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Planning on taking the FE Exam in Kentucky?
Great, this guide will give you all the ins and outs.
From eligibility requirements to finding the best FE Exam program to study with, we have you covered.
Let’s get into it.
Taking the FE Exam in Kentucky
Established by an Act of the Kentucky General Assembly in 1938, the Kentucky State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors’ mission is to safeguard the public health, safety and welfare through the licensing and monitoring of individuals and firms deemed qualified to practice.
We will refer to the board as the Kentucky Board for Professional Engineers in this resource.
The Board ensures that people who are entering the profession of engineering are able to meet the minimum standards of competency (including passing the FE Exam), and maintain such standards during their practice.
All individuals on the path to becoming a licensed Professional Engineer in Kentucky must pass two NCEES-administered examinations, which are:
- Fundamentals of Engineering Exam (FE Exam)
- Principles and Practice of Engineering Exam (PE Exam)
The FE Exam and PE Exam are standardized tests written and scored by the NCEES and adopted by the Kentucky Board for Professional Engineers as a valid means of qualifying the competence of aspiring engineers.
Once licensed, the board ensures that the mission continues to be upheld through the adoption of statutes and regulations which define acceptable conduct and consequences for individuals and entities who are found to be in violation.
All current Kentucky statutes and regulations relating to the practice of engineering can be referenced here.
What is the FE Exam?
Though there may be additional state-specific exams required, the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam (FE Exam) is one of two exams that an aspiring engineer will take in becoming a licensed Professional Engineer.
This standardized exam is administered and graded by the NCEES (National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying).
The exam itself is 5 hours and 20 minutes long with 110 questions spanning a wide range of foundational engineering concepts.
Each question is developed to confirm the level of competency of the individual in the fundamentals of engineering.
The FE Exam is a computer-based test (CBT) and closed book, though, each examinee is supplied with an NCEES reference handbook containing commonly used formulas and other useful information related to the material that is covered.
The FE Exam has 7 different exam specifications to choose from.
You may also hear the FE Exam referred to as the EIT Exam (Engineer In Training Exam) or the EI Exam (Engineering Intern Exam), all of which are the same exam.
You can learn more about the FE Exam here.
When can I take the FE exam?
This section is currently being updated to include the most up-to-date information in regards to taking the FE Exam in Kentucky.
The Kentucky Board for Professional Engineers has adopted the automatic model for approval and does not require that an individual submit an application to the board prior to taking the FE Exam.
This is great news as that means you are eligible today to take the exam – but there is a caveat here.
As it is stated in the current Kentucky Revised statutes found here, by scheduling the FE Exam you attest that:
- I am a graduate of an EAC/ABET accredited engineering program or have senior standing in such a program; or I have written approval from the Kentucky Board to register for this examination. I acknowledge and understand that passing this examination does not guarantee future licensure and that if I misrepresent my credentials in this acknowledgment, the Kentucky Board may refuse to license me.
As all paths to eligibility will be unique to Kentucky, you can reference the latest requirements to take the FE Exam and obtain your EIT Certificate in the Kentucky Revised Statutes, Chapter 322 found here.
Can I take the FE exam without a degree?
Eligibility requirements are set state by state and typically have a series of eligibility scenarios that include both non-ABET accredited degrees and progressive engineering work experience.
But what if you don’t have a degree at all, can you take the FE exam in Kentucky?
Since it is not required to get pre-approved for the FE Exam, the short answer is maybe.
As discussed in a previous section, at the time of registering for the FE Exam, you must attest that you are one of the following:
- A graduate of an EAC/ABET-accredited engineering program
- A senior in an EAC/ABET-accredited engineering program
- Have written approval from the Kentucky Board to register for the FE Exam
As this final option leaves a bunch of unknowns as to what is acceptable, we will continue to update this section to ensure we have the most accurate and detailed information for you to use.
We will also be adding information as it relates to obtaining a waiver of the FE Exam if you are able to offer sufficient evidence of your qualifications in the absence of an engineering degree.
What months can you take the FE exam?
