It has been established that zirconia nanosheets have many potential applications when compared with other materials possessing similar properties; however, the utilization of most of their potentials is constrained due to minimal data currently available on its mechanical properties. In this paper, the Young�s modulus of single-layered zirconia nanosheets is predicted based on the concept of the finite element analysis. The nanosheet was modelled structurally as a hexagonal network of bonds connected by zirconium and oxygen atoms. Zirconia nanosheets with different dimensions and chirality were simulated with bonds between the atoms regarded as beam elements. The Young�s modulus of the nanosheet was determined based on the combination of molecular mechanics and structural mechanics. The results obtained from the modeling indicates that the technique used is a viable tool for predicting mechanical properties of cubic zirconia nanosheets at a lower computational cost when compared to complex ab initio molecular dynamics and sophisticated experimental techniques. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015.