3rd Class Part B, Paper 2 (3B2) · ABSA / SOPEEC
3B2 exam breakdown: questions per topic and the textbook chapters they cover
3B2 has 100 multiple-choice questions spread over 15 objective areas. Here is how the questions split, as listed on ABSA’s 3B2 exam result reports, which Edition 3 textbook chapters each area draws on, and a study-hours split you can set to your own schedule.
- 100multiple-choice questions
- 3 hrtime limit
- 65%pass mark, this paper alone
- ~1.8 minper question
Format: Official from SOPEEC 3rd Class exam information and ABSA AB-053 (PDF). SOPEEC says 3rd Class papers are 3 hours “in most jurisdictions”.
Where the 3B2 marks sit
- Prime movers (steam turbines, gas turbines, IC engines)31%
- Refrigeration25%
- Compressors21%
- Cogeneration and plant systems16%
- Maintenance and administration7%
- Official Syllabus sections and objectives (ABSA AB-053, sections 19 to 25)
- ABSA result report Question counts per objective area as listed on ABSA’s 3B2 exam result reports (2026). ABSA/SOPEEC don’t publish them separately; allocation can change.
- Chapter map Our mapping of each area to the 3rd Class Part B2 textbook (Edition 3) table of contents. Where two or three areas share chapters, how they split those chapters is not published.
| Objective area and chapters | Qs ABSA result report | Share | Study hrs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prime movers (steam turbines, gas turbines, IC engines)31 questions · 31% | 18.5 h | ||
| 01Steam Turbines 1 Impulse and reaction, staging and compounding, components, turbine arrangements, governors, start-up and shutdown, and turbine condensers. Textbook Ch 1–3 (Ch 3 is turbine condenser systems, AB-053 19.a.vii). How Steam Turbines 1 and 2 divide those chapters is not published. Free 3B questions → | 7 | 4 | |
| 02Steam Turbines 2 Second steam turbine area, same AB-053 section 19.a. Textbook Ch 1–3, including Ch 3 turbine condenser systems. Study all three chapters for both areas. Free 3B questions → | 7 | 4 | |
| 03Gas Turbines 1 Applications, the basic cycle and its improvements, compressors, combustors and rotors. AB-053 19.b. Textbook Ch 4–5. The split between Gas Turbines 1 and 2 is not published. Free 3B questions → | 7 | 4 | |
| 04Gas Turbines 2 Second gas turbine area: support, supervisory and control systems, starting, stopping and washing (AB-053 19.b). Textbook Ch 4–5. Free 3B questions → | 7 | 4 | |
| 05Internal Combustion Engines Gasoline and diesel engines, their support systems, and the Otto, Diesel and Brayton cycles. AB-053 19.c. Textbook Ch 6. Free 3B questions → | 3 | 2 | |
| Refrigeration25 questions · 25% | 15 h | ||
| 10Refrigeration 1 Refrigerants, compression and multi-stage systems, absorption, controls and safety devices, CSA B52, system operation and brine systems. AB-053 section 22. Textbook Ch 10–11. Free 3B questions → | 8 | 5 | |
| 11Refrigeration 2 Second refrigeration area, same AB-053 section 22. Textbook Ch 10–11. Free 3B questions → | 8 | 5 | |
| 12Refrigeration 3 Third refrigeration area, same AB-053 section 22. Textbook Ch 10–11. How the three areas divide the two chapters is not published. Free 3B questions → | 9 | 5.5 | |
| Compressors21 questions · 21% | 12.5 h | ||
| 07Compressors 1 Compression theory, reciprocating and rotary machines, dynamic compressors and surge, auxiliaries, compressed-air systems. AB-053 section 21. Textbook Ch 8–9. Free 3B questions → | 7 | 4 | |
| 08Compressors 2 Second compressor area, same AB-053 section 21. Textbook Ch 8–9. Free 3B questions → | 7 | 4 | |
| 09Compressors 3 Third compressor area, same AB-053 section 21. Textbook Ch 8–9. How the three areas divide the two chapters is not published. Free 3B questions → | 7 | 4 | |
| Cogeneration and plant systems16 questions · 16% | 9.5 h | ||
| 06Cogeneration Simple and combined cycle, gas turbine and engine cogeneration, heat recovery boilers, control and operation. AB-053 section 20. Textbook Ch 7. Free 3B questions → | 7 | 4 | |
| 13Special Industrial Equipment Heat exchangers, cooling towers and fired heaters. AB-053 section 23. Textbook Ch 12 (heat exchangers and cooling towers) and Ch 13 (fired heaters). Free 3B questions → | 6 | 3.5 | |
| 14Wastewater Treatment Pollutants, solids removal, coagulation, biological treatment, BOD/COD/pH tests and plant safety. AB-053 section 24. Textbook Ch 14. Free 3B questions → | 3 | 2 | |
| Maintenance and administration7 questions · 7% | 4 h | ||
| 15Maintenance & Administration Accountability, preventive maintenance, logs and records, critical-path turnaround planning, procedures, training and environmental practice. AB-053 section 25. Textbook Ch 15. Free 3B questions → | 7 | 4 | |
| Total | 100 | 100% | 60 |
About these numbers. ABSA’s AB-053 syllabus lists the 3B2 sections (19 Prime Movers to 25 Plant Maintenance and Administration) but doesn’t publish a question count for each. The counts above are the objective-area counts as listed on ABSA’s 3B2 exam result reports (2026), the report candidates receive after writing. They add to 100. Allocation can change, so treat them as a weighting guide; ABSA and SOPEEC are the authority on the exam.
