Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Electrical & Computer Practice Questions

Hundreds of practice questions mapped to all knowledge areas on the FE Electrical and Computer exam. Questions include worked explanations with full solution steps.

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Sample Questions

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Question 1 of 3

A vector has a magnitude of 8.0 units and forms an angle of 60° with the positive x-axis. The x-component of this vector is most nearly:

A 6.9 units
B 8.0 units
C 4.0 units
D 2.0 units
Question 2 of 3

A force vector in a plane has a magnitude of 12.0 N and forms an angle of 135° with the positive x-axis. If this force is applied to a 6.0 kg object initially at rest on a frictionless surface, the acceleration component along the x-axis is most nearly:

A 1.4 m/s²
B 5.7 m/s²
C −1.4 m/s²
D −5.7 m/s²
Question 3 of 3

In a series RLC circuit with R = 120 Ω, L = 0.2 H, and C = 100 μF operating at 60 Hz, the total impedance magnitude is most nearly:

A 138 Ω
B 150 Ω
C 124 Ω
D 170 Ω

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FE Electrical & Computer exam format

Fundamentals of Engineering — Electrical and Computer is a CBT exam of 110 questions over 6h appointment (5h 20m exam time).

Questions
110
Sitting time
6h appointment (5h 20m exam time)
Format
CBT
Sections
17

Knowledge areas covered

17 practice areas in the FE Electrical & Computer question bank, each with its own questions and analytics.

Question types you'll practise

Every question in the bank is written in one of these formats.

CalculationConceptualScenarioCode lookup

How to pass the FE Electrical & Computer exam on the first try

  1. Mathematics and Circuit Analysis each carry 11 to 17 of the 110 questions on the FE Electrical and Computer exam. Between them that is close to a third of the paper, so they come first in any study plan.
  2. The eleven areas from Linear Systems through Software Engineering carry 61 to 94 of the 110 questions on the FE Electrical and Computer exam. Skipping the ones outside your degree track walks away from 12 to 26 of them.
  3. Learn your calculator's complex mode. Phasor and AC circuit work on the FE Electrical and Computer exam turns into two keystrokes once you do, and only models on the NCEES-approved list are permitted.
  4. The NCEES FE Reference Handbook is on screen and is the only reference allowed. Practise inside its Electrical and Computer Engineering chapter until the transform tables and Boolean identities come up without hunting.
  5. Work each miss back to its trap. FE Electrical and Computer distractors come from expected slips: a phasor angle in degrees fed to a calculator in radians, a √3 dropped between line and phase. Nothing is deducted for a wrong answer.

About the FE Electrical & Computer exam

The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Electrical and Computer exam is the NCEES exam that electrical and computer engineering graduates take on the way to a Professional Engineer license. It is computer-based and delivered year-round at Pearson VUE test centers. Most candidates sit it in the final year of an ABET-accredited program or shortly after. Passing earns the Engineer in Training (EIT) or Engineer Intern (EI) designation in most states and is the prerequisite for the PE Electrical and Computer exams later in your career.

With 17 knowledge areas, the Electrical and Computer specification is the longest of any FE discipline. Two areas dominate. Mathematics and Circuit Analysis each carry 11 to 17 questions, so between them they can be close to a third of the 110-question exam. Around them sit a cluster of mid-weight areas (Electronics, Power Systems, and Digital Systems at 7 to 12 questions each) and a long tail of areas worth 4 to 9 questions apiece, from Electromagnetics and Communications to Computer Networks and Computer Systems. Because the tail areas together outweigh the two big ones, the practice bank on this page is organized by all 17 NCEES areas.

FE Electrical and Computer exam specifications by knowledge area

Source: NCEES FE Electrical and Computer exam specifications (effective July 2020)

Knowledge areaQuestionsApprox. share
Mathematics11–1713%
Probability and Statistics4–65%
Ethics and Professional Practice4–65%
Engineering Economics5–86%
Properties of Electrical Materials4–65%
Circuit Analysis11–1713%
Linear Systems5–86%
Signal Processing5–86%
Electronics7–118%
Power Systems8–129%
Electromagnetics4–65%
Control Systems6–97%
Communications5–86%
Computer Networks4–65%
Digital Systems8–129%
Computer Systems5–86%
Software Engineering4–65%

Question counts are the ranges NCEES publishes. Each exam form draws a fixed number from each range that sums to 110. NCEES titles the sixth area "Circuit Analysis (DC and AC Steady State)". The share column is the midpoint of each range as a percentage of 110. It is a planning aid, and NCEES does not publish it. The eleven areas from Linear Systems through Software Engineering are individually small but together carry 61 to 94 of the 110 questions.

