- The NCEES specification lists 13 numbered domains; Hydrostatics and Stability carries the largest range at 10-15 questions.
- NCEES publishes question-count ranges per domain, not fixed percentage weights.
- The exam has 85 questions, 8 hours 30 minutes of testing time, and is scheduled for October 27, 2026.
- It is closed book with a searchable electronic reference handbook and one NCEES-approved calculator.
How the NCEES Blueprint Is Built
The Principles and Practice of Engineering - Naval Architecture and Marine (PE-NA&M) exam is administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) under the official label "PE Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering." The current blueprint, the NCEES exam specifications effective beginning October 2025, divides the exam into 13 numbered objectives. Those numbered headings are official exam objectives, and the sub-bullets beneath each one are illustrative rather than exhaustive. That distinction matters: a topic that is not listed under a domain can still appear, because the exam tests competence in the domain, not memorization of a checklist.
Just as important is what the blueprint does not do. NCEES does not publish fixed percentage weights for these domains. Instead it publishes a question-count range for each one. If you see a study resource quoting precise percentages, treat them as that resource's own estimate, not an NCEES allocation. The Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) publishes a well-regarded study guide for this licensure exam, but it is a secondary preparation source. Its categories and percentage statements do not replace the NCEES specification, so always anchor your plan to the NCEES document first.
For a broader orientation before diving into the domains, see What Is PE-NA&M? and the PE-NA&M Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt.
Format, Fees, and Testing Conditions
Before mapping domains to study time, it helps to know the container they are delivered in. The exam is computer-based and given in person at approved Pearson VUE test centers, once a year in a single-day administration. The upcoming sitting is scheduled for October 27, 2026, and all examinees in an administration receive the same question set.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Questions | 85 total, including unidentified unscored pretest items |
| Testing time | 8 hours 30 minutes |
| Appointment length | 9 hours 30 minutes, including a 2-minute NDA, 8-minute tutorial, and 50-minute scheduled break |
| NCEES exam fee | US$400 per attempt (separate board application fees can apply) |
| Reference materials | Closed book; supplied searchable electronic reference handbook only |
| Calculator | One NCEES-approved calculator |
| Units | SI and USCS |
| Scoring | Correct/incorrect credit, no partial credit, no deduction for wrong answers |
Question types go beyond standard multiple choice. Expect multiple-correct, point-and-click, drag-and-drop, and numerical fill-in items. Because there is no partial credit and no penalty for wrong answers, there is never a reason to leave an item blank. The two sections of the exam share the testing clock, and once a section is submitted it cannot be reopened, so pacing across the whole 8 hours 30 minutes matters more than speed on any single item.
Eligibility and any required approval are controlled by the licensing board you apply through, 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 sitting prerequisite. Details are covered in PE-NA&M Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify, and fees in PE-NA&M Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Naval Architecture Domains (1-5)
The first five domains cover the hull, its behavior in water, and how it is arranged. They account for a large share of the question count, and Domain 1 alone is the heaviest single objective on the exam.
Domain 1: Naval Architecture: Hydrostatics and Stability (10-15 questions)
The largest range on the exam. Candidates must move comfortably between hull geometry, floatation, and stability behavior.
- Buoyancy, displacement, and center of buoyancy and gravity relationships
- Intact stability and righting arm behavior
- Damage and floodable-length reasoning
- Trim, heel, and weight-change effects
Domain 2: Naval Architecture: Hydrodynamics (6-9 questions)
How the vessel moves through and interacts with water.
- Resistance and powering fundamentals
- Propeller-hull interaction and basic propulsion performance
- Seakeeping and maneuvering concepts
Domain 3: Naval Architecture: Ocean Engineering (4-6 questions)
Environmental loading and offshore or moored-system behavior.
- Wave, wind, and current loading concepts
- Mooring and station-keeping considerations
Domain 4: Naval Architecture: Structural Design (7-11 questions)
The second-largest range. Expect structural reasoning for hull girders and local scantlings.
