A mechanistic model for forced convective transition boiling has been developed to predict transition boiling heat flux realistically. This model is based on a postulated multi­stage boiling process occurring during the passage time of an elongated vapor blanket specified at a critical heat flux condition. Between the departure from nucleate boiling (DNB) and the departure from film boiling (DFB) points, the boiling heat transfer is established through three boiling stages, namely, the macrolayer evaporation and dryout governed by nucleate boiling in a thin liquid film and the unstable film boiling. The total heat transfer rate during the transition boiling is the sum of the heat transfer rates after the DNB weighted by the time fractions of each stage, which are defined as the ratio of each stage duration to the vapor blanket passage time. The model predictions are compared with some available experimental transition boiling data. From these comparisons, it can be seen that the transition boiling heat fluxes including the maximum heat flux and the minimum film boiling heat flux are nil predicted at low qualities/high pressures near 10 bar.