Certification News

Dates for Exams

• 2/17/2024 AMPE / online

• 5/4/2024 AMPE / online

• 8/10/2024 AMPE / online

• 11/16/2024 AMPE / online

All exams will start at 11:00 ET/EDT

Additional exams can be arranged if sufficient demand exisits. Please contact cmpe@sawe.org.

January 2023

Lucky 13

Are Mass Properties Engineers superstitious?

SAWE Certification ended its first year of operation with a total of 13 Certified Mass Properties Engineers (CMPE) successfully passing the exam at the Associated Mass Properties Engineer (AMPE) level.

As the development process and question gathering continue for the higher levels of certification we have developed an interim procedure to nominate suitable candidates to these levels (subsequent to passing the exam at AMPE level.) As a result two CMPE were nominated to Professional (PMPE) level and a further six to Expert (EMPE) level.

Three of the applicants are female (two of whom have been successful in achieving Certified status) which is a good representation considering the composition of our membership.Whilst geographically all current CMPE are located in North America we have also had a lot of interest from outside it. One of the current candidates is from Europe and will therefore be our first European examinee, however the race is still on to see who will be the first Certified Engineer from another continent!

Feedback received from the participants following the exam included:

“challenging”                     “on par with other certifications”                              “well structured”

“I gained more knowledge about our profession”               “I feared that I wouldn’t pass the exam”

 The last comment is an unfounded fear……… so far no one has failed.

Exams are scheduled quarterly, the next one being on 2/18/2022. Additional tests can also be arranged if sufficient demand is available. This was the case recently when we had our first corporation applying (4 engineers were certified simultaneously at Bollinger Shipyards).

During 2023 the CMPE program team will work on improving the application process, further refining the requirements for nomination of PMPE and EMPE and the process for recertification.

Finally, as a reminder, current requirements for application are:

  • A minimum of 2 years of applicable Mass Properties related experience and have completed a BS/BE STEM degree (or a minimum of 5 years related experience if lesser qualified.)
  • Current SAWE membership.

Requirements for the different levels along with a template for application, and suggested topics and reading materials are listed on the Certification webpage.

March 2022

Successful First AMPE Exam

Celebrate the first Certified Mass Properties Engineers with us.

All four candidates passed the exam with high or very high marks.

The online-exam confirmed the assumptions taken by the Certification Technical Team and honored the hard work done up to now.

A listing of Certified Mass Properties Engineers is available on the webpage of Certification.

Add your name to it, show your capability to the world and take the next available exam.

The possibility to take exams with delayed payments exists. Please contact cmpe@sawe.org beforehand.

Additional exams can be arranged if sufficient demand exisits. Please contact cmpe@sawe.org.

SAWE Certification needs support, especially, but not limited to, Data Management. If you are interested to join the team and advance SAWE capabilities contact dirk.petersen@sawe.org.

January 2022

Certification – First Exam on 2/19/2022

On 2/19/1855 Charles Messier presented the first modern Weather Forecast to the Academy of Science in Paris. It was an immediate success and triggered the introduction of meteorological organizations.

On 2/19/2022 the SAWE will perform the first exam for its Certification program.

The program was created to assure that knowledge is transferred to the next generation of engineers and future leaders in our profession.  The program provides a verifiable and sustainable benchmark for Mass Properties Engineers.  By becoming a certified MPE you will demonstrate your competency in the field of mass properties which can be beneficial to your career, your customers, and your employer’s bottom line.

This exam will be for the Associate Mass Properties Engineer (AMPE) level, which is mandatory for application to more advanced levels.

You can apply if you are an Engineer with a minimum of 2 years of applicable Mass Properties related experience and have completed a BS/BE STEM degree, or if you have 5 years related experience in lieu of a degree.

For application and further information visit the Certification webpage (https://www.sawe.org/training/sawe-certification/).

Feel free to ask for additional information by contacting CMPE@sawe.org.

Like Mr. Messier we are sure that the Certification program will be a success and advance your knowledge and career.

SAWE Certification needs support, especially, but not limited to, Data Management. If you are interested to join the team and advance SAWE capabilities contact dirk.petersen@sawe.org.


September 2021
SAWE Certification of Mass Properties Engineers is Ready for Applicants.

By Andy Schuster and Dirk Petersen

Don’t miss your opportunity to become a Certified Mass Properties Engineer!

Through our new SAWE certification program you can demonstrate your competency in the field of mass properties which will benefit your career and your customers.  As an employer you can rely on a certified level of competence for your employees which will improve your bottom line and safeguard you against the unexpected loss of required skills.  As a customer you can be assured that the deliverables you receive were created by a skilled supplier.

If you are an Engineer with 2 years of applicable Mass Properties related experience and have completed a BS/BE STEM degree, or if you have 5 years related experience in lieu of a degree, you can apply to take the Associate Mass Properties Engineer (AMPE) exam.  The exam will certify your general, cross-industry knowledge and competency in skills like validation and verification, measurement, customer and contract requirements, basic MPE knowledge, Systems Engineering, mass properties control plans, analysis and reporting.  Upon passing the test you will receive your AMPE certificate.

The AMPE exam is our starting level of certification. Future exams will allow applicants to progress to the Professional MPE (PMPE) level, and ultimately the Expert MPE (EMPE) level, each requiring 5 and 10 years of experience respectively and demonstrated contributions to the mass properties profession.  The AMPE level is a generalist level of knowledge and competency, while the PMPE and EMPE levels will represent industry specific knowledge and competency at increasing levels of complexity and challenge.



The process to become an AMPE is quite simple:

  • Become a member of SAWE if you are not one already.
  • Fill in the online application, pay the application fee of $150, and await acceptance that you satisfy the prerequisites to take the exam.
  • Download the basic reference documents from SAWE store using your member allowance.
  • Prepare for the exam.
    • Read and develop a working understanding of some basic references (the Aircraft, Marine, and a few chapters of the Moment of Inertia/Product of Inertia Textbooks, a few SAWE technical papers, and a few chapters of the Handbook).
    • Watch a set of online orientation videos.
  • Register online to take the exam during one of our scheduled sessions and pay the registration fee of $150.
  • Take the exam online.

Cost: $150 application fee + $150 exam fee


A 2017-18 industry poll identified that our mass properties profession will experience a large turnover in the next 5-7 years which could lead to a critical loss of knowledge and lessons learned.  The SAWE Certification of Mass Properties Engineers (CMPE) program was created to assure that knowledge is transferred from senior mass properties engineers (MPEs) to the next generation of engineers and future leaders in our profession.  The program provides a verifiable and sustainable benchmark for Mass Properties Engineers. 

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