A 12-week plan for the FE Mechanical exam that gives each heavily weighted subject its own week, pairs the lighter ones, and ends with mixed review and a full timed practice exam. Print the free PDF and tick off each week.
Count back 12 weeks from your exam appointment and write the start date of each week on the printed plan.
Study in short blocks most days rather than one long session a week. Tick each task when it is done; if you fall behind, drop timed sets from strong areas first, never from weak ones.
Work every problem with the FE Reference Handbook and your exam calculator, not your textbook notes, so the exam feels familiar.
Suggested time: 8–10 hours a week. That is our estimate for a student who has finished the core courses, not an NCEES figure.
| Week | Focus | Tasks | Done |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Set-up and mathematics |
| |
| 2 | Probability, statistics, economics, ethics |
| |
| 3 | Statics |
| |
| 4 | Dynamics, kinematics and vibrations |
| |
| 5 | Mechanics of materials |
| |
| 6 | Materials and electrical |
| |
| 7 | Fluid mechanics |
| |
| 8 | Thermodynamics |
| |
| 9 | Heat transfer |
| |
| 10 | Measurement, controls and design |
| |
| 11 | Mixed review |
| |
| 12 | Full practice exam and exam week |
|
The NCEES FE Mechanical specification gives each knowledge area a range of questions; mechanics and the thermal-fluid sciences carry the most. This plan spends a full week on each of those and pairs the smaller areas. See the FE Mechanical exam overview for how the areas group together.
A printable US Letter checklist with a tick box for every task and a line for each week’s start date. It also prints on A4.
It is a common plan for students who have recently finished the core courses. 8–10 hours a week is our suggestion, not an NCEES figure; plan more if you have been out of school for a while or a subject is new to you.
Start with the handbook and the areas the rest depends on (math, statics), then follow the order you took the courses. Leave mixed review and a full practice exam for the end.
You cannot: the FE is closed book. Use the printed sheets while you study, then practise finding the same formulas in the electronic handbook.
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