PE Electrical Electronics study guide
PE Electrical Electronics · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam is the NCEES-administered examination that tests for a minimum level of competency in a particular engineering discipline. NCEES offers more than 20 different PE exams, and one of them is Electrical and Computer: Electrical and Electronics. It is designed for engineers who have gained a minimum of four years post-college work experience in their chosen engineering discipline, so most candidates sit for it after building a record of responsible charge under licensed supervision. The exam is discipline-specific: it probes the depth of engineering judgment you apply on the job rather than broad fundamentals, which is why professional experience is expected before you attempt it. Because the exam is offered in many jurisdictions, requirements vary by state or territory; candidates should confirm eligibility with their licensing board and then register and schedule through their MyNCEES account. Preparation should be built around the exam specifications for your discipline, a focused review of the technical topics you actually practice, and timed practice under exam conditions so you can manage both the depth of the problems and the clock. Topics on this exam: Electrical and Computer: Electrical and Electronics. The PE Electrical Electronics study guide has 1 section and about 423 words.
01Electrical and Computer: Electrical and Electronics
The Electrical and Computer: Electrical and Electronics PE exam tests applied design and analysis across linear circuits, electronic devices, digital systems, power conversion, and power-system fundamentals. Expect quantitative items that combine a model with a practical constraint: choose a device rating, compute a transfer function, interpret a phasor, or check a protection setting. Answers usually hinge on one modeling decision, so state assumptions explicitly. Use nodal and mesh analysis with passive sign convention; keep resistor values in ohms and source values in volts or amps before combining.
423 words, about 2 minMore study resources for PE Electrical Electronics
- Practice questionsA 480 V, three-phase induction motor draws 60 A at a power factor of 0.85 lagging.
- FlashcardsPer-unit impedance formula. Z pu equals actual impedance divided by base impedance, where Z base = V base squared over S base.
- Cheat sheetPer-unit conversion: Z pu = Z actual / Z base, with Z base = V base² / S base (three-phase: V base is line-to-line, S base is three-phase).
- Key termsPer-unit system. A method of normalizing voltages, currents, impedances, and powers by dividing each quantity by a chosen base value, simplifying transformer and multi-voltage-level calculations by removing turns ratios from the equivalent circuit.
- Study planBuild a one-page formula sheet for DC circuit analysis covering Ohm's law, Kirchhoff's voltage and current laws, series/parallel reduction, and voltage/current dividers.
- Common mistakesMost candidates last sat a timed, closed-book engineering exam in university; they underestimate how much the breadth of topics (circuits, power, electronics, control, communications, digital) forces rapid formula selection rather than derivation, and they default to passive review because it feels productive.
- Exam-day guideBring the original, unexpired ID in the exact name used on your registration.