Free PE Machine Design Exam Prep
NCEES PE Mechanical: Machine Design and Materials
Prepare for the PE Machine Design exam without spending hundreds on expensive prep courses. Free study guides, practice questions, flashcards, and related exam resources.
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PE PE Exams: Study Roadmap
Follow this path to organize your exam preparation
Master the Reference HandbookYou are here
Learn the NCEES PE Mechanical Reference Handbook layout for fatigue, gears, bearings, springs, and GD&T sections.
Drill Core Machine Design
Build problem-solving fluency in fatigue (Goodman/Soderberg), shafts, gears (AGMA), bearings (L10), and bolted joints.
Codes, Standards & Manufacturing
Review ASME Y14.5 GD&T, AGMA quality, AWS D1.1, ASME BPVC, materials selection, and heat treatment.
Full Timed Simulations
Complete two 80-question timed simulations under CBT conditions and review weak topics.
Can You Take the PE Machine Design Exam?
Check if you meet the basic eligibility requirements
- •Select PE Mechanical: Machine Design and Materials at registration.
- •Some licensing boards require approval or a separate application before you can schedule; others let you register directly with NCEES.
- •Exam is delivered at Pearson VUE test centers.
PE Machine Design Quick Facts
Time to Get Licensed
12-20 weeks for many candidates
From start to license in hand
Retake Policy
NCEES allows one attempt per testing window and no more than three attempts in a 12-month period.
Total Cost Breakdown
Free PE Machine Design Prep Tools
Reported exam pass rate: NCEES reported a 61% first-time pass rate (401 first-time examinees) and a 39% repeat-taker pass rate for PE Mechanical: Machine Design and Materials in its July 2026 update.. These figures describe exam candidates, not OpenExamPrep user outcomes. Check the exam sponsor’s website for published statistics.
120+ Practice Questions
Free PE Machine Design practice covering fatigue, gears, bearings, shafts, GD&T, fasteners and engineering economics.
AI Weak-Spot Analysis
Adaptive feedback isolates weak topics across machine elements and codes.
Independent Practice
Review current NCEES PE Mechanical Machine Design specs and reference handbook.
Free PE Machine Design Prep
Open-access PE Machine Design practice with no paywall and no signup gate.
What You'll Study
15 chapters covering the exam topics in this guide
Chapter 1: Basic Engineering Practice: Drawings, Economics & Design Methodology
3 sections
Chapter 2: Physical & Mechanical Properties of Engineering Materials
2 sections
Chapter 3: Mechanics of Materials: Fundamental Loadings & Deflections
4 sections
Chapter 4: Mechanics of Materials: Stability, Multiaxial Stress & Thermal Effects
3 sections
Chapter 5: Failure Theories: Static Yielding & Fracture Mechanics
2 sections
Chapter 6: Fatigue Analysis & Dynamic Failure
2 sections
Chapter 7: Mechanical Attachments: Fasteners & Bolted Joints
3 sections
Chapter 8: Mechanical Attachments: Permanent Joints & Bonding
2 sections
Chapter 9: Power Transmission: Shafts & Gearing
3 sections
Chapter 10: Power Transmission: Bearings, Flexible Drives, Friction Devices & Prime Movers
5 sections
Chapter 11: Mechanical Components: Pressure Vessels & Structural Systems
3 sections
Chapter 12: Mechanical Dynamics, Vibrations & Fluid Power
3 sections
Chapter 13: Kinematics, Mechatronics & Control Systems
2 sections
Chapter 14: Supportive Knowledge: Fits, Tolerances & Manufacturing Methods
2 sections
Chapter 15: Supportive Knowledge: Codes, Computation, Testing & Corrosion
4 sections
PE Machine Design Exam Details
NCEES PE Mechanical: Machine Design and Materials
Administered by NCEES
Exam Content Breakdown
Based on the official NCEES content outline
Engineering terms, symbols and drawings; project management and economic analysis; design methodology (requirements, risk assessment, verification and validation); and physical properties of materials.
Axial, shear and transverse loading, bending, buckling, torsion, combined loading, static failure, fatigue failure, and thermal and interference stresses.
Bonds (welds, brazing, chemical bonds, adhesives), non-threaded fasteners (lugs, shackles, retaining rings, pins, anchors, rivets) and threaded fasteners (screws, bolts, studs, anchors).
Gears and gear trains; bearings; belts, chains, clutches, brakes and power screws; shafts and keys; and motors and engines.
Pressurized vessels and piping, hydraulic and pneumatic components, beams, trusses and frames, springs, vibrating systems, basic machines and mechanisms, and basic mechatronics.
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).
What's Included
15 Chapters
Complete exam coverage
Practice Quizzes
With detailed explanations
Free to Start
No credit card required
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What's Next After the PE Machine Design?
After passing the PE Machine Design, you can pursue these career paths
PE Mechanical (HVAC & Refrigeration)
Sister sub-discipline focused on HVAC, psychrometrics, and refrigeration cycles.
PE Mechanical (Thermal & Fluid Systems)
Sister sub-discipline focused on thermodynamic cycles and fluid system design.
PE Industrial
Adjacent PE specialization for manufacturing systems and operations engineering.
PE Machine Design Exam FAQ
Official NCEES Resources
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