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You know you need to pass the FE Exam, but let’s face it — most people are stuck wondering how to study for FE Exam when finding time feels impossible.
Between your job, family, and everything else on your plate, it’s easy to push studying to the bottom of the list.
You’re not alone.
Most aspiring engineers feel overwhelmed by the thought of fitting it all in — often stopping before they even start, weighed down by doubts.
But what if there was a way to break free from that cycle? A way to finally create a plan that works with your busy schedule and gets you moving forward, step by step?
In this resource, I’ll show you how to make that happen — with 23 proven strategies to help you reclaim your time and finally make studying for (and passing) the FE Exam a reality.
Foundational Mindset
We are going to start off with the foundation of all of this:
Your mindset.
How you think about the FE Exam can make all the difference. Success will come down to:
- Breaking away from the usual patterns
- Being open to new approaches
- mentally preparing yourself for success
So this is where we will start, let’s get you into the right headspace to tackle what’s ahead.
#1 – Stop being like “most people”
I am going to open this up with something that may be a bit hard to read – but I am not here to watch you be like “most people”, I am here to help you realize that despite feeling like you don’t have time to study, that your response to this obstacle is completely in your control, so –
Don’t be like most people.
- Most people with an Engineering degree will head to a job only to sit behind a cubicle for years until they retire, drawing lifeless line after line, realizing that they feel guilty for not living the life they could, yet they will do nothing about it.
- Most people with an Engineering degree will settle into a role of doing exactly what they are told to do, weighed down by a fear of taking charge of their own careers.
So many talented individuals will settle for pointless tasks fulfilling other people’s agendas in hopes that one day some miraculous turn of events will pop up to move them into a position they feel they deserve.
This may or may not happen, yet they live a life of mediocrity until it does.
Most people with an Engineering degree want more from their career – more challenging projects, more ideas implemented, more control, more satisfaction, and overall more enjoyment – but they will never achieve what they want because they will simply settle for a false belief that they don’t have the time to make it happen.
Are you like most people?
I know I was – and this is my story
I needed to stop being like most people, stop being afraid of making changes, and take back control of my future as an Engineer.
I wasn’t good with leaving my happiness up to the ‘chance’ that I would just fall into the position I wanted.
It was at this point that I knew it was time to step up and get my Professional Engineering License.
But it wasn’t as simple as just making the decision, I struggled with motivation, self-doubt, overwhelm, fear of failure – and like you, had no extra time.
I am no one special – I got through college living the motto “C’s for degrees”
I am average at best when it comes to what people would call intelligent.
But none of that matters, I studied others who were successful in life and modeled what had worked for them and pushed through all my limitations and obstacles and got it done.
You can do the same.
All you have to do is feel those doubts, expose them for what they are – and go for it anyways.
I’ve laid out 23 ways that you can do that in this resource – I hope you will take some and run with it.
You got this.
#2 – Have a plan A, be ok with B – expect C
When I finish creating a student’s personalized study plan, I always send it over to them with that caveat that they should expect the plan to not play out exactly how it initially lays out.
And that’s ok.
Having a plan A in place is the equivalent to having a set of turn by turn directions the minute you put them into your car’s GPS system.
The directions get you moving towards the destination, but they may recalculate along the way.
Traffic, detours and other obstacles are all real things when it comes to driving somewhere – the same can be said when preparing for the FE Exam.
Having a study plan in place is great, it gets you moving in the direction that you need to be moving – but you may need to take a detour here or there.
The detailed directions isn’t what’s important, what is, is that you are still moving in the direction of the final destination, and that’s success on the FE Exam.
No one who has found success on the FE Exam has found it traveling a linear path, no one.
So plan for that.
Don’t think that if you are off track in reaching your goal if your plan doesn’t line up with how you initially envisioned it would.
Instead:
- Be consistent
- Stay focused on your goal
- Be willing to allow flexibility in the ways that you get there
#3 – Prioritize Math first – that’s it, nothing else.
When it comes to getting started preparing for the FE Exam, there are 100 ways that you could skin the cat.
The most common way is to:
- Open a book and…
- Just get at it
This is fine, but most will:
- Hit a point of struggle, then…
- Get stressed out and then…
- Look ahead at what is to come
Looking ahead can (and will) be overwhelming and it’ll stop you in your tracks – so don’t.
