FE Electrical and Computer · checked Oct 29, 2026
The FE Electrical and Computer exam is the FE discipline for electrical, electronics and computer engineering graduates. It has 110 questions in 5 h 20 min of testing, written to the specification in force since July 2020, and passing it is the first exam on the way to a PE license. One exam serves two majors: by the specification ranges, 21 to 32 of its questions are computer engineering.
FE Electrical and Computer practice test Exam facts
Updated Oct 29, 2026 · Not affiliated with NCEES.
| Fact | Detail | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exam owner | National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) | NCEES: FE exam [1] | |
| Leads to | Engineer intern (EI) or engineer-in-training (EIT) certification from a state boardNCEES writes and scores the exam; the state licensing board issues the EI/EIT certificate. | NCEES: FE exam · NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [1][2] | |
| Questions | 110 questionsIncludes unscored pretest questions that are not marked. | NCEES: FE exam · NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [1][2] | |
| Question types | Multiple choice plus alternative item types (multiple correct, point and click, drag and drop, fill in the blank)No partial credit on alternative items. | NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [2] | |
| Exam time | 5 hours 20 minutes | NCEES: FE exam · NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [1][2] | |
| Appointment | 6 hoursNondisclosure agreement 2 min, tutorial 8 min, exam 5 h 20 min, scheduled break 25 min (the guide table sums it as 5 h 55 min). | NCEES: FE exam · NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [1][2] | |
| Delivery | Computer-based at Pearson VUE test centersNo online or at-home option. | NCEES: FE exam · NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [1][2] | |
| Units | SI and USCS | NCEES: FE Electrical and Computer specifications, July 2020 (PDF) [3] | |
| Reference supplied | FE Reference Handbook, on screen as a searchable PDFThe current version is free in your MyNCEES account; on exam day search with the box on the left (Ctrl+F does not work); no personal copies. | NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) · NCEES: FE exam [1][2] | |
| Calculator | Any Casio fx-115 or fx-991 model, the HP 33s or HP 35s, or any TI-30X or TI-36X model; one in the room, plus an on-screen TI-30XSThe list is reviewed every year; spares stay in your locker. | NCEES: calculator policy (2026 list) · NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [2][4] | |
| Exam fee | $225 to NCEESFor each attempt, registrations from January 1, 2024 ($175 before). | NCEES: FE exam · NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) · NCEES: new exam prices effective January 1, 2024 [1][2][5] | |
| First-time pass rate | 70%First-time takers from EAC/ABET programs within 12 months of graduation, Jan–Jun 2026 (1,782 takers; NCEES table updated July 2026). | NCEES: FE exam [1] | |
| Specifications in force | July 2020 editionNo FE change appears in the NCEES notice of July 20, 2026, which lists exam changes through fall 2027; NCEES gives boards at least one year of notice. | NCEES: FE Electrical and Computer specifications, July 2020 (PDF) · NCEES memo to member boards, July 20, 2026: changes through fall 2027 (PDF, Virginia board copy) [3][6] |
Electrical engineers and computer engineers sit the same test. The power and electronics side is the familiar part for an EE: Circuit Analysis at 11–17 items, Power Systems at 8–12 items, Electronics at 7–11 items.
The computer side is four areas: Digital Systems (8–12), Computer Systems (5–8), Computer Networks (4–6) and Software Engineering (4–6). Added up, that is 21 to 32 questions. A power-track EE who skipped computer architecture has real ground to cover there, just as a CompE does in three-phase power and machines.
The ranges in the specification are not quotas. They add up to 100–154 against 110 questions on a form, so any one exam lands somewhere inside each range.
