PE HVAC&R · the on-screen reference · Oct 29, 2026
The PE reference handbook, for HVAC&R
The HVAC&R exam is closed book with one electronic reference: the PE Mechanical reference handbook, displayed beside each question as a searchable PDF. The exam owner's pages call it the electronic reference handbook; prep sites and forums call it the PE Mechanical Reference Handbook. It is a different document from the FE Reference Handbook, and nothing else comes into the room.
PE Mechanical HVAC & Refrigeration practice test Exam facts
Updated Oct 29, 2026 · Not affiliated with NCEES.
- ExamPE Mechanical HVAC & Refrigeration
- the only referencePE Mechanical reference handbook
- design standards suppliedNone
- unitsUSCS
- Checked
The rules, sourced
| Fact | Detail | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reference supplied | PE Mechanical reference handbook, on screen as a searchable PDFThe current version is free in your MyNCEES account; NCEES sells no printed copy; on exam day search with the box on the left (Ctrl+F does not work); no personal copies. | NCEES: PE Mechanical exams · NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [1][2] | |
| Handbook on screen | Beside the question on a 24-inch monitor; best viewed at 100%, zoom allowed; search box on the left, Ctrl+F not availableThe handbook is a searchable PDF with linked chapters. | NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) · NCEES: PE Mechanical exams [1][2] | |
| Design standards supplied | None | NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [2] | |
| Units | USCS onlySea-level conditions unless a problem says otherwise. | NCEES: PE Mechanical HVAC and Refrigeration specifications, October 2025 (PDF) [3] | |
| Calculator | Any Casio fx-115 or fx-991 model, the HP 33s or HP 35s, or any TI-30X or TI-36X model; one in the room, plus an on-screen TI-30XSThe list is reviewed every year; spares stay in your locker. | NCEES: calculator policy (2026 list) · NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [2][4] |
Getting it and using it on exam day
- Before the exam: download the current version from your MyNCEES dashboard at no cost. No printed edition is sold, and no personal copy may come into the exam.
- On the screen: the handbook sits beside each question on a 24-inch monitor; zoom works, Ctrl+F does not.
- Navigation: the PDF has linked chapters, so you can jump instead of scrolling (NCEES: PE Mechanical).
- Version: exam day runs on the current version, the same one in your MyNCEES dashboard. We do not quote a version number here, because none is printed on a public NCEES page.
Three myths worth clearing up
- “Bring the ASHRAE handbooks.” No outside material is allowed, and this module comes with no design standards.
- “MERM is the reference.” MERM is a review textbook. It helps you learn, but it is not on the exam computer (MERM or the handbook).
- “It is the FE handbook with more pages.” The FE Reference Handbook is its own document, written for the FE disciplines (FE Reference Handbook).
What to practice finding, by area
The handbook's chapter titles are not on any public NCEES page, so this list says what to look for, not where it is. Find each item in your own copy and note it.
- Loads and psychrometrics: the psychrometric relations and any chart for sea level and for altitude; moist-air property values; load equations for envelope, people, lighting and outdoor air.
- Distribution and systems: duct friction and fitting losses, pipe friction and equivalent lengths, steam and refrigerant property tables, valve flow relations.
- Equipment and components: fan and pump laws, NPSH, heat exchanger effectiveness and LMTD relations, cooling tower terms, efficiency definitions.
- Supportive knowledge: sound level addition and criteria curves, vibration isolation, interest factors for economics, motor and three-phase power relations.
Search without Ctrl+F
The keyboard shortcut does not work; the search field at the left of the reference pane does (NCEES Examinee Guide, p. 10). It finds the words the handbook uses, which are not always yours, so search for a quantity's name (“wet-bulb”, “approach”, “transmissibility”) or a symbol's spelled-out term rather than a textbook nickname. Practice with the downloaded PDF and its own search field, not the browser's, to get the same habits.
Pages for this exam
- PE HVAC&R overviewThe HVAC and Refrigeration module of PE Mechanical: format, four areas, modules, path
- PE Mechanical HVAC & Refrigeration practice testA 60-problem mixed set in USCS units, weighted like the October 2025 outline
- PE Mechanical HVAC & Refrigeration exam factsFormat, exam day, units, scoring, the 2025 changes and pass rates by period
- PE Mechanical HVAC & Refrigeration costThe per-attempt fee, what it leaves out, and expected spend at recent pass rates
- PE Mechanical HVAC & Refrigeration study guideA plan weighted to the October 2025 areas, the new topics, MERM vs the handbook
Source notes
- NCEES: PE Mechanical exams ncees.org · checked Oct 29, 2026
- NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) ncees.org · checked Oct 29, 2026
- NCEES: PE Mechanical HVAC and Refrigeration specifications, October 2025 (PDF) ncees.org · checked Oct 29, 2026
- NCEES: calculator policy (2026 list) ncees.org · checked Oct 29, 2026
PE reference handbook, quick answers
Does the PE reference handbook cost anything?
Nothing: MyNCEES offers it as a download. A printed copy is not sold, and personal copies stay out of the exam.
Does the HVAC&R exam supply ASHRAE standards?
No. None are supplied for this module, so ASHRAE-based questions rely on what you already know.
Is the exam PDF the one I download?
Yes, both are the current version. Downloading it early lets you learn its layout before exam day.
Handbook-style HVAC&R problems on your phone
PE Mechanical HVAC & Refrigeration questions, answers and worked solutions in a study app.
Not affiliated with NCEES.