The Frank H. Dotterweich College of Engineering at Texas A&M University-Kingsville received great news last week. Their students had a 100 percent pass rate on the April 2005 Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examinations, tying the University of Texas-Tyler for the best rate of any engineering college in the state.
The FE exam is a nationally recognized, comprehensive engineering test from the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) necessary for all engineering graduates seeking to become a state licensed professional engineer. Colleges and universities administer the test in April and October each year as prescribed by the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and the NCEES.
The 8 hour FE exam is broken up into two 4 hour segments. The morning segment tests on subjects common to all engineering majors. The afternoon segment is testing specific topics of the student’s engineering discipline.
All 13 of the A&M-Kingsville students that took the April 2005 FE exam passed. A&M-Kingsville’s 100 percent pass rate also was well above the state pass rate average of 70.8 percent.
“ We take great pride in the quality of our engineering program and it is especially gratifying when our pride and efforts are validated by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying,” said Dr. Rumaldo Z. Juarez, president of Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
“This year’s 100 percent passage rate of the students who took the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam in spring 2005 is a credit to our faculty and to the quality of students in the engineering program. We are delighted that we are at the top of the list of the 18 universities in the state whose students took the engineering exam,” said Juarez.
Dr. Ali A. Pilehvari, professor and chair of chemical and natural gas engineering and longtime chairman of A&M-Kingsville’s FE Exam Committee, attributes the testing success to hard work by enthusiastic students and the teaching efforts of the engineering college.
“The results show that our students are as prepared as any student in the state,” said Pilehvari.