Instead, right now, the only thing you need to focus on is Mathematics – that’s it.
It doesn’t matter what is coming up, all that matters is that you are making positive progress.
Progress at the onset is more important than anything else. It helps you build a good routine, establish cadence and ultimately, builds your confidence.
Today, make this a one subject exam, focus on:
- Mathematics
Everything else will come in due time.
Effective Planning and Time Management
Now that we’ve got the mindset sorted, it’s time to talk about planning.
Trying to figure out how to study for FE Exam while balancing work and life isn’t easy, but with the right strategies, it’s 100 percent doable.
We’ll explore practical ways to organize your time so that studying becomes a seamless part of your day, not an added stressor.
#4 – Use time-blocking to schedule your day
When I first started studying for the FE Exam, it was a major failure.
I don’t know how many times I had started, then stopped – only to start back up weeks down the road.
I had a goal that I wanted to accomplish, but accomplishing is something I certainly wasn’t doing.
At that time, I was juggling:
- A full time job
- A family
- A growing list of commitments to tend to
It wasn’t until I started blocking out specific chunks of time each day in my calendar for studying that I actually started to gain control and making real progress in my studying.
Visually seeing that I was “booked” on my calendar allowed me to know exactly when I’d be studying, which allowed me to be both present in the current things I was doing and confident that the time would come.
You aren’t going to find time to study for the FE Exam by winging it, seeing how it’ll fit into your day – it’ll never fit – instead, block it in.
#5 – Wake up 30 minutes earlier
This one won’t sound great – but it’s pure gold.
When I first started studying for the FE Exam, I thought I’d just add it onto the end of the day and it’d become another natural part of it.
But it didn’t.
After getting home from work, my energy was drained, and there were always distractions – studying was the last thing I wanted to do.
I realized I had to “create” a time where I wasn’t distracted and I wasn’t tired.
My solution –
Wake up 1 hour earlier than normal and get in some work.
This was horrible at first, coming out of college, I didn’t know how to go to bed before 5 AM, now I was waking up at 5 AM.
It was tough – but like everything else, it became a game changer.
It was a time for me to operate with untapped mental energy going nowhere else but into my studies.
#6 – Get buy in at work
It amazes me how many students don’t even ask their employers if there are resources set aside at work that could help them prepare for the FE Exam.
By not even asking, you are getting the only answer you could get – a no.
Reality is, most employers won’t have a problem at all with you studying during ther down times at work – and likely will support you even more.
Just recently, I had a student I was working with telling me that they didn’t have any time to study.
I asked if their employer was bought into them becoming a licensed engineer – they didn’t know, because they never asked.
I challenged them to have the conversation, and what did it lead to?
1 hour of paid professional development time that they could use during their work day to study for the FE Exam.
That was a huge win and instrumental to them preparing for and passing the FE Exam.
It may not be an hour for you, but anything, even flexibility to take advantage of the 10 minute down times throughout the day without feeling guilty will be huge in finding more time to study for the FE Exam.
#7 – Audit your time
We will never get more time, but you’d be surprised how much of the time we already have is wasted on doing things that are getting us nowhere in life.
I was challenged by a mentor of mine to keep a physical log of what I was doing for a period of 2 weeks.
This task required that every 5 minutes, I log what I was doing – and it blew my mind:
- Netflix
- Social Media
- YouTube
- Meetings that ballooned longer than they needed to
This was an eye opener for sure –
It forced me to stop telling myself that I “didn’t have time” – because it was obvious that I did, I was just wasting it away and in denial.
I still think pen and paper is the best route to take when doing this, it really pounds it home. But there are apps and online software that can help you do the same thing – RescueTime is my favorite, but do a quick search and you’ll find many options that are out there.
Bottom line, I thought I didn’t have time to study, but after seeing how much time I spent scrolling or doing small, unimportant tasks, I realized I could reclaim and refocus hours to my goal of passing the FE Exam.
#8 – Megabatch > Multitask
Multitasking may seem like the answer to fitting everything in, but it’s actually holding you back from finding the time to study for the FE Exam.
The truth is, when you think you’re multitasking, you’re just switching between tasks, which reduces your focus and efficiency.