The FE Exam is offered to eligible students year-round in four different testing windows, they are:
- January – March
- April – June
- July – September
- October – December
You are allowed to take the FE Exam once per testing window, but not more than 3 times in a 12-month period starting from the date of your first attempt.
Can I take the FE exam online?
You can not.
The FE Exam will be administered at a local Pearson Vue testing center in your region.
Once you register and are approved by the NCEES to take the exam, you will receive an email giving you the next steps in scheduling your exam appointment.
Through this process, you will be given options for a number of testing centers as well as what dates and times are available at those locations.
You can reference a current list of locations approved by the Kentucky Board for Professional Engineers to take the FE Exam here:
Approved FE Exam locations in Kentucky
It’s important to schedule your exam as far in advance as possible for the best scheduling availability.
Each Pearson Vue testing center is limited in capacity, so seats are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.
Though it’s never ideal and highly unlikely that there are open seats, you are able to schedule an appointment with as little as one business day before taking the exam.
What is the passing score for the FE Exam?
Any individual who is about to take on a major goal in life is going to want to know where the goalpost of success lies.
I get it.
But if you find yourself floating around the interwebs trying to get some clarity on this question, then you are sure of one thing…
Confusion – and oh, a lot of wasted time.
When it comes down to knowing the passing score for the FE Exam in Kentucky, there is only one right answer and it’s this –
Nobody knows.
Definitely, a letdown I know, but knowing that this is as much clarity as you will get will allow you to move on to putting in time on something that can actually make an impact come exam day.
We dive deep into this question and add a bit more context around the whole scoring process in this post:
What is the FE Exam passing score?
Knowing how the exam is going to be scored can be a huge advantage and give you confidence in the areas that you can control.
What is the FE Exam pass rate in Kentucky?
Kentucky does not release individual statistics for how many individuals are passing or failing the FE Exam in any given period of time.
However, the NCEES keeps a tally of these statistics for a single testing period for the population as a whole.
Currently, the FE Exam pass rate ranges from 35% to 83% depending on the exam discipline taken.
This is a huge range, and honestly, can’t really be relied on for a number of reasons.
These statistics account only for:
- Those who took the FE exam for the first time.
- Those who attended an EAC/ABET-accredited engineering program.
- Those who took the FE exam within 12 months of graduation.
I can tell you this much –
Of 100 students that come into our program at Prepineer, 95% fall outside one (or more) of these criteria.
The moral of the story, these stats reflect a population of individuals who meet the ideal testing characteristics of a candidate, not the mean characteristics as a whole.
Use them with a grain of salt.
How do I create an FE Exam schedule?
Getting your FE Exam study plan dialed in from the start is of the utmost importance in ensuring that you see this journey through.
But let’s be real.
We are on record for being horrible estimators of our time.
But it’s not any one of us individually, those big shot estimators who are supposedly “educated” in the realm of scheduling fall right there beside us in falling short.
Think about all those highly funded construction projects that go far past the scheduled finish date.
So with that, how can I best guide you in developing your study plan for your upcoming FE Exam in Kentucky?
We have spent a lot of time developing resources in the realm of FE Exam scheduling, here are a few to start with:
- Your FE Exam Study Schedule Sucks
- Here’s how to actually get started…with confidence – The 80/20 Abbreviated Study Plan
How many hours should I study for the FE Exam?
Determining how many hours a student should be putting in each day is one of the hardest things to do for a coach.
However, after over a decade of helping engineers just like you prepare for and pass the FE Exam, I can give you a general guideline as a starting point.
So whether you are taking the FE Exam in Kentucky or Michigan, start with this.
Over the years, we have seen students spend somewhere between 150-350 hours preparing for the FE Exam.
The lower end of this spectrum is typically those that are recent graduates or within a few years of graduation.
The upper end is typically those that graduated 20+ years ago and haven’t picked up a book in just as long.
Wherever the student feels they will fall, at Prepineer, we encourage them to spread this time over a period of at least 90 days – but prefer to see them give themselves closer to 110-120 days to be prepared.
This historically has played out to be much more realistic in the context of real-life, day-to-day responsibilities.
