Preparing for the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam but unsure where to focus? Our free adaptive diagnostic pinpoints your weak areas across all 6 FE exam disciplines in just 15 minutes—no sign-up required to see your results.
What Is the FE Diagnostic?
It's a 30-question adaptive test tailored to your chosen FE discipline. Using computerized adaptive testing (CAT) technology—similar to the actual NCEES FE exam—questions adjust in difficulty based on your performance, efficiently identifying which topic areas need the most attention.
After completion, you'll receive a detailed breakdown of your performance across all major topic areas for your selected discipline—no account creation required.
Choose Your FE Discipline
FE Civil
Structures, Water Resources, Geotechnical, Transportation
FE Mechanical
Statics, Dynamics, Thermodynamics, Fluids, Design
FE Electrical & Computer
Circuits, Electronics, Power, Controls, Computing
FE Chemical
Balances, Thermodynamics, Reaction Engineering, Processes
FE Industrial
Probability, Operations, Quality, Systems, Work Design
FE Environmental
Water, Air, Waste, Hydrology, Environmental Chemistry
How It Works
Select your FE discipline
Choose from Civil, Mechanical, Electrical & Computer, Chemical, Industrial, or Environmental Engineering. Each diagnostic is tailored to that discipline's specific NCEES content outline.
Answer 30 adaptive questions
The diagnostic adapts difficulty after every answer, just like the real FE exam's CAT system. Most engineering students finish in 30-40 minutes.
Discover your weak topics instantly
Get a comprehensive breakdown of your performance across all topic areas—from Mathematics and Ethics to discipline-specific domains like Thermodynamics, Structural Analysis, or Circuit Theory.
Get a personalized study roadmap (upgrade)
Upgrade to the Professional Exams plan to unlock a custom study plan, detailed explanations for every question, and unlimited retakes. The plan evolves as you demonstrate mastery.
How Adaptive Testing Identifies Your Weak Areas
Each topic area is assessed independently, revealing exactly where you're strong and where you need more preparation.
Traditional Practice vs. Adaptive Diagnostic
| Feature | Traditional Practice Tests | LRNRS Adaptive Diagnostic |
|---|---|---|
| Question Selection | Random or fixed difficulty | Adapts to your performance in real-time |
| Efficiency | 100+ questions for accurate assessment | 30 questions gives statistically valid results |
| Time Required | 3-4 hours | 30-40 minutes |
| Weak Area Identification | Basic percentage scores per topic | Precise ability estimates for each domain |
| Simulates Real Exam | Static question set | Matches NCEES CAT methodology |
Why Take the FE Diagnostic?
Establish your baseline
Stop guessing which engineering fundamentals need review. The diagnostic reveals precisely where to focus your study time across 13-17 topic areas.
Experience real CAT testing
Practice with adaptive difficulty that mirrors the NCEES FE exam's computerized adaptive testing algorithm.
Fast and completely free
15 minutes to complete, instant results. No credit card, no trial period, no email required—just a comprehensive diagnostic.
Track mastery progression
Retake diagnostics as you study to measure improvement across all FE topic domains. Watch weak areas become strengths.
Example: Topic-Level Mastery Breakdown
See exactly where you stand in each domain
Strong - Review periodically
Moderate - Needs focused practice
Priority - Start here first
Excellent - Exam ready
Developing - Practice key concepts
What You'll Learn from Your Results
- Topic-level performance: See how you performed across all major domains—from foundational topics like Mathematics and Statistics to discipline-specific areas like Structural Engineering, Control Systems, or Process Design.
- Estimated ability by domain: Get a quantified sense of your mastery level in each topic area (we can't predict pass/fail, but we show relative strengths and weaknesses).
- Priority study targets: Identify which topics need immediate attention versus which topics are already exam-ready.
- Knowledge gaps vs. true mastery: Distinguish between topics where you're guessing and topics where you have solid understanding.
- Cross-topic comparisons: Understand how your performance in fundamentals (Math, Economics, Ethics) compares to your discipline-specific knowledge.
Your Personalized Study Roadmap
With Professional Exams plan - Adaptive learning that evolves with you
Diagnostic Assessment
Take the 30-question adaptive diagnostic to identify weak areas
Foundation Building
Focus on your 3 weakest topics with targeted practice problems and explanations
Skill Expansion
Progress to intermediate topics, retake diagnostic to measure improvement
Mastery & Integration
Practice full-length exams, fine-tune remaining weak areas, review all domains
Exam Ready
All topics above 75% mastery threshold, ready for NCEES FE exam
Want to Track Progress Across All Topics?
