An Overview of the FE Exam Process

The FE Exam is a computer-based exam that is conducted by NCEES. When you start preparing to write the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam, you have to first check if you are eligible to take up the exam. The eligibility criteria varies from one state to another territory and depends on the licensing boards.

You need to have a MyNCEES account to register for the exam. Make sure you provide proper first and last names while registering and these names must match the government ID you will use during the exam. Taking the FE Review will give you guidance about the exam process of NCEES.

After creating the MyNCEES account, you need to login and Register for the exam. You have to agree with NCEES on using electronic transactions for registration and subsequent procedures. You must also acknowledge that you have read the rules and regulations of the NCEES Exam and agree to comply by that.

After paying the exam fees, you will get a mail stating that you can schedule your exam. You have to use the Schedule button and schedule your exam atleast 24 hours before the actual exam date.

The FE Exams can be taken in the months of January-February, April-May, July-August, and October-November. Exams do not happen in the months of September, March, June, and December. You can schedule the exams upto 12 months from the date of registration. So take care to schedule your exams before your registration fee period expires. The FE Exam Review helps you to prepare for any schedule of exams.

Once you have successfully completed the registration and scheduling, you will get a confirmation letter from Pearson VUE. Sometimes you may need to reschedule your exams. So, NCEES and Pearson VUE have an option whereby you can reschedule your exams. There are also provisions for canceling and getting a refund. You can change your exam discipline or select a different licensing board.

On the day of the exam, you can bring any one of the ID cards. It can be an ID issued by the government or international travel passport or a US military ID. Engineers taking the FE Review Course must be aware of the various IDs that can be taken during the exam.

Only certain items can be taken inside the testing hall. Apart from the ID, you can carry a calculator that is approved by NCEES. The key to your test center locker, and reusable booklet and marker given by Pearson VUE can also be carried. Sweater, Eyeglasses, and items included in the Pearson VUE Comfort Aid List can also be taken.

Using a 24-inch monitor, a NCEES reference handbook is displayed at all times. In order to provide a very safe testing environment, you will always be monitored and audio and video recordings will be done.

There will be 110 questions that have to be completed in 5 hours and 20 minutes. Once you complete 55 questions, then you can take a 25-minute scheduled break. Engineers who appear for the FE Exam Review Course must be aware of the question format of the NCEES FE Exam.

Knowing the various procedures, steps, and precautions to be taken while appearing and writing the FE Exam, helps the candidate to come out with flying colors.  

How to Register and Prepare for a NCEES PE Exam

NCEES is the authorized agency for conducting the PE Exams. If you take PE Exam through NCEES it involves a lot of steps. Let us look at them one by one.

Registering for a Paper-and-Pencil Exam: The first step will be to find out your eligibility criteria to sit for the NCEES exams. Criteria may vary from one state to another. Contact the State Licensing Board and apply for licensure to be eligible to take the PE Exam. You can now create NCEES account to register for the exam by visiting the account. When you register, you must make sure that the first and last names you use must match the ones you will give as Government approved ID card. Every engineer who takes the Professional Engineer Exam Prep has to register for the Pencil-and-Paper based PE Exam.

Once you create an account, you can then use NCEES account and use the REGISTER button and follow the instructions to register for the NCEES exam. All transactions with NCEES will be done electronically. When you register, you may have to pay for the exam. You will receive a notification from NCEES to schedule the exam. Once you schedule the exam, you will receive an Exam authorization confirmation from NCEES about the exam schedule and the exam dates.

Items that can be taken on Exam Date: Every engineer taking the Professional Engineer Exam Prep Course will have to know about the items that they can take on the exam date. You can carry snacks, ruler, watches, eyeglasses without a case, and magnifying glass.

There are certain items that cannot be taken inside the exam hall. They are:

• Cellphones
• Purses
• Wallets
• Hats
• Bags
• Notes
• Food
• Tobacco products
• Personal chairs

Reference Materials for Exam: You can bring only reference material that is bound. You cannot carry papers that are not tied. Loose papers have to be strung together using ring binders or screw posts. Avoid using staples. Avoid taking writing tablets and legal pads with you. Sticky notes can be used. An engineer taking the Professional Engineering Exam has to be sure of what reference materials to use. An engineer who appears for the NCEES PE Exam must go through the NCEES examinee guidelines and know the various procedures and rules for applying and taking the exam.