How the FE Electrical & Computer exam is scored

The FE is scored pass/fail. NCEES does not publish a passing percentage. Your raw score is converted to a scaled score and compared with a standard set by a panel of licensed engineers, so the number of correct answers needed can differ slightly between exam forms. Results are released through your MyNCEES account, usually within 7 to 10 days. Failing results come with a diagnostic report showing your relative performance in each of the 17 knowledge areas, which is the most useful document you have when planning a retake.

In addition to conventional four-option multiple choice, the exam uses alternative item types (AITs): multiple-correct-answer questions, point-and-click on a schematic or Bode plot, drag-and-drop ordering, and fill-in-the-blank numeric entry. There is no penalty for wrong answers, so every question should be answered.

Registration and exam rules

Administered by
NCEES, at Pearson VUE test centers. Register through MyNCEES. The exam is available year-round.
Eligibility
Set by each state licensing board. Most boards allow students in the final year of an EAC/ABET-accredited engineering program, and all allow graduates. Some states require board approval before you can register.
Appointment
The appointment is 6 hours: a short nondisclosure agreement and tutorial, 5 hours 20 minutes of exam time, and one scheduled 25-minute break between the two halves. Once you start the second half you cannot return to the first.
Reference
The NCEES FE Reference Handbook is supplied on screen as a searchable PDF and is the only reference permitted. For this exam the Electrical and Computer Engineering chapter (phasor and per-unit relations, transform tables, filter and op-amp configurations, Boolean identities, and the control-systems and communications summaries) is where most of your look-ups will land. Download the free PDF from NCEES and use it in every practice session.
Calculator
Only models on the NCEES-approved list: the Casio fx-115 and fx-991 families, the HP 33s and 35s, and the TI-30X and TI-36X families. Complex-number arithmetic is a real advantage on this exam, so pick a model that handles it well. Our FE exam calculator guide compares them.
Retakes
You may take the FE once per testing window (January–March, April–June, July–September, October–December) and no more than three times in any 12-month period.

The 12-week FE Electrical and Computer study plan

Candidates who pass commonly report between 100 and 200 hours of preparation. The plan below spreads that over 12 weeks at 10 to 15 hours a week. It front-loads the two heaviest areas, then sweeps the long tail in weight order.

  1. Weeks 1–2Diagnostic and the two anchors. Take a timed mixed set cold to find your weak areas, then work Mathematics (calculus, linear algebra, differential equations, complex numbers) and Circuit Analysis (DC and AC). Together they are up to a third of the exam and the basis for almost everything else.
  2. Weeks 3–4Electronics and Power Systems. Diodes, BJT and MOSFET biasing, op-amp circuits, and amplifiers in one week. Three-phase power, transformers, per-unit calculations, power factor, and motors in the next.
  3. Weeks 5–6Digital Systems and Computer Systems. Number systems, Boolean algebra and minimization, combinational and sequential logic, state machines, then processor architecture, memory hierarchy, interfacing, and basic operating-system concepts.
  4. Weeks 7–8Linear Systems, Signal Processing, and Control Systems. Laplace and Fourier transforms, transfer functions, convolution, sampling and filters, block diagrams, stability, and frequency response. These three areas share methods, so studying them together saves time.
  5. Weeks 9–10The remaining tail: Electromagnetics, Communications, Computer Networks, Software Engineering, Properties of Electrical Materials, Probability and Statistics, Engineering Economics, and Ethics. Each is 4 to 8 questions and most are formula- or definition-driven, so handbook familiarity pays off quickly.
  6. Weeks 11–12Two full-length timed mock exams (110 questions, 5 hours 20 minutes, one break) a week apart, with the reference handbook open and an approved calculator. Review every wrong answer by knowledge area and spend the final days on the two or three that still lag.