The key to success isn’t studying all day, but being 100% focused and dialed in when you are.
Megabatching will allow you to do this.
Mega-batching involves:
- Grouping similar tasks together and then…
- Handling them in one dedicated block of time
This way, you minimize the constant task-switching that drains mental energy and disrupts focus.
As an example, instead of constantly checking emails and messages throughout the day, set aside specific blocks of time to clear your inbox, respond to texts, and make phone calls.
If you have errands that need to get done, plan ahead to batch some together – Combine:
- Trips to the grocery store
- Post office
- and other stops…
Into one run, saving time and energy for studying later.
This strategy is all about getting “5 minutes here and 5 minutes there”.
When added up throughout the week, these minutes will make a huge impact on the amount of time you have for distraction-free studying.
Maximizing Every Moment
No matter how busy we feel we are, we all have small pockets of time throughout the day that often go unused.
What if you could turn those moments into productive study sessions?
In this section, we’ll show you how to make the most out of every minute, turning idle time into progress without overwhelming your schedule.
#9 – How to study for FE Exam during your commute or breaks at work
When I was studying for the FE Exam, I found that I had more pockets of time throughout my day than I had originally realized.
My commute into work was 30 minutes, the same coming home.
In between calls, there would be 5 minutes here and there.
Let’s just say I had 4 calls throughout the day and a commute that bookended my day – all combined, this was another 1 hour and 20 minutes of time.
These pockets of time became opportunities to get something in – and get something in is what I did, and what you should do when trying to figure out how to study for FE Exam.
Yes, you’ve got to be creative, but any bit of studying will move the needle forward, and that’s the goal.
For me, it wasn’t that I was sitting down and cranking out practice problems, but I did find that between calls I could:
- Use my phone to read over a short review or
- Look through a few flashcards or
- scroll through a solution of a problem
During my commutes, I could listen to:
- A lecture or
- Some lesson on a topic that I was going to be studying later that day
I wasn’t watching the phone while driving, but actually visualizing what the instructor was saying allowed me to think about content from a different angle.
By the end of the week, taking these smaller pockets of time and filling them with something beneficial to my prep allowed me to consume more material than I would have by relying solely on needing to be at a desk with a book open.
#10 – Integrate microlearning during idle moments.
You are going to be spending multiple days studying a subject.
Mathematics isn’t going to be started today and completed today, but you shouldn’t approach it as it should.
Instead of focusing on Mathematics as a whole, focus on completing College Algebra.
Even more, instead of focusing on College Algebra, focus on Discrete Math, the very first subtopic and aim to get that done – during some down time today.
This goes with some of the other nuggets I have given up to this point –
If you find yourself with a few minutes here and there, embrace microlearning and try and work through a smaller subtopic.
For me, these smaller moments added up and it felt like I was staying engaged with the material and able to get through it much quicker had I waited for my longer work sessions.
#11 – Study during your lunch breaks or other low-energy work periods
Even without buy-in from your employer, there are time slots every single day while at work that could add up to a substantial amount of studying.
You are guaranteed to get a couple of breaks and a lunch break at work – take advantage of those now if you aren’t already.
At minimum, that’s an hour and a half of open time to read material, do practice problems or watch lessons.
The key to taking advantage of these times is to make sure that you have planned ahead to know what you will be studying.
Don’t go in and wing it, go in with intention so that you are efficient and productive.
Productivity Enhancers
With your time optimized, let’s focus on making your study sessions as effective as possible.
When figuring out how to study for FE Exam, It’s not just about the hours you put in, but how you use them.
This section will outline tips to
- Boost your focus
- Retain more information and
- Keep your energy levels up so…
You get the most out of the time you invest.
#12 – Get the 30,000 foot view – early
This one has to do with priming your mind before you even sit down to study – and it happens early in the day.
When you go into a new subject, look over exactly what you will be studying by either looking through the chapter, the FE Reference Handbook or finding a subject summary of the content that highlights the most important concepts to be mastered.
To put this into practice, say that tonight you will be studying College Algebra.
The best thing you can do is create a routine where you are taking a short period of time to immerse yourself into that content early in the day.
You aren’t studying, you are just glancing which is enough to let it percolate in the mind throughout the day.
