The FE Mechanical exam is the NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering exam for mechanical engineers: 110 questions, taken on a computer at a Pearson test center, with 5 hours 20 minutes of exam time inside a 6-hour appointment. It is closed book; you search an electronic copy of the FE Reference Handbook on screen. This page summarizes the format and what it covers, and links the official NCEES documents.
Everything in this table comes from the NCEES FE exam page and the FE Mechanical specification. NCEES updates its exams with at least a year’s notice; check both before you book.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Delivery | Computer-based, year-round, at NCEES-approved Pearson test centers |
| Questions | 110 |
| Appointment | 6 hours: 2-minute nondisclosure agreement, 8-minute tutorial, the exam, and a 25-minute scheduled break |
| Exam time | 5 hours 20 minutes, about 2.9 minutes per question on average |
| References | Closed book, with an electronic FE Reference Handbook provided on screen |
| Units | SI and US customary |
| Question types | Mostly multiple choice, plus alternative item types such as multiple select, point and click, drag and drop, and fill in the blank |
| Calculator | NCEES-approved models only (see the calculator guide) |
The FE Mechanical specification, effective since the July 2020 exams, lists 14 knowledge areas, each with a range of questions. The table groups them into five blocks and adds up NCEES’s published ranges, so you can see where the weight is. Read the official specification (PDF) for every area and its subtopics.
Mechanics and thermal-fluid sciences carry the most questions, and they are the areas where a cheat sheet of your own helps most while you study: start with the statics, mechanics of materials, thermodynamics and fluid mechanics sheets.
| Block | NCEES knowledge areas in it | Questions (sum of ranges) |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanics | Statics; dynamics, kinematics and vibrations; mechanics of materials | 28–43 |
| Thermal-fluid sciences | Fluid mechanics; thermodynamics; heat transfer | 27–41 |
| Design and materials | Mechanical design and analysis; material properties and processing | 17–26 |
| Math and professional | Mathematics; probability and statistics; ethics and professional practice; engineering economics | 18–27 |
| Electrical and controls | Electricity and magnetism; measurements, instrumentation and controls | 10–16 |
You cannot bring notes, but the FE Reference Handbook is on screen for the whole exam, and you can search it. Most formulas you need are in it. What the exam rewards is knowing which formula applies and finding it fast.
Download the handbook early from your MyNCEES account and do every practice problem with it, not with your textbook. Learn its section names and the search terms that find each formula; a handbook search that takes a minute costs a third of the time available for a question.
Pick a schedule that fits the time you have: the 12-week FE study plan for a steady pace alongside classes, or the 8-week plan if your exam date is closer. Both come as free printable PDFs.
Buy or borrow an approved calculator now and use only that one while you study; see the FE calculator guide. Then work timed problems with full solutions, such as the FE statics practice problems and mechanics of materials practice problems, and review the matching lessons.
110, according to NCEES. You have 5 hours 20 minutes of exam time within a 6-hour appointment that also covers a nondisclosure agreement, a tutorial and a 25-minute scheduled break.
No. It is closed book, but NCEES provides an electronic, searchable FE Reference Handbook on screen during the exam. Practice with the same handbook so you know where everything is.
Only NCEES-approved models. NCEES lists the Casio fx-115 and fx-991 models, the HP 33s and HP 35s, and the TI-30X and TI-36X models, valid through 2027. See the calculator guide for details.
Many students take it in their final year or soon after graduating, while the coursework is fresh. Eligibility is set by each state licensing board, so check your board’s rules before you register.
NCEES reports only pass or fail. Your number of correct answers is converted to a scaled score and compared with a minimum ability level; NCEES does not publish the cutoff. Wrong answers are not deducted, so answer every question.
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