FE Exam Success

(Left to right: Jordan Valdez, Derrick Leahy, Carter Horton, Zachary Aitken, Joshua Porter, Matthew Sinclair, Kolton Johnson, Emily Shea, Dylan Cortes)

FE Exam 100% Pass Rate

Real world preparation and hands-on lab experiences. Our students are built to make an impact.

The 2024 LeTourneau University Civil and Environmental Engineering graduating class recently achieved a 100% first-time pass rate on the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam. All nine graduating seniors passed on their first attempt to take the FE and have taken the first key step in their engineering career. The FE exam is a nationally administered exam and the first step towards gaining a professional engineering license. The national first-time pass rate for the FE is 59% and 70% for Civil and Environmental, respectively.

The FE exam evaluates students on a range of topics encompassing fourteen different knowledge areas that span their engineering education. From mathematics to ethics, material properties to advanced design, the five hour and 20 minute exam covers a wide breadth of topics that are important for engineers to grasp.

Dr. Darryl Low, Ph.D., Department Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering, speaks on the success rate of these students: “The national pass rate for the FE exam is about 60%. So, for our entire class to pass on the first attempt, both civil and environmental engineering students, is exceptional. We are extremely proud of what these seniors have accomplished.”

“It’s a fantastic feeling to have passed the FE exam. Our professors from day one are encouraging us to take those steps toward licensure so this is one step checked off, and graduation in May will be another step. Obviously, I was nervous about taking the exam, but passing it was a relief.”

- Zachary Aitken (Civil Engineering)

Many civil and environmental engineering students at other universities do not have accessibility to the FE exam until after graduation. However, LeTourneau University provides its students with unique opportunities during their undergraduate careers. With a focus on the hands-on learning experience, LeTourneau prepares students with real-world exposure for their future careers. “[The success rate of our students] reflects the top-notch civil and environmental engineering program we offer at LeTourneau but especially displays the exceptional qualities of these future engineers." (Dr. Darryl Low)

“The lab experiences bring out the fun in engineering. You can get so lost in the math or other aspects of it, but when you really get into the field and understand each piece, you learn better by actually getting your hands dirty. One big thing that is stressed to us in our program is that we need to be thinking of the people who are going to be receiving our products. We want people to know that LeTourneau engineers are different, and we know what we’re doing.”