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Principles and Practice of Engineering Exam (PE) Syllabus
Second NCEES exam required to become a licensed Professional Engineer after gaining qualifying work experience.. The complete Principles and Practice of Engineering Exam (PE) outline — 6 subjects, 24 chapters and 79 topics — laid out so you can see exactly what has to be covered and tick each item off as you go.
Principles and Practice of Engineering Exam (PE) subjects
Each subject below has its own page with the full chapter → topic → sub-topic tree and a set of real exam-style flashcards.
3 chapters · 12 topics · 35 sub-topics
Civil Engineering (PE Civil)5 chapters · 18 topics · 49 sub-topics
Mechanical Engineering (PE Mechanical)4 chapters · 12 topics · 32 sub-topics
Electrical and Computer Engineering (PE Electrical)4 chapters · 13 topics · 35 sub-topics
Chemical Engineering (PE Chemical)4 chapters · 12 topics · 27 sub-topics
Environmental Engineering (PE Environmental)4 chapters · 12 topics · 26 sub-topics
Principles and Practice of Engineering Exam (PE) flashcard decks
357 question-and-answer cards across 6 decks, written against this syllabus. Preview any deck free.
- PE Exam Framework, Licensure, and Professional Practice — 50 cards
- Civil Engineering (PE Civil) — 60 cards
- Mechanical Engineering (PE Mechanical) — 62 cards
- Electrical and Computer Engineering (PE Electrical) — 51 cards
- Chemical Engineering (PE Chemical) — 62 cards
- Environmental Engineering (PE Environmental) — 72 cards
How to work through the Principles and Practice of Engineering Exam (PE) syllabus
The outline on this page is arranged the way the syllabus itself is: subject, then chapter, then topic, then sub-topic. That last level is what most study plans skip, and it is where coverage actually goes wrong — a chapter marked "done" often has three sub-topics inside it that were never touched.
Weight your plan accordingly: Civil Engineering (PE Civil) carries 18 topics while Environmental Engineering (PE Environmental) carries 12. Giving both the same number of weeks is the most common planning mistake for Principles and Practice of Engineering Exam (PE).
The ~100 hour estimate above is a first pass only: roughly 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic. Revision cycles, past papers and mocks sit on top of that number.
Principles and Practice of Engineering Exam (PE) syllabus FAQ
What subjects are in the Principles and Practice of Engineering Exam (PE) syllabus?
Principles and Practice of Engineering Exam (PE) covers 6 subjects: PE Exam Framework, Licensure, and Professional Practice, Civil Engineering (PE Civil), Mechanical Engineering (PE Mechanical), Electrical and Computer Engineering (PE Electrical), Chemical Engineering (PE Chemical) and Environmental Engineering (PE Environmental). Together they contain 24 chapters and 79 named topics.
How much do you have to study for Principles and Practice of Engineering Exam (PE)?
The full Principles and Practice of Engineering Exam (PE) outline breaks down into 24 chapters, 79 topics and 204 sub-topics. Civil Engineering (PE Civil) is the largest single subject with 18 topics across 5 chapters.
How long does it take to cover the whole Principles and Practice of Engineering Exam (PE) syllabus?
Roughly 100 hours for one full pass. That estimate allows about 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic, so it is first-pass coverage — revision, past papers and mock tests sit on top of it. At 3 hours a day that is about 5 weeks.
Are there Principles and Practice of Engineering Exam (PE) flashcards?
Yes — 357 question-and-answer flashcards across 6 decks, one per subject, written against this syllabus. A sample of every deck is readable on this site for free, and the complete decks are in the Examius app.
Is this Principles and Practice of Engineering Exam (PE) syllabus free to use?
Yes. Every page here is free to read, and importing the Principles and Practice of Engineering Exam (PE) syllabus into the Examius app to tick off topics as you finish them is free too, in United States and everywhere else. No account is needed to start.
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