Need some good FE (EIT) Review advice?
Need some good FE (EIT) Review advice?
(OP)
I'm planning on taking the FE (or EIT) this fall. I would like to get some ideas from others about how they went about preparing.
My background is little different from the norm.
I'm a little older than most college freshman (36) and have been taking classes one semester at a time. (Structural) So all of my classes aren't as fresh in my mind as they would normally be for others.
I do plan on taking a review course, but I wanted a few opinions on it before I dive in this summer.
thanks for the help in advance.
My background is little different from the norm.
I'm a little older than most college freshman (36) and have been taking classes one semester at a time. (Structural) So all of my classes aren't as fresh in my mind as they would normally be for others.
I do plan on taking a review course, but I wanted a few opinions on it before I dive in this summer.
thanks for the help in advance.






RE: Need some good FE (EIT) Review advice?
I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news first; I found the EIT exam to be more difficult than the PE exam. It seemed to be more theoretical and covered all the engineering courses somewhat equally. Of course, I took the exam in 1971, with the EIT on the first day and the PE on the second, so it could have changed a little since then <g>. I'm a Civil, so the electrical and thermodynamic portions of the test were gruesome for me.
The good news is that the test is open book, so if you prepare in an organized way you should do well. Select your reference books carefully and tab the pages so you can find information and example problems quickly. As I remember it, you do get partial credit for the problems. As long as you can show you know the method and outline the solution, you don't necessarily have to get the correct numerical answer of (course, you don't get full credit, but something is better than nothing).
The PE exam was more practical and directed at the various specialties.
Best of luck!
RE: Need some good FE (EIT) Review advice?
I agree the FE will probably be harder than the PE.
RE: Need some good FE (EIT) Review advice?
Start studying 4 weeks prior to exam (any sooner and you'll forget the information you started on.), approximately 2 to 3 hours a day with a day off mid-week. And don't study the day before the exam...If you don't know it by then, you're not going to.
Good Luck.
RE: Need some good FE (EIT) Review advice?
Get a technical dictionary and just study definitions for those subjects that you are extremely weak in. Knowing the definitions of key terms can go along way to eliminating incorrect answers.
When taking the exam try this. First go question to question and only answer those that you are sure of. Leave the others for the second and third passes. Next go back through and try the questions that you can eliminate one or two of the answers. If you have to guess at these questions at least you improve your odds of guessing correctly. Lastly go back through a third time and mark the same letter for each question that you have no idea of how to solve. For this go through you hope to get at least 25% of your guesses correct.
Also do no studying the night before the exam. Have a light, nutritious meal for breakfeast prior to the exam, and have a light lunch also (some people get quite sleepy after a heavy meal).
Good luck and don't get discouraged if you don't pass it on the first try.
RE: Need some good FE (EIT) Review advice?
As you know, the morning portion of the exam covers all areas of engineering, while the afternoon portion gives you the choice of a general exam or discipline-specific exams.
When I took the test, all the exams were in the booklet, so you could look them over before you chose one.
The tip is: TAKE THE GENERAL TEST IN THE AFTERNOON AS WELL, NOT YOUR SPECIFIC DISCIPLINE.
You have to study all fields for the morning exam anyway, and the discipline specific problems are more in-depth and difficult than the general problems. If you opt for the general exam, you are essentially taking the morning exam twice...no studying for two separate exams.
Of course, I recommend that you take a look at your discipline's afternoon exam before you choose the general exam, just in case it looks like a cake walk.
RE: Need some good FE (EIT) Review advice?
Great input everyone thanks!
Still loking for anyone who has actually taken a review course and live to tell the tale...
so to speak..
Let me know if it was helpful, expensive, waist of time etc...
RE: Need some good FE (EIT) Review advice?
Words about the review prep courses... Personally, I havent attended any courses for any license exams. However, general consensus I get from those who took the courses are:
1. it is expensive.
2. sessions are slow-paced.
3. losing saturdays for many weeks is a big sacrifice.
