This year the 8-hour long Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam is to be held on October 29th. The exam consists of 120 questions on general engineering in the 4-hour morning session and 60 questions focused on your specific engineering degree in the 4-hour afternoon session. Visit the NCEES FE Website here. Please see our suggested links and videos below to prepare yourself for exam day and to aid in your studying.

• A reference booklet of equations and constants is supplied at the beginning of the exam. It is a good idea to review this booklet before the exam so that you understand the type of reference information available and its layout. 
• The exam uses both the International System of Units (SI) and the US Customary System (USCS).
• This year, the exam is offered October 29th. Registration for the October exam is now closed, but if you missed the registration deadline, the exam is also offered April 14th, 2012.
• Check the exam day policy on the FE webpage here to make sure you come prepared.

The Chemical Engineering specific part of the exam is outlined below. Outlines for other engineering disciplines are available on the FE website.

MORNING Session (120 questions in 12 topic areas)

Please see this pdf outline for which topics are covered in the morning session.
The morning session is made up of questions on general engineering topics, while the afternoon session focuses more on specific applications in chemical engineering. We organized our review based on the afternoon session.

AFTERNOON Session (60 questions in 11 topic areas)

1.1 Inorganic chemistry (e.g., molarity, normality, molality, acids, bases, redox, valence, solubility product, pH, pK, electrochemistry)
1.2 Organic chemistry (e.g., nomenclature, structure, qualitative and quantitative analyses, balanced equations, reactions, synthesis)

2.1 Mass balances
General Balance for Material Balances
General Balance on Single Tank
Water Adsorber
Two Reactions (Extent of Reaction)
2.2 Energy balance
Steam Reformer Balances
2.3 Control boundary concept (e.g., black box concept)
2.4 Steady-state process
Combining Streams
2.5 Unsteady-state process
2.6 Recycle process
Crystallizer and Drier
Recycle Streams
Reaction with Recycle
Distillation Column
Distillation Column Part 2
2.7 Bypass process
2.8 Combustion

3.1 Thermodynamic laws (e.g., 1st Law, 2nd Law)
Compression of Ideal Gas
Adiabatic Expansion of Ideal Gas
Application of Second Law
Entropy Change (Ideal Gas)
3.2 Thermodynamic properties (e.g., internal thermal energy, enthalpy, entropy, free energy)
Enthalpy Change of Irreversible Adiabatic Expansion
Heat Capacity (C_p)
Maxwell Relationships
Change in Gibbs Free Energy
3.3 Thermodynamic processes (e.g., isothermal, adiabatic, isentropic)
Adiabatic Compression of Ideal Gas
Adiabatic Compressor
Compressor Efficiency
3.4 Property and phase diagrams (e.g., T-s, h-P, x-y, T-x-y)
PT Diagrams
PV Diagrams
PH & TS Diagrams
3.5 Equations of state (e.g., van der Waals, Soave-Redlich-Kwong)
Peng-Robinson Equation of State
3.6 Steam tables
Steam Tables
Using Steam Tables Part 1
Using Steam Tables Part 2
Using Steam Tables Part 3 (Interpolating)
Using Steam Tables to Determine Phase of Water
3.7 Phase equilibrium and phase change
Vapor-Liquid Equilibrium (One Condensable Component)
Gas Expansion-Open System
3.8 Chemical equilibrium
Effects of an Inert
Pressure vs. Conversion
Equilibrium Constant & Conversion
3.9 Heats of reaction
Heat of Reaction (using Heats of Formations)
3.10 Cyclic processes and efficiency (e.g., power, refrigeration, heat pump)
Carnot Cycle
Carnot Heat Engine Calculations
Carnot Heat Pump
Heat Engines
Minimum Work Calculation
3.11 Heats of mixing
Heat of Mixing

4.1 Bernoulli equation and mechanical energy balance
Derivation of Bernoulli Equation
Flow Exiting a Tank
Simple Bernoulli Equation Example
4.2 Hydrostatic pressure
Force on Rotating Gate
Force on Submerged Door
4.3 Dimensionless numbers (e.g., Reynolds number)
Non-Dimensionalize Equations
4.4 Laminar and turbulent flow
Shear Stress Parallel Plates
4.5 Velocity head
4.6 Friction losses (e.g., pipe, valves, fittings)
Laminar Pipe Flow
Pipe Flow
4.7 Pipe networks
Balance on Tee-Pipe
4.8 Compressible and incompressible flow
Irrotational & Incompressible Fluids
4.9 Flow measurement (e.g., orifices, Venturi meters)
Inclined Manometer
4.10 Pumps, turbines, and compressors
4.11 Non-Newtonian flow
4.12 Flow through packed beds