Rules for Exam Day: You will not be allowed to enter the exam hall once the proctor begins to read the exam instructions. You have to use only the NCEES pencil and eraser during the exam. You will be dismissed from the exam if you use a non-NCEES instrument for erasing or marking. When you take the Professional Engineer Exam, you need to be aware of the various rules of the exam day.

Alternately, Get in Touch with NCEES: You can easily get-in-touch with NCEES to clarify various queries in the procedures to take the PE exam. You can enquire about what forms of identification will be needed on the exam date. You can also find out about accommodation facilities and registration procedures for the exam.

You can also inquire in-depth to find out how marks are awarded and know about the procedure for scoring. You can get information about the licensing procedures that need to be followed to become a Professional Engineer (P.E)

An engineer who appears for the NCEES PE Exam must go through the NCEES examinee guidelines and know the various procedures and rules for applying and taking the exam.  

Wear and Tear Preventive Bearing for FE Exam Study

Bearing are mechanical structures that are used to move the machine in the desired direction. Bearings are used to reduce friction while the machines move. Many rotating equipment functions smoothly because of the bearings. If the bearings were not there, parts will keep getting worn out due to friction and we will keep replacing those parts. The bearing is designed to facilitate free movement. It also helps in freely rotating around a fixed pole. An engineer taking the FE Exam will know the purpose of bearings.

You can understand the concept of bearings better if you think of how your car works. Your car moves smoothly over the road for many years because of the bearing shaped wheels. Instead, imagine that your cars had skiing wheels instead of rounded tires. Then the lifetime and functioning of the smooth travel through cars become limited. This is because the friction is greater in a sliding motion and is lesser in a rolling over motion.

There are two types of load on a bearing. The loads are radial and thrust. The loads can be a combination of radial and thrust. An engineer preparing for the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam Prep will be aware of the different types of loads on a bearing.

Bearings are classified based on how they operate, the type of movements they can make, or by the way the load operates. The many types of bearings are Ball Bearings, Roller Bearings, Ball Thrust Bearings, Roller Thrust Bearings, and Tapered Roller Bearings. An engineer taking the FE Exam Preparation will be aware of the different type of bearings.

Ball Bearings: The most common category of bearing is the ball bearing. Ball bearings are found in hard drives and also skating equipment. Ball bearings can handle both thrust as well as radial loads. But ball bearings usually handle only small loads.

Roller Bearings: Roller Bearings are used in places where heavy radial loads are used. The roller here is in the form of a cylinder. There is another type of this roller bearing known as a needle bearing. Here the cylinders come in very small diameters and so the bearings can be used in tight places. Roller bearings are not compatible with thrust loads.

Ball Thrust Bearing: Ball Thrust Bearings are used in low-speed applications and work well with thrust loads. The FE Prep Course helps an engineer to know about Ball Thrust Bearings with relevant illustrations.

Roller Thrust Bearings: Roller Thrust Bearings work with large thrust loads. They are usually found in rotating and housing shafts. The helical gears have angled teeth, and so can use a thrust load that relies on a bearing.

Magnetic Bearings: These are special bearings that have a special type of use. The advanced flywheel energy storage systems are high-speed devices that use magnet bearings. The bearings create a magnetic field and the flywheel can float on this magnetic field.

Giant Roller Bearings: Earthquake proof buildings use giant bearings. Giant roller bearings are used to move around heavy and complex structures like pyramid stones.

An engineer taking the FE Exam Prep Course will know the various uses of bearings. He also understands the role of each bearing that ensures in the prevention of wear and tear of moving machinery.   

How to Improve Efficiency of Internal Combustion Engines

The efficiency of internal combustion engines is an important factor for mechanical engineers. Engineers have been devised various methods such as direct fuel injection, VIT, turbo-charging, cam-less engines, and regenerative braking to improve the efficiency of engines. There are several factors that reduce the efficiency of engines. Let us look at the various ways to improve efficiency.

