PE Mechanical: HVAC and Refrigeration
PE Mechanical: HVAC and Refrigeration exam and handbook guide
Prepare for the engineering decision, the reference search and the clock. Use the current exam scope to choose your next study session.
Reviewed · October 2025 specification · Free development preview; paid enrollment is closed.
What does the PE Mechanical: HVAC and Refrigeration exam cover?
The computer-based exam contains 80 questions and uses U.S. Customary units. Assume sea level unless the problem states a different condition. Its specification includes design, analysis and application; preparation should combine calculation with method selection.
| Domain | Question range | Start learning |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC Loads and Psychrometrics | 18–27 | Open the first lesson → |
| HVAC and Refrigeration Distribution and Systems | 20–30 | Open the first lesson → |
| HVAC Equipment and Components | 24–36 | Open the first lesson → |
| Supportive Knowledge (HVAC and Refrigeration) | 8–12 | Open the first lesson → |
The ranges are not fixed percentages and their upper bounds should not be added to predict the examination length. Read the official HVAC specification (PDF).
What reference is provided, and what must you understand?
Prepare with the authorized PE Mechanical Reference Handbook from MyNCEES. The current PE Mechanical: HVAC and Refrigeration reference profile uses one handbook and lists no separate design-standard PDFs. Codes and standards still form part of the tested scope.
A handbook search helps you find a relationship or table; engineering knowledge tells you whether it applies. Do not assume that every expected concept, conversion or code provision is printed in the handbook. Our lessons distinguish handbook relationships, concepts to understand and criteria supplied for an original practice problem.
- Search a section or a specific technical term before relying on a page number.
- Check the system boundary, units, pressure and mass basis before substituting values.
- Apply any supplied limit within the scenario stated. A practice criterion is not a universal installation rule.
Refresh the underlying concepts in the Engineering Foundations library, with two complete public samples and a full free signed-in sequence. Obtain the current authorized handbook separately and check the NCEES reference requirements for your exam date. The books supporting our explanations remain study literature; they are not additional exam references.
Rehearse the clock and the section boundary.
The nine-hour appointment includes eight hours of working time and a scheduled break of up to 50 minutes. The working time is shared across both sections. Review and submit approximately half the questions before the break; submitted first-section questions cannot be reopened.
Returning early from the scheduled break does not add working time. Unscheduled breaks use working time. Traditional multiple choice and alternative item types receive no partial credit. Check the current NCEES Examinee Guide (PDF) for exam-day rules.
As a practice planning aid, eight hours divided by 80 questions averages six minutes per question. Use that average to monitor a section, allowing quick decisions to create room for longer calculations. Review flagged work before submitting the section.
What do the ReasonSpan™ mocks rehearse?
Each 80-question mock now includes 48 revised multi-step problems, two per module, alongside shorter questions for pacing. Work includes selecting a feasible operating condition, interpreting supplied performance data, combining losses and efficiencies, and checking a physical or safety constraint.
| Feature | NCEES examination | ReasonSpan™ mock practice |
|---|---|---|
| Section timing | One shared working clock; roughly half the questions before the break | Eight-hour shared clock; two 40-question sections and a break up to 50 minutes |
| Response formats | Multiple choice and alternative item types; no partial credit | Single answer, numeric entry, multiple response, matching and point-and-click, with keyboard alternatives |
| Reference use | Provided electronic exam reference | Your authorized handbook in a separate window; original givens and tables within the questions |
| Results | Includes unidentified, unscored pretest items | All 80 practice questions contribute to the learning report; solutions appear after submission |
These are original practice forms. Their topic allocation and response-format counts are our design choices. Difficulty calibration and independent PE specialist review remain pending; a practice score is not an NCEES pass prediction. See what has been checked.
A saved attempt keeps the questions from its original edition. Complete or submit an older attempt, then start a fresh mock to see the revised form; your earlier result remains available.
Review the free mock options →What should you do next?
- Try the method. Open the eight-question sampler without an account. Read the explanations after making your decision.
- Establish a baseline. Sign in free and complete the 80-question diagnostic. Use missed questions and uncertain methods to select a lesson.
- Repair and verify. Follow a worked lesson, targeted practice and a fresh transfer check. Explain the boundary, handbook route and independent cross-check in your own words.
- Reserve a rehearsal. Use a separate mock after focused repair. Review wrong, unanswered and high-confidence errors before choosing the next study action.
Lessons and sampler need no account. The diagnostic, targeted practice, transfer checks, mocks and saved plan require free sign-in during the preview. Paid enrollment is closed.
Verify your examination requirements.
- NCEES PE Mechanical: HVAC and Refrigeration examination information: current examination and reference notices.
- NCEES PE Mechanical: HVAC and Refrigeration specification (PDF): topics, units and domain ranges.
- NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF): section review, breaks, response formats and exam-day rules.
Eligibility and registration steps depend on your licensing board. Check its requirements before registering. Report an unclear explanation or a changed requirement.