- The Exam at a Glance
- Logistics, Fees and Scheduling Facts
- Question Counts by Domain
- Material-Class Mix: Ferrous Dominates
- Domain 1: Structure Must-Knows
- Domain 2: Performance Must-Knows
- Domain 3: Processing Must-Knows
- Domain 4: Characterization and Properties Must-Knows
- Scoring and Pass-Rate Facts
- Exam-Day Conditions and Tools
- Licensure Pathway and Career Context
- Scheduling Your Review Around the Domains
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The exam has 85 questions, an 8 hour 30 minute testing clock, and a 9 hour 30 minute appointment at Pearson VUE.
- Performance (23-35 questions) and Processing (19-29) carry the largest official question-count ranges.
- Ferrous materials make up roughly 30-55% of material-specific questions; plan your review time accordingly.
- The exam is closed book with a searchable electronic handbook; personal reference materials are prohibited.
The Exam at a Glance
This is your one-page reference for the NCEES Principles and Practice of Engineering - Metallurgical and Materials exam. If you are new to the credential, start with What Is PE-M&M? for the basics, then return here for the numbers that matter on test day. Everything below reflects the current NCEES specification, effective beginning with the October 2024 examination, and was verified against issuer sources.
| Item | Must-Know Fact |
|---|---|
| Administrator | National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) |
| Official exam label | PE Metallurgical and Materials |
| Testing provider | Pearson VUE, at approved Pearson test centers |
| Questions | 85 total, including unidentified unscored pretest items |
| Testing time | 8 hours 30 minutes |
| Appointment length | 9 hours 30 minutes |
| Frequency | Annual, single-day computer-based exam |
| Next scheduled date | October 28, 2026 |
| Exam fee | US$400 per attempt (board application fees may be separate) |
| Units | SI and USCS |
For a deeper look at how the exam is structured and what each content area demands, see the PE-M&M Exam Domains guide.
Logistics, Fees and Scheduling Facts
The appointment is longer than the testing clock. Of the 9 hours 30 minutes you are scheduled for, 8 hours 30 minutes is actual testing time. The remainder covers a 2-minute nondisclosure agreement, an 8-minute tutorial and a 50-minute scheduled break. The two exam sections share the testing clock, and once you submit a section you cannot reopen it, so pace yourself before you click submit.
- Fee: NCEES charges US$400 per attempt. Your licensing board may charge its own application fees on top of that.
- Same questions for everyone: All examinees in an administration receive the same question set.
- Annual cadence: The exam is offered once a year as a single-day computer-based test, so a missed sitting means a long wait.
- In-person only: You test at an approved Pearson VUE center.
Question Counts by Domain
NCEES publishes question-count ranges for each of the four official exam objectives rather than fixed percentage weights. Do not convert these into percentages; the specification does not, and doing so would invent precision that does not exist.
| Domain | Official Question Range |
|---|---|
| 1. Structure | 11-17 |
| 2. Performance | 23-35 |
| 3. Processing | 19-29 |
| 4. Characterization and Properties | 17-26 |
Performance has the largest range, followed by Processing. Structure is the smallest block but underpins everything else. Note that the four numbered headings are official exam objectives, not a prescribed preparation curriculum, and the illustrative subtopics under each are not exhaustive.
Material-Class Mix: Ferrous Dominates
Separate from the four domains, NCEES gives an approximate distribution of material-specific questions by material class. These figures are not domain weights, and the exam also includes material-independent and multi-material questions.
| Material Class | Approximate Share of Material-Specific Questions |
|---|---|
| Ferrous | 30-55% |
| Nonferrous | 15-25% |
| Polymers and polymer composites | 10-20% |
| Ceramics and ceramic composites | 5-10% |
Key Takeaway
Ferrous metallurgy is the single biggest lever on your score. If your background is in polymers or ceramics, you still need solid steel and cast iron fundamentals, because that class can account for up to just over half of material-specific questions.
Domain 1: Structure Must-Knows
Structure (11-17 questions)
This domain covers how atomic arrangement, microstructure and phase relationships set the stage for everything else on the exam. Expect to reason from structure to behavior.
- Crystal structures and common defects (point, line and planar defects) and how they affect strength and diffusion
- Phase diagrams and phase transformations, including binary systems, the iron-carbon diagram and reading tie lines and lever rules
- Microstructural constituents in steels and cast irons, and how cooling path determines which constituents form
- Polymer structure concepts such as crystallinity, molecular weight and glass transition behavior
- Ceramic and composite structure at a conceptual level, including bonding and phase distribution
Because this is the smallest question block, it is tempting to skip. Resist that: structure knowledge is the reasoning backbone for Performance and Processing questions, which together hold the largest counts.
Domain 2: Performance Must-Knows
Performance (23-35 questions)
The largest domain asks how materials behave in service and how they fail. Think of the questions an engineer faces when a part cracks, corrodes or wears out.
- Failure analysis: fracture modes, fatigue, creep, overload and recognizing features on fracture surfaces
- Corrosion mechanisms and mitigation, including galvanic, pitting, crevice and stress corrosion cracking
- Wear and tribology considerations
- Material selection against service environment, temperature, loading and cost constraints
- Degradation of polymers and composites in service, such as environmental and thermal aging
Performance questions often blend numerical work with judgment. A numerical fill-in item might have you estimate a fatigue or fracture parameter, while a multiple-correct item might ask which mitigation strategies suit a described corrosion scenario.
Domain 3: Processing Must-Knows
Processing (19-29 questions)
This domain connects how a material is made and shaped to the properties it ends up with.
