FE exam day guide

The FE is a roughly six-hour appointment at a Pearson VUE center: a nondisclosure agreement, an 8-minute tutorial, 5 hours 20 minutes of testing for 110 questions, and a 25-minute scheduled break. The only reference allowed is the searchable NCEES FE Reference Handbook on screen, plus an NCEES-approved calculator.

Format as summarized from NCEES by state boards and guides, checked October 11, 2026.

Tips

• Practice with the same handbook you’ll use on test day; searching it quickly saves time.
• Bring an NCEES-approved calculator and check the current list.
• Answer everything: there’s no penalty for wrong answers.
• Pace yourself: about 3 minutes per question on average.