PhilNITS FE
Fundamental Information Technology Engineers (FE) Certification Exam
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ExploreAbout this exam
The Level 2: Fundamental Information Technology Engineers (FE) Certification Exam is a Philippine sitting of the ITPEC common IT examination, coordinated by the Information Technology Professionals Examination Council with cooperation from IPA, Japan. The source describes FE as aimed at individuals who have basic fundamental knowledge and skills required to be an advanced IT human resource and who possess practical utilization abilities - people who can handle tasks of a certain degree of difficulty, or part of the required tasks, on their own (an "Assist" level of autonomy). It is the middle rung of the three levels listed on the site: Level 1 IT Passport ("Follow"), Level 2 FE ("Assist"), and Level 3 AP, which the source says is only available in Japan and is delivered in Japanese. FE is conducted twice a year in the Philippines as a whole-day exam with a lunch break: a 90-minute, 60-question morning session and a 100-minute, 20-question afternoon session, all multiple choice, covering Technology, Strategy and Management. The exam fee is P2,500, and a removal exam fee of P1,200 applies if you retake what you failed within one year of the exam date. Preparation means drilling both sessions under time pressure and, for the afternoon, practising longer scenario-style items; the site also advertises a new FE Subject B (Afternoon) book, first edition April 2026, at PHP 2000.00.
What you'll study
About PhilNITS FE preparation
What is the FE exam format and how long does it take?
It is a whole-day exam with a lunch break, all multiple choice. The AM session gives you 90 minutes for 60 questions; the PM session gives you 100 minutes for 20 questions. That works out to roughly 90 seconds per AM item and five minutes per PM item, so the two sessions reward very different pacing.
What topics does the FE cover?
The source states the exam is designed to cover Technology, Strategy and Management. That is the only topic statement published, so plan your study around those three strands rather than around a published per-topic weighting. The PM session is the longer, scenario-oriented half, and the site's own new book is specifically for FE Subject B (Afternoon).
How much does it cost and when can I take it?
The FE exam fee is P2,500, and the removal exam fee is P1,200. The published dates are October 25, 2026; April 25, 2027; and October 17, 2027, all Sundays, and the exam is conducted twice a year in the Philippines. Confirm the schedule on the official site before registering, since dates can change.
What happens if I fail one session?
The site says you are given 1 year from the date of exam to retake what you failed to become certified, and that retaking carries a removal exam fee of P1,200. So a failed session is not a full restart - but the one-year window is a real deadline, and you should plan your retake sitting before it closes.
How hard is the FE compared with IT Passport?
FE is Level 2 and is defined as the "Assist" level: basic knowledge plus practical utilization ability, handling tasks of a certain difficulty or part of the required tasks on your own. IT Passport is Level 1, the "Follow" level, a half-day paper of 120 minutes and 100 questions. Expect FE to demand more reasoning and less recall.
Should I study the AM or PM session first?
Build AM speed first, because 60 questions in 90 minutes leaves little slack and the fundamentals feed the PM. Then shift to the PM, where 20 questions in 100 minutes means each item is a longer scenario you must read carefully. The site's FE Subject B (Afternoon) book targets exactly that second half.
What are the most common ways candidates lose the exam?
Time management is the classic failure: burning too long on one AM item and leaving a block unanswered, or underestimating how long a PM scenario takes to read. A second trap is treating FE as pure memorisation when the definition stresses practical utilization ability. Also watch the one-year retake window - let it lapse and you lose the partial credit.
Is the FE the same as the AP exam?
No. The source lists AP as Level 3, for people with applied knowledge who have established their own direction and perform all required tasks by themselves. AP is only available in Japan and the exam is in Japanese. FE is Level 2, is held in the Philippines, and is a whole-day multiple-choice exam.
Where can I find official passers lists and updates?
The official site publishes ITPEC passers lists covering 2013 to the present and 2012 back to 2001, plus news and download sections. Use those pages for verified results and announcements rather than third-party summaries. This page is independent study material and is not affiliated with PhilNITS or ITPEC.