FE Chemical is the FE exam for chemical engineering graduates and covers process-oriented topics — material and energy balances, thermodynamics, mass transfer and separations, and reaction engineering — on top of the shared math, ethics, and economics core every FE discipline includes. Material/Energy Balances and Thermodynamics carry both the heaviest question weight and the highest difficulty rating in the spec, so they're worth disproportionate study time relative to how many chapters they take up in a review book.
Ranked by question count weighted against the spec's own difficulty rating — not question count alone, since a smaller topic rated harder can be worth more study time than a bigger, easier one.
1Material/Energy Balances10–15q
Steady-state mass balance · Unsteady-state mass balance · Steady-state energy balance · Unsteady-state energy balance
2Thermodynamics8–12q
Thermodynamic properties of pure components and mixtures · Properties data and phase diagrams · Thermodynamic laws · Thermodynamic processes
Every topic in the official NCEES spec, with its question range and share of the exam. Study Scheduler allocates your study hours in this same proportion automatically.
Mathematics~6% of exam6–9q
Analytic geometry, logarithms, and trigonometry
Calculus
Differential equations
Numerical methods
Algebra
Accuracy, precision, and significant figures
Probability & Statistics~4% of exam4–6q
Probability distributions
Expected value
Hypothesis testing and design of experiments
Measures of central tendencies and dispersions
Regression and curve fitting
Statistical control
Engineering Sciences~4% of exam4–6q
Basic dynamics
Work, energy, and power
Electricity, current, and voltage laws
Materials Science~4% of exam4–6q
Chemical, electrical, mechanical, and physical properties
Material types and compatibilities
Corrosion mechanisms and control
Polymers, ceramics, and composites
Chemistry & Biology~7% of exam7–11q
Inorganic chemistry
Organic chemistry
Analytical chemistry
Biochemistry, microbiology, and molecular biology
Bioprocessing
Fluid Mechanics/Dynamics~8% of exam8–12q
Fluid properties
Dimensionless numbers
Mechanical energy balance
Bernoulli equation
Laminar and turbulent flow
Flow measurement
Pumps, turbines, compressors, vacuum systems
Compressible flow and non-Newtonian fluids
Thermodynamics~8% of exam8–12q
Thermodynamic properties of pure components and mixtures
Properties data and phase diagrams
Thermodynamic laws
Thermodynamic processes
Cyclic processes and efficiencies
Phase equilibrium
Chemical equilibrium
Heats of reaction and mixing
Material/Energy Balances~10% of exam10–15q
Steady-state mass balance
Unsteady-state mass balance
Steady-state energy balance
Unsteady-state energy balance
Recycle/bypass processes
Reactive systems
Heat Transfer~8% of exam8–12q
Conductive heat transfer
Convective heat transfer
Radiation heat transfer
Heat-transfer coefficients
Heat-transfer equipment, operation, and design
Mass Transfer & Separation~8% of exam8–12q
Molecular diffusion
Convective mass transfer
Separation systems
Equilibrium stage methods
Continuous contact methods
Humidification, drying, and evaporation
Solids Handling~3% of exam3–5q
Particle properties
Processing
Transportation and storage
Chemical Reaction Engineering~7% of exam7–11q
Reaction rates and order
Rate constant
Conversion, yield, and selectivity
Type of reactions
Reactor types
Catalysis
Economics~4% of exam4–6q
Time value of money
Economic analyses
Uncertainty
Project selection
Process Design~7% of exam7–11q
Process flow diagrams and P&IDs
Equipment selection
Equipment and facilities cost estimation
Process design and optimization
Design standards
Process Control~4% of exam4–6q
Dynamics
Control strategies
Control loop design and hardware
Safety, Health & Environment~5% of exam5–8q
Hazardous properties of materials
Industrial hygiene
Process safety, risk assessment, and hazard analysis
Overpressure and underpressure protection
Waste minimization, treatment, and regulation
Reactivity hazards
Ethics & Professional Practice~3% of exam3–5q
Codes of ethics
Agreements, contracts, and contract law
Public health, safety, and welfare
Intellectual property
Frequently asked about Chemical.
What's tested on the FE Chemical exam?
17 topics across math, general engineering science, and process-specific subjects like fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, mass/energy balances, heat and mass transfer, reaction engineering, and process design and control, plus safety and ethics.
Is FE Chemical hard?
Material/Energy Balances and Thermodynamics are rated the most difficult topics in the spec and also carry the most questions, so most of the exam's difficulty concentrates there rather than spreading evenly across all 17 topics.
For how many hours to budget, week-by-week study plans, and how Study Scheduler weights your plan — see the full FE study guide.
Example plan · FE
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Your schedule combines topic study, review, mock practice, and time away. Actual blocks depend on your exam, study budget, and days off.