What should you do the week before the FE exam?
The week before the FE exam is a rehearsal of work you already know. Use these 7 days for timed sets in the FE Reference Handbook 10.6 PDF, review of problems you already miss, and a check of your appointment, photo ID, and calculator. NCEES gives you 5 hours 20 minutes for 110 questions, about 2.9 minutes (2 minutes 55 seconds) per question, and asks you to arrive 30 minutes early with an accepted ID.
A 7-day plan we suggest
The split below covers the last 7 days, with one job per day. If a day goes badly, return to problems you have already seen.
| Day | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Day 7 | Timed mixed set | Work questions at exam pace in the handbook PDF and note every slow lookup. |
| Day 6 | Search practice | Find those same topics with the search box. Keep the PDF at 100% zoom. |
| Day 5 | Second timed set | Repeat the pace on a mix drawn from topics you have already studied. |
| Day 4 | Logistics and one weak area | Match your confirmation to your ID, check the calculator, then run one short timed block. |
| Day 3 | Chapter jumps | Open a chapter from its starting page, then find the same equation with search. |
| Day 2 | Light review | Revisit only misses. Set aside your ID, calculator, and a printed confirmation. |
| Day 1 | Night before | Stop new problems. Confirm the route and your early arrival. |
Day 7 and day 5 are where you feel the clock. How much time you have per question is set by that 110-question exam, so a set that runs long in the PDF will run long at the Pearson test center. When you miss an item, write down the handbook chapter you should have opened. Day 6 and day 3 are for making that lookup fast.
What to confirm before test day
Do the full check on day 4 and a shorter check on day 2. Put the same items on your FE exam day checklist so exam morning repeats a check you already finished.
The first and last name on your appointment confirmation must match your ID, and NCEES suggests bringing a printed copy of that confirmation. You need one current physical photo ID with an expiration date, your name, date of birth, a photo, and a signature, such as a government ID from the country where you test, a passport in roman characters, or a U.S. military ID. Digital IDs and student IDs are not accepted. Read what you can bring to the FE exam before you pack anything beyond that ID and the confirmation.
For 2026 exams, NCEES allows Casio models with fx-115 or fx-991 in the name, the HP 33s and HP 35s, and Texas Instruments models with TI-30X or TI-36X in the name. Match the printing on your calculator to the FE calculator policy and leave every other model at home. Travel the real route once so you can be at the Pearson test center 30 minutes before the appointment.
Practice the handbook the way the software works
In the exam software, you search references with the search box on the left; Ctrl + F does not work, and references are usually best viewed at 100% zoom, so set your practice PDF the same way. How you use the FE Reference Handbook during the exam comes down to knowing the chapter and the words that retrieve the equation.
FE Reference Handbook 10.6 follows a fixed printed order. Units and Conversion Factors starts on page 1, Ethics and Professional Practice on page 4, Safety on page 15, and Mathematics on page 36. Engineering Probability and Statistics starts on page 64, Chemistry and Biology on page 86, Statics on page 95, and Dynamics on page 102. Materials Science starts on page 117, Mechanics of Materials on page 130, Thermodynamics on page 143, Fluid Mechanics on page 181, Heat Transfer on page 209, and Instrumentation, Measurement, and Control on page 225.
Engineering Economics starts on page 235. After that come Chemical Engineering on page 243, Civil Engineering on page 265, Environmental Engineering on page 318, Electrical and Computer Engineering on page 361, Industrial and Systems Engineering on page 422, and Mechanical Engineering on page 436. The Index starts on page 467.
One way to split a day 3 drill: open the chapter at the page above, read the relation you needed, then close it and pull the same line back with the search box. If search misses, shorten the query to a word from the chapter title. Shared topics sit in the early pages, and discipline chapters come later, so scrolling from page 1 wastes the pace you practiced on day 7 and day 5.
The night before
Day 1 stays short on purpose. Lay out the same physical photo ID, the calculator you already checked, and the printed confirmation with your name matched. If you open the handbook, search one formula you already trust, with the file at 100% zoom. A chapter you have never practiced will not become a reliable lookup overnight.
If the week shows you are not ready
Missing scattered problems you have seen before is what this week is for, but missing whole subjects you never studied is a different decision. Rescheduling costs $50, paid to Pearson, and must be done at least 48 hours before the appointment. Read how to schedule, reschedule, or cancel the FE exam while that window is still open. If you are already inside 48 hours, use your confirmation and the NCEES examinee guide before you rely on that $50 change.
Frequently asked questions
Should I study the day before the FE exam?
We suggest you skip new material the day before. Set out your photo ID, the approved calculator, and a printed confirmation, and keep your plan to arrive 30 minutes early. A short search of a formula you already know is enough. Leave any chapter you have not practiced closed.
What should I review in the last week?
Review problems you already miss and the handbook chapters that hold those relations. Practice the search box on the left at 100% zoom, because Ctrl + F does not work in the exam software. Use the same week to confirm your appointment name, ID, calculator model, and arrival. Unfamiliar topics are a weak use of these 7 days.
When is it too late to reschedule the FE?
The change must be done at least 48 hours before the appointment, and the fee is $50 paid to Pearson. Inside that window, check your confirmation and the NCEES examinee guide before you rely on the same reschedule. The 7-day plan assumes you are still sitting the appointment you already hold.
What photo ID will the test center accept?
Bring one current physical photo ID with an expiration date, your name, date of birth, a photo, and a signature. NCEES accepts a government ID from the country where you test, a passport in roman characters, or a U.S. military ID. Digital IDs and student IDs are not accepted. The first and last name on the ID must match the appointment confirmation.
How do I know my calculator is allowed in 2026?
Read the model name printed on the calculator. For 2026 exams, NCEES allows Casio models with fx-115 or fx-991 in the name, the HP 33s and HP 35s, and Texas Instruments models with TI-30X or TI-36X in the name. A similar model that lacks those characters is outside that list.
Sources
- NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF). Retrieved October 3, 2026.
- NCEES: Exams (calculator policy). Retrieved October 3, 2026.
- NCEES FE Reference Handbook 10.6 (free PDF in MyNCEES). Retrieved October 3, 2026.