Free Practice Questions for PE Mechanical Machine Design
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Key Facts: PE Mechanical Machine Design Exam
80
Exam Questions
NCEES
8 hrs
Test Time
NCEES
$400
Exam Fee
NCEES
9 hrs
Total Appointment
NCEES
CBT
Format
Pearson VUE
120+
Practice Questions
OpenExamPrep
PE Mechanical Machine Design and Materials is one of three NCEES PE Mechanical exams. The 80-question computer-based test runs in a 9-hour appointment (8 hours of exam time) and costs $400. Its October 2025 specification emphasizes mechanics of materials and failure theories, fatigue, fasteners and welds, gears, bearings, shafts and other power-transmission elements, pressure vessels, springs, vibration, mechanisms and mechatronics, plus manufacturing, tolerancing and codes. NCEES supplies the PE Mechanical Reference Handbook as a searchable PDF during the exam.
Sample PE Mechanical Machine Design Practice Questions
Try these sample questions to review concepts for the PE Mechanical Machine Design exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 123+ question experience with AI tutoring.
1A round bar is loaded in pure tension with a force F = 50 kN. The bar diameter is 25 mm. What is the normal stress in the bar?
2A 2D stress element has sigma_x = 80 MPa, sigma_y = -40 MPa, and tau_xy = 30 MPa. What is the maximum principal stress?
3For the same stress state (sigma_x = 80 MPa, sigma_y = -40 MPa, tau_xy = 30 MPa), what is the maximum in-plane shear stress?
4A ductile steel has yield strength Sy = 350 MPa. A part experiences principal stresses sigma_1 = 200 MPa, sigma_2 = 100 MPa, sigma_3 = 0. Using the distortion-energy (von Mises) criterion, what is the factor of safety against yielding?
5Using the maximum-shear-stress (Tresca) criterion with the same principal stresses (sigma_1 = 200, sigma_2 = 100, sigma_3 = 0 MPa) and Sy = 350 MPa, what is the factor of safety?
6Which failure theory is generally MOST appropriate for ductile materials under static loading?
7A simply-supported beam, 4 m span, carries a uniformly distributed load w = 10 kN/m. What is the maximum bending moment?
8A solid circular shaft of diameter 40 mm transmits a torque of 600 N-m. What is the maximum shear stress?
9A hollow shaft has outer diameter Do = 50 mm and inner diameter Di = 40 mm. The polar moment of inertia J is approximately:
10Steel has E = 200 GPa and Poisson's ratio nu = 0.30. What is the shear modulus G?
About the PE Mechanical Machine Design Exam
The NCEES PE Mechanical: Machine Design and Materials exam is one of three PE Mechanical sub-discipline exams (alongside HVAC and Refrigeration and Thermal and Fluid Systems). The 80-question computer-based exam, under specifications effective October 2025, covers six areas: Basic Engineering Practice (11–17 questions), Mechanics of Materials (17–26), Mechanical Attachments (9–14), Power Transmission (9–14), Mechanical Components and Assemblies (16–24), and Supportive Knowledge such as manufacturing, fits and tolerances, codes, computational methods, testing and corrosion (8–12).
Exam sponsor: NCEES (Pearson VUE). The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.
Questions
80 questions
Time Limit
8 hours
Passing Score
Not published; NCEES reports pass/fail results based on a scaled cut score
Reported exam pass rate: 61%. first-time takers in the NCEES July 2026 pass-rate update (repeat takers: 39%) This describes exam candidates, not OpenExamPrep users or results from using our resources. Exam sponsor website
Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.
Our practice resources: topics covered
We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.
Basic Engineering Practice
Engineering terms, symbols and drawings; project management and economic analysis; design methodology (requirements, risk assessment, verification and validation); and physical properties of materials.
Mechanics of Materials
Axial, shear and transverse loading, bending, buckling, torsion, combined loading, static failure, fatigue failure, and thermal and interference stresses.
Mechanical Attachments
Bonds (welds, brazing, chemical bonds, adhesives), non-threaded fasteners (lugs, shackles, retaining rings, pins, anchors, rivets) and threaded fasteners (screws, bolts, studs, anchors).