Even if you aren’t trying to think about it, there will be moments throughout that day that you do – and this will be huge to ensure the mind is primed to take in and consume the content later.
#13 – Stay committed to “Quick wins”
You need a quick win:
- Today
- Tomorrow and
- All the way through to your exam day
Quick wins are small, manageable victories that give you an immediate sense of progress.
These small achievements can be incredibly motivating, especially when you’re tackling a larger, more overwhelming task of trying to figure out how to study for FE Exam.
Quick Wins can be leveraged in the short term as well as the long term.
In the short term, a quick win could look like:
- Opening up your studies today by doing a short set of practice problems from the content you studied yesterday
In the long term it could be:
- Cutting down the scope of what you will be studying from something like “study Statics” to “study Free Body Diagrams”
Something that can actually be achieved in the current day.
Stacking quick wins helps build consistency and reduces procrastination.
Small, consistent victories add up, making your study sessions feel more manageable and leads to greater overall productivity.
When you consistently feel like you’re achieving something, it’s easier to stay engaged and motivated, which can dramatically reduce burnout and stress.
Quick wins remind you that progress is happening, even if it’s in small steps, and that can be enough to carry you through the tougher, more complex times ahead.
#14 – Establish a work/rest cadence during your studies
Studying for the FE Exam is a marathon – daily.
At first, I would sit down, open a book and just start putting in the work.
Fueled by a heavy dose of caffeine, this worked, until it didn’t.
Long study sessions left me exhausted both mentally and physically. I was finding that the further along I went, the less I would recover.
I would go to bed exhausted, expecting to wake up energized for the next day’s run, only to realize that wasn’t happening.
The long study sessions were tapping all my mental energy that I needed to remain focused and continue to make progress.
Switching to using the Pomodoro Technique was a game changer for me then, and still is today.
This technique calls for:
- 25 minute focused study spurts
Followed by:
- 5 minutes breaks
This on/off cadence allows the mind space to be focused, as well as rested – allowing it to be more resilient over longer periods of time.
#15 – Study in shorter blocks
When we study, it’s natural to want to hold off and do it all at one time during the day.
Say that you plan 2 hours of study today, most would just wait until they have 2 hours to sit down and get at it.
You can see how that “may or may not happen” in the context of the chaos that’s life.
I suggest trying to approach it a bit differently.
Instead of studying all at once, a more effective way to prep is to actually break it down into smaller sessions – and then from there, break it down even more.
For example, instead of studying 2 hours all at once, try studying for 30 minutes – 4 times throughout the day.
Having focused chunks like this will help you:
- Maintain your focus and energy throughout each study session
- Avoid getting burnt out or overwhelmed
You will also be able to recharge your brain in between each session.
Additionally, approaching prep this way helps us avoid distractions during each study session since we know that we are dedicating a much shorter time to studying in any single study session.
Any distraction can be avoided for 30 minutes – but stretch that to 2 hour block, welp, who knows how many distractions we will give in to.
All of this together adds up to a much more efficient and consistent daily progress.
#16 – Study at least 15 minutes, every day
I coach my students to get at least 15 minutes of studying in each day.
Small, consistent studying does more for you than actually learning the material –
It allows you to build a cadence that your mind can adjust to and take advantage of when time allows the study sessions to be longer.
Reality is, it’s hard for the mind to engage and disengage if we are studying on the weekends, or every other day.
When we are consistently studying, our mind is able to shift in the “academic mode” much quicker, making it all much smoother and the use of your time more efficient.
Rather than study for 5 hours today, and then another 4 hours in a few days –
Studying every day for at least 15 minutes allows you to develop a trigger for when you actually do sit down and study for longer.
A start, stop, stall, start cadence leads to chunky sessions that are inconsistent and unreliable – no one has time to be inefficient with the little time that we have.
#17 – Sleep on it
I learned this while in college, without even knowing what was going on.
As I was preparing for an exam, every night, before bed, I’d read over notes or other information that I had been working on.
When I woke in the morning, I always felt that it stuck more and that I was able to pick it up quicker and more accurately than before.
Then I came across the research, which validated what I was experiencing myself.
Research shows that sleep plays a crucial role in solidifying what you’ve learned.