- Longitudinal strength and hull girder loading
- Plate and stiffened panel behavior
- Applying classification-style structural requirements
Domain 5: Naval Architecture: General Arrangements (5-8 questions)
Translating requirements into a workable vessel layout.
- Space allocation and compartmentation
- Tankage, access, and egress considerations
- Weight and center-of-gravity implications of arrangement choices
Because stability and structures together span a large portion of the question range, they reward deep practice rather than skimming. For a sense of how demanding the full exam is, read How Hard Is the PE-NA&M Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.
Marine Engineering Domains (6-10)
Domains 6 through 10 cover the machinery and systems side of a vessel. A candidate whose background is purely hull-focused often finds this half the larger gap, and one whose background is machinery often finds Domains 1 and 4 the larger gap. The exam expects working competence across both.
Domain 6: Marine Engineering: Propulsion and Power Generation (6-9 questions)
Selecting and evaluating prime movers and power plants.
- Propulsion plant arrangements and matching engine to propeller
- Power generation sizing and load analysis
- Shafting and drivetrain considerations
Domain 7: Marine Engineering: Piping System Design (5-8 questions)
Sizing and arranging fluid systems onboard.
- Pipe sizing, flow, and pressure-drop calculations
- Pump and system curve interaction
- Fuel, ballast, bilge, and cooling system layouts
Domain 8: Marine Engineering: Auxiliary Equipment Selection (5-8 questions)
Choosing supporting machinery against operating requirements.
- Pumps, compressors, heat exchangers, and similar equipment
- Capacity, redundancy, and duty-point selection
Domain 9: Marine Engineering: Electrical Systems (5-8 questions)
Shipboard electrical generation and distribution.
- Electrical load analysis and generator sizing
- Distribution, protection, and cable considerations
Domain 10: Marine Engineering: Environmental Considerations (4-6 questions)
Design decisions driven by environmental performance and compliance.
- Emissions and discharge control considerations
- Ballast and waste-handling system implications
Common Domains (11-13)
The final three domains are labeled "Common" because they apply to both the naval architecture and marine engineering sides of the work.
Domain 11: Common: Hull Outfitting (4-6 questions)
Equipment and fittings that make a hull operational.
- Deck machinery, mooring, and anchoring arrangements
- Closures, access, and outfit integration with structure
Domain 12: Common: Materials, Corrosion, Welds, and Connections (4-6 questions)
The material-level knowledge that underpins structure and systems.
- Marine material selection and properties
- Corrosion mechanisms and protection approaches
- Weld types, symbols, and connection design basics
Domain 13: Common: Rules and Regulations (5-8 questions)
The regulatory framework that constrains design decisions.
- Classification society and flag-state requirement logic
- International and national regulatory structure
- Knowing which rule set governs a given design question
Question Ranges Compared
The table below reproduces the official question-count ranges from the NCEES specification. These are ranges, not percentages, and are not converted into weights here.
| Domain | Name | Question Range |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Naval Architecture: Hydrostatics and Stability | 10-15 |
| 2 | Naval Architecture: Hydrodynamics | 6-9 |
| 3 | Naval Architecture: Ocean Engineering | 4-6 |
| 4 | Naval Architecture: Structural Design | 7-11 |
| 5 | Naval Architecture: General Arrangements | 5-8 |
| 6 | Marine Engineering: Propulsion and Power Generation | 6-9 |
| 7 | Marine Engineering: Piping System Design | 5-8 |
| 8 | Marine Engineering: Auxiliary Equipment Selection | 5-8 |
| 9 | Marine Engineering: Electrical Systems | 5-8 |
| 10 | Marine Engineering: Environmental Considerations | 4-6 |
| 11 | Common: Hull Outfitting | 4-6 |
| 12 | Common: Materials, Corrosion, Welds, and Connections | 4-6 |
| 13 | Common: Rules and Regulations | 5-8 |
Two things stand out. First, Hydrostatics and Stability (10-15) and Structural Design (7-11) are the only domains whose ranges reach into double digits. Second, the ranges overlap enough that no single weak domain is automatically fatal, yet no domain is small enough to ignore entirely. Remember that the 85 questions include unidentified unscored pretest items, so you cannot tell which individual items count.
