FE Chemical · exam facts · checked Oct 29, 2026
FE Chemical exam info, format and pass rate
The rules of the computer-based exam are the same for every FE discipline; what sets FE Chemical apart is its small, volatile pass-rate sample and the property data it expects you to read. Every fact is dated and sourced.
FE Chemical practice test Study guide
Updated Oct 29, 2026 · Not affiliated with NCEES.
- ExamFE Chemical
- questions110
- exam time5 h 20 min
- first-time, Jan–Jun 202668%
- repeat takers, FY202535%
- Checked
Format and rules
| Fact | Detail | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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] | |
| 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] | |
| Exam time | 5 hours 20 minutes | NCEES: FE exam · NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [1][2] | |
| Scheduled break | 25 minutes, after about half the questionsYou review and submit the first half before the break and cannot return to it; unscheduled breaks run on the exam clock. | 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] | |
| When you can test | Year-roundNCEES testing windows run Jan–Mar, Apr–Jun, Jul–Sep and Oct–Dec. | NCEES: FE exam · NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [1][2] | |
| Units | SI and USCS | NCEES: FE Chemical 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] | |
| Design standards supplied | None | NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [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] | |
| Result | Pass/fail, typically within 7–10 business daysEmail notice, result in MyNCEES. | NCEES: FE exam [1] | |
| Passing score | Not published (a scaled score against a minimum ability level)The number of correct answers is converted to a scaled score; wrong answers cost nothing; first-time and repeat takers are graded to the same standard. | NCEES: exam scoring [5] | |
| Diagnostic report | Only after a failed attempt, by major topic | NCEES: FE exam · NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [1][2] | |
| Retakes | Once per testing window, at most 3 times in any 12 monthsSome boards are stricter. | NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [2] | |
| Time to test after approval | 12 months to test after board approvalThe fee is forfeited if you neither test nor cancel within 12 months. | NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [2] | |
| Who can sit | Set by your state board; the exam is designed for students close to finishing and recent graduates of EAC/ABET-accredited engineering programs | NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) · NCEES: FE exam [1][2] | |
| 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 Chemical specifications, July 2020 (PDF) · NCEES memo to member boards, July 20, 2026: changes through fall 2027 (PDF, Virginia board copy) [3][6] |
Three rules trip people who read older blogs. The 6 h figure is the appointment, not the exam: exam time is 5 h 20 min. Not every item is single-answer multiple choice: the exam uses multiple choice plus alternative item types (multiple correct, point and click, drag and drop, fill in the blank); no partial credit on alternative items. And the passing score is not published, so no "70% to pass" rule exists; a wrong answer costs nothing, so leave nothing blank.
FE Chemical pass rate
| Fact | Detail | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-time pass rate | 68%First-time takers from EAC/ABET programs within 12 months of graduation, Jan–Jun 2026 (743 takers; NCEES table updated July 2026). | NCEES: FE exam [1] | |
| First-time takers | 743Same population and half-year as the pass rate. | NCEES: FE exam [1] | |
| First-time pass rate, all takers (FY 2024–25) | 68%All first-time takers, NCEES fiscal year Oct 2024–Sep 2025 (1,873 takers). | NCEES Squared 2025: pass rates, fiscal year Oct 2024–Sep 2025 (PDF) · NCEES Squared 2024: pass rates, fiscal year Oct 2023–Sep 2024 (PDF) [7][8] | |
| Repeat pass rate (FY 2024–25) | 35%All repeat takers, NCEES fiscal year Oct 2024–Sep 2025 (316 takers). The FE exam page publishes first-time rates only. | NCEES Squared 2025: pass rates, fiscal year Oct 2024–Sep 2025 (PDF) · NCEES Squared 2024: pass rates, fiscal year Oct 2023–Sep 2024 (PDF) [7][8] | |
| Jul–Dec 2022 | 69% of 304 (Jul–Dec 2022) | NCEES FE page, archived | — |
| Jan–Jun 2023 | 71% of 546 (Jan–Jun 2023) | NCEES FE page, archived | — |
| Jul–Dec 2023 | 71% of 163 (Jul–Dec 2023) | NCEES FE page, archived | — |
| Jan–Jun 2024 | 73% of 708 (Jan–Jun 2024) | NCEES FE page, archived | — |
| Jul–Dec 2024 | 78% of 360 (Jul–Dec 2024) | NCEES FE page, archived | — |
| Jan–Jun 2025 | 70% of 697 (Jan–Jun 2025) | NCEES FE page, archived | — |
| Jul–Dec 2025 | 68% of 405 (Jul–Dec 2025) | NCEES FE page, archived | — |
| Jan–Jun 2026 | 68% of 743 (Jan–Jun 2026) | NCEES FE page, archived | — |
- Small sample, big swings. Each half-year counts a few hundred first-time EAC/ABET takers (the n is in each row above), so a few dozen results move the rate: it peaked at 78% in Jul–Dec 2024 and was back at 68% a year later.
