PE-M&MP Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows

What the Published Numbers Say

The most useful pass-rate data for the PE Mining and Mineral Processing exam comes straight from NCEES, which administers the exam and maintains a dated pass-rate table on its exam page. As of the January 2026 update of that table, the figures are:

Two caveats matter before you build any conclusions on those numbers. First, they describe the prior October administration, not the October 27, 2026 sitting you may be preparing for. Second, the exam is offered once per year, so there is no rolling quarterly data to smooth out the picture. You are looking at a single annual snapshot.

For the latest official table, always check the NCEES PE Mining and Mineral Processing exam page directly. This article explains how to interpret the figures; it cannot predict next year's result. If you want a broader view of difficulty beyond the percentages, see our guide on how hard the PE-M&MP exam really is.

Reading a Pass Rate Built on 47 Examinees

Mining and mineral processing is one of the smallest PE disciplines. A first-time cohort of 47 people is tiny compared with the populations behind civil or electrical PE statistics. That has real consequences for how you should read a 57% figure.

• Volatility is expected. With a cohort this small, a handful of additional passes or failures shifts the percentage noticeably. A year-over-year swing does not necessarily signal that the exam became easier or harder.
• The cohort is self-selected. People who reach the PE exam have already cleared a licensure board's approval process. That is a different population from "all mining engineers."
• Regional and employer clustering is possible. In a small field, many examinees may share employers, universities, or review resources. We have no data on this, so treat it as a caution rather than a finding.

First-Time vs. Repeat: What the Gap Suggests

The repeat rate of 50% comes from just 10 examinees, so it is statistically fragile. Still, one pattern is worth noting qualitatively: repeat takers did not pass at a higher rate than first-timers in this table. Retaking the exam is not automatically a path to an easier result.

Why might that be? A few plausible explanations, none of which the data can confirm:

1. Gaps persist. A candidate who failed because Domain 10 (plant equipment) was a weak area and who restudies the same way may reproduce the same outcome.
2. Narrow practice. Repeating the same practice questions can build recall without building the calculation fluency the exam rewards.
3. Because results are pass/fail, diagnostic feedback is thin. Without a numerical score, repeat takers must infer their weak areas themselves.

If you are planning a retake, build your plan around the blueprint rather than your memory of the exam. Our PE-M&MP study guide walks through a structured approach for candidates working from the official specification.

What "Passing" Means When No Cut Score Is Published

Many candidates search for "the passing score" and expect something like 70%. For this exam, that expectation does not apply. According to NCEES, you pass by earning a scaled score that meets the NCEES minimum-competence standard, and the result is reported as pass or fail. NCEES does not publish a numerical passing score for the exam.

Some practical consequences:

• There is no penalty for wrong answers. Scored items receive correct or incorrect credit, with no partial credit and no deduction. Leaving an item blank is strictly worse than guessing.
• The exam includes unidentified pretest items. Of the 85 questions, some are unscored pretest items, and you cannot tell which. Treat every question as if it counts.
• All examinees in an administration receive the same question set, so scoring reflects a single form for the October sitting.

For a deeper treatment of this topic, read our dedicated article on the PE-M&MP passing score.

Where the Points Live: The 13-Domain Blueprint

The exam specification effective beginning with the October 2025 examination allocates questions as ranges per domain, not fixed percentages. NCEES does not publish percentage weights, so the ranges below are the authoritative guide. Note that these 13 numbered headings are official exam objectives, and the October 2025 NCEES specification supersedes older third-party materials that cite different ranges.

Note that general engineering skills, engineering economics and cost management, laws and regulations, and facility construction are cross-domain considerations, not separate domains. Expect them to appear inside questions from several domains, particularly Domain 13 (reclamation plan and cost). For the full objective-by-objective breakdown, see our complete guide to all 13 content areas.

Format, Fatigue, and the Shared Clock

Part of the pass-rate story is endurance. The exam is a single-day, computer-based test delivered in person at an approved Pearson VUE test center. Key logistics from NCEES:

• 85 questions, including unidentified unscored pretest items
• 8 hours 30 minutes of testing time within a 9-hour 30-minute appointment, which includes a 2-minute nondisclosure agreement, an 8-minute tutorial, and a 50-minute scheduled break
• Question types: multiple-choice plus alternative item types, including multiple-correct, point-and-click, drag-and-drop, and numerical fill-in
• Closed book with a supplied, searchable electronic reference handbook; personal reference materials are prohibited
• One NCEES-approved calculator

The exam has two sections that share the testing clock, and submitted sections cannot be reopened. That means pacing decisions are irreversible: if you burn time in the first section, you cannot borrow it back later, and you cannot return to a submitted section to fix answers.

Because the reference handbook is searchable but not something you can annotate or bring your own copy of, practice with the official format matters. Fluency at finding formulas and tables quickly is a skill. The official NCEES e-book practice exam (US$59.95; 85 questions and solutions, 104 pages, based on the October 2025 specifications) is the closest public match to the real item formats. NCEES has also posted errata for its practice exam, so check that document before relying on any single solution.

The Cost of an Attempt and Why It Matters

The NCEES exam fee is US$400 per attempt. Separate state or territorial board application fees can apply on top of that, and those vary by board. A failed attempt therefore carries a direct cost, and because the exam is given only once per year, it also carries a full-year delay. That scheduling reality is arguably the heaviest "cost" of not passing on the first try.

For a full pricing view, including practice materials and related fees, see our PE-M&MP certification cost breakdown. For dates, deadlines, and scheduling mechanics, see PE-M&MP exam dates. The October 27, 2026 administration is the scheduled date in the verified NCEES information; confirm current registration windows directly with NCEES and your board.

Who Sits This Exam and Who Hires Them

Eligibility and any required approval are controlled by your selected licensing board, so there is no single universal prerequisite to sit the exam. A common licensure pathway is an EAC/ABET-accredited engineering bachelor's degree, the FE exam, four years of acceptable engineering experience, and then the PE exam, but boards differ. Details are covered in our PE-M&MP requirements guide.

Typical employers for engineers in this discipline include mining companies, mineral processing and metallurgical plants, consulting and engineering firms, and regulatory or environmental organizations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $106,220 for mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers, as of May 2025. That figure is occupation-wide; it is not a PE-specific salary and does not measure a licensure premium. For a fuller discussion, see our salary guide and the ROI analysis.

Also note that this is a licensure examination, not a separately renewable NCEES certification. Once licensed, renewal periods and continuing professional competency requirements are set by the issuing state or territorial board.

A Domain-Sequenced Plan Built Around the Blueprint

Since the pass rate rewards broad coverage rather than a single strength, sequence your preparation around the blueprint's question ranges. The outline below is a template to adapt, not a prescription tied to any published statistic.

For a one-page recall aid once you have built the foundation, our PE-M&MP cheat sheet condenses the must-know facts. To drill realistic items across all 13 domains, use the PE-M&MP practice tests and track results by domain.

Frequently Asked Questions

The published pass rates describe a passable but not trivial exam, and the data are thin enough that your own preparation matters more than any statistic. For related background, you can also review what the PE-M&MP credential is before committing to a study plan.