Where FE Electrical & Computer candidates lose points

Learn the FE Electrical & Computer the way its item writers think

Circuit Analysis and Mathematics are up to a third of this exam, and their distractors are built from arithmetic that goes wrong in predictable places. The writer computes the magnitude with the phase discarded, the answer you get with an angle in degrees where the expression wanted radians, the result of a per-unit quantity left on the wrong base, the value that follows when a Boolean identity is applied to one term instead of the whole expression, and the number that comes out when a base conversion runs in the wrong direction. Each of those lands in the options as a plausible choice. PassExams explains on every question and at every tier why the option you chose looked right, and on Pro every wrong option carries its trap type (reading trick, unit conversion, sign error, formula swap, partial solution).

Those labels turn into a map of where your points go by area. Finding out that Circuit Analysis costs you phasor arithmetic you tried to do by hand while Digital Systems costs you minimization slips tells you what to practise tonight. When you miss a question the variant engine regenerates it with a new source frequency or a new truth table, so the retry tests the method and not your recall of one worked example. Hints strip out the most tempting distractor first and walk you back through the reasoning. Learn your approved calculator's complex mode alongside this and a whole class of AC circuit questions turns into two keystrokes. What transfers to exam day is the method, which is the whole point of learning to pass instead of memorizing to pass.

FE Electrical & Computer exam FAQ

How do I pass the FE Electrical & Computer exam on the first try?

Start with Mathematics and Circuit Analysis, since each carries 11 to 17 of the 110 questions and between them they are close to a third of the exam. Then sweep the long tail in weight order, because the eleven areas from Linear Systems through Software Engineering carry 61 to 94 of the 110 questions and skipping the ones outside your track costs 12 to 26 of them. Learn your approved calculator in complex mode before exam day, and work every practice session inside the on-screen NCEES FE Reference Handbook. Most candidates who pass report 100 to 200 hours over two to three months.

How many questions are on the FE Electrical and Computer exam?

110 questions, delivered in two halves with one scheduled break. Every question counts equally and there is no penalty for wrong answers.

How long is the FE Electrical and Computer exam?

The appointment is 6 hours: roughly 10 minutes for the nondisclosure agreement and tutorial, 5 hours 20 minutes of exam time, and a 25-minute break. That is about 2 minutes 55 seconds per question.

What score do you need to pass the FE Electrical and Computer exam?

NCEES does not publish a passing percentage. The exam is scored pass/fail on a scaled basis with a cut score set by a standard-setting panel, so it can vary slightly between exam forms. Aim for consistent accuracy above 70% on realistic practice questions.

Is the FE Electrical and Computer exam hard?

Its difficulty comes from breadth, with 17 knowledge areas spanning power, electronics, signals, controls, communications, and computing. NCEES publishes pass rates by discipline. First-time takers from ABET-accredited programs pass at a meaningfully higher rate than repeat takers, and candidates who fail often report neglecting the areas outside their specialization.

Should computer engineering graduates take FE Electrical and Computer?

Yes. It is the FE discipline NCEES designates for computer engineering, and Digital Systems, Computer Systems, and Computer Networks together carry 17 to 26 questions on the specification. You will still need Circuit Analysis, Electronics, Power Systems, and Electromagnetics, which is where most computer-track candidates need the extra study.

What calculator can I use on the FE exam?

Only models on the NCEES-approved list: Casio fx-115 and fx-991 families, HP 33s and 35s, and TI-30X and TI-36X families. Graphing calculators and anything with alphanumeric text storage are not allowed.

How long should I study for the FE Electrical and Computer exam?

Most candidates who pass report 100 to 200 hours over 2 to 3 months. Because the specification is so broad, candidates more than a year or two out of school should plan for the upper end and begin with a diagnostic.

Can I retake the FE Electrical and Computer exam if I fail?

Yes. NCEES allows one attempt per testing window (quarterly) and a maximum of three attempts in any 12-month period. The diagnostic report that accompanies a failing result shows performance by knowledge area so you can target the retake.

Further reading

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