Should I take the exam? (From a student):

Dr. Lowery:
I was just wondering about the FE exam.  Do you recommend that all graduating seniors take it?  I graduate in May in Civil Engineering with a structures specialty.  I want to make sure this is something I should definitely do before I do it.  Thanks a lot. 
 
Ian:
This is something all graduating seniors should DEFINITELY do. If you don't take it now, it will be much more difficult to take and pass later, after you have forgotten a lot of your basic materials. Right now your expected pass rate is around 90 to 98%. Later on your expected pass rate drops significantly.
 
If you take it now, and you never use it, you lose $115. But if your company needs someone to put an engineering seal on their work, you will be that guy, and paid accordingly. Also, if you want to start your own company and don't get licensed, you will have to hire a new Aggie to put their seal on all of your work - not cheap. Admittedly, you will probably have to hire them anyway since you won't be able to get everything done by yourself, but it is embarrassing to have to get your new hire to seal all of your work.
 
Taking this exam is a lot of trouble. It is a lot of hard work. It is expensive.
 
It is well worth it. Take it!
 
L^3

When should I take the exam?

There is some question as to when you should take this exam.

1) You cannot take it unless  you are close to graduation:

"An undergraduate student who is within two full-time semesters (not including summer sessions) of graduating and who is enrolled in an EAC/ABET-accredited engineering program, a TAC/ABET-accredited four year baccalaureate technical program or an engineering-related science program of four years or more that has been approved by the Board [is eligible to take the exam]. A graduate student enrolled in a Master's or Ph.D. engineering program [is eligible to take the exam]."

Basically they are saying that you get two shots at passing the exam while still in school. Thus if it is now the summer, and you plan to graduate next summer, you can take it in either the coming Fall or Spring semesters. If it is now Fall, and you plan to graduate next Fall, you can take it in either the coming Spring or Fall semesters. You just have to be within 2 semesters of graduating, as best you can tell. This are always questions which arise under this policy. What if you flunk a course? What if you are planning to take 21 hours per semester for the next two semesters? Neither make you ineligible. If you have any chance of graduating in two semesters, you are eligible, and they will pretty well have to take your word for it.

2) If you wait until the semester you graduate, you will have picked up a full semester of course work that will be covered on the exam, which means you should have a much better chance of passing. However, that also means you will have forgotten a full semester of basic math and material which you took early in your career. Several people have told me they think they forgot more than they gained. I don't know. Also, if you don't pass it then you have to drive to Austin the next time you want to re-take it, since you are no longer a TAMU student.

3) If you take the exam the semester before you graduate, you have a second shot at it if you flunk it, and will have forgotten less of your basic material, but won't yet have covered steel or concrete.

My suggestion? Take the exam. I don't know when, but take the exam.

Which exam should I take?

When you go into the exam room, they will give you a General Morning Exam. Everyone takes that same morning exam, and you have no choice but to take it. Having proctored this exam numerous times in the past, it always seems to take you the full 4 hours, and more. At the end of 4 hours, almost everyone is still there working madly.

In the afternoon, they will give everyone an exam which has several separate sections: General, Civil, Mechanical, etc. You will have to select which one to take. The afternoon exam never seems to take as long as the morning exam. In the morning, it always seems like 190/200 people are still there after 4 hours. In the afternoon, very few people stay the full 4 hours. That either means the afternoon exam isn't as long, or people just give up. In either case, it looks like you will have extra time to scope out which exam to take.

You will have to decide whether to take the General exam or the Civil exam. The General exam is just more of the same thing you took in the morning, but on an advanced scale. The Civil exam covers things specific to Civil Engineering (hydraulics, steel and concrete design, influence lines, etc.) You should look over both sections and see which one you think you are more likely to pass. I would say you have at least 10-15 minutes for this decision.

The pass rate for Civil Engineering students at TAMU during the Spring of 2005 was 76/78 for those taking the Discipline Specific section, and 10/11 for those taking the General section. Thus it looks like a toss-up for which exam to take.

What will be on the exam?

Click here for exam requirements and descriptions

Am I eligible to take the exam?

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01-13-08