Mechanical Engineering (ME) Board Exam Coverage and Subjects

The Mechanical Engineering (ME) board exam has three subjects of 100 items each: Power Plant Engineering (35%), Mathematics (35%), and Machine Design, Materials and Shop Practice (30%). One subject is given per day. This post lists every topic in PRC's Table of Specifications and how many items each one gets.

Where this coverage comes from: Everything here comes from PRC's own documents, not forum posts. The weights and schedule are from PRC's program for the August 2026 exam. The topics and item counts are from the Board of Mechanical Engineering's Table of Specifications (Board Resolution No. 57, s. 2013), the latest one posted on the Board's PRC page. I checked both in November 2026.

A Table of Specifications (TOS) is the blueprint the Board writes questions from. It's the closest thing to an official syllabus.

Heads up if you've seen other numbers. Some reviewers online list the ME subjects as "PIPE, MEEBES, and MDSP" with different weights. PRC's current program uses the three subject names and the 35/35/30 weights below.

Exam format at a glance

As of the August 7 to 9, 2026 exam:

Detail	What PRC says
Subjects	3, one per day
Items per subject	100 (from the TOS)
Time per subject	8:00 AM to 2:00 PM (6 hours)
Calculators	One non-programmable calculator from PRC's approved list. PRC names the CASIO FX-991ES and FX-991ES Plus as prohibited.
To pass	70% average, with no subject below 50% (RA 8495)

Subject weights

Day	Subject	Weight
1	Power Plant Engineering	35%
2	Mathematics	35%
3	Machine Design, Materials and Shop Practice	30%

Power Plant Engineering (35%, 100 items)

Topic	Items
Power Plant Design	24
Industrial Plant Design	24
Air Conditioning	18
Industrial Plant Engineering	13
Power Plant Elements	11
Refrigeration Engineering	10

• Power Plant Elements: fuels and combustion, variable load, thermodynamics, internal combustion engines, heat transfer
• Power Plant Design: diesel, gas turbine, combined cycle, steam, hydroelectric, geothermal, and nuclear plants, non-conventional energy, piping and insulation, instrumentation
• Industrial Plant Engineering: project feasibility, safety, heat transfer, fluid machinery, lubrication, pollution control
• Industrial Plant Design: dryers, fans and blowers, pumps, cooling towers, compressors, chimneys and draft, heat transfer equipment, conveyors, machinery foundations, AC and DC machinery
• Refrigeration: refrigeration systems, cooling loads, ice plants and cold storage, equipment selection
• Air Conditioning: psychrometrics, air conditioning processes, comfort, duct design, ventilation, cooling load calculations

Notice that Power Plant and Industrial Plant Design are 48 items together. That's nearly half the subject.

Mathematics (35%, 100 items)

Don't let the name fool you. Only 44 of the 100 items are pure math (algebra, trigonometry, and analytic geometry). The rest are engineering economics, the ME law, and basic sciences.

Topic	Items
Mathematics (algebra and plane trigonometry)	32
Engineering Economics, ME Law, and Code of Ethics	15
Analytic Geometry	12
Chemistry	12
Physics	10
Strength of Materials	9
Thermodynamics	6
Fluid Mechanics	4

• Mathematics: algebraic laws, polynomials, quadratic equations, exponents and radicals, logarithms, linear equations, angles, triangles, trigonometric identities
• Analytic Geometry: mensuration, straight lines, conic sections, distances and angles
• Engineering Economics and Law: interest and annuities, depreciation, accounting basics, alternative investments, replacement and break-even analysis, the ME law, the ME Code, the Code of Ethics, and contracts
• Chemistry: atoms and molecules, chemical changes and energy, bonding, nuclear chemistry
• Physics: waves, sound, heat, light, electricity and magnetism

Machine Design, Materials and Shop Practice (30%, 100 items)

Topic	Items
Machine Design	81
Kinematics	12
Shop Practice	4
Shop Machinery	3

Machine Design is 81 items, split across 27 sub-topics of about 3 items each:

• Stresses and materials: simple, variable, and combined stresses, materials, tolerances, columns
• Machine elements: bearings, belts and chains, screws and rivets, springs, shafts, keys and couplings
• Gears: spur, helical, bevel, and worm gears
• Others: brakes and clutches, welding, cylinders, steel tubes, flat plates, flywheels, punch presses, pipes and fittings, engineering drawing

Kinematics covers velocity and acceleration, mechanisms, cams, and gear trains.

Because the 81 items are spread so evenly, there's no shortcut. Every machine element is worth about the same.

How the passing rule works

RA 8495 says you need an average of 70% on all subjects, with no subject below 50%.

For example, scores of 80%, 64%, and 68% average 70.67%. That passes, because no subject is under 50%.

RA 8495 also says that if you fail three times, you have to wait one year before you can take the exam again.

If you don't pass, the retake rules are in what happens if you fail the board exam. Recent results are in board exam passing rates.

Where I'd start

Power Plant Engineering and Mathematics carry the same 35%, but they feel very different. Mathematics rewards practice speed. Power Plant rewards knowing which formula fits which plant. I'd alternate them each week instead of finishing one first. Then leave a fixed block for Machine Design, since its 27 sub-topics need steady coverage.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the subjects in the ME board exam?

Power Plant Engineering (35%), Mathematics (35%), and Machine Design, Materials and Shop Practice (30%), based on PRC's August 2026 program.

How many items are in the ME board exam?

300 in total, 100 per subject, based on PRC's Table of Specifications.

What is the passing score for the ME board exam?

An average of 70% on all subjects, with no subject below 50%, under RA 8495.

Is engineering economics in the ME board exam?

Yes. It's part of the Mathematics subject, together with the ME law and code of ethics, for 15 items.

Can I use a CASIO FX-991ES in the ME board exam?

No. PRC's program names the CASIO FX-991ES and FX-991ES Plus as prohibited. Bring a non-programmable calculator from PRC's approved list.

Ready to test yourself? Try the free ME board exam reviewer. I built prepPH, so I'm biased, but every question there comes with an explanation. For a study plan, read how to review for the PRC board exam. When you're ready to apply, see how to apply for the PRC board exam online (LERIS) and how much the PRC board exam costs. To plan your weeks, see how long to review for the ME board exam, and to decide on a review center, see can you pass the ME board exam with self-review?.

Sources

• Program of the August 2026 Mechanical Engineers Licensure Examination (PDF), checked November 5, 2026
• Board of Mechanical Engineering Resolution No. 57 (s. 2013), Tables of Specifications (PDF), checked November 5, 2026
• Republic Act No. 8495, Philippine Mechanical Engineering Act of 1998 (PDF), checked November 5, 2026