Power Transmission
Gears and gear trains; bearings; belts, chains, clutches, brakes and power screws; shafts and keys; and motors and engines.
Mechanical Components and Assemblies
Pressurized vessels and piping, hydraulic and pneumatic components, beams, trusses and frames, springs, vibrating systems, basic machines and mechanisms, and basic mechatronics.
Supportive Knowledge
Manufacturing methods, fits and tolerances, codes and standards, computational methods (FEA and numerical methods), instrumentation, testing, inspection and quality, and chemical processes (corrosion, oxidation, embrittlement).
Preparing for the PE Mechanical Machine Design Exam
What You Need to Know
- Passing score: Not published; NCEES reports pass/fail results based on a scaled cut score
- Exam length: 80 questions
- Time limit: 8 hours
- Exam / certification fees: $400 Official sources
Using Our Practice Resources
- Work through all 123 available questions
- Review every answer and explanation
- Track weak areas and revisit them
- Use our AI tutor for tough concepts
PE Mechanical Machine Design: Suggested Study Strategy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the PE Mechanical Machine Design and Materials exam?
It is one of three sub-discipline exams under the NCEES PE Mechanical umbrella, focused on mechanical machinery design, failure analysis, materials, and manufacturing. Examinees pick this discipline at registration. The 80-question computer-based test takes a 9-hour appointment (8 hours of testing plus tutorial and break) at Pearson VUE.
What topics are on the PE Mechanical Machine Design and Materials exam?
Under the specification effective October 2025, the 80 questions cover Basic Engineering Practice (11–17), Mechanics of Materials (17–26), Mechanical Attachments (9–14), Power Transmission (9–14, including motors and engines), Mechanical Components and Assemblies (16–24) and Supportive Knowledge (8–12), which covers manufacturing, fits and tolerances, codes, computational methods, testing and corrosion.
How is this exam different from PE Mechanical HVAC or PE Mechanical Thermal & Fluid Systems?
Machine Design and Materials emphasizes solid mechanics, fatigue, fasteners and welds, gears, bearings, shafts, springs, vibration, mechanisms, GD&T and materials, the design and durability of mechanical components. HVAC and Refrigeration focuses on psychrometrics, refrigeration cycles and load calculations, and Thermal and Fluid Systems on thermodynamic cycles, heat exchangers and fluid systems. Each exam has its own NCEES specification, and all three use the PE Mechanical Reference Handbook.
What is the pass rate for the Machine Design exam?
NCEES posts pass rates by exam. Its July 2026 update shows 61% for 401 first-time takers of PE Mechanical: Machine Design and Materials and 39% for 140 repeat takers. Pass rates reflect the preparation of each candidate pool as well as exam difficulty.
What references are provided during the exam?
NCEES provides the PE Mechanical Reference Handbook as a searchable PDF during the exam, and personal references are not allowed. The Machine Design and Materials specification does not list separate design standards to be supplied. Download the handbook through your MyNCEES account and practice finding equations and tables in it before exam day.
How should I prepare for the calculation-heavy portions?
Master the canonical equations: tau_max = 16T/(pi*d^3) for shafts; modified Goodman 1/n = sigma_a/Se + sigma_m/Sut; Marin factors ka*kb*kc*kd*ke*kf*Se'; bolted-joint stiffness C = kb/(kb+km); helical spring k = G*d^4/(8*D^3*Na); ball bearing L10 = (C/P)^3. Practice 100+ problems spanning these formulas using only the NCEES handbook. Time yourself at 6 minutes per question.
What codes and standards should I review?
The specification lists codes and standards as a topic without naming specific documents, so study the ones machine designers use most: ASME Y14.5 GD&T, AGMA gear rating, ASME BPVC Section VIII and B31 piping, AWS D1.1 welding, ASTM, SAE and ISO material and fastener designations, ASME B30 and BTH-1 lifting rules, and machine-safety rules such as OSHA 1910.212 and ISO 12100.