FE Mechanical · exam facts · checked Oct 29, 2026
FE Mechanical exam info: dates, scoring, rules
Registration, timing and scoring work alike across the FE disciplines; what is specific to mechanical engineering is the outline, the units and the parts of the Handbook you will live in. Below: the full fact sheet with sources, then the questions people ask most about dates and passing scores.
FE Mechanical practice test Study guide
Updated Oct 29, 2026 · Not affiliated with NCEES.
- ExamFE Mechanical
- questions110
- exam time5 h 20 min
- passing scoreNot published
- exam datesYear-round
- Checked
FE Mechanical exam facts
| Fact | Detail | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exam owner | National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) | NCEES: FE exam [1] | |
| Questions | 110 questionsIncludes unscored pretest questions that are not marked. | NCEES: FE exam · NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [1][2] | |
| Question types | Multiple choice plus alternative item types (multiple correct, point and click, drag and drop, fill in the blank)No partial credit on alternative items. | NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [2] | |
| Appointment | 6 hoursNondisclosure agreement 2 min, tutorial 8 min, exam 5 h 20 min, scheduled break 25 min (the guide table sums it as 5 h 55 min). | NCEES: FE exam · NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [1][2] | |
| Exam time | 5 hours 20 minutes | NCEES: FE exam · NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [1][2] | |
| Scheduled break | 25 minutes, after about half the questionsYou review and submit the first half before the break and cannot return to it; unscheduled breaks run on the exam clock. | NCEES: FE exam · NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [1][2] | |
| Delivery | Computer-based at Pearson VUE test centersNo online or at-home option. | NCEES: FE exam · NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [1][2] | |
| When you can test | Year-roundNCEES testing windows run Jan–Mar, Apr–Jun, Jul–Sep and Oct–Dec. | NCEES: FE exam · NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [1][2] | |
| Units | SI and USCS | NCEES: FE Mechanical specifications, July 2020 (PDF) [3] | |
| Reference supplied | FE Reference Handbook, on screen as a searchable PDFThe current version is free in your MyNCEES account; on exam day search with the box on the left (Ctrl+F does not work); no personal copies. | NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) · NCEES: FE exam [1][2] | |
| Design standards supplied | None | NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [2] | |
| Calculator | Any Casio fx-115 or fx-991 model, the HP 33s or HP 35s, or any TI-30X or TI-36X model; one in the room, plus an on-screen TI-30XSThe list is reviewed every year; spares stay in your locker. | NCEES: calculator policy (2026 list) · NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [2][4] | |
| Result | Pass/fail, typically within 7–10 business daysEmail notice, result in MyNCEES. | NCEES: FE exam [1] | |
| Passing score | Not published (a scaled score against a minimum ability level)The number of correct answers is converted to a scaled score; wrong answers cost nothing; first-time and repeat takers are graded to the same standard. | NCEES: exam scoring [5] | |
| Diagnostic report | Only after a failed attempt, by major topic | NCEES: FE exam · NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [1][2] | |
| Retakes | Once per testing window, at most 3 times in any 12 monthsSome boards are stricter. | NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [2] | |
| Time to test after approval | 12 months to test after board approvalThe fee is forfeited if you neither test nor cancel within 12 months. | NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [2] | |
| Who can sit | Set by your state board; the exam is designed for students close to finishing and recent graduates of EAC/ABET-accredited engineering programs | NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) · NCEES: FE exam [1][2] | |
| Specifications in force | July 2020 editionNo FE change appears in the NCEES notice of July 20, 2026, which lists exam changes through fall 2027; NCEES gives boards at least one year of notice. | NCEES: FE Mechanical specifications, July 2020 (PDF) · NCEES memo to member boards, July 20, 2026: changes through fall 2027 (PDF, Virginia board copy) [3][6] |
Exam dates
There are no fixed national dates. Seats open year-round at Pearson VUE centers; book any free slot once your registration is accepted. NCEES counts the calendar in quarters, and each quarter is one testing window.
The windows matter only for retakes. Retakes: 1 per window, 3 in 12 months, and some boards are stricter. Time limit to test: 12 months after board approval, or the fee is forfeited.
Passing score
Passing score: Not published. How the scaled score works, and why a fixed percentage target does not exist, is explained once for all disciplines on FE exam format.
Pass rate
First-time pass rate: 73%, for EAC/ABET graduates testing within 12 months of graduation in January–June 2026. That is the highest first-time rate of the seven FE disciplines in the same NCEES table. Repeat takers pass far less often: in fiscal year 2024–25, 37% of all repeat takers passed, against 69% of all first-time takers. The half-year history, repeat rates and what they mean for your odds are on how hard is the FE Mechanical exam; all disciplines side by side are on FE exam pass rates.
Format on the screen
- Question types. The item formats are the same on every FE exam: FE exam format.
- Two halves. The scheduled break of 25 min comes after about half the questions. You submit the first half before it and cannot go back to those questions.
- Units. Problems use SI and USCS, sometimes in the same section. Watch lbm and lbf in USCS problems.
- Calculator. Bring one approved model; the list is on FE exam calculators.
The Handbook for this exam
Your one reference on test day is the on-screen FE Reference Handbook. Download the current version free from your MyNCEES account and study with it, because the exam copy is the same document. A mechanical candidate spends most time in the Dynamics, Thermodynamics, Heat Transfer, Mechanical Engineering, Mechanics of Materials and Materials Science/Structure of Matter chapters, along with the statics and fluid mechanics material and the Mathematics chapter.
How the on-screen search works, and a chapter map for every discipline: FE Reference Handbook.
Results
Result: Pass/fail in 7–10 business days. You get an email when it is ready in MyNCEES. After a pass, your state board's process for EI/EIT certification takes over: EIT certification.
Six hours is the appointment, not the exam
The appointment is 6 h, which includes the nondisclosure agreement, a tutorial and the break. Time for questions is 5 h 20 min. Plan your pace on the shorter number.
More on FE Mechanical
- FE MechanicalThe FE exam for mechanical engineers: 14 areas, format, fees, where to practice each topic
- FE Mechanical practice testA mixed set across all 14 areas, sized by the specification's question ranges
- FE Mechanical costFee, expected attempts at this pass rate, optional extras
- FE Mechanical pass rateEight half-years of first-time results, repeat rates, why it is hard
- FE Mechanical study guideA study plan for FE Mechanical split by the weight of each knowledge area, with its traps
Source notes
- NCEES: FE exam ncees.org · checked Oct 29, 2026
- NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) ncees.org · checked Oct 29, 2026
- NCEES: FE Mechanical specifications, July 2020 (PDF) ncees.org · checked Oct 29, 2026
- NCEES: calculator policy (2026 list) ncees.org · checked Oct 29, 2026
- NCEES: exam scoring ncees.org · checked Oct 29, 2026
- NCEES memo to member boards, July 20, 2026: changes through fall 2027 (PDF, Virginia board copy) dpor.tl.virginia.gov · checked Oct 29, 2026
FE Mechanical exam facts, quick answers
What are the FE Mechanical exam dates?
There are none to wait for. The exam is offered year-round at Pearson VUE centers; you choose a date when you book. The four quarterly windows limit only how often you can retake.
Is there a published passing score for FE Mechanical?
No. You learn only whether you passed, so there is no target percentage to aim at.
Is a printed or annotated Handbook allowed at the test center?
No. Only the on-screen copy is allowed, and no design standards are supplied for FE exams.
Practice for FE Mechanical on your phone
FE Mechanical questions, answers and worked solutions in a study app.
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