NCEES FE Environmental

USA · National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying · licensing

139practice questions written to this syllabus
9subjects

Format

Computer-based at Pearson VUE, 110 questions, 6-hour appointment (5 h 20 min exam time, 25-minute break). Reference handbook supplied on screen.

Sections

Over the years

The official FE page was read for the question count and appointment length; it lists Environmental among the FE disciplines. The knowledge-area list here is from general knowledge of the FE Environmental specification and was not re-read. First step to licensure as a PE.

Official source: https://ncees.org/exams/fe-exam/

Subjects this exam draws on

Environmental Chemistry17 questionsEnvironmental Microbiology23 questionsMathematics & Statistics for Environmental Science30 questionsHydrology & Water Resources for Environmental Scientists8 questionsWater Quality & Agricultural Non-point Source Pollution1 questionsAir & Noise Pollution: Monitoring & Control43 questionsWater & Wastewater Treatment6 questionsSolid & Hazardous Waste Management2 questionsEnvironmental & Agro-ecosystem Modelling9 questions

Five practice questions, worked

Original questions written to this exam's published syllabus and pattern. Not past papers.

1. What is the ionic strength of a 0.01 M CaCl2 solution?

  1. 0.03 M
  2. 0.05 M
  3. 0.02 M
  4. 0.01 M
Answer and working

A. 0.03 M

I = ½(0.01 × 2² + 0.02 × 1²) = ½(0.04 + 0.02) = 0.03 M. 0.01 is the salt concentration; 0.02 ignores charge squared for Ca; 0.05 omits the ½.

Environmental Chemistry · Chemical bonding, concentration units, activity and ionic strength

2. Using the empirical biomass formula C5H7O2N (molar mass 113 g/mol), what percentage of dry cell mass is nitrogen?

  1. 53.1 per cent
  2. 12.4 per cent
  3. 28.3 per cent
  4. 6.2 per cent
Answer and working

B. 12.4 per cent

N = 14/113 = 12.4%. 53.1% is carbon (60/113); 28.3% is oxygen (32/113); 6.2% is hydrogen (7/113).

Environmental Microbiology · Cell chemistry: proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, polysaccharides

3. What is the determinant of the matrix [[3, 2], [1, 4]]?

  1. −10
  2. 2
  3. 14
  4. 10
Answer and working

D. 10

det = 3 × 4 − 2 × 1 = 10. 14 adds the products; 2 and −10 are sign or order slips.

Mathematics & Statistics for Environmental Science · Linear algebra: matrices, linear systems, eigenvalues

4. Station X (normal annual rainfall 1000 mm) is missing a storm record. Three nearby stations with normals [800, 1200, 1100] mm recorded [60, 90, 80] mm. Using the normal ratio method, estimate X's rainfall.

  1. 74.2 mm
  2. 134.7 mm
  3. 90.0 mm
  4. 76.7 mm
Answer and working

A. 74.2 mm

P_x = (N_x/n) sum(P_i/N_i) = (1000/3)(0.0750 + 0.0750 + 0.0727) = 74.2. The arithmetic mean ignores normals.

Hydrology & Water Resources for Environmental Scientists · Precipitation, infiltration, evapotranspiration and runoff

5. Using the Streeter-Phelps equation with L0 = 10.0 mg/L, D0 = 1.0 mg/L, kd = 0.2/day and kr = 0.4/day, what is the oxygen deficit after 2 days of travel?

  1. 2.21 mg/L
  2. 0.45 mg/L
  3. 3.21 mg/L
  4. 2.66 mg/L
Answer and working

D. 2.66 mg/L

D = (0.2 x 10 / 0.2)(e^-0.4 - e^-0.8) + 1.0 e^-0.8 = 2.21 + 0.45 = 2.66. Omitting the initial-deficit term or its decay gives the wrong values.

Water Quality & Agricultural Non-point Source Pollution · River pollution and the oxygen sag curve

Practise it, and prove it

These notes are free to read here, with no account.

What the Laisha app adds:

Free for ten days, then a subscription. We would rather write that here than have you find it later.

Open Laisha →