NCEES Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) Mechanical — HVAC and Refrigeration · Machine Design and Materials · Thermal and Fluid Systems
All three PE Mechanical exams in one bank — psychrometrics and refrigeration, shafts, bolts, springs and gears, pump curves, power cycles and heat exchangers, with worked solutions.
About the exam
The PE Mechanical exam is the licensing exam for mechanical engineers in the United States, written and administered by NCEES. It's usually taken after the FE exam and about four years of qualifying experience, though each state board sets its own rules for when you can sit. NCEES offers it as three separate exams — HVAC and Refrigeration, Machine Design and Materials, and Thermal and Fluid Systems — and you choose the one that matches your practice.
Each is a computer-based, 80-question exam in a 9-hour appointment that includes a tutorial and an optional scheduled break. It's closed book: NCEES supplies the PE Mechanical Reference Handbook as a searchable PDF on screen. The HVAC and Refrigeration exam uses US customary units at sea level unless stated; the other two mix SI and US customary units. Questions are multiple choice plus alternative item types such as numeric entry.
This library covers all three exams knowledge area by knowledge area — about 150 questions each — with every numeric answer worked from the givens: psychrometric processes and loads, refrigeration cycles, duct and pipe pressure drop, pump and fan curves, heat exchangers and cooling towers, shaft, bolt, weld, spring and gear design, fatigue, vibration, and Rankine and Brayton cycles. The timed practice test mixes questions from all three exams because the timer can't be limited to one; to study only your exam, pick its domains in Flashcards, Learn or adaptive practice.
How we track your progress
Every blueprint domain moves through five levels as you study:
- Not startedNo questions answered in this domain yet.
- Getting startedFirst questions answered — not enough yet to judge.
- DevelopingAt least 5 answered and 50% or better on your recent questions.
- ProficientAt least 15 answered and 70% or better on your recent questions.
- Exam readyAt least 25 answered, 80% or better recently, and holding up on hard questions.
The exam blueprint
NCEES PE Mechanical CBT exam specifications effective October 2025 (HVAC and Refrigeration, Machine Design and Materials, Thermal and Fluid Systems) — still current for 2026 exams; NCEES's 2026–2027 exam-change notices list no PE Mechanical changes. — Three separate 80-question exams. HVAC&R: Loads and Psychrometrics; Distribution and Systems; Equipment and Components; Supportive Knowledge. Machine Design and Materials: Basic Engineering Practice; Mechanics of Materials; Mechanical Attachments; Power Transmission; Mechanical Components and Assemblies; Supportive Knowledge. Thermal and Fluid Systems: Thermal/Fluid Principles; Fluid Equipment and Distribution; Power Systems and Components; Cooling/Heating Systems; Supportive Knowledge.. Tap a domain to see its topics.
1 HVAC&R — Loads and Psychrometrics 18–27 of 80 on the HVAC and Refrigeration exam · 7 in our mixed timed test of the exam
39 practice questions in this domain so far
2 HVAC&R — Distribution and Systems 20–30 of 80 on the HVAC and Refrigeration exam · 8 in our mixed timed test of the exam
43 practice questions in this domain so far
3 HVAC&R — Equipment and Components 24–36 of 80 on the HVAC and Refrigeration exam · 9 in our mixed timed test of the exam
51 practice questions in this domain so far
4 HVAC&R — Supportive Knowledge 8–12 of 80 on the HVAC and Refrigeration exam · 3 in our mixed timed test of the exam
17 practice questions in this domain so far
5 Machine Design — Basic Engineering Practice 11–17 of 80 on the Machine Design and Materials exam · 4 in our mixed timed test of the exam
24 practice questions in this domain so far
6 Machine Design — Mechanics of Materials 17–26 of 80 on the Machine Design and Materials exam · 7 in our mixed timed test of the exam
36 practice questions in this domain so far
7 Machine Design — Mechanical Attachments 9–14 of 80 on the Machine Design and Materials exam · 4 in our mixed timed test of the exam
19 practice questions in this domain so far
8 Machine Design — Power Transmission 9–14 of 80 on the Machine Design and Materials exam · 3 in our mixed timed test of the exam
20 practice questions in this domain so far
9 Machine Design — Components and Assemblies 16–24 of 80 on the Machine Design and Materials exam · 6 in our mixed timed test of the exam
34 practice questions in this domain so far
10 Machine Design — Supportive Knowledge 8–12 of 80 on the Machine Design and Materials exam · 3 in our mixed timed test of the exam
17 practice questions in this domain so far
11 Thermal & Fluids — Thermal/Fluid Principles 19–29 of 80 on the Thermal and Fluid Systems exam · 7 in our mixed timed test of the exam
41 practice questions in this domain so far
12 Thermal & Fluids — Fluid Equipment and Distribution 17–26 of 80 on the Thermal and Fluid Systems exam · 6 in our mixed timed test of the exam
36 practice questions in this domain so far
13 Thermal & Fluids — Power Systems and Components 17–26 of 80 on the Thermal and Fluid Systems exam · 6 in our mixed timed test of the exam
36 practice questions in this domain so far
14 Thermal & Fluids — Cooling/Heating Systems 12–18 of 80 on the Thermal and Fluid Systems exam · 5 in our mixed timed test of the exam
26 practice questions in this domain so far
15 Thermal & Fluids — Supportive Knowledge 5–8 of 80 on the Thermal and Fluid Systems exam · 2 in our mixed timed test of the exam
11 practice questions in this domain so far
What you get when you access this exam
Free with your QuizMe account.