The free diagnostic gives you one attempt to establish your baseline. Want to retake it after studying? Start the Professional Exams plan to unlock unlimited retakes for all 6 FE disciplines, detailed explanations for every question, and progress tracking across all topic domains.
Is This Really Free?
Yes. You get one free attempt per FE discipline without creating an account. You'll see your complete topic breakdown and identify weak areas—no credit card, no email required.
What's included in the free diagnostic: Adaptive CAT testing tailored to your chosen discipline, topic-level performance breakdown across 13-17 domains, and estimated ability levels for each area.
What requires a paid plan: Detailed explanations for every answer, unlimited retakes to track improvement across study sessions, and a personalized study plan that adapts as you demonstrate mastery. These features are included with the Professional Exams plan ($29/month).
What Happens After the Diagnostic?
After you complete your free diagnostic attempt, you have two options:
Option 1: Just View Your Results (No Sign-Up)
See your topic-by-topic breakdown, identify priority areas, and use that information to guide your own study plan with whatever resources you prefer. Note: The free diagnostic doesn't include detailed explanations for why answers are correct or incorrect.
Option 2: Unlock Explanations + Study Plan (Professional Exams)
Start the Professional Exams plan to unlock detailed explanations for every question, unlimited retakes to track progress over time, and a personalized study plan that adapts as you prove mastery in each topic area. Your diagnostic results will be saved automatically when you create an account.
Who Should Take This?
Engineering students
Senior year or recent grads preparing to take the FE exam—identify which fundamentals need refreshing.
Exam in 2-4 weeks
Last-minute cramming? Identify critical weak spots and focus your final review on high-impact topics.
Retaking the FE exam
Didn't pass on your first attempt? Pinpoint exactly what went wrong and build a targeted study plan.
FE Topic Domains by Discipline
Each diagnostic covers all major topic areas specified by NCEES
🏗️ FE Civil
⚙️ FE Mechanical
⚡ FE Electrical & Computer
🧪 FE Chemical
📊 FE Industrial
🌍 FE Environmental
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take diagnostics for multiple FE disciplines?
Yes! You get one free attempt for each of the 6 FE disciplines. If you're deciding between disciplines, you can take multiple diagnostics to see where your strengths lie.
Is 30 questions really enough for a diagnostic?
Yes, for a statistically valid baseline. Adaptive testing is far more efficient than traditional exams—each question provides more information because difficulty adjusts based on your performance. 30 adaptive questions can reveal patterns that would take 100+ random questions to identify.
Will this predict if I pass the FE exam?
No. A 30-question diagnostic can't reliably predict FE pass/fail. What it can do is show you which topic domains are weak so you can focus your study time efficiently. Think of it as a compass pointing you toward what to study, not a crystal ball.
Do I have to create an account to see my results?
No. You can take the diagnostic and view your complete topic breakdown without signing up. However, the free version doesn't include detailed explanations. The Professional Exams plan unlocks explanations, unlimited retakes, and a personalized study plan.
Can I retake the diagnostic later?
Yes, with the Professional Exams plan. Each diagnostic gives you one free attempt without signup to establish your baseline. After that, upgrade to unlock unlimited retakes and track your improvement over time as you study.
Why don't I see explanations for my answers?
The free diagnostic shows you which answers were correct or incorrect and your overall topic performance, but doesn't include detailed explanations. This helps you identify weak areas quickly. The Professional Exams plan unlocks full explanations for every question, so you can learn from mistakes and understand the engineering principles behind each answer.
How is this different from NCEES practice exams?
NCEES offers official practice exams with 110 questions that take 6 hours. Our diagnostic is a quick 30-question assessment using adaptive testing to identify weak areas efficiently. Use our diagnostic to find gaps, then use NCEES practice exams for full-length simulation closer to exam day.
What's the difference between FE disciplines?
Each FE exam has a unique topic outline based on that engineering discipline. For example, FE Mechanical emphasizes Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics, while FE Electrical & Computer emphasizes Circuit Analysis and Digital Systems. Choose the discipline that matches your undergraduate major or intended licensure path.
Ready to discover your weak areas?
Take the free FE diagnostic now. Choose your discipline, answer 30 adaptive questions, get instant results—no sign-up required.
Start the Free FE Diagnostic →One free attempt per discipline • Upgrade for unlimited retakes, explanations, and study plans
Built for Real FE Prep
LRNRS was built by engineers and educators who understand adaptive testing and evidence-based learning. This isn't a generic quiz—it's a statistically-informed diagnostic using the same CAT methodology as the NCEES FE exam.
Stop guessing where to study. Start with data.
Take the free FE diagnostic →