Advice for FE Electrical and Computer from someone who passed 1st Try
In March, I took and successfully passed the FE electrical and Computer Exam.
The only materials I used for preparing for the test:
-Flashcards I made
-FE handbook(From NCEES Website)
-FE Electrical and Computer Practice exam pdf(From NCEES Website; Not sure if this is still available on their website, but you can find it online elsewhere. It is 100 questions long, with solutions)
-FE Electrical and Computer Interactive Practice Exam Vol. 1(From NCEES Website)
-Study Guide for Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Electrical & Computer Exam - Third Edition - Wasim Asghar (You can find it on amazon or elsewhere. It is worth the price.)
-Amit Roy Youtube Playlist: FE Electrical and Computer: Review (Effective from July 2020)
This is the general strategy I had when studying for the test:
-I would first read through the entire Handbook, looking at all the topics and making note of any topics you are either unfamiliar with or rusty. Don't do any practice problems just yet, just familiarize yourself with the handbook(*The handbook contains content for the other FE disciplines as well, so make sure to only go through the sections that apply to the Electrical FE Exam. The exam specifications are listed at the end of the handbook.)
-Next go through the handbook again, and try to do problems related to the topics you're unfamiliar with(The playlist listed above goes through a lot of the topics). Additionally, I'd recommend making flash cards related to these topics.
-Once you've gone through the entire handbook for the 2nd time, attempt the 100 question practice exam. I wouldn't worry about timing yourself for now. For now, you just want to use the practice test to get a feel for what kind of questions they would ask you and a feel for the level of difficulty you can expect from the actual test.
-Review your test and walk through the solutions. I'd again recommend making flash cards related to the questions you got wrong.
-Next go through the Wasim book listed above. It has over 700 practice questions. Go section by section and SOLVE ALL THE QUESTIONS(or at least most of them). The book offers questions similar to what you will see on the test.
-By this point you've probably done more than enough practice problems. It is time to grind out practice tests. I would recommend retaking the 100 question practice exam, this time timing yourself. You should spend no more than 3 minutes on any given question. I would also recommend taking at least one of the interactive practice exams, since the interactive exam is in the same format as the actual exam will be. Instead of buying additional 3rd party practice exams, pick 110 questions from the Wasim book, while making sure they cover the 17 topics on the test. Then work through those questions, while timing yourself. Review the questions you got wrong. Take more practice tests if necessary.
-While working through these steps, I would recommend spending at least 30 minutes before bed each night going through the flashcards you've created.
Other thoughts/useful info:
On the test you can use the handbook, and there is a search bar, so you can quickly find topics and terms on the handbook. Being able to navigate the handbook well is crucial, so make sure you're very familiar with it.
I am a relatively recent Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering grad, as of May 2024, if that information is useful.
I think doing the Wasim online prep course is overkill. The book is all you need from him.
Make sure you are using a test approved calculator while studying. There's no reason to use a fancy ti-84 on practice questions when you can't use it on the test.
I am not certain how the tests are graded(and I'm too lazy to figure that out now), but in the weekend before my test I did 2 practice tests. I can't remember the exact scores I got, but they were somewhere between 50 - 70% each. After I took the actual test I felt like I only got 50 to 60 correct, and yet I still passed. So if you can get at least 50% on the practice exams you might do alright. If you don't feel ready, you can also delay the test so long as you do so more than 48 hours in advance.
I started studying for the exam in October, all the while working, and it took several months to prepare. I also wasn't always consistent in my studying either which didn't help. If you really focus you might be able to finish in 3 or 4 months or even less. Either way it will likely take you a while to really prepare for this test.
I'd say that the test is worth all the effort. For the past several months I have been stuck in the hellscape that is the modern day job search, applying for jobs and doing interviews, and I wasn't making any headway until I passed this test. I now have a new, higher-paying job as an electrical engineer and they also gave me a significant sign on bonus as a result of passing the test.
Good Luck Studying!