Career By Design

Dear ASCE Community,

I took the FE Civil Exam twice-my first attempt on March 3, 2026, followed by a retake on July 22, 2026.

Unfortunately, my diagnostic scores have remained almost unchanged, and I am unsure how to adjust my preparation strategy for the next attempt.

So far, I have:

• Practiced consistently and solved hundreds of problems

• Used PrepFE, Islam 800, Iqbal, and School of PE materials

• Watched Mark Mattson's FE Civil videos

• Tutored first-time FE candidates for nearly a month

Despite the time and effort, I am struggling to identify what is holding me back.

I would sincerely appreciate advice from anyone who has faced a similar situation:

How did you improve after multiple attempts? Should I focus more on concepts, timed practice, the FE Reference Handbook, or exam-taking strategy?

I am sharing my diagnostic reports for context. Any honest feedback or study recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

in the FE Reference Handbook.

Thanks for reading my post.

Regards,

Zeeshan khan

mkhan247@...

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Mohammed Zeeshan Khan S.M.ASCE
Student
Chantilly VA
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Hello Zeeshan,

Did you focus on the FE Handbook? The kind of questions asked in the FE exam are almost directly from the handbook. You just need to know where exactly the formula is given in the handbook. Also, if you have not done your bachelor's from the US, you must take care of the units while doing calculations. I practiced only from Mark Mattson's videos and was able to clear it in my first attempt.

Best,

Shubha

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Shubha Bamney Ph.D., M.ASCE
Graduate Research Assistant
Oxford MS
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Hi,

First, you did do better the second time.  There are 3 categories where you did as well as those passing the test, vs only one the first time you took the test.

In order to do better you have to identify what is holding you back.  

Are you finishing the exam? Are you the kind of person who overthinks multiple choice questions? Were there multiple questions that you did not know the answer to? Do you get nervous and lose what you already know?

Understanding why you are not succeeding is the way to figure out how to succeed.

Here is a reassuring story: I have two close friends, one who is a born test taker, the other who is truly bad at timed tests.  The one who was bad at tests took AP Biology and was serious about becoming a biologist, the other did not take AP Biology and was casually interested in biology.  The one without AP Biology class got an 800, the other one did poorly.  The poor test taker studied hard, took the test again and got an 800.  She went on to a PhD in Biology and became a professor.

I was a nervous test taker which made me not do as well as I could have; my strategy was to read through the test, put my head down on the desk, cradled in my arms as if taking a nap, breathe deeply, and say the phrase, "Bust it out." over and over as I reassured myself that I would do well.

Using this technique I started outperforming my peers on tests.

I sympathize with you over the disappointment of preparing hard for the exam and not passing, two times.

Remember, that success comes with understanding yourself and figuring out what you need to do based on what is holding you back.

I hope this helps you to figure out how to succeed the next time you take it.

Best wishes,

Sarah

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Sarah Halsey P.E., M.ASCE
New York NY
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Hi Zeeshan, 

The main thing is concentration and pace. This exam has very little to do with statics and mechanics of materials if we are honest. I remember completing several guides, and one of the main things you need to develop is discipline to do the practice exams without having looked at the solutions at all. I have done the exam twice. The first time I was not fast enough with the reading comprehension and making decisions. The second time I had studied more and was more driven to move through the exam with a fast pace, and was accustomed to what they wanted. 

You can do it. Remember this exam is not testing how good of an engineer you are, it simply shows you have a minimum grasp of the various categories in our profession. 

Good Luck,
Lionel

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Lionel Gilliar-Schoenenberger S.M.ASCE
Zürich
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Hello Mohammed,

I was an avid runner when I passed the exam.  In running, the mind gets alot of endorphin release. 

For an anxious person then able to be composed and have a steady mind.  For the past-time, you might not be certain what IT demands.  While I believe the exam is meant to test your strategic thinking, as well as your promise to the profession, I might believe that the ethics of the trade situates your answers and protocol to the test in the functional set, as opposed to a global meter.