Items per area as printed in the specification. Four areas are general FE topics that other disciplines test too, so they are covered on shared pages; the rest have a page here, some of them merged so each page carries enough questions.
| № | Section | Items on the exam | Our questions | Practice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | MathematicsCommon to every FE discipline | 11–17 | 36 | FE practice test |
| 02 | Probability and StatisticsCommon to every FE discipline | 4–6 | 22 | FE practice test |
| 03 | Ethics and Professional PracticeCommon to every FE discipline | 4–6 | 22 | FE practice test |
| 04 | Engineering EconomicsCommon to every FE discipline | 5–8 | 28 | Engineering economics |
| 05 | Properties of Electrical MaterialsCovered in Electronics | 4–6 | 8 | Practice |
| 06 | Circuit Analysis (DC and AC Steady State) | 11–17 | 26 | Practice |
| 07 | Linear Systems | 5–8 | 12 | Practice |
| 08 | Signal ProcessingCovered in Linear systems | 5–8 | 13 | Practice |
| 09 | Electronics | 7–11 | 19 | Practice |
| 10 | Power Systems | 8–12 | 22 | Practice |
| 11 | ElectromagneticsCovered in Communications | 4–6 | 7 | Practice |
| 12 | Control Systems | 6–9 | 19 | Practice |
| 13 | Communications | 5–8 | 14 | Practice |
| 14 | Computer NetworksCovered in Computer systems | 4–6 | 7 | Practice |
| 15 | Digital Systems | 8–12 | 21 | Practice |
| 16 | Computer Systems | 5–8 | 11 | Practice |
| 17 | Software EngineeringCovered in Computer systems | 4–6 | 8 | Practice |
Older guides teach a different outline
What changed: The July 2020 outline replaced the January 2014 one, dropped the Engineering Sciences area, renamed Software Development to Software Engineering and added network security to Computer Networks. Ranges moved too: Circuit Analysis was 10–15 and Engineering Economics 3–5 in the January 2014 edition (archived 2014 specification). A review book that still has an Engineering Sciences chapter predates 2020.
In a p-n junction, the depletion region becomes wider when:
Solution
W ∝ √(Vbi + VR), so W grows with reverse bias
A 10 µF capacitor charged to 2 V is connected at t = 0 through a 10 kΩ resistor to a 12 V DC source. What is the capacitor voltage at t = 0.1 s?
| Given |
|
|---|---|
| Find | Capacitor voltage v(0.1 s) (V) |
Solution
τ = RC = 10 kΩ × 10 µF = 0.1 s
v(t) = V∞ + (V0 − V∞)e−t/τ = 12 + (2 − 12)e−1 = 8.32 V
A causal FIR filter is described by y[n] = x[n] − x[n − 2]. What type of filter is it?
Solution
H(z) = 1 − z−2, H(1) = 0 (DC), H(−1) = 0 (Nyquist)
|H(ejω)| = 2|sin ω|, peak at ω = π/2 → band-pass
An inductor with inductance 50 mH operates at 60 Hz. What is the magnitude of its inductive reactance?
| Given |
|
|---|---|
| Find | Inductive reactance XL (Ω) |
Solution
XL = ωL = 2πfL
XL = 2π × 60 Hz × 0.050 H = 18.85 Ω
Inductive reactance from the AC circuits section of the FE Reference Handbook.
Answer every question to see your score
A pass leads to EI/EIT certification. The state board issues it, and the board, not the exam, sets who may sit: EIT certification explains the step.
The licensing exam that follows in this field: PE Electrical and Computer, offered in three versions (Power; Electronics, Controls, and Communications; Computer Engineering). Experience requirements and the order of steps are on how to become a PE; the two exams side by side are on FE vs PE.
Yes. There is one FE Electrical and Computer exam; digital systems, computer systems, networks and software make up 21 to 32 of its questions by the specification ranges.
110 questions, in 5 h 20 min of testing. Some are unscored pretest items, and they are not marked.
70% for first-time takers from EAC/ABET programs within 12 months of graduation, Jan–Jun 2026. Repeat takers pass far less often: pass rate details.
No personal books. You get the FE Reference Handbook on screen as a searchable PDF, the same document for every FE discipline (how to use it).
FE Electrical and Computer questions, answers and worked solutions in a study app.
Not affiliated with NCEES.