Mechanical Engineering Exam Questions — Your Complete Guide to Prepare & Practice
Mechanical engineering exams test a blend of theory, problem solving, and practical understanding across core subjects like mechanics, thermodynamics, materials, machine design, manufacturing and fluid systems. Whether you’re preparing for university tests, competitive papers (GATE, IES), entrance exams, or campus interviews, a smart approach to practicing exam questions will sharpen fundamentals, speed up calculations, and boost your confidence on test day.
What to expect in exam questions
Exam questions typically appear in three formats: objective (MCQs), short-answer/conceptual, and numerical problems. MCQs examine quick recall and application of formulas (e.g., Reynolds number, stress–strain relations), short answers probe conceptual clarity (e.g., differences between heat engines), and numericals test calculation accuracy and multi-step reasoning (e.g., beam deflection, cycle efficiency). Recent exams also include design-style or open-ended problems that require applying principles to real-world scenarios.
How to practice effectively
Start with a clear syllabus and divide topics into small study blocks. Solve concept checks first (definitions, laws, key formulae) then move to MCQs for speed and accuracy. Work through numerical problems by writing assumptions, free-body diagrams, and step-by-step derivations — don’t skip units or sanity checks. Timed mock tests simulate exam pressure and highlight weak areas. After every test, review mistakes carefully: check conceptual errors separately from calculation slips and make a short “error log” you revisit weekly.
Key topic checklist
Focus on high-yield areas that recur across exams:
- Engineering Mechanics & Strength of Materials: equilibrium, bending, torsion, beam deflections.
- Thermodynamics & Heat Transfer: cycles, properties, conduction/convection fundamentals.
- Fluid Mechanics & Hydraulic Machines: Bernoulli, flow regimes, pumps, losses.
- Machine Design & Theory of Machines: shafts, gears, bearings, kinematics.
- Manufacturing & Materials: casting, machining, welding, material properties.
- Control Systems & Mechatronics (where applicable): basics of feedback and stability.
Resources & strategy
Use standard textbooks for concept depth (e.g., Beer & Johnston for mechanics, Çengel/Boles for thermodynamics), supplemented by recent exam question papers and curated MCQ banks for practice. Online video lectures and solved examples accelerate learning for tricky topics. Form small study groups to discuss difficult problems and explain solutions — teaching a concept is one of the fastest ways to master it.
Final tips for exam day
Read the entire paper first to spot high-scoring or familiar problems, allocate time per question, and keep answer sheets neat with labelled steps and units. For MCQs, eliminate obviously wrong options and mark unsure items for a quick recheck. Rest well the night before and trust your preparation — clear thinking beats last-minute cramming.
- In an internal combustion engine, the process of forcing additional air under pressure into the cylinder is called:
a) Scavenging
b) Turbulence
c) Supercharging
d) Pre-ignition
Answer: c - The ignition quality of petrol is expressed by:
a) Cetane number
b) Octane number
c) Calorific value
d) All of these
Answer: b - The energy absorbed in a body, when it is strained within the elastic limit, is known as:
a) Toughness
b) Modulus of resilience
c) Strain energy
d) Resilience
Answer: c - Rivets are made of which type of material?
a) Malleable
b) Ductile
c) Resilient
d) Tough
Answer: b - In the context of mechanical engineering, a cylindrical section having no joint is known as:
a) Seamless
b) Welded
c) Cast
d) Rolled
Answer: a (Seamless) Meritnotes- Free Mcq, Online Quiz - In a planar force system, for a body to be in equilibrium, which conditions must be satisfied?
a) Only ?Fx = 0
b) Only ?Fy = 0
c) Only ?Fx = 0 and ?Fy = 0
d) ?Fx = 0, ?Fy = 0 and ?M = 0
Answer: d - If a particle moves along a line and its displacement is s = 4t² + 2t, then velocity at t = 3 s is:
a) 14 m/s
b) 26 m/s
c) 30 m/s
d) 38 m/s
Answer: B - In a screw jack, lifting load with less effort occurs when:
a) Helix angle > Friction angle
b) Helix angle = Friction angle
c) Helix angle < Friction angle
d) Screw is made of aluminium
Answer: c - Lami’s theorem is applicable when a body is acted upon by:
a) Any number of forces in a plane
b) Three concurrent, non-parallel forces in equilibrium
c) Four forces forming a closed polygon
d) Forces in different planes
Answer: b - Two bodies of masses m? and m? hung over a frictionless pulley: the acceleration of the string is
a) (m? – m?)/(m? + m?) · g
b) (m? – m?)/(m? + m?) · g
c) (m? – m?)/(m? + m?) · g
d) (m? + m?)/(m? – m?) · g
Answer: a - A vehicle with initial speed 36 km/h accelerates uniformly to 54 km/h over 125 m. The time to cover this distance is:
a) 5 s
b) 15 s
c) 20 s
d) 10 s
Answer: d - A 1 kg block rests on a surface (? = 0.1). A force of 0.8 N is applied. The friction force is:
a) 0
b) 0.8 N
c) 0.98 N
d) 1.2 N
Answer: b - A body moves on a curved path with speed 10 m/s, radius of curvature 25 m, tangential acceleration 3 m/s². Total acceleration is:
a) 3.3 m/s²
b) 4 m/s²
c) 5 m/s²
d) None
Answer: c - The centroid (CG) of a semicircular plate (diameter 66 cm) from its base is:
a) 8/33 cm
b) 1/14 cm
c) 14 cm
d) 63/8 cm
Answer: c - Which is not an application of Newton’s third law?
