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What hydrostatic pressure is exerted by a 12.0 ppg drilling fluid at 10,000 ft true vertical depth?

5,200 psi

6,240 psi

7,200 psi

8,320 psi

to track

2026 Statistics

Key Facts: PE Petroleum Exam

Exam Questions

NCEES

8.5 hrs

Exam Time

NCEES

9.5 hrs

Total Appointment

NCEES

$400

Exam Fee

NCEES

53%

1st-Time Pass Rate

NCEES Jan 2026

Once yearly

Availability

NCEES

The PE Petroleum exam is a once-yearly NCEES CBT with 85 questions, 8.5 hours of exam time, and a 9.5-hour total appointment. NCEES lists the next administration as October 27, 2026, charges a $400 exam fee, and reports January 2026 pass rates of 53% for first-time takers and 55% for repeat takers. As of March 12, 2026, NCEES has not posted a petroleum-specific 2026 blueprint revision; the current published specification remains the version effective October 1, 2023.

Sample PE Petroleum Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your PE Petroleum exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 200+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1What hydrostatic pressure is exerted by a 12.0 ppg drilling fluid at 10,000 ft true vertical depth?

A.5,200 psi

B.6,240 psi

C.7,200 psi

D.8,320 psi

Explanation: Hydrostatic pressure in oilfield units is calculated with P = 0.052 x MW x TVD. Substituting 12.0 ppg and 10,000 ft gives 0.052 x 12.0 x 10,000 = 6,240 psi. This relationship is fundamental for balancing pore pressure while avoiding formation fracture.

2A drilling fluid has Fann viscometer readings of 58 at 600 rpm and 36 at 300 rpm. Assuming a Bingham plastic model, what are the plastic viscosity and yield point?

A.14 cP and 22 lb/100 ft2

B.22 cP and 14 lb/100 ft2

C.36 cP and 22 lb/100 ft2

D.58 cP and 36 lb/100 ft2

Explanation: For a Bingham plastic fluid, plastic viscosity equals theta600 minus theta300, so PV = 58 - 36 = 22 cP. Yield point equals theta300 minus PV, so YP = 36 - 22 = 14 lb/100 ft2. These two values help diagnose solids loading and hole-cleaning behavior.

3Which combination of observations most strongly indicates a kick while drilling?

A.Decrease in pit volume and lower standpipe pressure

B.Increase in pit volume and flow from the well with pumps off

C.Higher rotary torque and lower rate of penetration

D.Lower mud temperature and smaller cuttings at the shakers

Explanation: A pit gain plus continued flow with the pumps off is a classic kick indicator because formation fluids are entering the wellbore. Mechanical drilling changes can affect torque or ROP, but they do not by themselves confirm influx. Early recognition is essential for safe shut-in and well-control response.

4A well is being drilled with 10.0 ppg mud. If annular pressure loss while circulating is 300 psi at 10,000 ft TVD, what is the equivalent circulating density?

A.10.29 ppg

B.10.58 ppg

C.10.94 ppg

D.11.15 ppg

Explanation: ECD is the static mud weight plus the added density equivalent of annular friction: ECD = MW + deltaP divided by (0.052 x TVD). That gives 10.0 + 300 divided by 520 = 10.58 ppg. ECD matters because the formation sees this pressure while circulating, not just the surface mud weight.

5Which blowout preventer component is designed to close around a range of pipe sizes and can also seal on open hole for a short period?

A.Annular preventer

B.Blind ram

C.Pipe ram

D.Spool outlet valve

Explanation: An annular preventer uses a reinforced elastomer element that can close around different tubular sizes and even over open hole in an emergency. Pipe rams seal only on a specific pipe size, and blind rams seal only when no pipe is in the bore. That flexibility is why the annular is heavily used during routine well-control operations.

6A directional well increases inclination from 8 degrees to 14 degrees over a 200 ft interval. What is the average build rate?

A.1 degree/100 ft

B.2 degrees/100 ft

C.3 degrees/100 ft

D.6 degrees/100 ft

Explanation: Build rate is the change in inclination divided by measured depth, then normalized to 100 ft. The change is 6 degrees over 200 ft, so the build rate is 6/200 x 100 = 3 degrees/100 ft. This metric is used to compare trajectory changes and stay within drillstring and completion limits.

7Assume steel density is 65.5 ppg. If a drillstring weighs 300,000 lbf in air, what is its approximate buoyed weight in 10.0 ppg mud?

A.221,000 lbf

B.254,000 lbf

C.270,000 lbf

D.300,000 lbf

Explanation: Buoyancy factor is approximately (65.5 - mud weight) divided by 65.5, so BF = 55.5/65.5 = 0.847. The buoyed weight is 300,000 x 0.847, or about 254,000 lbf. Buoyancy reduces hook load and affects drillstring tension calculations.

8Which change would most directly decrease kick tolerance at a casing shoe?

A.Higher mud density

B.Higher fracture gradient at the shoe

C.Lower fracture gradient at the shoe

D.Lower annular pressure loss while circulating

Explanation: Kick tolerance is the maximum influx the well can take without breaking down the formation at the weak point, usually the casing shoe. A lower fracture gradient reduces the allowable bottomhole pressure increase before losses begin, so kick tolerance gets smaller. This is why accurate shoe strength and leakoff data are critical to well design.