During slow-wave sleep (SWS), the brain actively consolidates new information, strengthening memory retention.
Studies have shown that those who sleep after studying are more likely to retain and recall information than those who don’t.
Additionally, REM sleep fosters creativity and problem-solving by helping the brain make new connections.
So, tonight:
- Scan your notes and material that you studied and…
- Let your brain continue to work on it while you rest
This will make it easier to understand and recall the next day.
Building Sustainable Habits
Consistency is key when preparing for the FE Exam.
Instead of figuring out how to study for FE Exam, this section is all about creating habits that stick, so studying becomes second nature rather than a daily hurdle.
We’ll discuss ways to build routines that support your goals and make the whole process feel more manageable.
#18 – Build a habit chain
One powerful way to build consistency in your studies is by using an app or physical calendar to develop what’s called a habit chain.
Every time you complete a study session:
- Mark it on the calendar or in an app…
This creates a visual representation of your progress.
Over time, the goal becomes simple: don’t break the chain.
As the chain of completed study sessions grows, it becomes increasingly motivating to keep going, as you’ll naturally want to maintain your streak.
This visual cue creates a sense of accountability and makes studying a habit rather than a chore.
Research shows that the more you repeat a behavior, the more it becomes ingrained as a routine. The visual cue of a habit chain works by reinforcing positive behavior through a simple reward system –
Each time you study and mark your progress, your brain releases a small amount of dopamine, giving you a sense of accomplishment.
The key to success on the FE Exam is consistency, and a habit chain provides a clear, visual reminder to stay committed. The longer you go without breaking the chain, the more automatic studying becomes, and eventually, it turns into a natural part of your daily routine.
Whether you’re aiming for 15 minutes or 2 hours of study time each day, marking your calendar will provide that extra push to stay on track, helping you build a sustainable study habit.
#19 – Don’t study in one place
When I started studying for the FE Exam, the library was my go to spot.
I would:
- Set up in the same spot
- Open my materials and get at it
This felt “academic”.
At first, I was highly productive, and on point – but over time, that energy waned. Studying for the FE Exam is hard, and that difficulty coupled with the monotony of the routine zapped my energy.
Without even trying though, I found a hack.
One day I decided to go to a coffee shop instead. What I found was a new kind of energy and more productivity.
It was noticeable and undeniable, so –
I started switching where I was studying daily.
Constantly switching up where you are studying is an underrated but highly effective way to:
- Stay energized
- Stay creative
- Stay motivated in prep
Research backs this up.
Studies on context-dependent learning say that switching up where you are studying can improve memory retention and keep your mind more engaged.
When you study in different places, your brain builds different associations with the material, making it easier to recall later.
Mixing up locations also helps prevent boredom and monotony, which can make studying feel like a chore.
Every new environment sparks new focus, helping you stay productive and interested in what you’re doing.
So change it up – often.
You’ll find that it will keep things fresh, fuel creativity, and ensure you’re not getting stuck in the same old routine.
Whether it’s a:
- Different room in your house
- A new coffee shop
- An outdoor space
Each location will bring a new perspective and a renewed sense of purpose to your study time.
#20 – if you don’t see the possibilities – let others for you
The most common reason people don’t start preparing for the FE Exam — and when they do, it’s the reason they fail to see it through – is fear.
It’s human nature to:
- Fear what is unknown
- Shy away from doing things that we don’t see anyone else doing
It’s not everyday that we run into someone else in our office studying for the FE Exam, and if that’s the case for you, what it takes to succeed is completely uncharted territory.
This makes us feel alone on this mission and doubt that we can actually get it done.
If you don’t really believe it’s ever going to happen, then why would you start in the first place?
If you want to increase your chances of following through with the FE Exam, then –
You are going to need to find people that know what it’s going to take to get it done.
And these people don’t even need to be engineers, but individuals who have taken some type of licensing exam post-academia. Their experience will be invaluable in navigating similar obstacles along the way.
So find a mentor that has taken on this, or a similar journey and represents the type of professional that you want to be and spend as much time with these mentors as you can.
Accountability and Support
Last but definitely not least, let’s talk about the power of having the right support system in place.
You don’t have to go through this journey alone.