a) A man walking on ground
b) Rowing a boat
c) A fielder pulling back hand while catching a ball
d) Bouncing of a ball
Answer: c - A particle starts from rest, with displacement s=2t3?t2?1s = 2t^3 – t^2 – 1s=2t3?t2?1. Acceleration after 1 s is:
a) 4 m/s²
b) 6 m/s²
c) 8 m/s²
d) 10 m/s²
Answer: d - A rubber ball thrown upward with speed u from top of building strikes ground with speed 3u. Time to reach ground:
a) 4u/g
b) 3u/g
c) 2u/g
d) 4u/g
Answer: a - A 5 m ladder rests against a smooth wall, base is 3 m from wall. Required ? at floor for equilibrium is:
a) 1/2
b) 3/8
c) 1/3
d) 3/5
Answer: b - What is the function of an idler gear in a gear train?
a) To obtain minimum center distance
b) To get the required direction of rotation
c) Both a & b
d) None
Answer: b - Belt drives are typically used in applications having:
a) Variable speed drive
b) High torque only
c) Constant speed drive
d) Extremely high speed
Answer: c
- Which of the following is false for belt drives?
a) Belt drive is used in constant speed drive
b) Belt drives can be used at extremely high speeds
c) Belt drives have low power transmitting capacity
d) Belt drives require continuous lubrication
Answer: a, b and d are false - The shaft directly connected to the power source is called:
a) Line shaft
b) Counter shaft
c) Both
d) None
Answer: a - Machines such as bearings are:
a) Holding elements
b) Transmitting elements
c) Supporting elements
d) All of the above
Answer: c - In simple gear trains, the direction of rotation of the driven gear is opposite to the driving gear when:
a) An even number of idler gears
b) An odd number of idler gears
c) No idler gear
d) Always the same direction
Answer: b - What is the basic law for mechanics?
a) Newton’s law of viscosity
b) Parallelogram law
c) Newton’s laws of motion
d) Hooke’s law
Answer: c - Which branch of mechanics deals with bodies at rest?
a) Kinematics
b) Statics
c) Dynamics
d) Kinetics
Answer: b - Work is defined as:
a) Force × distance
b) Force / distance
c) Distance / force
d) Force × displacement
Answer: d - Which of these is a branch of mechanics?
a) Statics & Kinetics
b) Statics & Dynamics
c) Kinematics & Dynamics
d) Kinetics & Kinematics
Answer: b - What is kinematics?
a) Study of motion without considering forces
b) Study of bodies at rest
c) Study of motion considering forces
d) Study of motion only
Answer: a - In simple gear trains when there is no idler gear, the driven gear rotates in:
a) Same direction
b) Opposite direction
c) Cannot move
d) Random direction
Answer: b - The property of a material to absorb energy up to fracture is called:
a) Ductility
b) Brittleness
c) Hardness
d) Toughness - The allowable stress is defined as the maximum stress that a material can safely carry under specified conditions. True or False?
a) True
b) False (Allowable stress is lower than yield stress with safety factor) - For a simply supported beam with uniformly distributed load, the maximum bending moment occurs at:
a) Supports
b) Quarter span
c) Mid-span
d) Ends - In fluid mechanics, Bernoulli’s equation is derived from:
a) Conservation of energy
b) Conservation of mass
c) Conservation of momentum
d) All of the above - Reynolds number is used to predict:
a) Turbulence intensity
b) Flow regime (laminar or turbulent)
c) Pressure drop
d) Velocity profile - Heat transfer by conduction depends on:
a) Thermal conductivity
b) Temperature gradient
c) Cross-sectional area
d) All of these - In a Rankine cycle, the ideal thermal efficiency increases with:
a) Higher boiler temperature
b) Lower condenser temperature
c) Both a & b
d) Neither - In a four-stroke SI engine, the strokes are:
a) Intake, compression, power, exhaust
b) Intake, power, compression, exhaust
c) Intake, compression, power, exhaust
d) Compression, intake, power, exhaust - A structural member fails when:
a) Stress > yield
b) Strain > allowable
c) Combined stresses exceed limit
d) Any of the above depending on design criteria - What is the unit of torque?
a) N/m
b) N·m
c) Pa
d) J - The phenomenon where a fluid’s viscosity decreases with increasing shear rate is called:
a) Newtonian behavior
b) Dilatant behavior
c) Bingham plastic
d) Shear thinning (pseudoplastic) - A cutting tool’s speed and feed in machining will determine:
a) Surface finish
b) Tool life
c) Material removal rate
d) All of the above - In casting, the material used to make mould is often:
a) Steel
b) Sand
c) Wood
d) Glass - The Brinell hardness test uses:
a) Diamond indenter
b) Steel ball indenter
c) Hardened steel (or carbide) ball
d) Sphere of mercury - The term “cutter run-out” in machining refers to:
a) Tool vibrational errors
b) Radial deviation of cutter tip
c) Axial deviation
d) Radial deviation (difference between ideal and actual position) - In gears, “pitch circle” is the circle:
a) Passing through gear roots
b) Passing through gear tips
c) Imaginary circle where two gears mesh without slipping
d) None of the above - A clutch is used to:
a) Transmit torque
b) Engage/disengage drive
c) Allow smooth connection
d) All of the above - The term “creep” in materials means:
a) Sudden fracture
b) Instant elastic deformation
c) Slow, time-dependent deformation under sustained load
d) None of the above - The modulus of elasticity (Young’s modulus) relates:
a) Stress and strain in elastic region
b) Load and deflection
c) Force and area
d) Stress = E × Strain - For designing a shaft under torsion, the maximum shear stress is given by:
a) T / J
b) T? / J
c) M / Z
d) P / A