I have been out-engineered on occasions, and would just point out that the role you play for your team, could replace the answers.

Just a thought about what is brought to the Exam Hall.

A node is a node and it has a time and a place.

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Refugio Rochin P.E.
Civil Engineer/Structures
Modesto CA
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-17-2026 03:38 AM
From: Lionel Gilliar-Schoenenberger
Subject: FE Civil exam - Score Card discussion

Hi Zeeshan, 

The main thing is concentration and pace. This exam has very little to do with statics and mechanics of materials if we are honest. I remember completing several guides, and one of the main things you need to develop is discipline to do the practice exams without having looked at the solutions at all. I have done the exam twice. The first time I was not fast enough with the reading comprehension and making decisions. The second time I had studied more and was more driven to move through the exam with a fast pace, and was accustomed to what they wanted. 

You can do it. Remember this exam is not testing how good of an engineer you are, it simply shows you have a minimum grasp of the various categories in our profession. 

Good Luck,
Lionel

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Lionel Gilliar-Schoenenberger S.M.ASCE
Zürich
------------------------------

Hi Zeeshan, I just recently took and passed the FE exam.

There are certain sections of the exam that I believe are difficult to study for. Transportation, construction, ethics and professional practice come to mind.

The sections where you'll get the most bang for your buck are math, statics and dynamics, as most of the advanced sections rely on that knowledge (especially structural, but also fluids and geotechnical). Especially since you did below average on those sections. But I'm genuinely surprised you've done so many practice problems and tutored others and haven't been able to pass, as my suggestion would be to go back to the textbooks for those and do practice problems.

Did you feel like you were struggling while taking the exam? Did you run out of time? Did you get enough sleep and have enough to eat? 

I'd also like to note my approach to the exam itself. I made sure when I was studying I was using the FE reference handbook, so that during the exam I knew what was and wasn't there, and where it was. When I came across a problem that I wasn't sure how to approach, I flagged it and came back to it later so I had a good idea of how much time I could spend on it. I often found if there was a question I didn't know, I could look up the variables given in the handbook and find an equation that applies. Importantly, I also took efforts not to freak out when I didn't know the answer to a problem immediately, as my understanding is that there is no way you'll be able to get everything correct.

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Dan Hernbrott S.M.ASCE
Seattle WA
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Dear Dan,

I did selective studies, and priortize engineering related subjects only

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Mohammed Zeeshan Khan S.M.ASCE
Student
Chantilly VA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-17-2026 11:52 AM
From: Dan Hernbrott
Subject: FE Civil exam - Score Card discussion

Hi Zeeshan, I just recently took and passed the FE exam.

There are certain sections of the exam that I believe are difficult to study for. Transportation, construction, ethics and professional practice come to mind.

The sections where you'll get the most bang for your buck are math, statics and dynamics, as most of the advanced sections rely on that knowledge (especially structural, but also fluids and geotechnical). Especially since you did below average on those sections. But I'm genuinely surprised you've done so many practice problems and tutored others and haven't been able to pass, as my suggestion would be to go back to the textbooks for those and do practice problems.

Did you feel like you were struggling while taking the exam? Did you run out of time? Did you get enough sleep and have enough to eat? 

I'd also like to note my approach to the exam itself. I made sure when I was studying I was using the FE reference handbook, so that during the exam I knew what was and wasn't there, and where it was. When I came across a problem that I wasn't sure how to approach, I flagged it and came back to it later so I had a good idea of how much time I could spend on it. I often found if there was a question I didn't know, I could look up the variables given in the handbook and find an equation that applies. Importantly, I also took efforts not to freak out when I didn't know the answer to a problem immediately, as my understanding is that there is no way you'll be able to get everything correct.

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Dan Hernbrott S.M.ASCE
Seattle WA
------------------------------