FE discipline
FE Environmental
Environmental candidates split their time between the environmental engineering section and fluid mechanics, which together carry the largest question allocations on the specification. Chemistry and thermodynamics fill in the rest.
The trap
Hydrology appears in both the civil and environmental sections with different emphasis. Surface water and open channel work is often faster to find on the civil side.
Sections you will be working in
Ordered by how central they are to this exam. Page ranges come from the handbook version this build is calibrated to.
- Environmental Engineering
Air quality, fate and transport, water and wastewater, and solid waste
- Fluid Mechanics
Statics of fluids, flow principles, losses, machinery, and measurement
- Chemistry and Biology
Definitions, pH, nomenclature, and cellular biology
- Thermodynamics
Properties, laws, cycles, mixtures, and the steam tables
- Safety
Hazard assessment, toxicology, exposure limits, and noise
- Civil Engineering
Geotechnical, structural, water resources, transportation, and construction
Knowledge areas on this exam
The knowledge-area names and question counts published by NCEES in the FE exam specifications for this discipline. 15 areas in total.
| # | Knowledge area | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mathematics | 5-8 |
| 2 | Probability and Statistics | 4-6 |
| 3 | Ethics and Professional Practice | 5-8 |
| 4 | Engineering Economics | 5-8 |
| 5 | Fundamental Principles | 7-11 |
| 6 | Environmental Chemistry | 7-11 |
| 7 | Health Hazards and Risk Assessment | 4-6 |
| 8 | Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulics | 12-18 |
| 9 | Thermodynamics | 3-5 |
| 10 | Surface Water Resources and Hydrology | 9-14 |
| 11 | Groundwater, Soils, and Sediments | 8-12 |
| 12 | Water and Wastewater | 12-18 |
| 13 | Air Quality and Control | 8-12 |
| 14 | Solid and Hazardous Waste | 7-11 |
| 15 | Energy and Environment | 4-6 |
Page numbers here are read from handbook version 10.5 (seventh printing, April 2025), which runs to 502 pages. NCEES revises the handbook and page numbers move with it, which is why the drill asks which section a topic lives in rather than which page. Check the version of your own copy, downloaded free from NCEES.