To help you go deeper in this area, we developed the ultimate guide in determining how long you should study for the FE Exam.
Down to what it all looks like from a daily, hourly effort.
You can access the guide here:
How long should I study for the FE Exam?
In running through this guide, you will have a much better understanding of what the landscape ahead looks like.
It will allow you to reveal many landmines upfront so you can put in measures to avoid them.
It will help you understand the real effort and reinforce your confidence that you are doing things right when you do inevitably hit those unforeseen obstacles.
It’s the best you can do when it comes to determining how many hours you should study for the FE Exam.
Where is the best place for FE Exam practice?
As you learn more about the FE Exam in Kentucky, you will realize just how much needs to get done and how important preparing for it the right way is.
I am confident in saying that you can get this done…
But truth is, most won’t pursue the FE Exam because they will tell themselves that they can’t, for one reason or another.
At Prepineer, we have put together a proven system of coaching and curriculum that has helped even the most challenged individuals pass the FE Exam in Kentucky.
Learn more about how Prepineer is the best way to study for the FE Exam and get started for free.
In Prepineer you will:
- Get a real coach who knows how to get you to the finish line, despite how impossible you may think it is.
- A custom study plan that breaks down exactly where you should be spending your efforts.
- Proven curriculum that has helped even the most challenged find success.
Use Prepineer for 7 days free, with no obligations.
How much is the FE Exam in Kentucky?
Some state licensing boards require that examinees file a separate application and pay an additional application fee as part of their approval process in order to be qualified to take the FE Exam.
If you are taking the FE Exam in Kentucky then this is not required and you can register directly through the NCEES.
The current cost to take the FE Exam is $175 and can be paid directly to the NCEES at the time of registering.
The whole registration process can be started through your myNCEES account here.
We will be updating this section further if we determine that additional fees will be required at any point through the FE Exam process.
What are the FE Exam Requirements?
As mentioned, eligibility is not set uniformly across the board by the NCEES, but rather, by each state’s engineering board.
With this, the eligibility requirements to sit for the exam in Arkansas may differ from when one can sit for the exam in Louisiana.
As outlined in the previous sections, the ABET-accredited degree is the creme de la creme when it comes to fulfilling Kentucky’s educational requirements, but it’s not the only route.
What if you don’t have an ABET-accredited degree?
Or your degree is from a university outside the states?
Is there any way that you can still fulfill the requirements to take the FE Exam?
The short answer is Maybe.
The Kentucky Board of Professional Engineers does leave the door open for becoming eligible to take the FE Exam if you are able to prove that you have acceptable education/experience.
Though it is not uniquely defined in the current Kentucky Revised Statutes, you can see more about the educational requirements here.
We will be updating this section as we make our way through the latest Kentucky Board Statuts and Rules as it pertains to the FE Exam.
And with that said, instead of sifting through all the current laws and rules, I suggest you give a call directly to the Kentucky Board for Professional Engineers and they will give you the most direct route to understanding the next step for you.
Who should I contact if I have more questions about the FE Exam in Kentucky?
It has been said a number of times, but it’s worth mentioning again.
Eligibility requirements are constantly in flux, and what is mentioned in this resource may not answer all of your questions.
If this is the case, the Kentucky Board for Professional Engineers can provide you with the latest details concerning the FE Exam in Kentucky.
They can be contacted at:
- Website: https://kyboels.ky.gov
- Contact: Kyle Elliott P.L.S.
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: (800) 573-2680
- Fax: (502) 573-6687
- Address: Kentucky Engineering Center, 160 Democrat Drive, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601
Final Thoughts on taking the FE Exam in Kentucky
I hope that this resource has brought you clarity on taking the FE Exam in Kentucky.
But I know, just as many answers I have given, there may have been just as many new questions in how you can get it done.
But passing the FE Exam shouldn’t be a mystery.
Sadly though, many will doubt that they can get it done, and in turn, give up on themselves and their careers.
I don’t want that to be you.
If I offered to show you a system that has worked for thousands in your same shoes pass the FE, would you take it? Click here to start your trial and learn the exact framework that will help you pass the FE Exam in Kentucky.
