Retaking the FE exam: the rules, the fee and the timing
The rules for retaking the FE fit in one table, and they are NCEES's rather than ours. What is left to decide is the date — and that is a question about how much work your diagnostic report says you have, not about the calendar.
The rules
| Attempts per testing window | One |
|---|---|
| Attempts in any 12-month period | No more than three |
| Testing windows | January–March, April–June, July–September, October–December |
| NCEES exam fee | $225, paid each time you register |
| Time to sit once approved | 12 months |
| Results | Pass or fail, typically within 7–10 business days |
| Your licensing board | May be stricter, and may require its own application and fee |
The FE is offered year-round at Pearson test centres. The windows limit how often you can sit, not when. How FE scheduling works: there are no fixed exam dates
When the next window opens
| If you sat in | You can sit again from |
|---|---|
| January–March | April 1 |
| April–June | July 1 |
| July–September | October 1 |
| October–December | January 1 |
On paper, someone who sat on 31 March could sit again on 1 April. In practice results take 7–10 business days, and the real reason to wait is not the rule — it is the work.
How to register again
- Check whether your board needs a new application or fee first. Some do; NCEES says some boards are more restrictive than its own policy.
- Register for the exam again in your MyNCEES account and pay the $225 fee. Each registration pays the full fee.
- Schedule an appointment at a Pearson test centre on a date in the next window or later.
- If plans change: an appointment has to be cancelled at least 48 hours ahead, with a cancellation fee; a registration with no appointment can be cancelled for a refund of the NCEES fee less a $50 administrative fee.
Choosing the date
The earliest window is a limit, not a target. A retake date should come out of the work your report implies: how many areas are well below the passing average, how heavy they are on the paper, and how many practice questions a week you can keep up. The free retake planner does that arithmetic from your report, shows the weekly practice for any number of weeks, and warns you if the date you choose falls before NCEES lets you sit.
An FE retake study plan built from your diagnostic report
Is a retake graded differently?
No. NCEES states that first-time and repeat takers are graded to the same standard, and that each exam is scored with no predetermined share of examinees who should pass. Scores are scaled to even out small differences in difficulty between exam forms, so a different form next time is neither a penalty nor a reprieve.
Questions people ask
Is there a waiting period after failing the FE?
Not a fixed number of days. The limit is one attempt per quarterly testing window and no more than three in any 12 months, so the wait is however long it is until the next window opens — anything from a day to about three months.
Can I retake the FE in the same quarter?
No. NCEES allows one attempt per testing window. If you sat in May, the earliest you can sit again is 1 July.
Do I need to reapply to my state board to retake?
It depends on the board. NCEES says some licensing boards are more restrictive than its policy, and some require a separate application and fee before you can sit. Check yours before registering.
How much does an FE retake cost?
$225 to NCEES each time you register, plus whatever your board charges, if anything.
Turn your report into a plan — free
Copy each area's bar from your diagnostic report into the retake planner and get the order to rebuild in, weighted by how many questions each area carries, and the weekly practice that implies. The retake planner needs no account, and nothing you enter leaves your browser.
Open the free retake plannerSources
Every NCEES fact on this page was checked against these on October 6, 2026. NCEES changes its policies from time to time; where this page and NCEES disagree, NCEES is right.