American University of Sharjah (AUS) has become the first and only institution in the Middle-East to offer the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam via computer-based testing. This popular exam is administrated by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) in the USA. The first AUS computer-based FE exam will be offered at the AUS Testing Center tomorrow, April 2.

AUS recently signed an agreement with Pearson VUE, the computer-based testing (CBT) business of Pearson, to become a Pearson VUE Authorized Test Centre Select to deliver NCEES certification exams.

"The Fundamentals of Engineering exam is typically the first step in the process leading to the Professional Engineer (PE) license in the US. It is designed for recent graduates and students who are close to finishing an undergraduate engineering degree. In addition, the College of Engineering at AUS uses the results of the exam for curriculum assessment purposes in its various undergraduate programs," said Dr. Hany El Kadi, Associate Dean, College of Engineering.

Offering the computer-based FE exam will give participants the flexibility of choosing a convenient test date and will allow them to receive the results within a couple of weeks of taking the exam. The computer-based FE will be offered several times throughout the year and will facilitate the registration process for engineers from the UAE, the Gulf Area and the Middle East. The university anticipates over 700 students, alumni and external participants taking the test annually.

Jerry Carter, Chief Executive Officer, NCEES, said "NCEES is extremely happy to have in place a partnership with an outstanding institution as AUS that allows the NCEES examinations to be offered to its students and other candidates in the area. By offering the NCEES exams, AUS will receive data on the performance of their candidates that can be used to evaluate their individual programs and the candidates taking the exam will enhance their opportunities for future employment outside the UAE."