FE Industrial & Systems study guide
FE Industrial & Systems · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam is generally the first step in the process of becoming a licensed professional engineer (P.E.). NCEES designs it for recent graduates and for students who are close to finishing an undergraduate engineering degree from an EAC/ABET-accredited program. The FE Industrial & Systems study guide has 10 sections and about 2,978 words.
01Mathematics and Statistics
FE math and statistics items test mechanics more than theory: descriptive statistics (mean, median, variance, standard deviation, coefficient of variation), probability rules, counting, and the standard distributions - binomial, Poisson, exponential, normal, and t. Know when each applies: binomial = fixed n, two outcomes, constant p; Poisson = counts per interval, with the rate scaled to the interval; exponential = time between Poisson events, mean 1/lambda.
289 words, about 1 min02Engineering Economics
Cash-flow equivalence is the whole subject. Be fluent with F = P(1+i)^n, P = F(1+i)^(-n), and P = A[(1+i)^n - 1]/[i(1+i)^n].
286 words, about 1 min03Ethics and Professional Practice
Ethics items are scenario questions built on a hierarchy of obligations: public health, safety, and welfare first; then competence and honesty; then employer or client loyalty; then confidentiality. Know the canons: hold paramount public safety; practice only within your competence; sign and seal only work you prepared or directly supervised; be objective and truthful in reports, testimony, and advertising; avoid and disclose conflicts of interest; reject bribery; protect proprietary information unless public safety requires disclosure; and support sustainable development.
285 words, about 1 min04Manufacturing and Production Systems
Expect breadth: traditional processes (casting, forging, machining, welding, sheet forming, injection molding) with their capabilities, tolerances, and typical defects, plus modern topics - CNC, CAD/CAM, robotics, additive manufacturing, metrology (GD&T, CMM), and lean manufacturing (value-stream mapping, 5S, kanban, poka-yoke, SMED, TPM). Be able to compute machining time (t = L/(f x N), with N = 12V/(pi x D) in inch units), material removal rate, and tolerance stack-up (worst-case arithmetic vs statistical root-sum-square).
302 words, about 2 min05Production Planning and Control
Follow the planning hierarchy: demand forecasting, aggregate planning (level, chase, mixed), master production schedule, material requirements planning (BOM explosion, gross-to-net, lot sizing, lead-time offsetting), capacity requirements planning, then shop-floor scheduling and control. Know forecasting accuracy measures (MAD, MSE, MAPE, tracking signal), moving averages, and exponential smoothing (F next = alpha x A actual + (1 - alpha) x F current; a higher alpha tracks change faster).
293 words, about 1 min06Facilities and Logistics
Layout types and when each fits: process (job shop, high variety), product (flow line, high volume), fixed-position (large assemblies), and cellular. Know the tools - from-to charts, closeness/relationship charts from systematic layout planning, activity relationship diagrams, and the load-distance model.
300 words, about 2 min07Human Factors and Ergonomics
Anthropometry and design limits (5th-percentile female for reach, 95th-percentile male for clearance), work physiology and manual material handling (NIOSH lifting equation, recommended weight limit, lifting index), biomechanics and cumulative trauma, and assessment tools such as RULA, REBA, and the Rodgers muscle-fatigue model. Cover cognitive topics - information processing, signal detection theory, vigilance, mental workload, and Fitts' law (MT = a + b x log2(2D/W)) - plus human-machine interface design: displays, controls, coding, feedback, and error-proofing.
294 words, about 1 min08Quality Engineering
Two halves: control and improvement. Control means statistical process control - variable charts (X-bar and R, X-bar and s) and attribute charts (p, np, c, u), rational subgrouping, control limit formulas (X-bar limits = X-double-bar +/- A2 x R-bar; R chart UCL = D4 x R-bar), and out-of-control rules (points beyond limits, trends, runs).
324 words, about 2 min09Operations Research
Model formulation plus solution mechanics. Linear programming: decision variables, objective, constraints, graphical corner points, simplex logic, duality, shadow prices, and sensitivity ranges.
307 words, about 2 min10Systems Engineering and Management
The life cycle from needs to disposal: stakeholder needs, concept of operations, requirements (functional, performance, interface, constraints) with traceability, functional analysis and allocation, architecture and interface definition, trade studies, design reviews, verification (does it meet the specification?), validation (does it meet the need?), integration, and configuration management. On the management side: work breakdown structures, CPM/PERT scheduling, resource leveling, risk management (identify, analyze, plan response, monitor), earned value management (SV = EV - PV, CV = EV - AC, SPI = EV/PV, CPI = EV/AC), and organizational structures (functional, project, matrix).
298 words, about 1 min