The Nepal Engineering Council (NEC) publishes a separate licence exam syllabus for each engineering branch. The current set has 41 syllabi, from civil and computer to textile and meteorology engineering, and model question sets for 21 branches. Every syllabus follows the same frame: 10 chapters with six sub-sections each, and the same project planning chapter at the end. The model question sets released in November 2025 have 100 multiple choice questions of one mark each.
This page collects all the official NEC syllabus and model question PDFs in one table, explains how the syllabi are organised, and links to our chapter-by-chapter guides for the larger branches. For eligibility, fees and the application steps, read the NEC licence exam guide first.
What NEC has published
- 21 November 2025 (Mangsir 2082): syllabi and model questions for 40 branches on the NEC notices page under "Syllabus / Model Questions".
- 31 December 2025 (Poush 2082): a syllabus for the new Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Engineering branch.
- Model questions: 21 branches have a model set. Aeronautical and aerospace engineering share one file. The other 20 branches have a syllabus only for now.
The files are PDFs of four to seven pages for the syllabi and 13 to 21 pages for the model sets. Each sub-section in a syllabus has a code, for example ACiE0503 for RCC structures in civil engineering, which makes it easy to tick topics off as you study.
The NEC exam pattern now
| Item | What NEC has published |
|---|---|
| Question type | Multiple choice, four options |
| Questions in the 2025 model set | 100 questions of 1 mark each (100 x 1 = 100) |
| Syllabus size | 10 chapters, 6 sub-sections each, 60 sub-sections in all |
| Earlier pattern (exams up to 2023) | 60 one-mark and 20 two-mark questions, 2 hours, pass at 50 marks, no negative marking |
| Where to confirm | The exam notice for your session on the NEC notices page |
All 21 model sets we checked are headed "100 x 1 = 100", which means 100 questions of one mark each. That is a change from the pattern reported for exams up to 2023, which had 60 one-mark and 20 two-mark questions in two hours. NEC sets the time, pass mark and any negative marking in the notice for each exam session, so read that notice before the exam and do not rely on older articles.
How every NEC syllabus is built
Open any two NEC syllabi side by side and the layout is the same:
- 10 chapters, 6 sub-sections each. That makes 60 sub-sections per branch.
- The first chapters are fundamentals. In civil and mechanical engineering, chapters 1 to 4 are fundamentals. In computer and electrical engineering, NEC marks chapters 1 and 2 as fundamentals.
- The middle chapters are applications in practice, specific to the branch.
- Chapter 10 is common. All 41 syllabi end with project planning, design and implementation. In 40 of them it has the code AALL10, and the AI and machine learning syllabus has its own version of it.
- Related branches share chapters. Computer engineering and electronics and communication engineering use the same text for chapters 1 to 5. Electronics and communication, electronics and telecommunication, and IT and telecommunication engineering all use one syllabus, code AExE.
Download the NEC syllabus for your branch
All links below open the official file on nec.gov.np. Branches are grouped by field so you can find yours quickly. Where we have written a full guide, it is linked in the last column.
Civil, survey, environment and architecture
| Branch | Syllabus | Model questions | Study guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Model questions | Our guide |
| Civil and Rural Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Not published | |
| Hydropower Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Not published | |
| Earthquake Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Not published | |
| Survey Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Not published | |
| Geomatics Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Model questions | |
| Environmental Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Model questions | |
| Geology Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Not published | |
| Mining Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Not published | |
| Architecture | Syllabus PDF | Model questions | Our guide |
Electrical, electronics and energy
| Branch | Syllabus | Model questions | Study guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Model questions | Our guide |
| Electrical and Electronics Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Model questions | |
| Electronics and Communication Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Model questions | Our guide |
| Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Not published | Our guide |
| Electronics Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Not published | |
| Electronics, Communication and Information Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Model questions | |
| Electronics, Communication and Automation Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Not published | |
| Energy Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Not published | |
| High Tech Plasma and Plant Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Not published |
Computer, software, IT and AI
| Branch | Syllabus | Model questions | Study guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Model questions | Our guide |
| Software Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Model questions | |
| Information Technology Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Model questions | |
| Information Technology and Telecommunication Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Not published | Our guide |
| Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Not published |
Mechanical, automobile, aerospace and industrial
| Branch | Syllabus | Model questions | Study guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Model questions | Our guide |
| Automobile Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Model questions | |
| Mechatronics Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Model questions | |
| Automation Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Not published | |
| Industrial Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Model questions | |
| Aeronautical Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Model questions | |
| Aerospace Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Model questions | |
| Naval Architecture and Ship Building Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Not published | |
| Petroleum Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Model questions |
Agricultural, chemical, biomedical and other branches
| Branch | Syllabus | Model questions | Study guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Model questions | |
| Agri-Irrigation Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Not published | |
| Chemical Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Model questions | |
| Biomedical Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Model questions | |
| Biotechnology Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Not published | |
| Genetic Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Not published | |
| Textile Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Not published | |
| Meteorology Engineering | Syllabus PDF | Not published |
If a link stops working, NEC has probably replaced the file. Go to the NEC notices page, choose "Syllabus / Model Questions" and download the latest version.
