Free FE Civil practice exam PDF with worked answers

All 14 questions and worked answers

1. 1. Mathematics and Statistics

   A circle has a radius of 3 m. What is its area?

   1. 28.27 m²
   2. 18 m²
   3. 9 m²
   4. 56.55 m²
   Worked answer A

   Area = pi × r² = pi × 3² = 28.274 m², which rounds to 28.27 m². Radius and diameter must not be interchanged.

2. 2. Ethics and Professional Practice

   An engineer finds a calculation error that could threaten public safety in a submitted design. What is the most appropriate first response?

   1. Ignore it because the design is submitted
   2. Promptly inform the responsible parties and work to correct the risk
   3. Wait for a complaint
   4. Delete the calculation record
   Worked answer B

   Protecting public safety requires promptly communicating the error to the responsible parties and addressing the risk. Concealing records or waiting for harm does not address the known hazard. Follow applicable professional duties and escalation requirements.

3. 3. Engineering Economics

   What is the future value of $1,000 invested for two years at 5% interest compounded annually?

   1. $1,050
   2. $1,100
   3. $1,102.50
   4. $1,200
   Worked answer C

   F = P(1 + i)^n = 1,000 × 1.05² = $1,102.50. The second year earns interest on both the principal and the first year’s interest.

4. 4. Statics

   A simply supported 6 m beam carries a 12 kN point load at midspan. Ignoring self-weight, what is the vertical reaction at each support?

   1. 3 kN
   2. 24 kN
   3. 12 kN
   4. 6 kN
   Worked answer D

   Symmetry gives equal reactions. Vertical equilibrium gives RA + RB = 12 kN, so each reaction is 6 kN. Taking moments about one support gives the same result: RB × 6 = 12 × 3.

5. 5. Dynamics

   A 1,000 kg object has a net force of 2,000 N acting on it. What is the acceleration?

   1. 2 m/s²
   2. 0.5 m/s²
   3. 20 m/s²
   4. 2,000 m/s²
   Worked answer A

   From Newton’s second law, a = F/m = 2,000/1,000 = 2 m/s². The given force is the net force, so no additional force terms are needed.

6. 6. Mechanics of Materials

   An axial tensile load of 20 kN acts on a bar with a cross-sectional area of 400 mm². What is its average normal stress?

   1. 5 MPa
   2. 50 MPa
   3. 20 MPa
   4. 80 MPa
   Worked answer B

   Stress = P/A = 20,000 N / 400 mm² = 50 N/mm² = 50 MPa. Convert kilonewtons to newtons before dividing.

7. 7. Materials

   A concrete cylinder with a loaded area of 20,000 mm² fails under a compressive load of 600 kN. What is its measured compressive strength?

   1. 3 MPa
   2. 12 MPa
   3. 30 MPa
   4. 300 MPa
   Worked answer C

   Compressive strength = maximum load / loaded area = 600,000 N / 20,000 mm² = 30 N/mm² = 30 MPa.

8. 8. Fluid Mechanics

   Water flows at 3.0 m/s through a pipe with a cross-sectional area of 0.020 m². What is the volumetric flow rate?

   1. 0.006 m³/s
   2. 6.0 m³/s
   3. 0.60 m³/s
   4. 0.060 m³/s
   Worked answer D

   Q = Av = 0.020 m² × 3.0 m/s = 0.060 m³/s. Area multiplied by velocity gives volume per time.

9. 9. Surveying

   A benchmark has an elevation of 100.00 m. A level setup reads a 1.50 m backsight on the benchmark and a 0.80 m foresight on a new point. What is the new point’s elevation?

   1. 100.70 m
   2. 99.30 m
   3. 97.70 m
   4. 102.30 m
   Worked answer A

   Height of instrument = benchmark elevation + backsight = 101.50 m. New elevation = height of instrument − foresight = 101.50 − 0.80 = 100.70 m.

10. 10. Water Resources and Environmental Engineering

    A completely mixed tank holds 120 m³ of water and has a steady flow of 0.50 m³/min. What is its nominal hydraulic detention time?

    1. 60 min
    2. 240 min
    3. 120 min
    4. 600 min
    Worked answer B

    Nominal detention time = volume / flow = 120 m³ / 0.50 m³/min = 240 min, or 4 hours. This is a nominal hydraulic value, not a guarantee for every water parcel.

11. 11. Structural Engineering

    A simply supported beam of span 4 m carries a uniformly distributed load of 2 kN/m over the full span. What is the maximum bending moment?

    1. 2 kN·m
    2. 8 kN·m
    3. 4 kN·m
    4. 16 kN·m
    Worked answer C

    For this support and loading case, Mmax = wL²/8 = 2 × 4²/8 = 4 kN·m, at midspan. The total applied load is 8 kN, but load and moment have different units.

12. 12. Geotechnical Engineering

    A soil has a liquid limit of 45 and a plastic limit of 20. What is its plasticity index?

    1. 20
    2. 65
    3. 45
    4. 25
    Worked answer D

    PI = LL − PL = 45 − 20 = 25. The index measures the numerical range of water contents between the plastic and liquid limits.

13. 13. Transportation Engineering

    Vehicles pass a point at a steady average rate of 900 vehicles per hour. What is the average time headway?

    1. 4 s/vehicle
    2. 2 s/vehicle
    3. 15 s/vehicle
    4. 40 s/vehicle
    Worked answer A

    Average headway = 3,600 seconds per hour / 900 vehicles per hour = 4 seconds per vehicle. This is an average and does not imply all gaps are identical.

14. 14. Construction Engineering

    A crew places 120 m³ of concrete in 8 hours at a constant average production rate. How long would 180 m³ take at the same rate?

    1. 8 h
    2. 12 h
    3. 10 h
    4. 16 h
    Worked answer B

    Average production = 120/8 = 15 m³/h. Required time = 180/15 = 12 h. The assumption is unchanged productivity; mobilization and other delays are excluded.