FE Industrial & Systems is the only FE discipline built around systems thinking rather than a single physical domain — modeling, statistics, manufacturing and production systems, human factors, and quality all appear alongside the shared math, economics, and ethics core. Probability & Statistics carries the most questions of any topic, worth knowing if your coursework leaned more toward operations than statistics.
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.
1Modeling & Quantitative Analysis9–14q
Data, logic development, and analytics · Linear programming and optimization · Stochastic models and simulation
2Probability & Statistics10–15q
Probabilities · Probability distributions and functions · Estimation, confidence intervals, and hypothesis testing · Linear regression
3Manufacturing, Service & Production Systems9–14q
Manufacturing processes · Manufacturing and service systems · Forecasting · Planning and scheduling
Full Industrial & Systems topic breakdown.
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
Calculus
Linear algebra
Engineering Sciences~4% of exam4–6q
Thermodynamics and fluid mechanics
Statics, dynamics, and materials
Electricity and electrical circuits
Ethics & Professional Practice~4% of exam4–6q
Codes of ethics and licensure
Agreements and contracts
Professional, ethical, and legal responsibility
Public protection and regulatory issues
Engineering Economics~9% of exam9–14q
Discounted cash flows
Evaluation of alternatives
Cost analyses
Depreciation and taxes
Probability & Statistics~10% of exam10–15q
Probabilities
Probability distributions and functions
Estimation, confidence intervals, and hypothesis testing
Linear regression
Design of experiments
Modeling & Quantitative Analysis~9% of exam9–14q
Data, logic development, and analytics
Linear programming and optimization
Stochastic models and simulation
Engineering Management~8% of exam8–12q
Principles and tools
Project management
Performance measurement
Decision making and risk
Manufacturing, Service & Production Systems~9% of exam9–14q
Manufacturing processes
Manufacturing and service systems
Forecasting
Planning and scheduling
Process improvements
Facilities & Supply Chain~9% of exam9–14q
Flow, layout, and location analysis
Capacity analysis
Supply chain management and design
Human Factors, Ergonomics & Safety~8% of exam8–12q
Human factors
Safety and industrial hygiene
Ergonomics
Work Design~7% of exam7–11q
Methods analysis
Work measurement
Learning curves
Quality~9% of exam9–14q
Quality management, planning, assurance, and systems
Quality control
Systems Engineering, Analysis & Design~8% of exam8–12q
Requirements analysis and system design
Functional analysis and configuration management
Risk management
Life-cycle engineering
Reliability engineering
Frequently asked about Industrial & Systems.
Is FE Industrial & Systems mostly math and statistics?
Probability & Statistics is the single largest topic by question count, but the exam also covers manufacturing systems, facilities and supply chain, human factors, quality, and systems engineering in roughly equal measure.
How many topics does FE Industrial & Systems cover?
13, the fewest of any FE discipline, though each one draws from a broad slice of industrial engineering practice.
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
See the week. Take the next step.
Your schedule combines topic study, review, mock practice, and time away. Actual blocks depend on your exam, study budget, and days off.