Sequencing the Domains in Your Prep
Rather than a generic schedule, sequence your preparation around how the domains depend on one another. The stability and structures material is both the heaviest and the most calculation-intensive, so it benefits from being started first and revisited often. Here is one domain-driven ordering you can adapt to your own timeline and background:
Hydrostatics and Stability (Domain 1)
- Rebuild stability calculations by hand until they are routine
- Practice with the SI and USCS unit conventions you will see on the exam
Structural Design and Materials (Domains 4 and 12)
- Pair hull girder strength with weld and corrosion topics, since they interact
Hydrodynamics, Ocean Engineering, Arrangements (Domains 2, 3, 5)
- Focus on resistance, powering, and environmental loading concepts
Machinery and Systems (Domains 6-10)
- Group propulsion, piping, auxiliaries, and electrical as one connected plant
Outfitting, Rules, and Full Review (Domains 11 and 13)
- Finish with regulations, then run timed mixed-domain practice
If your day-to-day work is machinery-heavy, flip the early blocks so your weakest hull-side domains come first. Use the official NCEES e-book practice exam ($59.95; 85 questions with solutions, including alternative item types, 123 pages, based on the October 2025 specifications) as a calibration point once you have covered most domains, and supplement it with the practice resources on our main practice test site. For a compact recap, the PE-NA&M Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts is useful in the final weeks.
Key Takeaway
Because there is no partial credit and no penalty for guessing, practice the alternative item types (drag-and-drop, point-and-click, numerical fill-in) alongside conventional multiple choice. Familiarity with the interface removes avoidable friction on exam day.
Where the Credential Is Used
Naval architecture and marine engineering work is found at shipyards, design and engineering consultancies, classification and regulatory bodies, offshore and energy firms, and government and naval programs. The PE license is a licensure credential issued through state or territorial boards rather than a standalone NCEES certification, so renewal periods and continuing-professional-competency requirements are set by your issuing board, not by NCEES.
On compensation, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $112,230 for marine engineers and naval architects as of May 2025. That figure describes the occupation as a whole; it is not a PE-specific salary and does not measure a licensure premium, and it is distinct from ship engineers who operate machinery. For deeper discussion, see PE-NA&M Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis and Is the PE-NA&M Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026.
On difficulty, NCEES reports a 63% first-time pass rate (46 examinees) and a 38% repeat pass rate (8 examinees) in a table updated January 2026, which reflects the prior October administration rather than the upcoming October 2026 sitting. Those small examinee counts mean the percentages can swing from year to year. NCEES does not publish a numerical passing score; results are reported pass/fail against a minimum-competence standard. See PE-NA&M Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows and PE-NA&M Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass for context.
Frequently Asked Questions
The NCEES specification effective beginning October 2025 lists 13 numbered domains, from Hydrostatics and Stability through Rules and Regulations. These are official exam objectives, and the subtopics beneath them are illustrative rather than exhaustive.
Naval Architecture: Hydrostatics and Stability has the largest range at 10-15 questions, followed by Naval Architecture: Structural Design at 7-11. NCEES publishes these as question-count ranges rather than percentage weights.
No. The specification gives question-count ranges per domain only. Percentage figures from other sources, including society study guides, are secondary and are not NCEES domain weights.
No. The exam is closed book. You use the supplied searchable electronic reference handbook and one NCEES-approved calculator; personal reference materials are prohibited.
The exam is scheduled for October 27, 2026, as a single-day computer-based test at Pearson VUE centers. The NCEES exam fee is US$400 per attempt, and your licensing board may charge separate application fees. Check PE-NA&M Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling and confirm with your board.