The NEC mechanical engineering syllabus (code AMeE) has 10 chapters with six sub-sections in each. Chapters 1 to 4 are fundamentals: drawing and materials, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and machines, and mechanics with strength of materials. Chapters 5 to 9 apply them to manufacturing, design, maintenance, industrial engineering and heat transfer with energy. Chapter 10 is the shared project planning chapter.
The model question set released with this syllabus in November 2025 has 100 multiple choice questions worth one mark each. This page goes through each chapter, shows where the calculation-heavy topics are, and gives a six-week revision plan. Official download links are near the end.
New to the licence exam? Start with the NEC licence exam guide for eligibility and the application steps. For other branches, see the NEC syllabus list for all 41 branches.
NEC Mechanical Engineering exam pattern at a glance
| 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 |
With 100 questions spread over 60 sub-sections, there is no safe topic to skip. If you leave out a whole chapter, you give up marks you cannot win back elsewhere.
NEC Mechanical Engineering syllabus: chapter-by-chapter breakdown
NEC groups the chapters as fundamentals (1 to 4), application of engineering principles in practice (5 to 9) and project planning, design and implementation (10).
| Chapter and what it covers | What to focus on |
|---|---|
| 1. Basic Mechanical Engineering Concepts machine drawing and fits, materials and testing, material science, basic electrical and electronics, workshop practice, organisation management | Limits and fits, the iron-carbon diagram and steel types. Note that management and basic electrical topics are here too. |
| 2. Engineering Thermodynamics properties and laws, first and second law, cycles, IC engines, HVAC, boilers, compressors, psychrometry | Otto, Diesel, Rankine and Brayton efficiencies, COP of refrigerators and heat pumps, entropy change. |
| 3. Fluid Mechanics and Machines fluid properties, kinematics, Bernoulli and momentum, laminar flow and losses, turbines, pumps | Reynolds number, head loss, specific speed, NPSH and cavitation. Turbines link well with Nepal's hydropower sector. |
| 4. Engineering Mechanics and Strength of Materials statics and dynamics, elasticity, SF and BM, deflection, torsion, mechanisms, governors, flywheels, gears, cams | Bending and torsion formulas, Poisson's ratio relations, gear train ratios and degrees of freedom. |
| 5. Manufacturing Technology foundry, heat treatment, hot and cold working, machine tools, welding, CAD/CAM and CNC | Heat treatment purposes, welding processes and defects, machining operations. |
| 6. Mechanical Design codes and standards, machine elements, loads and tools, static design, vibrations, problem solving | Shaft and fastener design checks, natural frequency of simple systems. |
| 7. Repair and Maintenance of Engineering Systems maintenance types, safety and coatings, maintenance strategy, reliability, risk assessment, NDT | Bathtub curve, MTBF, fault tree basics and which NDT method finds which defect. |
| 8. Industrial Engineering and Automation metrology, sensors and actuators, measurement systems, production systems, inventory control, engine testing | EOQ and reorder point calculations, measurement errors and calibration. |
| 9. Heat Transfer, Energy Resources and Environment conduction, convection, radiation, fins and heat exchangers, energy resources, combustion, fuels, pollution control | Composite wall conduction, LMTD and effectiveness, Stefan-Boltzmann law. |
| 10. Project Planning, Design and Implementation drawings, engineering economics, CPM and PERT, project management, professional practice, NEC Act | Common to all branches. NPV, IRR and CPM questions are quick marks. |
Chapter 10 is the same in every NEC syllabus. 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.
You can practise this chapter with the project management and engineering economics MCQ set.
Where to focus your time
- Thermodynamics, fluids and strength of materials carry most of the numericals. Chapters 2, 3 and 4 together are 18 sub-sections. Start your revision there.
- Chapter 1 is wider than it looks. It includes basic electrical and electronics, workshop safety and organisation management. Do not treat it as only machine drawing.
- Chapters 7 and 8 are where practising engineers do better than fresh graduates. Maintenance strategy, reliability and inventory control are short topics. One evening each is usually enough.
- Keep a single formula sheet for cycle efficiencies, heat transfer, EOQ and the economics formulas from chapter 10.
Six-week study plan for the NEC Mechanical Engineering exam
| Week | What to do |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Read the official PDF and rate all 60 sub-sections. |
| Week 2 | Chapters 2 and 3 (thermodynamics and fluids). |
| Week 3 | Chapters 4 and 6 (mechanics, strength of materials and design). |
| Week 4 | Chapters 1, 5 and 9. |
| Week 5 | Chapters 7, 8 and 10. |
| Week 6 | Official model set under timing, review every mistake, two more full papers. |
Two to three hours a day is enough for most graduates who finished the degree recently. If you have been out of study for a few years, stretch the plan to eight or ten weeks. For general and civil practice questions, the site's engineering MCQ practice tool tracks your weak topics.
How this syllabus relates to other branches
Automobile, mechatronics, industrial, aeronautical, aerospace, naval architecture and petroleum engineering each have their own NEC syllabus. They share chapter 10 with mechanical and overlap on thermodynamics and mechanics. See the NEC syllabus list for all branches for those files.
Common mistakes
- Spending all the time on numericals and ignoring short recall topics such as NDT methods, heat treatment and maintenance types.
- Not converting units before using a formula, especially kPa and bar, or kJ/kg and kW.
- Studying from a question bank for the old 60 plus 20 pattern without comparing it with the current sub-section list.
- Leaving chapter 10 for the last day.
Frequently asked questions
How many chapters are in the NEC mechanical engineering syllabus?
Ten. Each has six sub-sections, giving 60 topics. Chapters 1 to 4 are fundamentals, 5 to 9 are applications and chapter 10 is the common project planning chapter.
How many questions are in the NEC mechanical exam?
The model set published in November 2025 has 100 multiple choice questions of one mark each. Earlier sessions had 60 one-mark and 20 two-mark questions, so check the notice for your exam.
Is there a separate syllabus for automobile engineering?
Yes. Automobile engineering has its own NEC syllabus and model question set. Mechatronics, industrial, aeronautical and aerospace engineering also have their own files.
Where do I download the NEC mechanical syllabus PDF?
From the NEC notices page, "Syllabus / Model Questions" tab. The downloads section below has direct links to the syllabus and the model question file.
Download the official NEC Mechanical Engineering PDFs
- NEC Mechanical Engineering syllabus (PDF, nec.gov.np)
- NEC Mechanical Engineering model questions (PDF, nec.gov.np)
- NEC notices page (filter by "Syllabus / Model Questions")
The files are hosted by the Nepal Engineering Council. If a link stops working, NEC has probably uploaded a new version, so open the notices page and look for the latest file.
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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