PE HVAC&R · cost · checked Oct 29, 2026
The PE HVAC exam fee, and what it leaves out
As of Oct 29, 2026 you pay $400 per attempt to the exam owner at registration; a state board fee, where there is one, comes on top. At the FY 2024–25 pass rates the expected exam spend to a pass is $551, by our estimate below.
PE Mechanical HVAC & Refrigeration practice test Exam facts
Updated Oct 29, 2026 · Not affiliated with NCEES.
- ExamPE Mechanical HVAC & Refrigeration
- per attempt$400
- expected attempts, our estimate1.38
- expected exam fees$551
- to reschedule$50
- Checked
Fees and rules, sourced
| Fact | Detail | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exam fee | $400 to NCEESFor each attempt, registrations from January 1, 2024. | NCEES: PE Mechanical exams · NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) · NCEES: new exam prices effective January 1, 2024 [1][2][3] | |
| Board application fee | Some boards require their own application and fee before you can sit; amounts vary by board | NCEES: PE Mechanical exams · NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [1][2] | |
| Reschedule or cancel | $50 to Pearson, at least 48 hours before the appointmentCanceling the registration refunds the NCEES fee minus a $50 administrative fee (waived if you already paid Pearson a cancellation fee). | NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [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] | |
| Reference supplied | PE Mechanical reference handbook, on screen as a searchable PDFThe current version is free in your MyNCEES account; NCEES sells no printed copy; on exam day search with the box on the left (Ctrl+F does not work); no personal copies. | NCEES: PE Mechanical exams · NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [1][2] | |
| Official practice exam | E-book practice exam with 80 solved questions, $59.95Built on the October 2025 specifications.as of Oct 29, 2026 · NCEES store price | NCEES: PE Mechanical HVAC and Refrigeration e-book Practice Exam [4] | |
| Expected attempts in 12 months | About 1.38 attempts within 12 monthsAverage attempts in the first 12 months, when at most 3 are allowed: 1 + 26% + 26% × 45%, from all first-time (74%) and repeat (55%) takers; about 5% would still not have passed after a third attempt.as of Oct 29, 2026 · our estimate from NCEES pass rates for Oct 2024–Sep 2025 | NCEES Squared 2025: pass rates, fiscal year Oct 2024–Sep 2025 (PDF) · NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [2][5] | |
| Expected exam fees in 12 months | About $551 in NCEES fees within 12 months$400 per attempt × 1.377 expected attempts (unrounded) in the first 12 months; board fees, travel and prep not included.as of Oct 29, 2026 · our estimate from NCEES pass rates for Oct 2024–Sep 2025 | NCEES Squared 2025: pass rates, fiscal year Oct 2024–Sep 2025 (PDF) · NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [2][5] |
What a pass costs in exam fees, on average
Our estimate, using the annual pass rates and the retake limit (no more than three tries):
Calculation steps
- 1Fee per attempt$400
- 2First-time pass rate, Oct 2024–Sep 202574%
- 3Repeat pass rate, same year55%
- 4Expected attempts1 + 0.26 + 0.26 × 0.451.38
- =Expected exam fees$551
Source: Pass rates: NCEES Squared 2025; retake cap: NCEES Examinee Guide; arithmetic ours.
The estimate assumes a repeat taker passes at the average repeat rate, and it stops at three attempts. Run it with the Jan–Jun 2026 rates (71% first time, 40% repeat) and it gives 1.46 attempts and $586, because that half-year's repeat rate was lower. Either way it counts exam fees only.
What the fee covers and what it does not
- Handbook: nothing to buy. You download it from your MyNCEES account; no printed edition is sold (reference handbook).
- Board fees: Varies by board. Some boards bill their own application before approving you to sit, and the license application after you pass is a separate bill again.
- Rescheduling: $50, paid to Pearson VUE, if you move the appointment 48 hours or more ahead. Canceling the whole registration returns the exam fee less an administrative charge.
- The approval clock: 12 months from board approval to test or cancel; let it run out and the fee is lost.
- A failed attempt: the full fee again; retakes are limited to once per testing window, at most 3 times in any 12 months.
- Practice from the exam owner: 80 questions, $59.95 as of Oct 29, 2026. Review books and courses are sold by third parties at a wide range of prices; none is required.
- Time: the 9 h appointment plus travel to a test center takes a full working day.
Against the FE step
The FE comes first and has its own, lower fee per attempt. That fee, the booking rules and what a board charges for the engineer-intern step: FE registration and cost and FE vs PE.
Pages for this exam
- PE HVAC&R overviewThe HVAC and Refrigeration module of PE Mechanical: format, four areas, modules, path
- PE Mechanical HVAC & Refrigeration practice testA 60-problem mixed set in USCS units, weighted like the October 2025 outline
- PE Mechanical HVAC & Refrigeration exam factsFormat, exam day, units, scoring, the 2025 changes and pass rates by period
- PE Mechanical HVAC & Refrigeration reference handbookThe one on-screen reference: access, search, no standards, look-ups to practice
- PE Mechanical HVAC & Refrigeration study guideA plan weighted to the October 2025 areas, the new topics, MERM vs the handbook
Source notes
- NCEES: PE Mechanical exams ncees.org · checked Oct 29, 2026
- NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) ncees.org · checked Oct 29, 2026
- NCEES: new exam prices effective January 1, 2024 ncees.org · checked Oct 29, 2026
- NCEES: PE Mechanical HVAC and Refrigeration e-book Practice Exam account.ncees.org · checked Oct 29, 2026
- NCEES Squared 2025: pass rates, fiscal year Oct 2024–Sep 2025 (PDF) ncees.org · checked Oct 29, 2026
PE HVAC&R cost, quick answers
Does the fee include the state board's application?
No. Some boards bill an application fee of their own, and the amount differs from board to board; check yours before you register.
Is a second attempt charged in full?
Yes, $400 every time, and the retake limit is 1 per window, 3 in 12 months.
Is the reference handbook free?
Yes: it downloads free from MyNCEES, and the exam shows that same version on screen: reference handbook.
HVAC&R problems before exam day
PE Mechanical HVAC & Refrigeration questions, answers and worked solutions in a study app.
Not affiliated with NCEES.