Whether it’s:
- Finding a study buddy
- Joining a community
- Working with a coach
Having others in your corner can keep you motivated and accountable when you are trying to figure out how to study for FE Exam.
In this section, we’ll explore how to build that network to help you cross the FE Exam finish line successfully.
#21 – Accountability
You need a system of accountability to get you moving, and keep you moving.
Most of us, including myself, need to tap into the power of accountability to make things happen.
When we put ourselves out there, we subconsciously feel that other people have expectations and it’s this feeling that can be an instigator in taking action if we capture it just right.
So take a step towards finding accountability partners.
Get out there and find people who you can share what you are doing with.
Again, they don’t even need to be engineers, just others tackling professional development in their own lives – heck, or just individuals you would hate to tell “I quit”.
Meet regularly, in person, text, email, wherever, or whatever – make commitments to getting next actions completed.
Every week, commit to a specific Next Action and let your accountability partners know about that commitment.
It really doesn’t matter how big or how small the commitments are, what is important is that you are leveraging the powerful nature of accountability.
When others are looking to you for results, you step up, you stay the course, you execute.
Period.
#22 – Find a tribe
This one pivots off of much of the advice that I have touched on in this section, but takes it one step further.
Mentors and accountability partners are super important – but another underrated powerhouse motivator is surrounding yourself with a tribe of positive influence.
I know this may sound a bit foo foo, but when it comes down to it –
No one builds a successful engineering career all by themselves.
Jim Rohn said that “We are the average of the five people we spend the most time with” – and I believe that now more than ever.
And I don’t think it’d take much for you to believe as well.
Think back to when you were making the most progress in your life, chances are, you had people around you who were driving after some lofty goals at the same time that you were.
But something changed once you got into the corporate world.
Your spear of influence began to shrink, you stopped sharing life together and started focusing on work over anything else.
Get this back into place, in some capacity.
LinkedIn is a great place to create this type of community.
Connect with:
- People who are just graduating
- People who are about where you are
- Professors
- Managers in all companies (locally and beyond)
- Engineering experts
The more diverse your network is, the more powerful it will be in inspiring you to keep pushing towards success on the FE Exam.
#23 – Get coached
Working with a coach can be a game-changer when it comes to building confidence in your studies.
A coach provides personalized guidance to address exactly what you are navigating right at the moment.
They can help you identify your strengths, weaknesses, and areas where you might be holding yourself back.
Research has shown that individuals who received coaching exhibited higher levels of confidence, better goal-setting abilities, and improved performance.
Coaches help you break down overwhelming tasks into manageable steps, offering feedback and encouragement to keep you moving forward.
They can also introduce specific confidence-building techniques, like:
- Visualizing success
- Positive self-talk
- Professors
- Reframing challenges as opportunities for growth
This one-on-one support is especially valuable for students who struggle with self-doubt, as the coach helps foster a mindset of resilience and steady improvement.
Having someone in your corner offering personalized strategies tailored to your needs boosts both your confidence and your overall success.
Wrapping It Up: Your Path to Success
As you continue your journey toward passing the FE Exam, the road ahead may seem overwhelming at times.
The obstacles of navigating time when it’s already thin takes all that to another level.
But with the right guidance and the right strategies, you’ll realize that it’s not just about working hard – it’s about working smart when trying to figure out how to study for FE Exam.
Every step you take brings you closer to passing this exam, and I am confident to say that you can.
The truth is, many will never take the FE Exam – not because they can’t, but because they believe they don’t have enough time – so it’s out of reach.
But that doesn’t have to be your story.
At Prepineer, we’ve developed a proven system that has helped even the most time-crunched individuals achieve what once felt impossible.
We understand the time challenges you face, and we’re here to make sure you don’t face them alone.
When you join Prepineer, you’ll:
- Work with a dedicated coach who knows exactly how to guide you to success – no matter how daunting the path may seem or how little time you have.
- Receive a personalized study plan that pinpoints where your time and energy should be focused for maximum results.
- Access a proven study material designed to help even the most challenged students pass the FE Exam.
Don’t let “I don’t have enough time” and doubt continue to hold you back. Take the next step today.
Start your free 7-day trial with Prepineer — no strings attached, no obligations, just real results – in the time that you have.
