HKIE Professional Assessment - Chemical Discipline study plan

Derive and apply the first and second laws to open steady-flow systems, and solve at least ten problems covering turbines, compressors, heat exchangers and throttling valves without reference notes.

Construct and interpret P-V, T-S and H-x diagrams for pure components and binary mixtures, and explain the physical meaning of each region boundary in writing.

Compute vapour-liquid equilibrium using Raoult's law and modified Raoult's law with activity coefficients, and state the conditions under which each approach fails.

Calculate fugacity, chemical potential and residual properties from cubic equations of state, and identify which equation of state suits a given industrial stream.

Explain non-ideal reactor and separation behaviour using thermodynamic consistency arguments, linking phase equilibrium to downstream separation design.

Set up shell momentum, energy and mass balances for simple geometries and solve them to obtain velocity, temperature and concentration profiles analytically.

Apply dimensionless groups (Reynolds, Prandtl, Schmidt, Nusselt, Sherwood, Peclet) to select and justify heat and mass transfer correlations for a specified duty.

Size a shell-and-tube heat exchanger and a packed absorption column, showing all assumptions and stating the expected uncertainty in each result.

Compare distillation, absorption, extraction and membrane separation for a stated feed and product specification, and defend your chosen route quantitatively.

Diagnose a fouled exchanger and a flooding column from operating data, and propose the corrective action with supporting calculations.

Derive rate laws from proposed mechanisms, apply the steady-state approximation, and determine kinetic parameters from batch and plug-flow data.

Size isothermal and non-isothermal CSTRs and PFRs in series, and explain multiplicity and runaway behaviour in an exothermic CSTR.

Evaluate catalyst selection, deactivation mechanisms and effectiveness factors, and quantify internal and external diffusion limitations for a given pellet.

Construct a HAZOP for a continuous process node, generating guide-word deviations with causes, consequences and safeguards, and classify each finding by risk.

Apply layer-of-protection analysis and identify independent protection layers, then judge whether a proposed safeguard is genuinely independent.

Perform a consequence assessment for a flammable release using source, dispersion and fire or explosion models, and state the limitations of each model used.

Determine area classification, select equipment for a hazardous zone, and justify the selection against the relevant standard.

Assemble a risk matrix and ALARP argument for a real or realistic facility, distinguishing individual, societal and occupational risk.

Map the applicable Hong Kong statutory framework for a chemical plant (including dangerous goods, occupational safety and environmental permitting) and identify the duties each imposes on the responsible engineer.

Prepare an emergency response and evacuation plan outline with defined trigger criteria and communication lines.

Tune a PID controller for a first-order-plus-dead-time process using at least two methods and compare the resulting closed-loop responses.

Design a control strategy for a multi-unit process, including cascade, ratio and override control, and explain how each loop handles a specified failure.

Specify instrumentation with correct range, accuracy, materials and hazardous-area certification for three representative measurements.

Assess a corrosion case, select the material or protective method, and set a remaining-life inspection interval based on measured wall loss.

Build a risk-based inspection plan and justify the inspection method, frequency and acceptance criteria for a pressure vessel and a piping circuit.

Develop a process flow diagram and heat and material balance for a defined duty, and reconcile the balance against a converged simulation.

Perform a scale-up calculation for a mixing or reaction step, identify the governing similarity criterion, and state which parameters cannot be held constant.

Build a capital cost estimate and a discounted cash flow model, and calculate NPV, IRR and payback for a stated project.

Compare contract forms and allocate risk between client and contractor for a specified scope, explaining the consequences of each allocation.

Prepare a project schedule with critical path, identify the top three schedule risks, and propose mitigation with cost implications.

Quantify the carbon footprint of a process, identify the dominant emission sources, and evaluate two decarbonisation options on cost per tonne abated.

Assess a circular economy intervention (recycling, reuse, or by-product valorisation) for technical feasibility and net environmental benefit using a mass-balance basis.

Apply the engineering code of conduct to three realistic ethical dilemmas, identifying the conflicting duties and the correct course of action.

Explain the statutory duties of a responsible engineer for safety, environmental reporting and competence, and describe the escalation route when a safety concern is overruled.

Evaluate an energy efficiency retrofit with a pinch analysis or equivalent, and state the practical and economic constraints on the result.

Complete two full-length timed mock assessments under examination conditions and record your score by domain.

Re-derive the twenty relations you most often misremember, and correct each error in your reference sheet.

Revisit every question you answered incorrectly in weeks one to seven, and confirm you can now explain the correct method without notes.

Practise presenting a design or safety conclusion verbally in five minutes, anticipating the follow-up questions an assessor would ask.

Finalise a one-page examination strategy covering time allocation, question selection and how you will handle an unfamiliar calculation.