Failed the FE exam twice — finally figured out what I was doing wrong

by Carlos B. 12 views3 replies
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Carlos B.OP
May 27, 2026

Okay so I've been lurking here for a while and I finally feel like I have something useful to contribute. I took the FE Civil twice and bombed it both times — like 62% and then 65%. I was using random YouTube videos and some old prep books that I'm pretty sure were from a different exam format. The NCEES - National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying has updated things more than most people realize and studying outdated material was genuinely killing me.

What finally turned things around was treating the NCEES - National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying practice test sessions like real exam conditions — timed, no phone, reference manual open but actually learning WHERE things are in it, not just reading it. I also focused hard on weak spots instead of reviewing stuff I already knew. The NCEES Mathematics section wrecked me both times before I dedicated two full weeks just to that module.

Third attempt I passed with a 78%. Anyone else have a turnaround story or currently in the middle of a rough prep stretch? Happy to share my full schedule if it helps.

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Sarah M.
May 28, 2026
This is so relatable it hurts. I failed my PE Structural the first time because I thought I could just wing the breadth section. The NCEES - National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying study guide specifically lists the topics by percentage weight — I ignored that chart the first time around. Second attempt I reverse-engineered my study hours based on those percentages and passed. Sounds obvious in hindsight but nobody told me to do that.
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rachel_s
May 28, 2026
The reference manual navigation tip is underrated — seriously. Timed yourself finding 10 random formulas before the exam. I did that drill every morning the last two weeks and it probably saved me 20 minutes of hunting on test day. Good luck to everyone still prepping.
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Brian Y.
May 28, 2026
Can I ask — how many practice problems per day were you doing in the final month? I'm sitting in about 6 weeks out and doing maybe 30-40 problems a day but I'm not sure if that's enough. Also struggling with engineering economics, the time-value-of-money stuff especially. Does the NCEES Engineering Economics section on the actual exam feel similar to the practice material or is it harder?

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