FE Exam in Maryland: What you need to know

Planning on taking the FE Exam in Maryland?

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 Maryland

The Maryland Board for Professional Engineers qualifies and licenses individuals seeking to become Professional Engineers.

The mission of the Board is to safeguard and empower the people of Maryland through the protection of the workers and consumers by providing a safety net, as well as cultivating a flourishing workforce that is adequately qualified to meet the requirements of Maryland’s dynamic economy.

All individuals on the path to licensure as a Professional Engineer in Maryland 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 Maryland Board of Examiners for Engineers as a valid means of qualifying the competence of aspiring engineers.

Once licensed, all Professional Engineers must adhere to and uphold all aspects of the Maryland Laws and Regulations to ensure the continued safeguarding of life, health and property of the people of Maryland.

What is the FE Exam?

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.

Here’s a resource outlining all that you need to know about taking and passing the FE Exam now:

The FE Exam: What is it and why you need to take it now

When can I take the FE exam?

The Maryland Board of Examiners for Engineers does not require one to submit an application for approval prior to taking the FE Exam.

This is great news as it means you are eligible right now to take the FE.

Once you pass the exam, you will be eligible to receive your EIT Certification without the need to verify your educational background.

However, in order to qualify to take the Professional Engineer exam, the individual must meet certain educational and/or experience requirements.

There are multiple paths to satisfying this requirement, and although it’s not something needed now, it’d be good to know ahead of time what to expect as you continue down this path of becoming a Professional Engineer.

Currently, as it is outlined in the Maryland Board of Examiners for Engineers Statutes, Subsection 14-305, the paths can be summarized as follows.

EAC/ABET Accredited Degree in Engineering and 4 years of experience

One can fulfill the educational requirements under this scenario if they are a:

• Graduate of an EAC/ABET accredited engineering program or
• Graduate of an ETAC/ABET accredited engineering program or
• Graduate of a Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) engineering program

And has:

• 4 years of engineering work experience
• Passed the Fundamentals of Engineering exam (FE Exam)

If you are unsure of whether or not your program is ABET-accredited, you can perform a program search here:

ABET Accredited Engineering Degree Search

If you believe that your degree may be CEAB accredited, you can confirm here:

CEAB Accredited Degree programs

Approved Non-EAC/ABET Accredited or Foreign Degree in Engineering and 8 years of experience

One can fulfill the educational requirements under this scenario if they are a:

• Graduate of an US or foreign-based four-year curriculum in engineering, or its equivalent, that the Board has not approved

And has:

• 8 years of engineering work experience
• Passed the Fundamentals of Engineering exam (FE Exam)

Experience only

One can fulfill the requirements under this scenario if they have:

• 12 years of engineering work experience

And:

• At least five of the years the individual was in responsible charge
• Passed the Fundamentals of Engineering exam (FE Exam)

Per the Maryland statutes, responsible charge means that the individual had direct control and personal supervision of engineering that requires initiative, professional skill, and independent judgment.

There are a few paths identified to substitute partial college attendance for experience credits, they are:

• Upon demonstrating grades satisfactory to the Board, an individual can substitute one complete academic year of at least 30 credit hours in an ABET-accredited engineering program for one year of experience
• Upon demonstrating grades satisfactory to the Board, an individual can substitute one complete academic year of at least 30 credit hours in a CEAB accredited engineering program for one year of experience
• An individual who has completed one or more years of a college curriculum in engineering that is not ABET accredited may receive six months of credit towards the experience requirement
• If the individual has completed graduate study in engineering that is satisfactory to the Board, they may receive up to one year of credit toward the experience requirement

In any of these instances, the individual seeking qualification to take the PE Exam based on experience only must submit the application found here to the board for review.

Once reviewed, the Maryland Board of Examiners for Engineers will notify the individual in writing if they are approved to sit for the PE.

All of these noted paths are unique to Maryland, and it’s our advice that you refer directly to the Maryland Board of Examiners for Engineers statutes, specifically Subsection 14: Business Occupations and Professions found here to review the latest regulations.

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 Maryland?

As it is currently spelled out within the Maryland Board of Examiners for Engineers Statutes and Rules, you are not required to submit an application or verify your educational background prior to taking the FE Exam.

So yes, you can take the FE Exam without a degree.

However, as discussed in the previous section, in order to qualify to take the PE Exam, you will need to provide evidence of meeting the board’s educational and experience requirements.

There are multiple paths, which we laid in detail previously, and can generally be defined as:

• EAC/ABET Accredited Degree in Engineering and 4 years of experience
• CEAB Accredited Degree in Engineering and 4 years of experience
• Approved Non-EAC/ABET Accredited or Foreign Degree in Engineering and 8 years of experience
• 12 years of engineering work experience

Currently, it does not appear that the Maryland Board of Examiners for Engineers provides any means to waive taking the FE Exam.

As these waiver requirements are constantly evolving, you can reference the most current statutes under subsection 14: Business Occupations and Professions found here.

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.

It will be important that you 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 Maryland, 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 Maryland?

Maryland does not release individual statistics for how many individuals in the state 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:

1. Those who took the FE exam for the first time.
2. Those who attended an EAC/ABET-accredited engineering program.
3. 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 Maryland?

We have spent a lot of time developing resources in the realm of FE Exam scheduling, here are a few to start with:

1. Your FE Exam Study Schedule Sucks
2. 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 Maryland or New York, 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 up front 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 Maryland, 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 Maryland.

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 Maryland?

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 for taking the FE.

If you are taking the FE Exam in Maryland, 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.

What are the FE Exam Requirements?

To take the FE Exam in Maryland, the only requirement that must be fulfilled is that you actually want to take the exam.

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 Idaho may differ from when one can sit for the exam in Michigan.

To take the FE Exam in Maryland, eligibility doesn’t require that you validate your educational background.

Once you do pass the exam, you will be immediately eligible to apply for and become an Engineer in Training (EIT).

From there, you will work to gain the necessary experience required (based on your educational background) and become eligibile to take the PE Exam.

It’s at this point that your education will be verified.

The ABET accredited degree is the creme de la creme when it comes to fulfilling Maryland’s educational requirements, requiring only 4 years of additional engineering experience – but it’s not the only route.

What if you don’t have an ABET-accredited degree?

What if you don’t have a degree at all?

Or your degree is from a university outside the states?

Is there any way that you can still fulfill the requirements after passing the FE Exam?

The short answer is YES!

As outlined in previous sections, there are a number of additional paths to satisfy the board.

However, these cases are unique to the individual scenario.

And with that said, instead of sifting through all the current statutes and regulations, I suggest you give a call directly to the Maryland Board of Examiners for 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 Maryland?

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 Maryland Board of Examiners for Engineers can provide you with the latest details concerning the FE Exam in Maryland.

They can be contacted at:

• Website: https://www.dllr.state.md.us
• Contact: Zevi Thomas
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: (410) 230-6010
• Fax: (410) 333-0021
• Address: 1100 North Eutaw Street,Room 121, Baltimore, Maryland 21201

Final Thoughts on taking the FE Exam in Maryland

I hope that this resource has brought you clarity on taking the FE Exam in Maryland.

But I know, just as many answers I have given, there may have been just as many new questions about 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 Maryland.