easy questions swiftly and save time from repeatedly scanning for formulas.
Do not memorize the long formulas! But if you are confident with that way, do it by all means.
6. Familiar yourself with the handbook. Know where is the chapter for a specific topic or subject. It will be handy when you forget a vital information needed for a specific problem.
7. Check the allowed scientific calculators for the exam and buy one.
If you forget to bring your calculator on the exam date, they will provide you with a non-scientific one. Who would want that?
8. Know how your calculator works and the tricks you can use to compute specific problems with ease.
For example, "What value of x will make this equation true?" Instead of repeatedly inputting the long equation, use variable/s and assign the choices, one at a time.
Save time on the easy questions and allot more on the difficult ones.
9. You don't need to master everything. Don't bang your head against the wall just because you can't understand it. Plan what to study first. Every question is valued the same (1 point) whether it is an objective-type or computational.
Check for the subjects that comes with a bug chunk of questions. You can let go of some topics, and master another. It is for you to ponder about. Focus on your strengths!
10. Since you are an engineering student or graduate, most probably, you will have an easy time with Mathematics (i.e. Algebra and Calculus).
11. Do not overthink! Look at the given equations on the handbook. Familiarize yourself and study the theory behind it. At least for me, I have not seen questions that will need additional equations not listed on the PDF.
12. Ethics is also important. Before the day of the examination, re-read it. Garner some points from it: every point matters!
13. Just keep on solving practice problems!
14. Use Google to your advantage.
FE sample questions
EIT sample questions
<the topic itself>
<insert topic> sample questions
<inset calculator model> calculator tricks
More Tips
- More resources (or websites) I used to study:
- You can skip questions in the exam and complete it later at the end. Do not spend too much time on 1 problem!
- There is no definite passing score. It is good to aim high: target at least 75 percent.
- Answer everything: don't leave anything blank. There's no penalty for wrong answers.
For any questions, hit me up in the comment box below.
0 comments