- Heat treatment of steels: annealing, normalizing, quenching, tempering and hardenability concepts
- Casting and solidification, including defect formation such as porosity and segregation
- Deformation processing: forging, rolling, extrusion, drawing and the effects of cold work and recrystallization
- Joining, especially welding metallurgy and heat-affected zone behavior
- Powder-based and additive routes, polymer processing and ceramic consolidation at an applied level
Many Processing questions are cause-and-effect puzzles: given a process change, predict the resulting microstructure or defect. Practicing with realistic practice questions helps you get fluent at that kind of reasoning under time pressure.
Domain 4: Characterization and Properties Must-Knows
Characterization and Properties (17-26 questions)
This domain covers how you measure what a material is and what it can do, and how to interpret the results.
- Mechanical testing: tensile, hardness, impact and fatigue testing, and reading stress-strain curves
- Metallography and microscopy, including sample preparation and what different techniques reveal
- Chemical and compositional analysis methods
- Nondestructive evaluation concepts and when each method applies
- Physical, thermal, electrical and magnetic properties across material classes
Expect questions that hand you data, such as a test result, a micrograph description or a spectrum, and ask what it means or what test to run next. Unit fluency in both SI and USCS pays off here.
Scoring and Pass-Rate Facts
- Item formats: multiple-choice plus alternative item types, including multiple-correct, point-and-click, drag-and-drop and numerical fill-in.
- No partial credit: scored items are marked correct or incorrect, so a multiple-correct item requires every correct selection.
- No guessing penalty: wrong answers are not deducted, so answer everything.
- Passing standard: your scaled score must meet the NCEES minimum-competence standard. Results are reported pass/fail, and NCEES does not publish a numerical passing score.
- Unscored items: some of the 85 questions are unidentified pretest items that do not count, so you cannot tell which ones to skip.
Exam-Day Conditions and Tools
- Closed book: you get a supplied, searchable electronic reference handbook only. Personal reference materials are prohibited.
- Calculator: one NCEES-approved calculator. Confirm your model against the NCEES list well before exam day.
- Older prep descriptions: some public prep pages still describe an open-book format or reuse older course boilerplate. The current October 2024 NCEES specification takes precedence.
- Practice resource: the official NCEES e-book practice exam costs $59.95 and includes 85 questions with solutions, including 14 new questions and alternative item types, based on the October 2024 specifications. NCEES has also posted errata for the 2024 practice exam, so check it when you review solutions.
Because the handbook is electronic and searchable, part of your prep should be practicing fast lookup, not memorizing every formula. Knowing what the handbook contains, and what it does not, saves minutes across 85 questions. Our PE-M&M study guide covers how to build that habit into your preparation.
Licensure Pathway and Career Context
Exam eligibility is controlled by the licensing board you apply through, so always confirm requirements with that board first. 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. That is a typical route, not a universal prerequisite for sitting the exam. For the full breakdown, read PE-M&M requirements and eligibility.
Two related points often cause confusion:
- Renewal: this is a licensure exam, not a separately renewable NCEES certification. The issuing state or territorial board sets PE license renewal periods and continuing-professional-competency requirements.
- NCEES Record: applications through the NCEES Records program for engineering use five U.S.-licensed engineer references, but this is not a universal exam-sitting requirement. Board application rules control.
On pay, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a $112,860 median annual wage for materials engineers as of May 2025. That figure covers the occupation as a whole, not licensed engineers specifically, and it is not a measured licensure premium. For a fuller discussion, see the PE-M&M salary guide and the ROI analysis.
Scheduling Your Review Around the Domains
With the question ranges and material mix above, a sensible plan weights your time toward the heavier blocks and ferrous content while leaving room for full-length timing practice. Here is one way to sequence it:
Structure and the iron-carbon foundation
- Phase diagrams, transformations and steel microstructures
- Build the ferrous base that supports later domains
Performance and Processing
- Failure analysis, corrosion and heat treatment first, since these hold the largest question ranges
- Welding, casting and deformation processing next
Characterization, nonferrous, polymers and ceramics
- Test interpretation and measurement methods
- Nonferrous alloys, polymer and composite behavior, and ceramics at a lighter depth
Timed full-length practice
- Work the official NCEES practice exam under the 8 hour 30 minute clock
- Drill alternative item types and handbook search speed
For a fuller roadmap, see the first-attempt study guide, and if you are sizing up the effort involved, how hard the exam is breaks down where candidates tend to struggle.
Key Takeaway
Do not spend equal time on every topic. Weight your hours toward Performance, Processing and ferrous materials, but keep at least a baseline in every domain, since the exam draws on all four and includes multi-material questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are 85 questions in total, including unidentified unscored pretest items. You have 8 hours 30 minutes of testing time within a 9 hour 30 minute appointment.
No. It is closed book, with a supplied searchable electronic reference handbook and one NCEES-approved calculator. Personal reference materials are prohibited. Some older prep pages describe an open-book format, but the current NCEES specification takes precedence.
NCEES does not publish a numerical passing score. You must reach a scaled score that meets the NCEES minimum-competence standard, and results are reported as pass or fail with no deduction for wrong answers.
Performance, with an official range of 23-35 questions, followed by Processing at 19-29. Characterization and Properties ranges from 17-26, and Structure from 11-17.
The exam is offered annually as a single-day computer-based test, and the next sitting is scheduled for October 28, 2026. The NCEES fee is US$400 per attempt, and separate board application fees can apply. Check the official NCEES page for current logistics.
For broader background on the credential itself, see What Is PE-M&M Certification?, and when you are ready to test your recall under realistic conditions, head to the PE-M&M practice test site.