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FE · 4% of the exam

Software Engineering practice questions

10 free Software Engineering questions for the FE Electrical and Computer Exam (FE) exam, each with the correct answer and an explanation for every option.

Start the questionsFree 10-question FE quiz

What this domain covers

Programming and software design fundamentals: algorithms, data structures, design methods and testing.

Exam weight
4%
On a real exam
≈ 4 questions
In our bank
22 questions

Topics that come up most

  • Algorithm complexity and Big-O notation
  • Sorting and searching algorithms
  • Data structures such as stacks, queues and trees
  • Tracing pseudocode and flowcharts
  • Software design and testing methods

How to study it

Trace short pseudocode loops by hand, writing down variable values on each pass; many questions ask what a fragment outputs.

Sample Software Engineering questions

Try each one before opening the answer. Original questions written to the official exam objectives.

  1. Question 1

    Rerunning existing tests after a code change to make sure nothing broke is called:

    • ARegression testing
    • BUnit testing of a new function only
    • CAcceptance testing by the customer
    • DLoad testing
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) Regression testing

    • ACorrect. It catches unintended side effects.
    • BIncorrect. That tests one piece.
    • CIncorrect. That validates requirements.
    • DIncorrect. That tests performance under load.

  2. Question 2

    A hash table supports lookup in average time of:

    • AO(n log n)
    • BO(n), scanning every entry
    • CO(1)
    • DO(n²)
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: C) O(1)

    • AIncorrect. That's sorting.
    • BIncorrect. That's the worst case.
    • CCorrect. With a good hash function.
    • DIncorrect. It's O(1) on average.

  3. Question 3

    In a typical software development process, requirements are defined:

    • AOnly during testing
    • BAfter the product ships to customers
    • CBefore design and implementation
    • DNever, in agile
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: C) Before design and implementation

    • AIncorrect. They come first.
    • BIncorrect. They come first.
    • CCorrect. Design follows from requirements.
    • DIncorrect. Agile still captures requirements.

  4. Question 4

    Searching an unsorted list of n items one by one has a worst-case time complexity of:

    • AO(n)
    • BO(log n)
    • CO(1)
    • DO(n²)
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) O(n)

    • ACorrect. Every item may need checking.
    • BIncorrect. That's binary search on sorted data.
    • CIncorrect. That's constant time.
    • DIncorrect. That's typical of simple sorts.

  5. Question 5

    Refactoring code means:

    • AAdding new features to the code
    • BImproving structure, not behavior
    • CDeleting all comments
    • DRewriting it in a new language
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: B) Improving structure, not behavior

    • AIncorrect. That's development.
    • BCorrect. Tests help confirm behavior is unchanged.
    • CIncorrect. That isn't refactoring.
    • DIncorrect. That's a port or rewrite.

  6. Question 6

    Binary search on a sorted array of n elements runs in:

    • AO(1) time
    • BO(n) time, like linear search
    • CO(n²) time
    • DO(log n) time
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: D) O(log n) time

    • AIncorrect. It depends on n.
    • BIncorrect. That's linear search.
    • CIncorrect. It's logarithmic.
    • DCorrect. It halves the search range each step.

  7. Question 7

    The worst-case time complexity of bubble sort is:

    • AO(n²)
    • BO(n log n), like merge sort
    • CO(n)
    • DO(log n)
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) O(n²)

    • ACorrect. Nested passes over the data.
    • BIncorrect. That's merge sort.
    • CIncorrect. That's the best case on sorted data.
    • DIncorrect. It's quadratic.

  8. Question 8

    Inserting a new node at the head of a singly linked list takes:

    • AO(log n) time
    • BO(n) time
    • CO(1) time
    • DO(n²) time
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: C) O(1) time

    • AIncorrect. That's a balanced tree operation.
    • BIncorrect. No traversal is needed at the head.
    • CCorrect. Only a couple of pointers change.
    • DIncorrect. That's far too slow.

  9. Question 9

    Testing how separately developed modules work together is called:

    • AUnit testing
    • BIntegration testing
    • CUser acceptance testing
    • DStatic code analysis
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: B) Integration testing

    • AIncorrect. That tests modules alone.
    • BCorrect. It follows unit testing.
    • CIncorrect. That validates requirements with users.
    • DIncorrect. That doesn't run the code.

  10. Question 10

    A stack data structure follows which access order?

    • ASorted order
    • BFirst in, first out (FIFO)
    • CLast in, first out (LIFO)
    • DRandom order
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: C) Last in, first out (LIFO)

    • AIncorrect. That's a priority structure.
    • BIncorrect. That's a queue.
    • CCorrect. Push and pop at the top.
    • DIncorrect. It's LIFO.

Software Engineering: FAQs

How much of the FE exam is Software Engineering?

Software Engineering is 4% of the FE exam by the official exam guide's weighting, which on a 110-question form works out to roughly 4 questions. The real exam's exact split varies by form.

What does the Software Engineering domain cover?

Programming and software design fundamentals: algorithms, data structures, design methods and testing.

How should I study Software Engineering for FE?

Trace short pseudocode loops by hand, writing down variable values on each pass; many questions ask what a fragment outputs.

Where can I practise more Software Engineering questions?

This page has 10 free Software Engineering questions with answers. The ExamWize FE question bank has 22 questions in this domain. Every practice exam result breaks your score down by domain, and Review Mode re-drills the questions you missed.

Other FE topics

Also: 15 free questions across all topics, the FE cheat sheet and the study guide.

Get Software Engineering exam-ready

The full FE bank has 22 Software Engineering questions. Timed practice exams match the real exam's length and domain weights, every result shows your score per domain, and Review Mode re-drills the questions you missed.

See the full FE practice examsTake the free diagnostic

Not affiliated with NCEES; questions are original, written from the official exam outline, and never copied from the real exam.