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NCEES PE · Last updated November 2026

PE Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering: free practice test

The professional licensing exam for naval architects and marine engineers in the US, offered on one day a year. Its 85 questions cover 13 knowledge areas under the October 2025 specifications, from hydrostatics and structures to propulsion, piping, electrical, environmental compliance and rules. You need board approval before you can book a seat.

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Watch the free 4:19 video lesson: the key PE Naval Architecture & Marine concepts →

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About the PE Naval Architecture & Marine exam

The professional licensing exam for naval architects and marine engineers in the US, offered on one day a year. Its 85 questions cover 13 knowledge areas under the October 2025 specifications, from hydrostatics and structures to propulsion, piping, electrical, environmental compliance and rules. You need board approval before you can book a seat.

What's on the exam

PE Naval Architecture & Marine
Hydrostatics, Stability and Weights
8 key facts
Hydrodynamics and Ocean Engineering
8 key facts
Structural Design, Materials and Corrosion
8 key facts
General Arrangements and Hull Outfitting
7 key facts
Propulsion and Power Generation
7 key facts
Piping and Auxiliary Systems
7 key facts
Electrical Systems
7 key facts
Environmental Compliance and Rules
7 key facts

Each branch is a topic in the official outline. Members see every key fact on the full mind map. Read the free study guide →

How to pass the PE Naval Architecture & Marine exam

  • Hydrostatics and stability is the biggest area at 10 to 15 questions. Be fast with GM, free surface, inclining and damage stability before anything else.
  • The exam mixes SI and US Customary units. Write units on every line; long tons, ft³/LT and kN·m errors cost more marks than wrong formulas.
  • Learn the layout of the NCEES reference handbook before exam day. It is searchable, but searching for every formula wastes the time you need for 85 questions.
  • There is only one test date a year and seats are limited, so get board approval early and reserve your Pearson VUE seat as soon as you can.

Save your results and get your Readiness Score

Create a free account after the test: your score by topic, a mistakes bank, the complete study notes for the first topic, flashcards and the ABYC Numbers & Formulas Sheet.

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What's in the premium PE Naval Architecture & Marine prep

Premium PE Naval Architecture & Marine prep is studied one topic at a time. Each step starts with that topic's key notes and flashcard deck, then its own question sets of 25, so you master one topic before you move to the next. When every topic is strong, the 6 full mock exams show you're ready.

3,000practice questions, every answer explained
6full-length mock exams, 85 questions each, timed
800flashcards with spaced repetition, sorted by topic
60comprehensive key notes across 8 topics

Your step-by-step study path

  1. 1
    Hydrostatics, Stability and Weights8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Notes free with an account
  2. 2
    Hydrodynamics and Ocean Engineering8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
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  3. 3
    Structural Design, Materials and Corrosion8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  4. 4
    General Arrangements and Hull Outfitting8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  5. 5
    Propulsion and Power Generation7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  6. 6
    Piping and Auxiliary Systems7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  7. 7
    Electrical Systems7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  8. 8
    Environmental Compliance and Rules7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  9. Final step: 6 full mock exams85 questions each, timed like test day. Pass them, then book your exam.
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Free with an account

Read the complete PE Naval Architecture & Marine study notes for “Hydrostatics, Stability and Weights”

Our first full set of comprehensive notes, about 18 minutes of reading: Curves of form and integration · Intact stability · Inclining experiment and free surface · Damage, dynamic stability and weights, a worked exam example, the traps examiners use and a one-minute recap. Create a free account to read it and see how premium notes work before you decide.

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Study tools included

3,000 practice questions

3,000 exam-style questions per exam, organized topic by topic in sets of 25. Every answer explained, with the rule it comes from.

6 full mock exams

6 full-length timed mock exams per exam, with real question counts and time limits, so test day feels like practice day.

Exam Readiness Score

One 0 to 100 number that tells you when you're ready to book. Reach 80 and you're covered by our Pass Guarantee.

800 flashcards + spaced repetition

800 flashcards per exam, in a deck for each topic, that come back right before you'd forget them. Five minutes a day keeps every number fresh.

60 comprehensive key notes

60 key notes per exam, split across its topics and each explained in full: the concepts, worked exam examples, the traps examiners use and a quick recap. Your first set is free with an account.

Mind maps

See the whole exam on one screen: every topic and the facts under it.

Sample questions with answers

These are the questions in the free test above, with answers. Try the test first. You'll learn more by getting some wrong.

