Interactive FE Practice Exams Data Shows Positive Trend

This article originally appeared in the April 2025 issue of NCEES Licensure Exchange. It is reprinted here with permission from NCEES.

In the April 2024 Headquarters Update in Licensure Exchange, then CEO David Cox announced that NCEES was on the cusp on releasing new online interactive practice exams for the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam.

We began developing the new practice exams after we noticed a large number of FE exam registrants were failing to schedule appointments to take the exam. We surveyed the group and found the root of the problem: Registrants were experiencing a lack of confidence and preparedness due to the isolating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The interactive practice exams (IPEs) launched in June 2024. Each of the seven FE exams (Chemical, Civil, Electrical and Computer, Environmental, Industrial and Systems, Mechanical, and Other Disciplines) have a corresponding IPE that is comprised of 50 inactivated exam items from the NCEES live question bank. The IPEs mimic the actual FE exam in almost every facet. Because the practice exam questions came from the live bank, they have known statistics that make feedback possible for those who use the practice exams.

Fast forward to April 2025: 10 months of offering the IPEs and more than 21,000 practice exams have been purchased. Given that volume, we decided to investigate the impacts. We still have a significant number of registrants that have been authorized to test but have not scheduled a date for their exam. That is a little disheartening, but the encouraging part is that registrants who purchased the practice exams are passing the real FE exam at a higher rate for both first-time takers and repeat takers.

The included bar graph shows that first-time takers who purchased the practice exam passed the FE between 3 to 9 percent greater than those who did not purchase the practice exam, depending on the discipline. For repeat takers, the range is 3 to 14 percent greater.

While the intended goal of reducing the number of authorized but not scheduled registrants has not yet been met, we feel the IPEs are giving those who will actually take the FE exam a good look at what will be in store for them on exam day. Maybe we have boosted their confidence.

We are planning to develop and launch a second set of FE practice exams as well as an interactive practice exam for the Fundamentals of Surveying exam.

Zone Interim Meetings

Also on the horizon are the upcoming zone interim meetings. The Northeast Zone will meet on April 10–12 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Southern Zone will meet on April 24–26 in Little Rock, Arkansas. And the Central and Western zones will have a joint interim meeting on May 15–17 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I look forward to seeing everyone at the zone meetings, where we will hear from this year’s committees and task forces as well as take care of important zone business. Safe travels.

Davy McDowell, P.E., is the chief executive officer of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), the organization composed of all U.S. licensing boards for engineers and surveyors.