Built on the NCEES specifications
Every question is tagged to its exam and October 2025 NCEES knowledge area, so you can study only the exam you'll sit.
Hints that point to the method
Reveal the governing equation or handbook relationship when you're stuck. Every answer comes with a worked solution and the mistakes behind the wrong choices.
Adaptive practice by knowledge area
Pick your exam's domains and practice steers toward your weakest areas, weighted like the NCEES question ranges.
Timed practice tests
80 questions at the real exam's 6-minute pace, with a pacing indicator and full review.
Drawn cycles and components
Psychrometric processes, refrigeration cycles, pump and system curves, shafts, beams and gear trains drawn the way you'll meet them.
Progress in every area
Each knowledge area moves from Not started to Exam ready, so you know when you're ready to book.
Test at home or at a center
Register and pay through your MyNCEES account, choose HVAC and Refrigeration, Machine Design and Materials, or Thermal and Fluid Systems, then schedule a Pearson VUE appointment. Check your state board's requirements first — many boards require approval before you register or before they'll license you after you pass.
At a Pearson VUE test center
- Computer-based and offered year-round; schedule through MyNCEES once you've registered.
- Bring acceptable, unexpired government-issued ID that matches your MyNCEES name.
- Use an NCEES-approved calculator model only — check the current approved list before test day.
- References are on screen only: the PE Mechanical Reference Handbook. Practice searching it before the exam.
Before you book
- Download your exam's specification from ncees.org and study to its knowledge areas and question ranges.
- Get comfortable with the electronic PE Mechanical Reference Handbook — steam tables, psychrometric charts and refrigerant data are all in it.
- Take the official NCEES practice exam for your exam to see the alternative item types.
- Confirm your state board's education and experience rules, which vary by state.
Exam-day game plan
How to walk in ready — and how to pace 80 questions in 8 hours.
Pacing checkpoints
Our timed test is 80 questions at the real 6-minute pace, but it mixes all three PE Mechanical exams (27 HVAC&R, 27 Machine Design, 26 Thermal & Fluids), because the timer can't be limited to one. For single-exam study, choose your exam's domains in Flashcards, Learn or adaptive practice.
The week before
- Take a full timed practice exam for your module and review every miss by knowledge area.
- Drill handbook lookups: steam and refrigerant tables, the psychrometric chart, fan and pump laws, stress-concentration and fatigue charts.
- Check your calculator is on NCEES's approved list.
- Confirm your appointment, test center location and ID.
During the test
- Budget about 6 minutes a question — mark long problems and come back rather than stalling.
- Write units on every step; lbm vs lbf, Btu vs ft-lbf and gauge vs absolute pressure cause most wrong answers.
- Check the stated altitude on psychrometric problems — 5,000 ft changes the constants.
- Take the optional break — 9 hours is a long day.
- Answer every question; there's no penalty for guessing.
Keep your head
- A string of hard problems is normal — the result is pass/fail on your total, not on any one question.
- If a number won't match any choice, recheck units and the governing equation before recalculating.
- Change an answer only when you find a specific error in your work.
After you pass
- Results are pass/fail and typically post in MyNCEES 7–10 days after your exam; NCEES doesn't publish a scaled passing score.
- Passing the exam isn't a license — apply to your state board, which reviews your education, experience and references.
- Most boards require continuing education (professional development hours set by each state) to renew your PE license.
- If you don't pass, NCEES limits how often you can retest — check the current NCEES examinee guide and your board's rules before rebooking.
Official sources and further reading
- NCEES — PE Mechanical: HVAC and Refrigeration specification (October 2025) ↗Knowledge areas, question ranges and units for the HVAC&R exam.
- NCEES — PE Mechanical: Machine Design and Materials specification (October 2025) ↗Knowledge areas and question ranges for the Machine Design and Materials exam.
- NCEES — PE Mechanical: Thermal and Fluid Systems specification (October 2025) ↗Knowledge areas and question ranges for the Thermal and Fluid Systems exam.
Ready to start?
450 questions and scenarios across the blueprint — and growing.
NCEES and PE are trademarks or registered names of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying. QuizMe and thinQtank Learning are not affiliated with or endorsed by NCEES. All questions are original. Details are summarized from NCEES's official exam specifications; fees and policies change — always confirm at ncees.org before you register.