What exactly is the efficiency of an internal combustion engine? There is fuel that is supplied per unit time for carrying out the work. The efficiency is calculated to check if the output of the engine shaft is equivalent to the initial energy supplied after deducting all losses.

The calorific value and mass of the fuel is used to determine the fuel’s input power. A brake dynamometer can be used to measure the shaft output. So, efficiency is nothing but the ratio of output to input. An Internal Combustion Engine on an average has an efficiency ranging between 20% and 30%. This efficiency is very low and has to be improved. An Engineer-in-training or EIT will be able to understand the impact of efficiency of internal combustion engines.

The Internal Combustion Engine’s efficiency can be improved using the below given methods.

Regenerative Braking: Whenever you apply brakes on an automobile like a car, there is a loss of heat and so a loss of kinetic energy. Using regenerative braking you can prevent this loss whenever you apply the brakes while moving in a downward direction. This is a type of electromagnetic braking where small motors absorb the wasted energy and converts that energy into battery power. Taking the PE Exam will help to learn about various energy saving measures.

Variable Injection Timing: Maritime Engines make use of Variable Injection Timing. For maintaining mean effective pressure, the injection is improved when the load is low and speed is also lesser. The engine efficiency improves, because the scavenge pressure is maintained. The quantity of burning fuel may be of a lesser quality. The Fundamentals of Engineering Exam will help you to focus and find ways of improving engine efficiency.

Variable Valve Timing: The opening and closing time of the inlet and exhaust valves can be changed from time to time. This change in the opening and closing times increases the efficiency of the engine by 4% to 5%.

Cutting off Cylinders: While cruising or going downhill, if the engine is large, half of the cylinders can be cut off resulting in reduced fuel demand. But this cutting of cylinders cannot be done on small engines as the engines will become rough, though it is useful for large engines.

Turbochargers: Combustion can be optimized as a turbocharger uses an exhaust gas recovery device that helps to boost up air pressure. The efficiency of the engine is increased by 7% to 8%. The FE Exam Prep Certification guides you in knowing the various ways to improve efficiency of internal combustion engine.

Direct Fuel Injection: In engines, usually the fuel will be injected only after mixing with air. But nowadays the fuel is directly sent to the combustion chamber and the mixing takes place automatically. This automatically mixing of air with fuel increases the engine efficiency by 11 % to 13%. 

Viscosity of Oils: The lubricating oils must have the correct viscosity. If the viscosity of lubricating oils is not proper then there are energy losses due to friction.

The topic of combustion is covered in the Mechanical FE Exam syllabus of NCEES under the heading of Thermodynamics.  

Noise Pollution – Sources and Methods of Prevention for PE Exam Prep

Noise Pollution occurs when the sound level is not bearable by human beings. An engineer taking the PE Exam will be aware of the various sources of noise. The World Health Organization (WHO) has specified that 45dB is the acceptable sound level of human beings. Beyond that prescribed limit any sound is considered to be noise. Sound levels may increase due to increase in sound from traffic, television inside a home, and even pet making too much noise. When the noise affects you to a certain extent where you are physically and mentally not able to bear the sound anymore, then it is termed as noise pollution.

If the cities are not well planned then noise levels increase for residents. The buildings in a town, may be very close to each other and the parking spaces may be very small leading to congested parking. Very big families may be living in very small houses. Such living scenarios are more prone to noise.

Noise is also prevalent in social spaces such as party halls. People may play loud music that is hard on the ears of people in the surroundings. Construction of buildings may employ large machines for cutting and grinding that leads to a lot of noise. Road transport also causes noise pollution with the constant honking of horns. The PE Exam Prep covers the different types of noise that exist in society.

Factories are a major source of noise. There are various types of heavy machines in a factory such as generators, motors, and exhaust fans lead to a lot of noise. In order to manage this noise, workers at the factory usually use earplugs. With so many sources of noise, we need to look for ways to reduce and eliminate noise.

