Question 1
Air at 315 K is compressed isentropically through a pressure ratio of 10. Taking , what is the outlet temperature?
The FE Mechanical exam
14 knowledge areas in 110 questions. Dynamics, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics and mechanical design are the largest, at 10 to 15 questions each.
73%first-time pass rate
NCEES, updated July 2026: first-time takers from EAC/ABET programs within 12 months of graduation.
| Knowledge area | Questions |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | 6–9 |
| Probability and Statistics | 4–6 |
| Ethics and Professional Practice | 4–6 |
| Engineering Economics | 4–6 |
| Electricity and Magnetism | 5–8 |
| Statics | 9–14 |
| Dynamics, Kinematics, and Vibrations | 10–15 |
| Mechanics of Materials | 9–14 |
| Material Properties and Processing | 7–11 |
| Fluid Mechanics | 10–15 |
| Thermodynamics | 10–15 |
| Heat Transfer | 7–11 |
| Measurements, Instrumentation, and Controls | 5–8 |
| Mechanical Design and Analysis | 10–15 |
Where the questions are
Four areas carry up to 60 of the 110 questions between them: dynamics, kinematics and vibrations; fluid mechanics; thermodynamics; and mechanical design and analysis. Statics and mechanics of materials add 9 to 14 each.
How to practice for it
Work every question with the FE Reference Handbook open, as you will on the day. Steam tables, the psychrometric chart and the beam formulas are all in it, and the exam gives about 2 minutes 55 seconds a question.
The format
| Questions | 110 |
|---|---|
| Exam time | 5 hours 20 minutes |
| Scheduled break | 25 minutes, after about half the questions |
| Fee | $225, paid to NCEES |
Try 3 questions
Question 2
A thin hoop starts from rest and rolls without slipping down a slope, dropping 3 m in height. How fast is its center moving at the bottom?
Question 3
A point on a shaft's surface carries a normal stress of 180 MPa and a shear stress of 110 MPa. The ductile steel has a yield strength of 420 MPa. What is the factor of safety by the distortion-energy (von Mises) theory?
Next step
Questions people ask
What topics are on the FE Mechanical exam?
Mathematics, probability and statistics, ethics and professional practice, engineering economics, electricity and magnetism, statics, dynamics, kinematics and vibrations, mechanics of materials, material properties and processing, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, heat transfer, measurements, instrumentation and controls, and mechanical design and analysis.
How many questions are on the FE Mechanical exam?
110, in 5 hours 20 minutes of exam time. NCEES publishes a range for each knowledge area, from 4 to 6 questions on ethics to 10 to 15 each on dynamics, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics and mechanical design.
What is the FE Mechanical pass rate?
73% for first-time takers from EAC/ABET-accredited programs within 12 months of graduation (NCEES, updated July 2026), the highest of the seven FE exams.