# Graffeo Practice Exam



## DLD PE (Sep 4, 2019)

This post is both a review and request for any answers for those who have gone through the Graffeo practice exam.

The Graffeo Guide is popular among many test takers and it's easy to see why.  It might be weak in a few areas but overall it's an easy to read book with easy to follow examples and diagrams.  I took the practice exam (at the end of the book) recently and here is what I found:

I see a lot of people ask if this exam is "way too easy", and I can see why.  There are a lot of questions that can easily be solved by simply referring to a similar example problem in one of the chapters, or by simply looking up the answer in one of the chapters.  Fair argument, but in reality, you're going to have so many notes and worked out problems in your bound notes that you're probably going to do something similar during the actual exam.  Other practice exams like NCEES and Eng Pro Guides force you to get your answers from other sources, so those are more effective practice exams.  One thing you could try to is force yourself to take Graffeo without looking at any other part of the book, but that's taking away a key reference you'll definitely use during the exam.

Anyway, I also found several problems were simply repeats of an earlier problem, just worded differently.  This somewhat limits the variety of problems found in there.  On another note, some problems I found I could only solve using an unexpected reference such as Wildi or Glover.  Those are the problems I really enjoyed getting right.

This may be the objective of the author (which is realistic), but few problems seemed so far out in left field I still don't understand the solution.  They are problems # 41, 61, 65 and 74.  I will post them below and perhaps one of you could shed light on them?  Thank you in advance.


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## DLD PE (Sep 4, 2019)

View attachment 20190904132826896.pdf


Here is question 41.  I have looked and looked, but still don't understand how "60Hz currents normally penetrate deeper into the human body than high frequency currents".


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## DLD PE (Sep 4, 2019)

View attachment 20190904132757615.pdf


Question 61.  Just seems like an odd question but at least it's realistic.  I've never seen a question of this type on any other practice exam and still don't quite understand the author's solution and explanation.


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## DLD PE (Sep 4, 2019)

View attachment 20190904132741557.pdf


No clue on this one either.  I even have a reference book which dedicates a few pages on thunderstorm activity and they don't call the maps "isokeraunic".  I guess it's something you either know or you don't.


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## DLD PE (Sep 4, 2019)

View attachment 20190904132813179.pdf


This one really bugs me.  In Graffeo's book, choices (a) and (c) are listed as one of the defining parameters for the 2 Wattmeter method.  I wish I had scanned that page to show you, but I don't see why choice (c) would be any "truer" than choice (a).  They're both correct in my opinion.


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## a4u2fear (Sep 5, 2019)

I agree with you.  I think the crane and wattmeter are both good questions for the exam, the others, I didn't waste my time trying to figure out before I took it.

I think the wattmeter question if I can remember is just memorizing or looking up those different scenarios.  The crane is definitely a relatable question in real life.


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## DLD PE (Sep 5, 2019)

a4u2fear said:


> I agree with you.  I think the crane and wattmeter are both good questions for the exam, the others, I didn't waste my time trying to figure out before I took it.
> 
> I think the wattmeter question if I can remember is just memorizing or looking up those different scenarios.  The crane is definitely a relatable question in real life.


Yes.  I feel pretty comfortable with wattmeter questions, but just wondering if both answers (A and C) are correct for #74.  As for the crane question, where would I go (references) to find more information on something like that?


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## Drewism (Sep 5, 2019)

Forget the Graffeo practice exams. They're too easy. I suggest the Shorebrook 80 question practice exam. It's a bit more difficult and forces you to use your references. There's also a good variety of questions. The only issue I had with it was the poor English in some questions and there were some glaring mistakes. Overall it was good to see fresh practice questions.


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## LyceeFruit PE (Sep 5, 2019)

I'll be honest I haven't done the Graffeo questions but I found out I had access to it through work so I skimmed through the questions. I wouldn't really spend much time on them. I've taken the exam a few times and the Graffeo questions are a below what you'll see on the exam.


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## DLD PE (Sep 5, 2019)

I appreciate the feedback.  I'm not familiar with the "Shorebrook 80 Question Practice Exam" though.


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## Drewism (Sep 5, 2019)

It's "Power Practice PE Power: Electrical and Computer Power PE Exam" by Shorebrook LLC. It's on Amazon for $29.00. Check it out. I actually enjoyed it.


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## LyceeFruit PE (Sep 5, 2019)

Drewism said:


> It's "Power Practice PE Power: Electrical and Computer Power PE Exam" by Shorebrook LLC. It's on Amazon for $29.00. Check it out. I actually enjoyed it.


Do you mind posting a picture of one of the questions? The preview pages on Amazon are illegible. This is the first time I've heard of it as well so I'm curious


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## Drewism (Sep 5, 2019)

Here is a look at some of the problems. I felt they offered more of a challenge than some other books. It was good to see new problems after doing Graffeo, Complex Imaginary and EngProGuides.


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## FLOrida (Sep 7, 2019)

I remember the grafeeo book was kind of weirdly laid out and also seemed a bit too easy.

But I think there were at least two questions on the exam which were identical. I even think that for one I simply had to plug and chug values.

I can't say this was a must, but I did all the practice exams I could grab ahold of, especially since my degree wasn't EE. I also had the free time to study so much


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## CoquiPR (Sep 12, 2019)

In my opinion, the Graffeo book is very well explained. Good reference. But it is disorganized. The Index is not helpful. I suggest that you create your own Index based on the outline that NCEES gives on their site. Don't rely on it. Learn to use other references (NEC, NESC, NFPA 70E, NFPA 497, 499, 30B) I used Graffeo as a reference. I based my study on Engineering Pro Guides and I passed.

I wish you the best!

View attachment Power-April-2018_1.pdf


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## BebeshKing PE (Feb 4, 2020)

MEtoEE said:


> Yes.  I feel pretty comfortable with wattmeter questions, but just wondering if both answers (A and C) are correct for #74.  As for the crane question, where would I go (references) to find more information on something like that?


I am also wondering if A and C are both correct answers. Could someone please confirm? 

thank you.


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## DLD PE (Feb 5, 2020)

BebeshKing said:


> I am also wondering if A and C are both correct answers. Could someone please confirm?
> 
> thank you.


Thanks for re-posting this, as I never got an answer to it.


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## Dude99 (Feb 12, 2020)

MEtoEE said:


> View attachment 13754
> 
> 
> Here is question 41.  I have looked and looked, but still don't understand how "60Hz currents normally penetrate deeper into the human body than high frequency currents".


Lethality has 2 factors

Duration/time and i magnitude

i  = 175/(sqrt t)

i mA, t in sec, , 175 is avg wt in lbs

look up Dalziel (invented the gfci), an EE prof at ucla iirc

a static charge is uSec so a higher i can be tolerated, TC ~ RC, typ body R 600-1200 Ohm, very little C


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## Dude99 (Feb 12, 2020)

MEtoEE said:


> View attachment 13756
> 
> 
> No clue on this one either.  I even have a reference book which dedicates a few pages on thunderstorm activity and they don't call the maps "isokeraunic".  I guess it's something you either know or you don't.


Most texts on transients have a chapter on lightning, most common cause of outages


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