9What is the primary objective of managed-pressure drilling in a narrow pore-pressure and fracture-gradient window?

A.Increase bit RPM without changing bottomhole pressure

B.Precisely control annular pressure profile while drilling

C.Eliminate the need for a blowout preventer

D.Reduce casing size by increasing hole angle

Explanation: Managed-pressure drilling is used to control bottomhole and annular pressures more precisely than conventional returns to atmosphere. That pressure control helps keep the well between pore pressure and fracture pressure, reducing both kicks and losses. It is a pressure-management technique, not a substitute for core well-control barriers.

10Why are centralizers important before primary cementing a casing string?

A.They reduce standpipe pressure during drilling

B.They help center the casing and improve mud removal around the pipe

C.They increase slurry yield at surface

D.They reduce the thickening time of the cement

Explanation: If casing lies against one side of the hole, drilling mud is much harder to displace from the narrow annulus. Centralizers improve standoff, making cement placement more uniform and increasing the chance of effective zonal isolation. Good cementing depends on both proper slurry design and proper pipe positioning.

About the PE Petroleum Exam

The NCEES PE Petroleum exam is an 85-question computer-based licensure exam for engineers working in upstream oil and gas. It is administered once per year in a single-day October testing event and spans five major domains: drilling; production/completion/workovers; facilities; reservoir engineering; and project management/economics. The exam includes multiple-choice items and alternative item types, is closed book, and uses an electronic reference handbook and any specified standards provided on-screen during the appointment.

Questions

85 scored questions

Time Limit

8 hours 30 minutes

Passing Score

Pass/fail (scaled; NCEES does not publish the cutoff)

Exam Fee

$400 (NCEES (Pearson VUE))

PE Petroleum Exam Content Outline

17-26

Drilling, Casing, Cementing, and Drilling Fluids

Tubular design, cementing, mud properties, drilling hydraulics, BHA design, directional drilling, well control, BOPs, and managed-pressure concepts.

18-27

Production, Completion, and Workovers

Artificial lift, perforating, completion fluids, nodal analysis, production logging, stimulation, workover methods, abandonment, and EOR.

9-14

Facilities

Surface hydraulics, separators and treaters, pumps and compressors, custody transfer, process safety, corrosion/material selection, dehydration, and produced-water handling.

17-26

Reservoir Engineering

Volumetrics, material balance, decline curves, pressure-transient testing, geology impacts, unconventional reservoirs, waterflooding, simulation, and PVT/petrophysics.

9-14

Project Management and Economics

Scheduling, budgeting, QA/QC, risk assessment, regulatory/HSE obligations, ownership interests, cash flow, financial metrics, and probability analysis.

How to Pass the PE Petroleum Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: Pass/fail (scaled; NCEES does not publish the cutoff)
Exam length: 85 questions
Time limit: 8 hours 30 minutes
Exam fee: $400

Keys to Passing

Complete 500+ practice questions
Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
Focus on highest-weighted sections
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

PE Petroleum Study Tips from Top Performers

1Weight your study plan to the NCEES ranges instead of treating every petroleum topic equally.

2Practice using only the electronic handbook and on-screen references so lookup time is realistic.

3Build speed on well control, nodal analysis, material balance, decline-curve, and separator sizing problems.

4Review both SI and U.S. Customary units because the exam uses both systems.

5Do timed sets that mix drilling, completion, reservoir, and economics questions to simulate the actual CBT flow.

6Memorize when to use common petroleum economics metrics such as NPV, payout, ROI, and breakeven comparisons.

7Expect conceptual troubleshooting questions, not just calculations, in facilities and workover topics.

8Reserve exam logistics early because PE Petroleum is offered only once per year.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the PE Petroleum exam format?

NCEES delivers PE Petroleum as a once-yearly computer-based exam with 85 questions. The total appointment is 9.5 hours and includes a short tutorial, 8.5 hours of exam time, and a scheduled 50-minute break. The exam includes multiple-choice questions and alternative item types, and results are reported pass/fail.

What is the PE Petroleum pass rate?

NCEES lists January 2026 pass rates of 53% for first-time takers and 55% for repeat takers. Because Petroleum is a small-volume once-yearly exam, those percentages come from 62 first-time and 22 repeat examinees, so year-to-year movement can be noticeable.

When is PE Petroleum offered?

NCEES offers PE Petroleum once per year as a single-day October administration rather than year-round testing. As of March 12, 2026, the official NCEES page lists the next test date as October 27, 2026, and candidates are encouraged to reserve seats early after board approval.

Were there any 2026 changes to the PE Petroleum exam?

As of March 12, 2026, NCEES has not published a petroleum-specific 2026 specification update. The active blueprint is still the PE Petroleum CBT specification effective October 1, 2023, and the NCEES fall 2026 member-board memo discusses updates for other PE exams rather than Petroleum. NCEES also indicated there were no approved calculator changes for 2026.

What reference materials are provided during the exam?

NCEES provides an electronic reference handbook during the exam, plus any standards specifically listed in the official specifications. You cannot bring personal references into the exam room, so efficient PDF search and handbook familiarity matter on test day.

How should I prepare for PE Petroleum?

Most candidates build around the official NCEES domain ranges rather than studying every petroleum topic equally. Prioritize drilling, production/completion, and reservoir engineering because they dominate the blueprint, then close gaps in facilities and petroleum economics with mixed timed practice using only the electronic reference materials.