- Compare like with like. The half-year rates count first-time EAC/ABET takers within 12 months of graduation. The fiscal-year figures from NCEES Squared 2025 count everyone: 68% first-time and 35% repeat for Oct 2024–Sep 2025.
- EAC/ABET graduates, same fiscal year: 69% first time and 38% on a repeat, a little above the all-taker figures.
- What it means for you: the first sitting is the one to prepare for. Repeat takers pass about half as often, and the cost page turns that into expected attempts.
The reference on screen
The FE Reference Handbook is on screen as a PDF you search with a box on the left; Ctrl+F does nothing there, and the free MyNCEES download is the copy to practice with. The chemical specification names the property data you are expected to read: steam tables, psychrometric charts, T-s, P-h, x-y and T-x-y diagrams (specification, Thermodynamics). How the search box behaves and how to drill with it: FE Reference Handbook.
Numbers that are out of date
- A $175 fee: out of date; $225 applies to registrations from January 1, 2024 (cost).
- A 73% pass rate: the Jan–Jun 2024 figure, still quoted by some prep sites; the current one is 68%.
- "Process Design and Economics": a 2014 area name; since July 2020 they are two areas.
- A Handbook version number: prep sites quote numbers that the NCEES exam pages do not show; the exam uses the current version in MyNCEES.
More on FE Chemical
- FE Chemical overviewWhat FE Chemical covers, how it is scored, its pass rate and the path to a PE
- FE Chemical practice testProblems weighted like the July 2020 Chemical outline, every option explained
- FE Chemical costNCEES fee, expected attempts, board fees and practice materials
- FE Chemical reference handbookThe data the Chemical outline expects you to read, and a search drill
- FE Chemical study guideA study plan by the July 2020 weights, plus the costly traps
Source notes
- NCEES: FE exam ncees.org · checked Oct 29, 2026
- NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) ncees.org · checked Oct 29, 2026
- NCEES: FE Chemical specifications, July 2020 (PDF) ncees.org · checked Oct 29, 2026
- NCEES: calculator policy (2026 list) ncees.org · checked Oct 29, 2026
- NCEES: exam scoring ncees.org · checked Oct 29, 2026
- NCEES memo to member boards, July 20, 2026: changes through fall 2027 (PDF, Virginia board copy) dpor.tl.virginia.gov · checked Oct 29, 2026
- NCEES Squared 2025: pass rates, fiscal year Oct 2024–Sep 2025 (PDF) ncees.org · checked Oct 29, 2026
- NCEES Squared 2024: pass rates, fiscal year Oct 2023–Sep 2024 (PDF) ncees.org · checked Oct 29, 2026
Rules people ask about
What is the current pass rate?
68% for first-time EAC/ABET takers in Jan–Jun 2026 (743 people). Repeat takers passed at 35% in fiscal 2025.
Is there a published cut score?
No. Correct answers are converted to a scaled score, and a wrong answer costs you nothing.
When can I sit again after a fail?
The NCEES limit is 1 per window, 3 in 12 months. Some boards are stricter. A failing result includes a topic-by-topic diagnostic, the best guide to what to restudy.
Metric or US customary on this exam?
Both: SI and USCS. The reference’s Mollier chart for steam is in Btu/lb (NCEES errata notice), so check the units on each chart before reading it.
Drill FE Chemical between classes
FE Chemical questions, answers and worked solutions in a study app.
Not affiliated with NCEES.