Structure
The exam is eight hours long altogether, split into two four-hour sessions with a 60 minute lunch break in between. This accounts for the time required to collect the morning exam. Morning admission typically begins around 7:15 A.M. Failure to appear before the doors are closed (around 7:40 A.M.) will result in the student being turned away from the testing site. It typically takes 20 minutes for the proctors to pass out the materials and go over the exam procedures, so that the morning session begins at 8:00 A.M. Similar procedures are followed in the afternoon session, with admission starting around 1:15 P.M. and ending around 1:30 P.M.; the test itself begins between 1:30 and 1:45 P.M.
The morning session is a 120-question general exam for which all examinees must sit, while the afternoon session consists of 60 questions and is more discipline-oriented. For this second half, examinees choose one of the following seven tests: chemical engineering, civil engineering, environmental engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, or other disciplines (similar in content to the morning exam, but far more detailed). Prior to April 2010, the other disciplines test was called the general test, but it was renamed to better reflect who should take it. As of the October 2010 exam, the choice of afternoon exam is required to be made when registering. Prior to this, at the start of the afternoon session, examinees were given a booklet containing all seven exams and could decide at that time which one to take.
The topics covered by the general exam are covered in the courses taken by engineering undergraduates, and include (as of 2011):
- Mathematics
- Engineering Probability and Statistics
- Chemistry
- Computers
- Ethics and Business Practices
- Engineering Economics
- Engineering Mechanics (Statics and Dynamics)
- Strength of Materials
- Material Properties
- Fluid Mechanics
- Electricity and Magnetism
- Thermodynamics
- Biology
A scaled score of 70 is required to pass the exam. This does not mean one needs to answer 70% of the answers correctly to pass, however. A portion of previous exam questions are then given on subsequent exams. After the exam, a statistical analysis of these questions is used to equate the new test to the benchmark test. This makes all of the tests more or less equal in difficulty.
Examinees receive their results approximately 2 months after the test date. Those who pass the exam are designated Engineer In Training or given an equivalent designation, such as Engineer Intern, by their state's licensure board for engineers, and are partway through the certification process. After completing an apprenticeship (the length of which is set by state law and based on the type of degree received), an EIT may qualify to take the Professional Engineer (PE) exam. Certification is awarded upon successful completion of the PE exam. The standard time of apprenticeship under a Professional Engineer is 4 years of work experience for graduates of an ABET-accredited engineering program.
Read more about this topic: Fundamentals Of Engineering Exam
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