3B2 chapter map at a glance
| Topic group | Qs | Textbook chapters (Edition 3) | AB-053 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam Turbines 1 + 2 | 14 | Ch 1–3 (Ch 3: turbine condenser systems) | 19.a (condensers: 19.a.vii) |
| Gas Turbines 1 + 2 | 14 | Ch 4–5 | 19.b |
| Internal Combustion Engines | 3 | Ch 6 | 19.c |
| Cogeneration | 7 | Ch 7 | 20 |
| Compressors 1 + 2 + 3 | 21 | Ch 8–9 | 21 |
| Refrigeration 1 + 2 + 3 | 25 | Ch 10–11 | 22 |
| Special Industrial Equipment | 6 | Ch 12 (heat exchangers, cooling towers), Ch 13 (fired heaters) | 23 |
| Wastewater Treatment | 3 | Ch 14 | 24 |
| Maintenance & Administration | 7 | Ch 15 | 25 |
| Total | 100 |
Two easy-to-miss placements: turbine condensers (Ch 3) are tested under Steam Turbines, not Special Industrial Equipment, and fired heaters (Ch 13) sit with heat exchangers and cooling towers under Special Industrial Equipment.
What this means for your study time
Prime movers are the biggest block: steam turbines, gas turbines and IC engines together are 31 of the 100 questions. Refrigeration is the largest single topic at 25 questions (8, 8 and 9 across its three areas), and compressors add another 21. Those three groups are 77 questions, so most of your hours belong in Chapters 1 to 11.
The smaller areas still count. Cogeneration and Maintenance & Administration are 7 questions each, Special Industrial Equipment is 6, and IC engines and wastewater treatment are 3 each. Don’t skip Chapter 3 because condensers feel like auxiliary equipment: they are part of the steam turbine areas. And read Chapters 12 and 13 together, since heat exchangers, cooling towers and fired heaters share one 6-question area.
A topic-weighted 3B2 study plan
The hours column above splits your topic-study time by each area’s share of the paper. Here is the order we suggest working through it:
- Start with steam turbines. Chapters 1 to 3, including turbine condenser systems. They set up the vocabulary the gas turbine and cogeneration chapters reuse.
- Then gas turbines, IC engines and cogeneration. Chapters 4 to 7. Cogeneration ties the turbine and engine material together.
- Then compressors. Chapters 8 and 9: compression theory, positive displacement and dynamic machines, surge, auxiliaries and air systems.
- Then refrigeration. Chapters 10 and 11. It is the largest single topic, so give it the hours to match.
- Finish with the plant topics. Heat exchangers and cooling towers (Ch 12), fired heaters (Ch 13), wastewater (Ch 14) and maintenance and administration (Ch 15). Read for exact wording.
- Leave time for full mocks. Each one is 3 hours plus review. Sit at least one under exam conditions before the real thing, then go back to your weakest areas only.
Want it laid out week by week? The free study planner maps your weeks to the 3rd Class units.
Practise by section
One payment buys lifetime access to the 3rd Class Part B bank, no subscription. Part B is $89. Both parts are $149, $29 less than $89 each. SMART Quiz puts the sections you score lowest on at the front of each session. It is deterministic, not AI: it ranks from your own results. Timed mocks follow the 100-question, 3-hour paper, and the 3B2 mock draws questions per section to the counts above. Worked explanations come with the bank. Part B is 813 questions across 3B1 and 3B2. Part A is 794. The bundle is 1,607. Try 50 free questions on 3B1 and 50 on 3B2 (no signup), or see pricing.
More on 3B2: what the paper covers · the 3B1 guide · the full exam format · all exam breakdowns
Common questions
Does ABSA or SOPEEC publish how many questions are on each 3B2 topic?
How many refrigeration questions are on 3B2?
Which chapters do Steam Turbines 1 and Steam Turbines 2 each cover?
Where do heat exchangers, cooling towers and fired heaters fit?
How many questions are on 3B2, and how long do I get?
What is the pass mark for 3B2?
How were the study hours worked out?
Is SteamTicket an ABSA-accepted course?
Sources
- Official SOPEEC, Third Class exam information: four papers of 100 multiple-choice questions; 65% per paper; 3 hours in most jurisdictions.
- Official ABSA, AB-053 Third Class reference syllabus (PDF) (Edition 1, Revision 2, 2022-11): Paper 3B2 sections 19 (Prime Movers) to 25 (Plant Maintenance and Administration); steam turbine condensers at 19.a.vii; heat exchangers, cooling towers and fired heaters at 23.
- ABSA result report Per-area question counts as listed on ABSA’s 3B2 exam result reports (2026). ABSA/SOPEEC don’t publish them separately; allocation can change.
- Chapter map Area-to-chapter mapping against the 3rd Class Part B2 textbook (Edition 3) table of contents. Splits between numbered sub-areas (for example Refrigeration 1, 2 and 3) are not published.
See where you stand on 3B2
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