1. An inclining experiment is run on a vessel displacing 4,000 LT. A 20-LT weight is shifted 30 ft across the deck, and a pendulum 20 ft long deflects 8.0 in. What is the metacentric height GM in the inclined condition?
Answer: 4.50 ft. GM = w × d ÷ (Δ × tan θ). The pendulum gives tan θ = 0.667 ft ÷ 20 ft = 0.0333, so GM = (20 × 30) ÷ (4,000 × 0.0333) = 4.50 ft. Convert the deflection to the pendulum's units before dividing; leaving out tan θ gives 0.15 ft, which is not a GM at all.
2. A rectangular double-bottom tank 40 ft long and 30 ft wide is partly filled with fuel oil (specific gravity 0.95). The ship displaces 5,000 LT in seawater (35 ft³/LT). What is the virtual rise of G caused by the free surface?
Answer: 0.48 ft. The free surface moment of inertia uses the breadth cubed: i = 40 × 30³ ÷ 12 = 90,000 ft⁴. Volume of displacement is 5,000 × 35 = 175,000 ft³, so GGv = (90,000 ÷ 175,000) × (0.95 ÷ 1.025) = 0.48 ft. Forgetting the density ratio gives 0.51 ft; cubing the length instead of the breadth gives 0.85 ft.
3. A damage stability calculation uses the lost buoyancy (constant displacement) method. Which statement describes the method correctly?
Answer: Displacement and KG are unchanged; the flooded space is removed from the buoyant hull. In the lost buoyancy method the flooded compartment no longer counts as part of the hull, so weight, displacement and KG don't change; the lost waterplane area changes BM and the ship sinks to new drafts. The added weight method treats floodwater as cargo instead. Both give the same final waterline and righting moment, but the GM values differ, so always state the method.
4. A 1:16 scale model of a ship is towed at the Froude-corresponding speed for a full-scale speed of 18 knots. What is the model speed?
Answer: 4.5 knots. Equal Froude number V ÷ √(gL) means speed scales with the square root of the length ratio: 18 ÷ √16 = 4.5 knots. Scaling speed linearly gives 1.13 knots. Reynolds number can't be matched at the same time, so frictional resistance is calculated separately with a friction line such as ITTC-1957 and only residuary resistance is scaled by Froude.
5. Using linear (Airy) deep-water wave theory, what is the wavelength of a regular wave with a 10-second period?
Answer: 156 m. Deep-water wavelength is L = gT² ÷ 2π = 9.81 × 100 ÷ 6.283 = 156 m (about 512 ft). Dividing gT by 2π gives 15.6 m/s, which is the wave celerity, not the length. Deep-water theory holds when depth is greater than about half the wavelength; in shallower water the waves shorten.
6. A ship in a sagging condition has a total vertical bending moment of 600 MN·m. The midship section modulus is 3.2 m³ at the deck and 4.0 m³ at the keel. What is the primary hull girder stress in the deck?
Answer: 187.5 MPa compression. Stress is σ = M ÷ Z, so the deck stress is 600 ÷ 3.2 = 187.5 MPa. In sagging, midships drops relative to the ends, putting the deck in compression and the bottom in tension (600 ÷ 4.0 = 150 MPa at the keel). Because the deck is in compression, buckling of deck plating and longitudinals must be checked as well as yield.
7. A designer must attach a 5086 aluminum deckhouse to the steel main deck of a patrol craft. Which connection is standard practice?
Answer: Explosion-bonded transition strip, each side welded to its own metal. Aluminum can't be fusion welded to steel because brittle intermetallic compounds form at the joint. An explosion-bonded bimetallic strip lets each side be welded like metal to like metal and keeps the galvanic interface out of seawater. A bolted alternative needs insulating sleeves, washers and sealant, or the aluminum corrodes as the anode.
8. Under SOLAS Chapter II-1, where must the collision bulkhead of a cargo ship with a subdivision length of 150 m be located, measured aft of the forward perpendicular (no bulbous bow)?
Answer: 7.5 to 12.0 m. The bulkhead must be at least 0.05L or 10 m aft, whichever is less (7.5 m here), and not more than 0.08L or 0.05L + 3 m, whichever is greater (12.0 m here). Taking the larger value for the minimum gives 10.0 m, and taking the smaller value for the maximum gives 10.5 m; both are common misreadings of the rule.
9. A fixed-pitch propeller has a pitch of 4.0 m and turns at 120 rpm. The ship makes 13.0 knots through the water. What is the apparent slip? (1 knot = 0.5144 m/s.)
Answer: 16%. Pitch speed is 4.0 × 120 ÷ 60 = 8.0 m/s, or 15.55 knots. Apparent slip = (15.55 − 13.0) ÷ 15.55 = 16%. Real slip uses the speed of advance Vs(1 − w), so it is larger (33% with a wake fraction of 0.2); 84% is the ratio of ship speed to pitch speed, not slip.
10. A main diesel engine runs at 10,000 kW with a specific fuel oil consumption of 175 g/kWh. How much fuel does it burn in 24 hours?
Answer: 42 t. Fuel rate is 10,000 kW × 175 g/kWh = 1,750 kg/h, and over 24 hours that is 42,000 kg, or 42 t. Shop-test SFOC is quoted at ISO reference conditions and a lower calorific value of 42,700 kJ/kg, so correct it for the actual fuel before comparing with service figures.
11. A centrifugal fire pump delivers 0.05 m³/s of seawater (1,025 kg/m³) against a total head of 40 m. Pump efficiency is 70%. What shaft power is required?
Answer: 28.7 kW. Hydraulic power is ρgQH = 1,025 × 9.81 × 0.05 × 40 = 20.1 kW. Shaft power is hydraulic power divided by efficiency: 20.1 ÷ 0.70 = 28.7 kW. Multiplying by the efficiency instead of dividing gives 14.1 kW, which would undersize the driver.
12. A counterflow lube oil cooler cools oil from 80°C to 50°C with fresh water that warms from 30°C to 40°C. What is the log mean temperature difference?
Answer: 28.9°C. In counterflow the end differences are 80 − 40 = 40°C and 50 − 30 = 20°C. LMTD = (40 − 20) ÷ ln(40 ÷ 20) = 20 ÷ 0.693 = 28.9°C. The arithmetic mean of 30°C overstates the driving temperature difference and would undersize the cooler's area (Q = U × A × LMTD).
13. A 440 V three-phase feeder carries 100 A to a motor 50 m away. Each conductor has a resistance of 0.40 Ω/km. Neglecting reactance and taking unity power factor, what is the line-to-line voltage drop?
Answer: 3.5 V. Conductor resistance is 0.40 × 0.050 = 0.02 Ω, and the three-phase drop is √3 × I × R = 1.732 × 100 × 0.02 = 3.5 V, about 0.8% of 440 V. Using 2 × I × R (the single-phase, out-and-back formula) gives 4.0 V. With a lagging power factor, add the reactance term: √3 × I × (R cos φ + X sin φ).
14. A 20,000 GT bulk carrier is en route outside any MARPOL special area and wants to discharge machinery space bilge water through its oil filtering equipment. What is the maximum oil content of the undiluted effluent?
Answer: 15 ppm. MARPOL Annex I allows machinery space discharge at 15 ppm or less, with the ship en route and an approved 15 ppm alarm and automatic stopping device working. The 100 ppm figure is a superseded older limit. In the Antarctic area any discharge of oil or oily mixtures is prohibited.
15. A ship without an exhaust gas cleaning system is about to enter the North American Emission Control Area. What is the maximum sulfur content of the fuel oil it may burn inside the ECA?
Answer: 0.10% m/m. MARPOL Annex VI sets 0.10% m/m inside SOx Emission Control Areas (since 2015) and 0.50% m/m globally (since 2020). The changeover to compliant fuel must be finished before entering the ECA and recorded in the logbook. An approved scrubber is the alternative that lets a ship keep burning higher-sulfur fuel.

