Customer Reviews

FE Review Manual: Rapid Preparation for the General Fundamentals of Engineering Exam

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I purchased a lot of books to study for the FE (I was out of school 13 years, so the stuff wasn't exactly fresh in my mind), but I finally ended up using this book exclusively. It is really all you need. The review is excellent. I wish there were more practice problems, but the problems provided are sufficient to test your grasp of the material. One of the truly useful things about this book is the fact that it follows the sequence of the NCEES reference book handed out on exam day (absolutely make sure you get a copy of this). Knowing where to find things QUICKLY is one of the true keys to passing the exam. If you follow Lindeburg's "recipe", you will be familiar with the exam reference book, and you will pass the exam. I passed, and I thought my chances were hopeless. I was out of school a while, so I put in about 4-5 hours per chapter, but I suspect many could do the review in much less time. I think the book suggests an hour per chapter, which, in my case, was unrealistic. The point is, some books don't give you enough in the way of review, so you end up staring at the page and reverse-working the problems in order to try to grasp the concepts. This book provides the review material you need, and assumes little in the way of background knowledge. I recommend it without hesitation or reservation.

Sure, 5 stars like everyone else says: it does the job. But its a pain to use, like studying from a phone book. If you're really going to spend the hours needed with this book, make your life easier: Take it to Kinkos, have them shear off the binding, and comb bind it into smaller sections. Seven smaller sections worked for me; mark the spots at chapter boundaries so Kinkos knows where to split it up. Now you've got nice lay-flat, easy-to-carry sections that are 100% easier to work from. It'll cost about $30, but well worth it. You'll be the envy of your study group. 30 years out of school I thought that maybe the geezers should get a handicap, but the test went much better than I'd anticipated; no prayer required.

Having been out of school for over ten years at the time I registered for the FE exam, I knew I needed a Preparation Manual that would help me "re-learn" all of those long forgotten formulas and methods. My current lifestyle also dictated that my study be done quickly and with a minimun investment of my personal time (while still ensuring that I pass). This manual did it! This was all I needed to take the test. It is highly recommended.

If you're still in college or just fresh out of college, this would be an excellent source to help prep for the FE exam. On the other hand, if you've been out of college for a while and haven't used some of the skills you learned for a number of years, it would be better to take a prep class. Case in point, the calculus section condenses three semesters of calculus knowledge into roughly 5 pages. Fine if every aspect of calculus is fresh in your mind, otherwise you'll find yourself going back to your old textbooks for further review, essentially prepping for the prep book and requiring far more time to prep than the book suggests.

This book is a great resource for preparing for the general portion of the FE exam. It reviews all of the different topics in depth, and provides many practice problems with complete, detailed solutions. Use this manual to brush up on subjects you haven't studied in a while, and to gain speed and accuracy in solving FE-style problems. The sample exam is representative of the morning section of the FE in terms of problem type, scope and difficulty.

If you are taking the Mechanical discipline-specific exam in the afternoon, I do not recommend the companion review manual by Saad, Tabrizi, and Lindeburg. Rather, buy "FE/EIT Mechanical: Discipline-Specific Review for the FE/EIT Exam" by Merle C. Potter (see my review there). I cannot speak from experience for any other discipline-specific exams.

Also, it is essential that you buy "Fundamentals of Engineering Supplied-Reference Handbook" by NCEES. Use this as your only reference when trying to work problems, as it will be all you have during the actual exam.

After talking to some of my fellow classmates about the FE exam and its difficulty, I decided to prepare. I looked through many books but this manual was by far the most thorough. This book covers everything from units to ethics. At the beginning of every chapter the author provides adequate explanations of relevant engineering concepts. He then provides examples with worked out solutions to make the concepts easier to understand.
The book also contains a practice test for the morning and afternoon general exams. I personally chose to take the discipline specific afternoon exam. The reason being is because I'm an electrical engineer. The majority of the general exam is civil/mechanical engineering. I felt it would increase my chances of passing. Let me tell you, I chose wisely. I passed the exam the first time around because of this book (and my decision). I highly recommend it for any engineer planning to prepare for the exam.

This book was ABSOLUTELY IDEAL for reviewing the material you will need to pass the EIT/FE exam.

The book is broken down by category, with an introductory section followed by example problems. The introductions, while simple, are perfect for getting your mind back in the groove of those classes you took three years ago.

Print off the official reference handbook (you WILL be doing a LOT of flipping through this during the test) and work through your weakest sections first. After I went through the weakest sections I went straight for my strongest subjects. The point is to pass, you don't need to be good at every subject, and you CAN pass by knowing a few categories really well.

The problems really are harder in this book than on the actual exam. When I did the practice problems I knew how to do maybe 1%, and half of those I did wrong anyway. Just make sure you understand how to do it correctly, it doesn't matter if you know it off the top of your head while you are studying this stuff for the first time in 3 years. When I got to the test, the questions seemed very easy and straightforward because I had struggled through the concepts while studying.

Anyway, I did pass despite the fact that I really only studied maybe 15 hours for the test. I don't recommend not studying, but this book is the perfect condensed study guide.

By the way, I also keep it around as a GREAT reference book for all those things you know you learned at one time, but have since forgotten. You don't just have to throw it away after.

This book is more concise and gives much better problems and simulates the test and utilizes the Reference Handbook better than one of its counterparts. If you are to choose between Fundamentals of Eng. Review by Potter (ISBN 1-88101844-X) and Lindburg's book, buy Lindburg's book, if you are serious about preparing and passing. He follows the Fundamentals of Engineering Reference Manual and prepares you so you feel confident with your knowledge, and preparation. But give yourself time at least a month to prepare. You'll need it. Good Luck!

This is a comprehensive review but as the test format has drastically changed in 5 years a supplement is required to fully be prepared.

I never imagined I could clear the EIT Exam after studying for just 10 days while working full time. Only book I used was FE Review Manual and I did it! I am surprised myself.... On the contrary I wouldn't advice anyone to start so late, give yourself a month to prepare fairly well. The book is excellent and covers everything and in detail. The exercises are harder in the book than in the actual exam which prepares you well for the exam. Personally, A MUST book for anyone planning on the taking the exam.