Ways to Reduce Noise Pollution

Soundproof rooms can be constructed in industry as well as homes that will filter the sound from the inmates or residents. There must be separate rooms for placing noisy machines and the rooms must be away from the living and working areas. If you have an air-conditioner in the room that is making too much of noise, then switch off the air-conditioner. The Professional Engineer Exam Prep Course helps in knowing the various methods of preventing noise pollution.

There must be a method of banning and controlling vehicles on the road that make too much noise. Noise making facilities such as factories, airports, and railway stations must be far away from residential areas. Planting trees helps in reducing the noise levels to a certain extent.

If a community hall or any other public facility is producing too much of noise, then check the local laws to find out how to handle the noise makers. Appropriate legal action can be taken if the noise makers make noise well beyond the stipulated time in a region.

There are some personal precautions that can be taken to keep noise at low levels. You can service your car regularly so that your car does not make too much of the noise. You can keep down your own music listening volumes, meditate, and bring in the quiet hours in your lifestyle. The PE Exam Prep Course guides an engineer to know about noise and its management. The PE Environmental syllabus laid down by NCEES has noise pollution as one of the topics. 

How to Prepare with the Online Civil FE Exam Review Course

Fundamentals of Engineering Exam Prep is made very simple as you can take our online course from anywhere at scheduled time. There are several steps to take the FE Civil course in an orderly manner from School of PE. Let us take a look at the steps.

Viewing the Course Demo: You can view the 30-minute demo of the course before you actually enroll for the course. The demo will help you decide if you really want to enroll for the course.

Getting Class notes: One week before the actual class starts, students will be able to access their course notes from their login page. These notes are prepared by experienced instructors who are subject matter experts. These notes will be available till the last day of the course. The 3^rd edition of the book “FE Review Manual”, by Michael. R. Lindberg PE can be bought at $75, which is comparatively lower than the market price of $89.

You can also download an electronic copy of NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering Reference Handbook by NCEES.

Free Calculator Training: Only certain calculators are approved by NCEES for the exam. The School of PE has a two-hour long video that explains how to use the approved calculator. One of the approved calculators that is shown in the video is fx-115ES. This calculator training video will be available in the student login page at least ten days before the start of the program. Knowing how to use the calculator is very important for Fundamentals of Engineering Exam.

Free Math Training: Engineers who take the FE Exam may have forgotten math fundamentals. In order to refresh the knowledge of engineers, a free math training is provided. This math training video is for a duration of two hours. Before ten days of the actual class starting, the free math training video can be viewed. Free handouts will also be given.

Accessing Discussion Forum: Discussion Forum can be accessed by the students to gather more information on subject topics with fellow students. This feature also can be accessed from the login page. This opportunity to interact with another student, comes at no extra cost. Discussing various topics with other students will help in understanding the Fundamentals of Engineering better.

Questions to Instructors: The instructors of School of PE have more than 30 plus years of experience in industry and academics. The students can interact with School of PE instructors, using the Questions to Instructors page. That helps you to clarify all the topic based questions in your mind.

Viewing the Online Course: Viewing the live online course, does not need any special software. You can view the online course using a basic software. As it is an online course, you can view the course from anywhere at a scheduled time. If you have missed any of the review class, there is an option to view the recorded class to stay up-to-date with the course.

The School of PE has helped thousands of students to prepare for the Civil FE Exam Prep and pass the exam in flying colors.  

Sensors and its Applications for Professional Engineer Exam

Sensors are used to monitor a physical quantity and transfer the output as electrical signals. An engineer preparing for the professional engineer exam can handle all types of sensors. The input to the sensor is a physical parameter and the output is an electrical signal. These physical parameters can be temperature, pressure, moisture/water and more. Any changes in these physical parameters are monitored by these sensors and a corresponding analog or digital output is produced. These analogs or digital signals are in turn used to modify other signals. An engineer preparing for the Professional Engineer Exam can handle all types of sensors.

There are a wide variety of sensors in the market. They are:

Sound
Electric signals
Moisture/Humidity
Light
Pressure
Fluid Velocity
Position/Angle/Displacement
Force
Heat
Proximity
Chemical
Radiations from Ions

Sensors are used to detect moisture content in irrigated lands. The capability of the soil to conduct electricity is more when the water content is more. Sensors are used to measure this dielectric constant of the soil. Based on the moisture content the water supply to the fields is switched on or off. An engineer who has done the Professional Engineering Exam Prep will know to work with a variety of sensors and monitor their outputs.