How to use the NEC syllabus and model questions
- Print the syllabus and rate every sub-section. Mark each of the 60 as strong, average or weak. This takes an hour and tells you where your time should go.
- Read the model set before you start revising, not at the end. It shows the depth NEC expects. Most questions test one idea or one short calculation.
- Study by sub-section code. Keep a notebook page per code with key formulas, definitions and mistakes you made in practice questions.
- Practise against the clock. With 100 questions you have little time for long working. Aim to answer recall questions in under 30 seconds and save time for numericals.
- Finish with full papers. Attempt the official model set under exam conditions, check every wrong answer against the syllabus code, then repeat with two or three more full papers.
Civil graduates can practise with the site's engineering MCQ practice tool, which has chapter-wise civil and general questions, and read the NEC civil engineering syllabus guide.
Chapter 10: the common chapter, with a worked example
Because chapter 10 is the same for every branch, it is the best value revision you can do. Its six sub-sections are:
- 10.1 Engineering drawings: drawing sheets, scales, orthographic and isometric views, sections.
- 10.2 Engineering economics: cash flow, interest and time value of money, payback, NPV, IRR, MARR, depreciation and tax in Nepal.
- 10.3 Project planning and scheduling: project life cycle, bar charts, CPM and PERT, resource levelling and smoothing.
- 10.4 Project management: risk, project financing, tendering and contract management.
- 10.5 Professional practice: ethics, society and environment, occupational health and safety, role of the Nepal Engineers' Association.
- 10.6 Regulatory body: the Nepal Engineering Council Act and Regulations.
Engineering economics questions are usually short calculations. Here is the kind of problem to practise. For more, try the project management and engineering economics MCQ set.
Example. A project costs Rs 10 lakh today and returns Rs 3 lakh at the end of each year for 5 years. The discount rate is 10%. Find the NPV, the simple payback and the discounted payback.
- Present worth factor for a 5-year annuity at 10% = (1 - 1.10-5) / 0.10 = 3.791
- Present value of returns = 3 x 3.791 = Rs 11.37 lakh
- NPV = 11.37 - 10 = Rs 1.37 lakh. NPV is positive, so the project is acceptable at 10%.
- Simple payback = 10 / 3 = 3.33 years
- Discounted returns: 2.727, 2.479, 2.254, 2.049 and 1.863 lakh. After 4 years Rs 0.49 lakh is still to be recovered, so discounted payback = 4 + 0.49 / 1.863 = 4.26 years.
- The IRR, the rate that makes NPV zero, works out at about 15.2%. It is above the 10% MARR, which agrees with the positive NPV.
For sub-section 10.6, read the Nepal Engineering Council Act and the NEC Regulations once. Questions ask about registration categories, the council's role and the duties of registered engineers.
Frequently asked questions
How many branches have an NEC syllabus?
41. NEC published syllabi for 40 branches on 21 November 2025 and added Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Engineering on 31 December 2025.
How many questions are in the NEC licence exam?
The model question sets published in November 2025 have 100 multiple choice questions of one mark each. Exams up to 2023 used 60 one-mark and 20 two-mark questions, so check the official notice for your session.
Is chapter 10 the same for all branches?
Yes. Every syllabus ends with project planning, design and implementation: drawings, engineering economics, planning and scheduling, project management, professional practice and the NEC Act and Regulations.
My branch has no model question set. What should I use?
Use the model set of the closest branch to see the question style, and build your practice around your own syllabus codes. For example, electronics and telecommunication uses the same AExE syllabus as electronics and communication, which does have a model set.
Sources
- Nepal Engineering Council, notices: Syllabus / Model Questions (all 41 syllabus files and the model question files linked above)
- Nepal Engineering Council home page
- Republica, March 2023: report on the NEC licence exam (source for the earlier 60 plus 20 pattern)
Last checked October 2026 against the syllabus and model question files on nec.gov.np. NEC can change the pattern, fees and dates for any session, so read the official notice before you apply. This page is general study guidance, not an official NEC document.
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