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PE Naval Architecture & Marine exam FAQ

How many questions are on the PE Naval Architecture & Marine exam?

85 questions: multiple choice plus alternative item types (such as multiple correct, point-and-click, drag-and-drop and fill-in-the-blank), with a time limit of 9.5-hour appointment: 2-minute nondisclosure agreement, 8-minute tutorial, 8.5 hours of exam time and a 50-minute scheduled break. Format: closed book with an electronic reference: ncees supplies a searchable pe reference handbook and the listed design standards on screen. questions use both si and us customary units. the real exam includes non-multiple-choice item types; this prep uses 4-option single-best-answer practice items.

What is the passing score for PE Naval Architecture & Marine?

Pass or fail on a scaled score; NCEES does not publish the cut score. First-time pass rate 63% (46 examinees) in the NCEES table updated January 2026.

How much does the PE Naval Architecture & Marine exam cost?

US$400 exam fee paid to NCEES; some state boards charge a separate application fee. ABYC charges members less than nonmembers, so confirm current fees with ABYC before you book.

Which languages is the PE Naval Architecture & Marine exam offered in?

English.

Where do I take the PE Naval Architecture & Marine exam?

Computer-based at Pearson VUE test centers on one fixed day per year; the next test date NCEES lists is September 29, 2027.

Is this PE Naval Architecture & Marine practice test free?

Yes. The 15-question practice test on this page is free, with an explanation for every answer and no signup. A free account also unlocks the complete study notes for the first topic. The full PE Naval Architecture & Marine prep is Premium at $147 a month for this exam.

What's in the premium PE Naval Architecture & Marine prep?

3,000 practice questions organized topic by topic (Hydrostatics, Stability and Weights: 375; Hydrodynamics and Ocean Engineering: 375; Structural Design, Materials and Corrosion: 375; General Arrangements and Hull Outfitting: 375; Propulsion and Power Generation: 375; Piping and Auxiliary Systems: 375; Electrical Systems: 375; Environmental Compliance and Rules: 375), 6 full-length timed mock exams of 85 questions, 800 flashcards and 60 comprehensive key notes split across all 8 topics, plus a mistakes bank and the Readiness Score.

Related practice tests

Exam details are summarized from the official candidate information available in November 2026. ABYC changes formats and fees, so confirm with National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), with each state licensing board approving candidates before you book. ABYCExamPrep is not affiliated with the American Boat & Yacht Council.

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