Heat sensors will be used in air-conditioning and building automation systems to adjust the amount of cooling air entering the rooms. Heat sensors are used to detect any congestion in retail stores. The heat sensors are usually installed near the doors to detect congestion.

Pressure sensors are used in floor mats to send a signal when an intruder walks in the restricted area. Pressure sensors are also used to detect if the vacuum pressure on packaged goods is sufficient to keep the food fresh for a long time. Movement sensors are also used to detect any intruder.

These days, human beings make use of wearable sensors. Senior citizens make use of wearable sensors. If they trip and fall or if there is any change in the pattern of their regular lifestyle, their caretakers are informed. According to a Gartner Survey, sensors that can be worn on the wrist have sold a whopping 70 million pieces. The Outputs from these wearable sensors also trigger corresponding apps that will help in managing the situation. Because a lot of data is collected and transmitted by these wearable sensors, the manufacturers and app developers have to ensure data security and safety. The Professional Engineer Exam Prep Course helps in identifying different sensors for different applications.

Sensors are also used in robotics. Sensors are used in places where humans and robots work together. These sensors prevent any physical harm that may happen to humans when robots and sensors work together in close proximity. When robots work together, the process of moving from one process to another is known as interlocking. Sensors are used to detect when one process ends and the next process starts.

The army is planning to use plastic sensors that are flexible and can detect troop movements. Most of the army attacks are by the sudden arrival of the enemy. This scenario can be prevented by using sensors.

These days there is a vast reduction in the size of sensors. Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technologies are used to produce miniature sensors. MEMS devices range from 20 micrometers to 1 millimeter. The Professional Engineer Exam will equip an engineer to work with different type of sensors.  

Features of a NCEES Exam Prep Courses at School of PE

School of PE has been conducting NCEES Exam prep courses since 2004. The School of PE offers PE prep courses in PE Civil, PE Electrical, PE Environmental, PE Mechanical, and PE Chemical. The various disciplines in which training for FE Exam is given are FE Civil, FE Electrical, FE Mechanical, and FE Environmental.

The School of PE Prep Course has a lot of interesting features and benefits. For example, the instructors at School of PE have both academic and industry experience of more than 30 years. They also prepare excellent course content that is given out as student handouts and videos.

Keeping up with the latest learning trends, there are many Social Learning features such as “Questions to Instructors” and “Discussion Forums”. Suppose a student has a doubt, they can send these questions to the instructors. Or they can interact with other students through the “Discussion Forum” to discuss. This type of Social Learning helps you to prepare well for the NCEES PE Exam.

NCEES has specified certain calculators that can be used at the exam. School of PE has a two-hour long video that explains how the calculator can be used. Once the student watches this video, he/she can use the calculators well for the NCEES FE Exam.

There is also a Free Math Training. School of PE has a two-hour long video that is used to train the students on basic maths. If you want to refresh your knowledge about Basic maths, you can watch this video. When the students watch and learn from the free math training video, he/she can tackle the maths problems at the NCEES Exams.

Class Notes help the students to prepare well for the exams. These class notes are prepared by the experienced instructors. Other standard reference handbooks and reference manuals for the students are prescribed.

Every student looks out for some discount in the courses they take up. Keeping this in mind, School of PE offers many discounts. For all the courses, appropriate discounts are offered if the student registers early for the course. Special discounts are also given for the first 15 registrants. You can always register early for the course and then pay later.

Sometimes, students may need to get a feel of how the course videos look like. A demo of the courses is given to get a good understanding of how the actual course will look like. These demos can be seen on days mentioned in the website.

With all the above said features, it is no wonder that the School of PE pass rates are well above the national average. The School of PE pass rates range from 90% to 98%.

So, School of PE is a preferred training provider to help you prepare well for the FE Exams and PE Exams conducted by NCEES. Enroll at School of PE and come out with flying colors at the NCEES Exams.