- The Headline Numbers: 61% and 39%
- How to Read the Pass Rate Correctly
- Why Repeat Examinees Pass Less Often
- What the Exam Actually Tests
- Where the Points Live: Domain Question Ranges
- Format, Scoring, and the Clock
- The Cost of a Failed Attempt
- Turning Pass-Rate Data Into a Prep Plan
- Frequently Asked Questions
- NCEES reports a 61% first-time pass rate (401 examinees) for Machine Design and Materials, January-June 2026.
- Repeat examinees passed at 39% (140 examinees), so a retake is not an easy second chance.
- Mechanics of Materials (17-26 questions) and Mechanical Components and Assemblies (16-24) dominate the 80-question exam.
- Each attempt costs US$400 in NCEES fees, and NCEES publishes no numerical passing score.
The Headline Numbers: 61% and 39%
The most recent NCEES pass-rate table, updated July 2026, covers the January-June 2026 testing population for the PE Mechanical: Machine Design and Materials exam. The figures:
| Examinee Group | Pass Rate | Examinees |
|---|---|---|
| First-time takers | 61% | 401 |
| Repeat takers | 39% | 140 |
Those two lines are the entire data set NCEES makes public for this exam in this window. Anything beyond them, such as pass rates by domain, by state, or by degree type, is not published, and any site that quotes such numbers for Machine Design and Materials is guessing. This article sticks to what the data shows and what it reasonably implies. For a broader treatment of difficulty, see How Hard Is the PE-M:MD&M Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.
How to Read the Pass Rate Correctly
Sample size matters
A total of 541 examinees (401 first-time plus 140 repeat) sat for this exam in the six-month window. That is a modest population. Because the exam is offered year-round through computer-based testing, results are spread across the calendar, and a single half-year slice can swing noticeably when the next table is published. A 61% first-time rate this period does not promise 61% next period.
The rate describes a self-selected group
Candidates for a PE exam have typically completed an accredited engineering degree, worked for years under licensed supervision, and chosen Machine Design and Materials deliberately. Many are working designers of gearboxes, pressure equipment, fastened joints, and rotating machinery. The pass rate reflects that already-filtered group, not engineering graduates in general. If your daily work does not touch these topics, the headline number may overstate your odds, and if it does, it may understate them.
Why Repeat Examinees Pass Less Often
The 22-point gap between first-time (61%) and repeat (39%) takers is the most useful signal in the table. NCEES does not publish the causes, but the pattern is consistent with a few plausible explanations, which should be treated as interpretation rather than reported fact:
- Persistent weak areas. Someone who missed on a topic like fatigue life or bearing selection once may have restudied everything evenly rather than targeting the gap.
- Shorter, lighter second preparations. Retakers often prepare in the weeks after a disappointing result, with less time and less energy than the first attempt.
- Selection effects. Repeat examinees are, by definition, people who did not meet the standard before, so the group skews toward those with real knowledge gaps.
The practical lesson is that failing once does not make the next attempt easier unless the preparation changes. If you are weighing whether to retest, a structured plan such as the one in PE-M:MD&M Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt is worth building before you book a new appointment.
What the Exam Actually Tests
The current NCEES specification, effective beginning with the October 2025 examinations, organizes the exam into six numbered objectives. These are official exam objectives, not study chapters, and the subtopics beneath each are illustrative rather than exhaustive:
- Basic Engineering Practice
- Mechanics of Materials
- Mechanical Attachments
- Power Transmission
- Mechanical Components and Assemblies
- Supportive Knowledge (Machine Design and Materials)
Be careful with older prep summaries. Some public pages still describe an eight-topic outline or the superseded 2020 specification. Use the currently linked October 2025 CBT32 document as your source of truth. A detailed walk-through of each area is in PE-M:MD&M Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 6 Content Areas.
Where the Points Live: Domain Question Ranges
NCEES publishes question-count ranges per domain, not fixed percentage weights, and this article does not convert the ranges into percentages. The ranges still reveal where preparation time pays off:
| Domain | Question Range |
|---|---|
| 1. Basic Engineering Practice | 11-17 |
| 2. Mechanics of Materials | 17-26 |
| 3. Mechanical Attachments | 9-14 |
| 4. Power Transmission | 9-14 |
| 5. Mechanical Components and Assemblies | 16-24 |
| 6. Supportive Knowledge (Machine Design and Materials) | 8-12 |
Domain 2: Mechanics of Materials (17-26 questions)
The largest single block. This is where stress, strain, deflection, and failure analysis live, and these topics usually underpin problems in other domains as well.
- Combined loading and stress transformation, including principal stresses
- Static failure theories for ductile and brittle materials
- Fatigue: endurance limits, stress concentration, and cumulative damage thinking
- Beam, column, and shaft behavior under realistic loading
Domain 5: Mechanical Components and Assemblies (16-24 questions)
The second-largest block and the one most connected to day-to-day design work.
- Selecting and sizing machine elements within an assembly context
- Bearings, springs, and similar components where catalog data and calculation meet
- Interpreting how components interact, not just analyzing each in isolation
Domains 3 and 4: Attachments and Power Transmission (9-14 questions each)
Smaller individually, but together they cover a meaningful share of the exam.
