How do you schedule, reschedule, or cancel the FE exam?

You schedule the FE exam at a Pearson test center at least one business day before the date. Seats are first come, first served, so a seat stays open only until someone else books it. To reschedule or cancel that appointment, you pay Pearson $50 and you must finish the change at least 48 hours before the appointment. Canceling the registration is a separate action, and the refund depends on whether your status is still Unscheduled.

Where do you schedule the FE exam?

NCEES exams are given only at Pearson test centers. You may test at any NCEES-approved center in Canada, the United States, or a U.S. territory. If an international entity other than Canada approved you, you test in that country.

You must schedule the appointment at least one business day before the exam date. Seats are first come, first served, and the booking is what holds the seat. If you are not approved yet, start with how you register for the FE exam. Registration is what the FE exam fee pays for.

Approval opens a 12-month period during which the exam must be taken. If you neither test nor cancel in that period, you forfeit the registration fee. Pick a center and a date you can reach while the approval is still open.

How do you reschedule an FE appointment?

Rescheduling costs $50, paid to Pearson. You must complete the change at least 48 hours before the appointment. After that cutoff, the paid reschedule is closed.

The replacement seat is first come, first served at an approved Pearson center you are allowed to use. Before you pay, check travel, time off, and what should be on your FE exam day checklist. If the new date is another attempt, it still has to fall in a testing window your board allows.

How do appointment cancellations and registration cancellations differ?

Canceling an appointment costs $50, paid to Pearson, and you must do it at least 48 hours before the appointment. That payment is for the seat. The registration refund is handled in MyNCEES, and it is available when your exam status is Unscheduled.

If your exam status is Unscheduled, you can cancel the registration in MyNCEES and get the registration fee back less a $50 administrative fee. For the FE exam, canceling an unscheduled registration returns $175, the $225 registration fee minus the $50 administrative fee.

Use the Pearson cancellation when an appointment is still booked and you are at least 48 hours away from it. Use the MyNCEES cancellation when the status is Unscheduled and you want the registration refund.

What counts as an emergency on FE exam day?

For listed emergencies on test day, NCEES may allow a free reschedule or a full refund. The examples are a car accident on the way to the center, a medical emergency, military duty, and jury duty. Documentation has to reach NCEES within 14 days. NCEES makes the decision after it reviews what you send.

If you miss the appointment for another reason, the 48-hour point for a paid Pearson reschedule or a paid appointment cancellation has already passed. A refund for that ordinary miss is not described in these rules. Use the FE exam day timeline and what you can bring to the FE exam to plan your arrival and your bag the day before.

What if the test center closes for weather?

A weather closure is a center event. The listed emergencies are personal: a car accident on the way, a medical emergency, military duty, or jury duty. These scheduling rules do not state a Pearson fee or a refund amount for weather. Contact the test center and NCEES, and keep the notice they send. If a listed emergency is also involved, that documentation still has to reach NCEES within 14 days.

How do testing windows limit the date you pick?

Year-round NCEES exams run in four testing windows: January to March, April to June, July to September, and October to December. NCEES policy allows one attempt at a given exam per testing window and no more than three attempts in any 12-month period. Some boards are stricter. Confirm your board’s limit before you pay Pearson to move the exam. How many times you can take the FE exam states the NCEES cap.

The approval period keeps running while you move the date. You have 12 months after approval to test or cancel, and if you do neither you forfeit the registration fee. The new date also has to respect the attempt limits above, including a stricter limit from your licensing board.

Frequently asked questions

How late can I reschedule the FE exam?

You must reschedule at least 48 hours before the appointment, and Pearson charges $50 for the change. The first time you book, the appointment must also be at least one business day before the exam date. Inside the final 48 hours, the paid reschedule is closed. For a listed test-day emergency, NCEES may allow a free reschedule or a full refund if documentation arrives within 14 days.

What happens if I miss my FE appointment?

If you miss the appointment, the deadline to reschedule or cancel at least 48 hours ahead has passed, so the $50 Pearson option for that seat is closed. You can still ask NCEES to review a listed emergency, such as a car accident on the way, a medical emergency, military duty, or jury duty. Documentation must reach NCEES within 14 days, and NCEES may allow a free reschedule or a full refund. These rules do not describe a refund for a miss outside that list.

Can I get a refund if I cancel the FE exam?

A refund depends on which cancellation you complete. Canceling the appointment at least 48 hours before costs $50 paid to Pearson, and the registration fee stays in place. Canceling an unscheduled registration in MyNCEES returns $175, the $225 fee minus a $50 administrative fee. If you neither test nor cancel within 12 months of approval, you forfeit the registration fee.

What if the test center closes because of weather?

Contact the test center and NCEES, and keep the closure notice. A weather closure is separate from the listed test-day emergencies that can support a free reschedule or a full refund. Those examples are a car accident on the way, a medical emergency, military duty, and jury duty, and the documents must arrive within 14 days. These scheduling rules do not set a Pearson fee or a refund amount for the weather closure itself.

Sources

1. NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF). Retrieved October 3, 2026.
2. NCEES: FE exam. Retrieved October 3, 2026.