FE Civil Reference Handbook 10.5 PDF
Free from NCEES, plus a section guide for exam day
How to get the official PDF (free)
- Go to the NCEES FE exam page.
- Sign in to your MyNCEES account, or create one. It is free.
- Download the FE Reference Handbook. Check that the version matches your exam date.
The handbook is the only reference allowed in the exam, and you cannot bring your own copy. A searchable electronic version is shown on screen next to each question, so study with the PDF on a computer, not a printout.
What's in each section
The handbook is about 500 pages. Knowing roughly where each topic lives saves minutes per problem. Page numbers below are the ones printed in the handbook; in the PDF viewer, add 6.
Civil Engineering chapter
| Section | Starts on page | Key topics |
|---|---|---|
| Geotechnical | 259 | Phase relationships, soil classification (USCS, AASHTO), consolidation, bearing capacity, slope stability |
| Structural Analysis | 268 | Influence lines, beam stiffness and moment carryover, truss and frame deflection, member fixed-end moments (p. 271) |
| Structural Design | 272 | Live load reduction, wind loads, reinforced concrete beams, shear and columns |
| Design of Steel Components | 281 | Tension members, beams, columns, W-shape property tables |
| Hydrology and Water Resources | 290 | Rainfall and runoff, Darcy’s law, sewer and open channel flow, hydraulic jump, fire hydrant capacity |
| Transportation | 300 | Horizontal and vertical curves, sight distance, highway capacity and level of service, pavement design |
| Surveying | 309 | Latitudes and departures, area formulas |
For the structural analysis pages, see the moment distribution guide (stiffness, carryover and fixed-end moments) and the beam formulas.
All chapters
| Chapter | Starts on page |
|---|---|
| Units and Conversion Factors | 1 |
| Ethics and Professional Practice | 4 |
| Safety | 14 |
| Mathematics | 35 |
| Engineering Probability and Statistics | 63 |
| Chemistry and Biology | 85 |
| Statics | 94 |
| Dynamics | 101 |
| Materials Science/Structure of Matter | 116 |
| Mechanics of Materials | 129 |
| Thermodynamics | 142 |
| Fluid Mechanics | 176 |
| Heat Transfer | 203 |
| Instrumentation, Measurement, and Control | 219 |
| Engineering Economics | 229 |
| Chemical Engineering | 237 |
| Civil Engineering | 259 |
| Environmental Engineering | 312 |
| Electrical and Computer Engineering | 356 |
| Industrial and Systems Engineering | 419 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 433 |
| Index | 463 |
| Appendix: FE Exam Specifications | 473 |
FE Civil candidates mostly use Mathematics, Probability and Statistics, Ethics, Engineering Economics, Statics, Dynamics, Mechanics of Materials, Materials, Fluid Mechanics and the Civil Engineering chapter. See the FE Civil exam topics for how many questions come from each area.
How to search it during the exam
- Search for a rare word. "Carryover", "Hazen", "superelevation" or "consolidation" land on the right page. "Beam" or "stress" return dozens of hits.
- Jump by chapter. Use the bookmarks to go straight to a chapter, then scroll. The tables above tell you which chapter to open.
- Practice with the same file. Solve practice problems with the PDF open and Ctrl+F only, so exam day feels familiar.
- Know what is not there. Simple formulas like the area of a rectangle are not listed. If a search finds nothing in 30 seconds, work it from first principles.
Study each chapter
- Mathematics and statistics
- Engineering economics
- Statics
- Dynamics
- Mechanics of materials
- Fluid mechanics
- Structural engineering
- Geotechnical engineering
- Water resources and environmental
- Transportation
- Surveying
Then test yourself with FE Civil practice problems or the free worked problems, and check answers with the beam calculator, truss calculator, Mohr's circle calculator and unit converter.
FAQ
Is the FE Reference Handbook 10.5 PDF free?
Yes. NCEES gives the FE Reference Handbook away as a free PDF. Sign in to (or create) a free MyNCEES account through the NCEES FE exam page to download the current version.
Can I bring a printed FE handbook into the exam?
No. You cannot bring any reference material. A searchable electronic copy of the same handbook is shown on screen during the computer-based exam.
Which version of the FE handbook should I study with?
Use the version NCEES lists for your exam date. This guide follows version 10.5. Page numbers can shift between versions, so always practice with the copy you will see on exam day.
Where are the civil engineering equations in the handbook?
In the Civil Engineering chapter, which starts on printed page 259 (PDF page 265). It covers geotechnical, structural analysis and design, steel, hydrology, transportation and surveying.
How do I search the FE handbook quickly during the exam?
Use the search box with a distinctive term (for example "carryover" or "Darcy"), not a generic word like "beam". Practice with the free PDF and Ctrl+F before the exam so you know which terms jump straight to the right page.