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FE Exam Study Materials
The FE is unusual: the most important study materials are free, and they come from NCEES. On exam day you get exactly one reference and one calculator, so good FE exam study materials are the ones that train you on those two tools. This part of our FE exam prep hub lists what NCEES provides, what it allows, and where paid material earns its price.
- Reference allowed
- 1FE Reference Handbook, on screen
- Calculators allowed
- 1from the NCEES-approved list
- NCEES practice exam
- $5050 questions per discipline
- Exam specifications
- 7one per discipline, free PDFs
The FE Reference Handbook: the one material you can't skip
Every FE question is written to be answerable with the current FE Reference Handbook. NCEES supplies it on screen during the exam as a searchable PDF, on a 24-inch monitor so it can sit beside the question. You can download the same version free from the dashboard of your MyNCEES account.
That makes it a study material in its own right. The handbook has its own notation, its own chapter order, and its own versions of standard equations, and they won't always match your textbooks. Candidates who study from lecture notes and meet the handbook on exam day spend minutes per question finding things they know.
Use the version NCEES is currently supplying, not a copy from a classmate or an older printing, and check the version on your MyNCEES dashboard shortly before your exam. For how to build handbook speed week by week, see the FE exam study guide.
What's on screen, and what's in your hands
| FE Reference Handbook | On screen, searchable PDF |
| Calculator | Your approved model, plus an on-screen TI-30XS |
| Scratch paper | Reusable booklet and marker from Pearson |
| Design standards | None supplied for the FE |
| Your own books or notes | Not allowed |
Source: NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026, including its exam format summary table.
NCEES-approved calculators for the FE exam
The policy is written as model-name rules rather than a closed list, so new models in an approved family qualify automatically. Here's the rule for each brand, with how to read it.
| Brand | NCEES rule | For example | Not allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casio | Model name must contain fx-115 or fx-991 | fx-115ES PLUS, fx-991EX | Other Casio lines, including graphing models |
| Hewlett-Packard | HP 33s and HP 35s only | HP 35s | Every other HP model |
| Texas Instruments | Model name must contain TI-30X or TI-36X | TI-30XS MultiView, TI-36X Pro | TI-84, TI-89, and other graphing models |
Pick for the features you'll actually use. The more capable approved models (the TI-36X Pro, and current Casio models such as the fx-991EX and fx-115ES PLUS) include an equation solver, matrix and vector modes, complex-number arithmetic, and numerical integration. Those save real time on systems of equations, AC circuits, and calculus questions.
Practice on the exact model you'll bring. The on-screen TI-30XS is a backup, not a plan: switching between a mouse-driven calculator and a handbook PDF costs time. Bring fresh batteries, and leave the cover in your locker.
Testing outside North America?
NCEES also allows these Casio models at non-North American test centers and exam sites: fx-912, fx-915, fx-993, fx-995, fx-570, fx-JP700, and fx-JP900.
Sources: NCEES calculator policy (2026 exams) and the NCEES FE exam page.
What you can take into the FE testing room
| Allowed | Not allowed |
|---|---|
| The ID you used at check-in | Phones, smartwatches, fitness trackers, any electronics |
| One approved calculator, no cover | Watches of any kind |
| Your locker key | Wallets, bags, coats, hats (religious apparel excepted) |
| Glasses, without the case | Books, notes, pens, pencils, erasers |
| A light sweater or non-outerwear jacket | Food and drinks (keep them in your locker for breaks) |
| Pearson Comfort Aid List items and approved accommodations | Weapons of any kind (anywhere in the test center) |
Source: NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026, section 3.
Small rules that catch people
- The name on your appointment must match your government ID exactly, or you can't test and your fee isn't refunded.
- Light jackets made of nylon or polyester aren't allowed.
- During an unscheduled break you may only access food, drinks, and a few personal items, and the exam clock keeps running.
- Arrive 30 minutes early. Check-in includes a photo and a palm vein scan.
NCEES exam specifications for all seven FE exams
The specification is the syllabus: every knowledge area, its question range, and its lettered subtopics. It runs three or four pages, it's free, and it should be the first thing you print. All seven are effective for exams from July 2020 onward.
| Exam | Knowledge areas | Question ranges sum | Heaviest area | Specification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FE Chemical | 17 | 100–153 | Material/Energy Balances (10–15) | NCEES PDF |
| FE Civil | 14 | 100–152 | Water Resources and Environmental Engineering (10–15) | NCEES PDF |
| FE Electrical and Computer | 17 | 100–154 | Mathematics (11–17) | NCEES PDF |
| FE Environmental | 15 | 100–154 | Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulics (12–18) | NCEES PDF |
| FE Industrial and Systems | 13 | 100–153 | Probability and Statistics (10–15) | NCEES PDF |
| FE Mechanical | 14 | 100–153 | Dynamics, Kinematics, and Vibrations (10–15) | NCEES PDF |
| FE Other Disciplines | 14 | 100–153 | Fluid Mechanics (12–18) | NCEES PDF |
Where several areas tie on range, the first listed in the NCEES spec is shown. Each exam form has exactly 110 questions.
Free vs paid FE study materials: where money helps
Free and essential: the handbook, your spec, and a lot of timed practice. Our FE exam practice test has 114 question generators, full-length exams for every discipline, and section drills, all free.
Worth $50: the official NCEES practice exam for your discipline, as a late calibration of question style.
Optional: a review manual, if you want topic explanations in one place. Choose one organized around the current specification that works problems with the FE Reference Handbook's equations. A thick book of long, multi-step problems trains the wrong speed: FE questions are built for about three minutes.
Situational: a live or video course, if you need structure and deadlines more than content. How to judge one is on the FE exam prep course page.
A complete FE study kit by budget
| Budget | What's in it |
|---|---|
| $0 | FE Reference Handbook, your NCEES spec, free timed practice exams and drills, this study guide |
| $50 | All of the above, plus the NCEES practice exam for your discipline |
| More | Add a review manual or course only for a specific gap: structure, a topic your program skipped, or a previous failed attempt |
Whatever you spend on materials, the exam itself is $225 an attempt, and a retake repeats that fee. Money is best spent on getting the first attempt right.