FE Environmental practice problems and timed practice exams

What the exam covers

FE Environmental knowledge areas

NCEES divides the FE Environmental exam into 15 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 Environmental problem into the same areas, so you can work on one at a time or mix them all.

1. 1

   Mathematics

   Analytic geometry and trigonometry · Algebraic equations and roots · Calculus (e.g., differential, integral, differential equations) · Numerical methods (e.g., numerical integration, approximations, precision limits, error propagation)

   5–8 exam questions5–7% of the exam80+ practice problems

2. 2

   Probability and Statistics

   Measures of central tendencies and dispersions (e.g., mean, mode, standard deviation) · Probability distributions (e.g., discrete, continuous, normal, binomial) · Estimation for a single mean (e.g., point, confidence intervals) · Regression (linear, multiple), curve fitting, and goodness of fit (e.g., correlation coefficient, least squares) · Hypothesis testing (e.g., t-test, outlier testing, analysis of the variance)

   4–6 exam questions4–5% of the exam60+ practice problems

3. 3

   Ethics and Professional Practice

   Codes of ethics (e.g., professional and technical societies, ethical and legal considerations) · Public health, safety, and welfare (e.g., public protection issues, licensing boards, professional liability) · Compliance with codes, standards, and regulations (e.g., CWA, CAA, RCRA, CERCLA, SDWA, NEPA, OSHA) · Engineer's role in society (e.g., sustainability, resiliency, long-term viability)

   5–8 exam questions5–7% of the exam40+ practice problems

4. 4

   Engineering Economics

   Time value of money (e.g., equivalence, present worth, equivalent annual worth, future worth, rate of return, annuities) · Cost types and breakdowns (e.g., fixed, variable, direct and indirect labor, incremental, average, sunk, O&M) · Economic analyses (e.g., benefit-cost, break-even, minimum cost, overhead, life cycle) · Project selection (e.g., comparison of projects with unequal lives, lease/buy/make, depreciation, discounted cash flow)

   5–8 exam questions5–7% of the exam60+ practice problems

5. 5

   Fundamental Principles

   Population projections and demand calculations (e.g., water, wastewater, solid waste, energy) · Reactors · Materials science (e.g., properties, corrosion, compatibility, stress strain)

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

6. 6

   Environmental Chemistry

   Stoichiometry and chemical reactions (e.g., equilibrium, acid-base, oxidation-reduction, precipitation, pC-pH) · Kinetics (e.g., chemical conversion, growth and decay) · Organic chemistry (e.g., nomenclature, functional group reactions) · Multimedia equilibrium partitioning (e.g., Henry's law, octanol partitioning coefficient)

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

7. 7

   Health Hazards and Risk Assessment

   Dose-response toxicity (e.g., carcinogen, noncarcinogen) · Exposure routes and pathways · Occupational health (e.g., PPE, noise pollution, safety screening)

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

8. 8

   Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulics

   Fluid statics (e.g., pressure, force analysis) · Closed conduits (e.g., Darcy-Weisbach, Hazen-Williams, Moody) · Open channel (e.g., Manning, supercritical/subcritical, culverts, hydraulic elements) · Pumps (e.g., power, operating point, parallel, series) · Flow measurement (e.g., weirs, orifices, flumes) · Blowers (e.g., power, inlet/outlet pressure, efficiency, operating point, parallel, series) · Fluid dynamics (e.g., Bernoulli, laminar flow, turbulent flow, continuity equation) · Steady and unsteady flow

   12–18 exam questions11–16% of the exam30+ practice problems

9. 9

   Thermodynamics

   Thermodynamic laws (e.g., first law, second law) · Energy, heat, and work (e.g., efficiencies, coefficient of performance, energy cycles, energy conversion, conduction, convection, radiation) · Behavior of ideal gases

   3–5 exam questions3–5% of the exam20+ practice problems

10. 10

    Surface Water Resources and Hydrology

    Runoff calculations (e.g., land use, land cover, time of concentration, duration, intensity, frequency, runoff control, runoff management) · Water storage sizing (e.g., reservoir, detention and retention basins) · Routing (e.g., channel, reservoir) · Water quality and modeling (e.g., erosion, channel stability, stormwater quality management, wetlands, Streeter-Phelps, eutrophication) · Water budget (e.g., evapotranspiration, precipitation, infiltration, soil moisture, storage)

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

11. 11

    Groundwater, Soils, and Sediments

    Basic hydrogeology (e.g., aquifer properties, soil characteristics, subsurface) · Groundwater flow (e.g., Darcy's law, specific capacity, velocity, gradient, transport mechanisms) · Drawdown (e.g., Dupuit, Jacob, Theis, Thiem) · Remediation of soil, sediment, and/or groundwater (e.g., recovery, ex-situ/in-situ treatment)

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

12. 12

    Water and Wastewater

    Water and wastewater characteristics (e.g., physical, chemical, biological, nutrients) · Mass balance and loading rates (e.g., removal efficiencies) · Physical processes (e.g., sedimentation/clarification, filtration, adsorption, membrane, flocculation, headworks, flow equalization, air stripping, activated carbon) · Chemical processes (e.g., disinfection, ion exchange, softening, coagulation, precipitation) · Biological processes (e.g., activated sludge, fixed film, lagoons, phytoremediation, aerobic, anaerobic, anoxic) · Sludge treatment and handling (e.g., land application, digestion, sludge dewatering, composting) · Water conservation and reuse

    12–18 exam questions11–16% of the exam20+ practice problems

13. 13

    Air Quality and Control

    Ambient and indoor air quality (e.g., criteria, toxic and hazardous air pollutants) · Mass and energy balances (e.g., STP basis, loading rates, heating values) · Emissions (e.g., factors, rates) · Atmospheric modeling and meteorology (e.g., stability classes, dispersion modeling, lapse rates) · Gas treatment technologies (e.g., biofiltration, scrubbers, adsorbers, incineration, catalytic reducers) · Particle treatment technologies (e.g., baghouses, cyclones, electrostatic precipitators) · Indoor air quality modeling and controls (e.g., air exchanges, steady- and nonsteady-state reactor model)

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

14. 14

    Solid and Hazardous Waste

    Mass and energy balances · Solid waste management (e.g., collection, transportation, storage, composting, recycling, waste to energy) · Solid waste disposal (e.g., landfills, leachate and gas collection) · Hazardous waste compatibility · Site characterization (e.g., sampling, monitoring, remedial investigation) · Hazardous and radioactive waste treatment and disposal (e.g., physical, chemical, thermal, biological)

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

15. 15

    Energy and Environment

    Energy sources concepts (e.g., conventional and alternative) · Environmental impact of energy sources and production (e.g., greenhouse gas production, carbon footprint, thermal, water needs)

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

How PassFEPE helps

Practice that fits around work and classes.

• Practice problems

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

• Timed practice exams

  5 full-length FE Environmental 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 Environmental 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 15 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 Environmental 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 Environmental exam?

Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulics and Water and Wastewater, at 12–18 of the 110 questions each in the NCEES specification. PassFEPE has 50+ practice problems across them.

Are these real FE Environmental 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 Environmental.

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.