In this Pass the FE Exam article (and video above), I talk about whether or not employers care which FE exam you take, and also provide some advice on how you can determine which FE Exam is the right exam for you.
So, Do Employers Care Which FE Exam You Take?
My honest opinion would be NO. I don’t think employers care about what FE exam you take. As long as you have an engineering degree from an ABET accredited institution, you can take the exam in whichever discipline you like.
To an employer, passing the FE exam, regardless of discipline, will most likely signal your ability to take on a higher level of responsibility. It shows them that you really want to advance your career, and are willing to go the extra mile to get there, therefore, which FE exam you take is really up to you.
No matter what FE Exam you take, the key is to take the exam, to sign up, and start preparing and ultimately pass the FE exam. If you do, you will be well on your way to becoming a licensed professional engineer.
When choosing which FE Exam to take, my best advice would be to choose the exam that best aligns with the discipline you plan to pursue. Let’s take a quick look at the seven disciplines you may choose from for the FE Exam:
- CHEMICAL
- CIVIL
- ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER
- ENVIRONMENTAL
- INDUSTRIAL AND SYSTEMS
- MECHANICAL AND
- OTHER (ALSO REFERRED TO AS GENERAL)
If you are still unsure of which FE Exam to take, check out the FE Other (or General) exam. This exam is PERFECT for those who do not know which specialty they want to eventually pursue. While the other six exams have very topic-specific exam specifications, the FE Other (pr General) exam combines topics from the other disciplines.
It’s also a good idea to evaluate the pass rates for an exam, because there is now law that says you MUST take the FE exam in the discipline you plan to practice. You might prefer taking the one that has the highest passing rate.
Here you can see a breakdown of FE pass rates. You will note that the overall pass rate for the FE Mechanical is the highest and for the FE Industrial the lowest.
If looking at the pass rates makes you nervous, taking an FE exam prep review course can significantly increase your chance of passing the FE exam of your choosing.
Apart from comparing exam specifications and pass rates for the different FE exams, it is always a great idea to call your state board and ask any other questions that you may have, that may help you make this important decision.
I hope you found this week’s article helpful about whether or not employers care which FE exam you take. In upcoming articles, I will answer more FE Exam questions and run through more practice problems. We publish videos bi-weekly on our Pass the FE Exam YouTube Channel. Be sure to visit our page here and click the subscribe button as you’ll get expert tips and tricks – to ensure your best success – that you can’t get anywhere else. Believe me, you won’t want to miss a single video.
Lastly, I encourage you to ask questions in the comments of the videos or here on this page and I’ll read and respond to them in future videos. So, if there’s a specific topic you want me to cover or answer, we have you covered.
I’ll see you next week.
Anthony Fasano, P.E.
Engineering Management Institute
Author of Engineer Your Own Success
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