FE Civil practice problems and timed practice exams

What the exam covers

FE Civil knowledge areas

NCEES divides the FE Civil exam into 14 knowledge areas and publishes a range for each: how many of the exam’s 110 questions can come from that area. PassFEPE sorts every FE Civil problem into the same areas, so you can work on one at a time or mix them all.

1. 1

   Mathematics and Statistics

   Analytic geometry · Single-variable calculus · Vector operations · Statistics (e.g., distributions, mean, mode, standard deviation, confidence interval, regression and curve fitting)

   8–12 exam questions7–11% of the exam130+ practice problems

2. 2

   Ethics and Professional Practice

   Codes of ethics (professional and technical societies) · Professional liability · Licensure · Contracts and contract law

   4–6 exam questions4–5% of the exam50+ practice problems

3. 3

   Engineering Economics

   Time value of money (e.g., equivalence, present worth, equivalent annual worth, future worth, rate of return) · Cost (e.g., fixed, variable, direct and indirect labor, incremental, average, sunk) · Analyses (e.g., break-even, benefit-cost, life cycle, sustainability, renewable energy) · Uncertainty (e.g., expected value and risk)

   5–8 exam questions5–7% of the exam70+ practice problems

4. 4

   Statics

   Resultants of force systems · Equivalent force systems · Equilibrium of rigid bodies · Frames and trusses · Centroid of area · Area moments of inertia · Static friction

   8–12 exam questions7–11% of the exam20+ practice problems

5. 5

   Dynamics

   Kinematics (e.g., particles, rigid bodies) · Mass moments of inertia · Force acceleration (e.g., particles, rigid bodies) · Work, energy, and power (e.g., particles, rigid bodies)

   4–6 exam questions4–5% of the exam20+ practice problems

6. 6

   Mechanics of Materials

   Shear and moment diagrams · Stresses and strains (e.g., diagrams, axial, torsion, bending, shear, thermal) · Deformations (e.g., axial, torsion, bending, thermal) · Combined stresses, principal stresses, and Mohr's circle

   7–11 exam questions6–10% of the exam20+ practice problems

7. 7

   Materials

   Mix design of concrete and asphalt · Test methods and specifications of metals, concrete, aggregates, asphalt, and wood · Physical and mechanical properties of metals, concrete, aggregates, asphalt, and wood

   5–8 exam questions5–7% of the exam20+ practice problems

8. 8

   Fluid Mechanics

   Flow measurement · Fluid properties · Fluid statics · Energy, impulse, and momentum of fluids

   6–9 exam questions5–8% of the exam20+ practice problems

9. 9

   Surveying

   Angles, distances, and trigonometry · Area computations · Earthwork and volume computations · Coordinate systems (e.g., state plane, latitude/longitude) · Leveling (e.g., differential, elevations, percent grades)

   6–9 exam questions5–8% of the exam20+ practice problems

10. 10

    Water Resources and Environmental Engineering

    Basic hydrology (e.g., infiltration, rainfall, runoff, watersheds) · Basic hydraulics (e.g., Manning equation, Bernoulli theorem, open-channel flow) · Pumps · Water distribution systems · Flood control (e.g., dams, routing, spillways) · Stormwater (e.g., detention, routing, quality) · Collection systems (e.g., wastewater, stormwater) · Groundwater (e.g., flow, wells, drawdown) · Water quality (e.g., ground and surface, basic water chemistry) · Testing and standards (e.g., water, wastewater, air, noise) · Water and wastewater treatment (e.g., biological processes, softening, drinking water treatment)

    10–15 exam questions9–14% of the exam20+ practice problems

11. 11

    Structural Engineering

    Analysis of statically determinant beams, columns, trusses, and frames · Deflection of statically determinant beams, trusses, and frames · Column analysis (e.g., buckling, boundary conditions) · Structural determinacy and stability analysis of beams, trusses, and frames · Elementary statically indeterminate structures · Loads, load combinations, and load paths (e.g., dead, live, lateral, influence lines and moving loads, tributary areas) · Design of steel components (e.g., codes and design philosophies, beams, columns, tension members, connections) · Design of reinforced concrete components (e.g., codes and design philosophies, beams, columns)

    10–15 exam questions9–14% of the exam20+ practice problems

12. 12

    Geotechnical Engineering

    Index properties and soil classifications · Phase relations · Laboratory and field tests · Effective stress · Stability of retaining structures (e.g., active/passive/at-rest pressure) · Shear strength · Bearing capacity · Foundation types (e.g., spread footings, deep foundations, wall footings, mats) · Consolidation and differential settlement · Slope stability (e.g., fills, embankments, cuts, dams) · Soil stabilization (e.g., chemical additives, geosynthetics)

    10–15 exam questions9–14% of the exam20+ practice problems

13. 13

    Transportation Engineering

    Geometric design (e.g., streets, highways, intersections) · Pavement system design (e.g., thickness, subgrade, drainage, rehabilitation) · Traffic capacity and flow theory · Traffic control devices · Transportation planning (e.g., travel forecast modeling, safety, trip generation)

    9–14 exam questions8–13% of the exam20+ practice problems

14. 14

    Construction Engineering

    Project administration (e.g., documents, management, procurement, project delivery methods) · Construction operations and methods (e.g., safety, equipment, productivity analysis, temporary erosion control) · Project controls (e.g., earned value, scheduling, allocation of resources, activity relationships) · Construction estimating · Interpretation of engineering drawings

    8–12 exam questions7–11% of the exam20+ practice problems

How PassFEPE helps

Practice that fits around work and classes.

• Practice problems

  550+ FE Civil problems, sorted by knowledge area. Choose the areas and how many to do in a set.

• Timed practice exams

  5 full-length FE Civil practice exams on the exam clock, with the scheduled break and a review screen before you submit.

• Step-by-step solutions

  Every problem has a worked solution, so you see how the answer is reached and where a wrong one goes astray.

• Tailored study plan

  Your results decide what comes next. PassFEPE ranks the FE Civil knowledge areas that need the most work and sizes a set for each.

• Your handbook, searchable

  Add your own NCEES FE Reference Handbook PDF. Search it, jump between sections and keep it open beside every question. It stays on your device.

• Progress by topic

  Accuracy in each of the 14 knowledge areas, and your pace against the exam clock, so every session goes where it counts.

FAQ

Questions, answered.

How many questions are on the FE Civil exam?

110 questions in 5 hours 20 minutes of exam time, in two sections with an optional 25-minute scheduled break after about half the questions (PassFEPE’s simulator breaks after question 55). NCEES publishes the question count, the times and the break; PassFEPE’s simulator follows them.

Which knowledge area carries the most questions on the FE Civil exam?

Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, Structural Engineering and Geotechnical Engineering, at 10–15 of the 110 questions each in the NCEES specification. PassFEPE has 80+ practice problems across them.

Are these real FE Civil exam questions?

No. They are practice problems written for PassFEPE in the style of the computer-based exam, sorted by the NCEES knowledge areas for FE Civil.

Do I need the NCEES FE Reference Handbook?

It is the reference NCEES supplies on screen during the exam, so it is worth practicing with. PassFEPE doesn’t include it, because it is copyrighted: add your own legally obtained PDF and it opens beside your questions, searchable. The file stays on your device.

Is PassFEPE affiliated with NCEES?

No. PassFEPE is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by NCEES.