In my opinion, if you are disciplined enough to study on your own using review books, it is probably better. For most people who are un-disciplined, the courses provide a mandatory time out of the week where they have to be "forced" to sit in and do homeworks. I recommend save your time and money and study on your own. You don't have to be stalled when other students in the class take up the instructor's valuable time by asking questions that are not relevant to your own needs. This time again, choice is yours. Best of luck!
RE: Need some good FE (EIT) Review advice?
RE: Need some good FE (EIT) Review advice?
1) Mattman is right. I took the general in the afternoon and didn't regret it for a second.
2) TAKE A 5 MIN BREAK in the middle of each exam. Sacrifice the time for the sanity. i.e. I aced fluid mechanics, yet when I got to that part of the exam (3 hours into the exam) I couldn't even remember that Q=V*A
3) BE EFFICIENT WITH YOUR TIME. If you don't know the answer, skip it and return to it. HOWEVER I put a light dash just outside the column on the ones I skipped so I could find them with a simple glance.
4) WRONG ANSWERS DON'T COUNT AGINST YOU. when they say "put your pencils down, make DAMN sure every question is answered. I'd didn't and It ALMOST cost me the exam (side note: I got 1 point higher than a friend. I passed, he didn't)
5) IGNORE THE RULE ABOUT NO SCRAP PAPER. I bought a new pad of engineering paper, left the plastic on until i was in my seat for the exam took the plastic off when one of the proctors was in relativity close to my seat. long story short, I got through the morning exam, and into the afternoon exam before a proctor from the survey exam was strolling around in our exam saw me and told me to put it away.
6) THEN I JUST WROTE ON THE DESK. So have a big eraser because you will run out of space.
7) INVEST IN A TEXAS INSTRUMENTS TI-89 GRAPHING CALC. It costs about $150, is relativity easy to use, and will do all of the calculus for you.
8) If you get the TI-89, also get the cable link to the computer. There are programs online to download for free that will help you in this exam. If you get the TI-89, and the cable and have any questions, let me know. I'll be happy to help.
9) HAVE THE BEER ALREADY AT AND THE DRINKING LOCATION. You don't want to waste time stopping at the package store to by the booze.
RE: Need some good FE (EIT) Review advice?
Also, the book pointed out lots of tricks that the test likes to use. For example, the test makers love to draw an elaborate indeterminate structure and ask for the force in one member. Look carefully, because most of the time, the answer will be 0!
So the review book will help point out things like that. We had review sessions at school but they tended to focus on the things I already remembered and not go into the things you really need to know. Although, a FE specific course might be more focused on teaching "test tricks". But I think the book is good enough!
RE: Need some good FE (EIT) Review advice?
9) WHEN YOU GUESS AN ANSWER WHERE YOU REALLY HAVE NO CLUE, ALWAYS STICK WITH THE SAME LETTER THROUGH OUT THE EXAM. I've heard that statistically you will do better than guessing A, C, A, D, B, B, D, A, etc.
Last but not least
10) HAVE THE BEER ALREADY AT AND THE DRINKING LOCATION. You don't want to waste time stopping at the package store to by the booze.
RE: Need some good FE (EIT) Review advice?
RE: Need some good FE (EIT) Review advice?
I bought my books (EI and PE0 from professional publications. They were very good and helpful. I have to make one comment about open book tests, if you do not know how to solve the problem; open book will not help you. You must practice and or know the material. You do not have time to shuffle between pages during the exam. Else you will wind up making too many guesses to unsolved problems.
Relax the night before the exam. Take few references books for formulas and or charts.
Good luck and I wish you great success.
RE: Need some good FE (EIT) Review advice?
The review class compliments the book study: by reminding you keep the study pace, creating a forum with other examinees, and especially gives me a place to bring my book in with the problems I'm stuck on. The profs seem to enjoy assisting with these, since they tend to use their own sample problems over and over.
Worth the extra drive? sitting hours in classs? and the big buckos? I'm in the midst of preparing for the exam, so I'll follow-up with a post-test perspective.
RE: Need some good FE (EIT) Review advice?
RE: Need some good FE (EIT) Review advice?