FE Exam Passing Scores: Dispelling The Myths
The FE exam is scored on a pass or fail system and the NCEES doesn't publish the score needed to pass. They make mentions of a "scaled score", "subject- matter experts" and "psychometric statistical methods". Navigating this can be a bit confusing and the myths and tall tales are definitely out there.
Read on to understand how they determine such an important number ...
(NOTE: if you're in preparation mode, then see our free FE Exams for the FE Civil and FE Mechanical)
Read on to understand how they determine such an important number ...
(NOTE: if you're in preparation mode, then see our free FE Exams for the FE Civil and FE Mechanical)
NCEES Scoring Process
NCEES publishes a short explanation of how the FE is scored and it looks like this:
You'll even get a fancy CBT diagnostics report if you fail the exam:
Let's did a bit deeper and make some sense out of some of this information.
But first I want to make sure you are aware of all the FE Exam Prep Resources and the Practice Exams that are available (some free and some paid).
Also, I cannot stress how important it is to know your FE Exam Calculator inside and out.
But first I want to make sure you are aware of all the FE Exam Prep Resources and the Practice Exams that are available (some free and some paid).
Also, I cannot stress how important it is to know your FE Exam Calculator inside and out.
Making Sense Of The Scoring Process
You're likely used to a grading curve that is often used in Universities as a way of correlating the test difficulty with how the students did on that exam. Computer based testing offers methods that don't require rough estimates like a curve.
For example, the NCEES uses a grading scale since it is understood that some questions are more challenging than others. So it is easy for a Learning Management System to give the exam version you wrote a difficultiy score. The LMS can now determine a passing score for the particular exam you wrote. It can be more complex than that, but I think you get the point. Also I think you understand that the NCEES cannot simply publish one passing score ... there could only be one test if there is to be only one passing score.
For example, the NCEES uses a grading scale since it is understood that some questions are more challenging than others. So it is easy for a Learning Management System to give the exam version you wrote a difficultiy score. The LMS can now determine a passing score for the particular exam you wrote. It can be more complex than that, but I think you get the point. Also I think you understand that the NCEES cannot simply publish one passing score ... there could only be one test if there is to be only one passing score.
Each test is different so the NCEES cannot publish one passing score ... But you can roughly assume that you'll need better than half the questions ansnwered correctly (somewhere between 55-65 of the questions)
The FE is garded on a pass/fail system. Since each test is a bit different, the NCEES doesn't publish the score needed to pass. So the FE Exam is termed a pass or fail exam and there isn't a designated number of passing students for the exam. But you can roughly assume that you'll need better than half the questions ansnwered correctly.
Okay, so how do they determine what is a pass or fail for each of the different exams?
By passing the exam, it shows that you exceed a minimally-accepted level of knowledge in the field. They use psychometric testing methods to ensure you are competent in your field if you pass the FE Exam.
Ya but what the hell are psychometric testing methods?
Well, psychometric techniques and elements will be evident in all the questions and include:
Don't sweat it. These elements will be present in the exam, but don't run out to study the field of numerical reasoning or inductive reasoning. Just understand that the FE exam will have a unique way of asking questions and you better be familiar with them.
And don't forget to take time for some fun: Funny Engineering Jokes, Memes and Humour.
Okay, so how do they determine what is a pass or fail for each of the different exams?
By passing the exam, it shows that you exceed a minimally-accepted level of knowledge in the field. They use psychometric testing methods to ensure you are competent in your field if you pass the FE Exam.
Ya but what the hell are psychometric testing methods?
Well, psychometric techniques and elements will be evident in all the questions and include:
- Aptitude testing questions with one correct answer, that all students should be comfortable answers, but there will be many on the exam to introduce a time crunch.
- Numerical reasoning questions, that aren't only designed to test your mathamatical ability, but your ability to use data as a tool to solve problems. Don't think tables of data ... but think word problems that give some useful data and some irrelevant data.
- Mechanical & logical reasoning questions to test concepts like pattern recognition or logical rules that may be used in ethics as an example.
- Inductive reasoning questions in which all the answers are correct, but the student must choose the most correct.
Don't sweat it. These elements will be present in the exam, but don't run out to study the field of numerical reasoning or inductive reasoning. Just understand that the FE exam will have a unique way of asking questions and you better be familiar with them.
And don't forget to take time for some fun: Funny Engineering Jokes, Memes and Humour.
