Quant + Professional
36-55%of exam
Mechanics + Materials
30-46%of exam
Fluids + Thermal + Electrical
25-37%of exam
Quick Facts
- Exam
- FE
- Owner
- NCEES
- Format
- CBT
- Questions
- 110
- Exam time
- 5 hr 20 min
- Appointment
- 5 hr 55 min
- Break
- 25 min
- Fee
- $225
- Reference
- Onscreen handbook
- Units
- SI + USCS
Exam Clock
Two halves, one clock, break after submit.
NDATutorialExamBreak
Scheduled vs Unscheduled Break
Scheduled
- After first half
- Clock paused
Unscheduled
- Any time
- Clock runs
Break type changes clock
Pacing Picker
- Instant path→Solve now(Bank time)
- Formula known→Search handbook(One lookup)
- Units messy→Convert first(Avoid traps)
- Concept unclear→Flag(Return later)
- After half→Review before submit(Locks section)
- Clock tight→Educated guess(No blanks)
Exam Day
- ID
- Physical photo ID
- Arrival
- 30 min early
- NDA
- 2 min accept
- Tutorial
- 8 min orientation
- First half
- Submit then locked
- Break
- After half submitted
- Scratch
- Reusable booklet
- Calculator
- Approved model only
Cash Flow
Draw cash flow before factor tables.
PWAWFWIRR
Search vs Memory
Search
- Formula location
- Table values
Memory
- Method choice
- Sign convention
Handbook gives formulas
Handbook
- Reference
- Searchable onscreen PDF
- Screen
- Question + handbook
- Search
- Left search box
- Ctrl+F
- Not available
- Zoom
- Usually 100%
- Constants
- Front sections
- Formulas
- Know section names
- Examples
- Not provided
PW vs AW
PW
- Single present value
- Compare now
AW
- Uniform annual value
- Compare yearly
Match cash-flow basis
Math + Stats
- Derivative
- Rate/slope
- Integral
- Area/accumulation
- ODE
- Function plus derivatives
- Matrix det
- Area/volume scale
- Eigenvalue
- Special scale factor
- Mean
- Center
- Std dev
- Spread
- Expected value
- Weighted average
Economics
- PW
- Today value
- FW
- Future value
- AW
- Annual equivalent
- IRR
- Rate giving zero
- B/C
- Benefits over costs
- Sunk cost
- Ignore in choice
- Breakeven
- Cost equals revenue
- Depreciation
- Cost allocation
Ethics + Safety
- Public
- First duty
- Competence
- Practice within expertise
- Conflict
- Disclose early
- Confidentiality
- Protect client info
- SDS
- Hazard details
- PEL
- Legal exposure limit
- TWA
- Time-weighted exposure
- PPE
- Last defense
Mechanics Order
FBD, equations, units, answer.
FBDEquilibriumSolveCheck
Statics vs Dynamics
Statics
- Acceleration zero
- Equilibrium equations
Dynamics
- Acceleration nonzero
- Newton/energy/momentum
Acceleration decides model
FBD Picker
- Body at rest→Statics(Equilibrium)
- Acceleration present→Dynamics(F = ma)
- Force at distance→Moment(Use arm)
- Member stretched→Axial stress(F/A)
- Shaft twisted→Torsion(T r/J)
- Beam loaded→Shear/moment(Diagram first)
Statics + Dynamics
- FBD
- Draw first
- Equilibrium
- Sum forces zero
- Moment
- Force times arm
- Centroid
- Area balance point
- Friction
- Mu times normal
- Kinematics
- Motion geometry
- Kinetics
- Forces cause motion
- Impulse
- Momentum change
Stress vs Strain
Stress
- Load intensity
- Force per area
Strain
- Deformation ratio
- Length per length
Stress causes strain
Strength + Materials
- Normal stress
- Axial force/area
- Shear stress
- Shear force/area
- Strain
- Deformation/length
- Hooke
- Stress equals E strain
- Torsion
- Torque causes shear
- Bending
- Moment causes stress
- Mohr
- Stress transformation
- Buckling
- Compression instability
Materials
- Yield
- Permanent deformation starts
- Ultimate
- Peak stress
- Toughness
- Energy to fracture
- Hardness
- Indentation resistance
- Ductility
- Plastic stretch
- Creep
- Time deformation
- Fatigue
- Cyclic failure
- Phase diagram
- Phase versus condition
Fluid Energy
Pressure, velocity, elevation trade head.
PressureVelocityElevationLosses
Laminar vs Turbulent
Laminar
- Low Reynolds
- Viscous dominated
Turbulent
- High Reynolds
- Inertia dominated
Use Reynolds number
Flow Picker
- Closed conduit→Pipe flow(Head loss)
- Free surface→Open channel(Manning)
- Pressure height→Hydrostatics(rho g h)
- Velocity change→Bernoulli(Energy)
- Need regime→Reynolds(Laminar/turbulent)
- Machine adds energy→Pump(Add head)
Fluids
- Density
- Mass/volume
- Viscosity
- Flow resistance
- Reynolds
- Inertia/viscous
- Bernoulli
- Energy along streamline
- Head loss
- Friction energy loss
- Manometer
- Pressure from height
- Pump
- Adds head
- Turbine
- Extracts head
Electrical Laws
KCL counts current, KVL counts voltage.
NodeLoopCurrentVoltage
Heat vs Work
Heat
- Temperature transfer
- Path function
Work
- Force displacement
- Path function
Both cross boundary
Thermal Picker
- Wall conduction→Fourier(kA dT/L)
- Surface-fluid→Convection(hA dT)
- Hot surface→Radiation(T fourth)
- Power cycle→Efficiency(W out/Q in)
- Refrigerator→COP(Q cold/W)
- Two-phase state→Quality(x fraction)
Thermal
- Enthalpy
- Flow energy property
- Entropy
- Irreversibility marker
- Quality
- Vapor mass fraction
- Conduction
- Solid heat flow
- Convection
- Fluid heat transfer
- Radiation
- Thermal emission
- COP
- Cooling per work
- Efficiency
- Work over heat
KCL vs KVL
KCL
- Node currents
- Charge conservation
KVL
- Loop voltages
- Energy conservation
Node versus loop
Electrical
- Ohm
- Voltage equals IR
- KCL
- Currents sum zero
- KVL
- Voltages sum zero
- Power
- Voltage times current
- Impedance
- AC opposition
- Reactance
- Frequency opposition
- Power factor
- Real/apparent power
- Three-phase
- Balanced power system
Common Traps
Appointment vs Exam Time
5 hr 55 min appointment ≠ 5 hr 20 min exam
First Half Locked
Review before submit ≠ No return after break
Digital ID Rejected
Physical ID required ≠ Student ID rejected
Ctrl+F Trap
Use handbook search box ≠ Ctrl+F unavailable
Unit System Trap
SI and USCS appear ≠ Convert before formula
Calculator Cover
Calculator allowed ≠ Cover stored outside
Ethics Priority
Public safety first ≠ Employer loyalty second
No Partial Credit
All-or-nothing scoring ≠ Pretest items hidden
Last Minute
- 1.Physical ID name matches
- 2.Approved calculator, no cover
- 3.Arrive 30 min early
- 4.Accept NDA within 2 min
- 5.Use handbook search box
- 6.Submit half only after review
- 7.Scheduled break after submit
- 8.Unscheduled breaks burn time
- 9.Convert SI/USCS before solving
- 10.Draw FBD before equations
- 11.Public safety outranks employer
- 12.Never leave blanks
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