NEC Nepal

Overview

The Nepal Engineering Council (NEC) is the statutory body that regulates and promotes the engineering profession in Nepal. Its licence examination is the test engineering graduates sit to register with the council and practise as engineers. Until 2023 the council registered engineers on the strength of their university certificates alone.

The first licence examination was held on 26 and 27 March 2023, with a main venue at Pulchowk Engineering Campus, in Lalitpur, for graduates across the council's engineering categories (20 branches, according to the registrar). Graduates who already held an NEC licence did not have to sit it.

Who can apply

You must have completed your engineering degree before you can sit the examination. Graduates of Nepali universities and of foreign (including Indian) universities have both appeared. Detailed eligibility conditions, including document requirements, are in the council's General Registration Exam Guidelines, which you should read before applying.

Exam pattern

The first examination in 2023 was an objective paper of 100 marks. It had 60 questions worth one mark each and 20 questions worth two marks each. The pass mark was 50. Candidates are examined in their own engineering category, and civil engineering was the biggest group in 2023.

The council's later exam cycles may change the format, so check the current guidelines on the NEC website.

Marking and results

Results are published on the NEC website under its result section. In the first sitting, 565 of 1,981 examinees passed, about 28.5%. There was no negative marking. Passing rates differed sharply by university, and candidates from Nepali universities did far better than graduates of Indian universities.

Important dates

The council runs the examination several times a year. Reports at the time said candidates could attempt it twice a year. For the 2081 BS calendar (2024 to 2025), the schedule was as follows.

Each cycle also had a one-week double-fee window after the regular deadline. A fifth exam was set for 11 July 2025, with applications from 16 May to 5 June 2025. Dates for later cycles are announced by NEC, so confirm them on its site.

How to apply

Application forms were issued and submitted within a published window for each sitting, with a double-fee window afterwards. Fee amounts are not confirmed here, so check the current notice on the NEC website.

For questions about the exam, the council lists an exam-support email on its site and the phone numbers 01-4520655 and 01-4520656. Its office is at Minbhawan, Kathmandu.

After the exam

Passing the licence examination is what qualifies you for general registration with the council, which allows you to practise as an engineer in Nepal. The council also runs separate routes for Professional Engineer status and for the recognition of foreign engineers, each with its own guidelines on the NEC site.

Preparation tips

• Read the current General Registration Exam Guidelines and any syllabus notice on the NEC website first.

• Prepare in your own engineering category, since papers are set by category.

• Practise objective questions under time pressure, because the paper is entirely multiple choice and mixes one-mark and two-mark items.

• Apply before the regular deadline to avoid the double-fee window.

FAQs