5.1 Conductive heat transfer
Boundary Conditions
5.2 Convective heat transfer
Center-line Temperature of Rod
5.3 Radiation heat transfer
5.4 Heat transfer coefficients
Pin Fin Heat Transfer
5.5 Heat exchanger types (e.g., plate and frame, spiral)
Rectangular Fin Heat Sink
5.6 Flow configuration (e.g., cocurrent/countercurrent)
5.7 Log mean temperature difference (LMTD) and NTU
Tube Bank
5.8 Fouling
5.9 Shell-and-tube heat exchanger design (e.g., area, number ofpasses)

6.1 Diffusion (e.g., Fick's 1st and 2nd laws)
6.2 Mass transfer coefficient
6.3 Equilibrium stage method (efficiency)
6.4 Graphical methods (e.g., McCabe-Thiele)
McCabe-Thiele on Distillation Column
6.5 Differential method (e.g., NTU, HETP, HTU, NTP)
6.6 Separation systems (e.g., distillation, absorption, extraction, membrane processes)
Liquid-Liquid Extraction
Partial Condenser-Total Reboiler
Partial Condenser/Total Reboiler Part 2 (Distillation-Reflux)
Packed Bed Column Height
6.7 Humidification and drying

7.1 Reaction rates and order
Determining Rate Order
Differential Data Analysis
Steady-State Approximation
SS Approximation vs. Rate Determining Step
7.2 Rate constant (e.g., Arrhenius function)
Arrhenius Relationship
7.3 Conversion, yield, and selectivity
Selectivity & Rate Constants
Selectivity & Equilibrium
7.4 Series and parallel reactions
Isothermal CSTR
Packed Bed Reactor
Series Reaction and Batch Reactor
7.5 Forward and reverse reactions
Batch Reversible Reaction
7.6 Energy/material balance around a reactor
Material Balances on Reactors
Comparing CSTR and PFR Balances
7.7 Reactions with volume change
Gas Phase Reaction Molar Change
7.8 Reactor types (e.g., plug flow, batch, semi-batch, CSTR)
Gas Reaction in PBR (Pressure Drop)
Adiabatic Batch Reactor Balance
Adiabatic CSTR Example
Adiabatic PBR Balance
Adiabatic Semi-Batch
Equilibrium Reaction in CSTR
Second Order Endothermic Example
7.9 Homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions
Gas to Solid Reaction in PFR
7.10 Catalysis
Activity Decay of Catalyst
Langmuir-Hinshelwood Kinetics
Michaelis-Menten Kinetics (BIO)

8.1 Process flow diagrams (PFD)
8.2 Piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&ID)
8.3 Scale-up
8.4 Comparison of economic alternatives (e.g., net present value, discounted cash flow, rate of return
8.5 Cost estimation

9.1 Numerical methods and concepts (e.g., convergence, tolerance)
9.2 Spreadsheets for chemical engineering calculations
9.3 Statistical data analysis

10.1 Sensors and control valves (e.g., temperature, pressure)
10.2 Dynamics (e.g., time constants, 2nd order, underdamped)
10.3 Feedback and feed forward control
10.4 Proportional, integral, and derivative (PID) controller concepts
10.5 Cascade control
10.6 Control loop design (e.g., matching measured and manipulated variables)
10.7 Tuning PID controllers and stability (e.g., Method of Ziegler-Nichols, Routh Test)
10.8 Open-loop and closed-loop transfer functions

11.1 Hazardous properties of materials (e.g., corrosive, flammable, toxic), including MSDS
11.2 Industrial hygiene (e.g., noise, PPE, ergonomics)
11.3 Process hazard analysis (e.g., using fault-tree analysis or event tree)
11.4 Overpressure and underpressure protection (e.g., relief, redundant control, intrinsically safe)
11.5 Storage and handling (e.g., inerting, spill containment)
11.6 Waste minimization
11.7 Waste treatment (e.g., air, water, solids)

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This project is funded by the National Science Foundation and the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Colorado-Boulder with support from Shell and the Engineering Excellence Fund at CU-Boulder.