Engineering students prepare for eight-hour test
On Oct. 27, students from the College of Engineering will sit down to take one of the most important tests of their college careers, the Fundamentals of Engineering exam.
According to the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying, the exam is an eight hour test designed for students who are close to finishing an undergraduate engineering degree.
USU is one of a handful of engineering schools requiring a passing score on the exam for graduation.
“The FE exam is the first step to becoming a professional engineer,” said Dean Adams, associate dean of the College of Engineering. “By requiring the exam for graduation, students take it more seriously.”
The exam is 120 multiple-choice questions and is separated into two parts. Adams said every student takes the same morning exam nationwide. The exam covers everything from mathematics and engineering mechanics to economics and ethics.
Adams said the afternoon section is specific to each discipline. Students in majors that do not fall into a specific discipline offered may choose take the general afternoon exam.
Adams said the College of Engineering has a phenomenal pass rate for the exam. Students in the mechanical engineering program had a 100 percent pass rate last spring compared to the national average of 78 percent. Other engineering disciplines at USU all have pass rates above the national averages.
After passing the exam and graduating, students must work as a junior engineer for a designated number of years and pass the Professional Engineering Exam to become a licensed engineer. Adams said the number of working years depends on the state.
In Utah, this timeframe is four years according to the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing.
Jason Hall, a junior majoring in mechanical engineering, said the exam is a good measure of success in school. He said if students can pass the test, they were taught well in school and have learned the material beyond just well enough to pass the class.
Blake Tucker, a junior majoring in mechanical engineering, said the department’s requirement encourages students to take the exam and to take it seriously. He said if students were not required to take the exam to graduate, they would not put forth the effort to do well and pass or may not even take it at all.
Sydney Bone, a junior majoring in biological engineering, said the exam material won’t be applicable to her career.
“It’s understandable for mechanical and civil engineers, but biological engineers likely won’t use most of the material covered on the exam in the workforce,” she said.
Bone said students in her discipline are at a disadvantage because they aren’t required to take courses in some of the topics on the exam such as strength of materials, engineering economics and advanced dynamics.
Corey Child, a senior majoring in civil engineering, said he wished the exam was offered in the summer when school isn’t in session.
“We could worry about it in the summer and worry about school during school when we are too busy doing homework,” he said.
The Utah State section of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers has been sponsoring review sessions to help students prepare for the test for the last 25 years.
Kevin Irick, the ASME president, said the review sessions this semester assisted more than 35 students and involved seven professors.
Irick said the review sessions are meant to relieve concerns about the exam.
“They are an opportunity to revisit material that was already learned, ask questions and recall principles to apply them on the spot,” he said.
Irick said the review sessions help students relieve some of the stress they feel about the exam.
“Students see many others who are preparing for the exam and feel more confident knowing they are not alone,” he said.
– ashlyn.tucker@aggiemail.usu.edu