- Mechanical Attachments: fastened and joined connections and how they carry load
- Power Transmission: the elements that transfer torque and motion between shafts and machines
Domains 2 and 5 combined account for roughly 33 to 50 of the 80 questions at their stated ranges, though remember the exam includes unidentified unscored pretest items, so you cannot count on any exact distribution. Domain 1 (Basic Engineering Practice) and Domain 6 (Supportive Knowledge) are easy to under-prepare because they feel less computational, yet together they range from 19 to 29 questions. Skipping them is a common way to give away points.
Format, Scoring, and the Clock
Format details from NCEES shape how pass-rate data should be interpreted, because the exam rewards accuracy and time discipline at once:
- 80 questions, including unidentified unscored pretest items.
- 8 hours of testing time inside a 9-hour appointment that includes a 2-minute nondisclosure agreement, an 8-minute tutorial, and a 50-minute scheduled break.
- Item types include standard multiple-choice plus multiple-correct, point-and-click, drag-and-drop, and numerical fill-in.
- No partial credit and no penalty for wrong answers. Every item is simply correct or incorrect, so there is no reason to leave one blank.
- Closed book with a supplied searchable electronic reference handbook. Personal reference materials are prohibited, and you use one NCEES-approved calculator.
- In-person testing at approved Pearson VUE test centers, in SI and USCS units.
- The two sections share the testing clock, and a submitted section cannot be reopened.
The exam uses linear-on-the-fly test (LOFT) assembly with year-round computer-based testing, so forms are assembled per candidate rather than fixed to one national date. That is one reason NCEES reports pass rates over testing windows rather than for a single sitting. Scheduling considerations are covered in PE-M:MD&M Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.
The Cost of a Failed Attempt
The NCEES exam fee is US$400 per attempt, and separate state or territorial board application fees can apply on top of that. A failed attempt therefore carries a direct fee, plus the harder-to-price cost of months of delay in licensure. Given that repeat examinees passed at 39% in this window, spending money on thorough preparation up front is usually cheaper than relying on a retake. A complete pricing view is in PE-M:MD&M Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
On the payoff side, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $104,110 for mechanical engineers (May 2025). That figure is occupation-wide. It is not specific to the Machine Design and Materials exam track and is not a measured licensure premium, so do not read it as what a license adds. For a sober discussion, see Is the PE-M:MD&M Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026.
Turning Pass-Rate Data Into a Prep Plan
The pass-rate table cannot tell you how many hours to study, but the question ranges can tell you how to allocate whatever time you have. One sequencing approach, with the reasoning attached to the exam's structure:
Mechanics of Materials first
- It carries the largest range (17-26) and feeds analysis in the other domains.
- Prioritize combined loading, failure theories, and fatigue.
Mechanical Components and Assemblies
- Second-largest range (16-24), best studied once stress analysis is fluent.
- Practice navigating the reference handbook for component data.
Attachments and Power Transmission
- Two compact domains (9-14 each) that reward worked examples.
- Drill joint and drivetrain problems under a time limit.
Basic Engineering Practice, Supportive Knowledge, and full-length practice
- Cover the less computational domains before they become surprise losses.
- Sit a full 80-question practice exam and review every miss.
For practice, NCEES sells an official e-book practice exam ($59.95) with 80 questions and solutions, including 24 new questions with alternative item types, aligned to the October 2025 specifications. Note that NCEES has posted errata for its practice exam (posted April 1, 2026), so check corrections before trusting a worked solution that disagrees with your own. Pair official material with timed sets from the main practice test site to get repetitions on the item formats described above, and keep the PE-M:MD&M Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts handy for quick format and logistics reminders.
Key Takeaway
Because there is no published cut score and no partial credit, aim for breadth with depth in the two heavy domains. Train in the electronic reference handbook environment, and take at least one full-length timed exam before your appointment, as the structure of an 8-hour closed-book session is itself a skill.
Eligibility is controlled by your chosen licensing board, not by NCEES alone. A common pathway is an EAC/ABET-accredited engineering bachelor's degree, the FE exam, four years of acceptable engineering experience, and then the PE exam, but this is not a universal rule. Confirm with your board before planning; the details are in PE-M:MD&M Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify. Those already working in design roles can see how the credential connects to employers in PE-M:MD&M Jobs.
Frequently Asked Questions
NCEES reports a 61% pass rate for first-time examinees (401 people) and 39% for repeat examinees (140 people), based on its table updated July 2026 covering January-June 2026.
No. NCEES does not publish a numerical passing score. Results are reported as pass or fail against a minimum-competence standard, and wrong answers are not penalized.
NCEES does not explain the gap. The likely contributors are unresolved knowledge gaps and shorter second preparations, but those are interpretations rather than published findings.
Mechanics of Materials (17-26 questions) and Mechanical Components and Assemblies (16-24) have the largest ranges, so they deserve the most study time. Do not neglect the other four domains, which together cover the rest of the exam.
The NCEES exam fee is US$400 per attempt. Separate board application fees can apply depending on your state or territory, so check your licensing board's schedule.
The pass-rate data shows an exam that most first-time candidates clear but that punishes unfocused retakes. Use the October 2025 specification as your map, spend the most time where the question ranges are largest, and start your planning with the PE-M:MD&M pass rate overview and a few timed sessions on the practice test platform before you book your Pearson VUE appointment.