# Passed the PE? How dd you do it?



## shezadeh

Not sure if one of these threads has already been made, but I thought this would be helpful. Perhaps people can reply in this fashion, such that future readers may find it easy to see the information they are looking for.

_Exam taken: _

_Educational background:_

_How long did you study?_

_Did you take a prep course? If so, which one?_

_State: _

_List of materials you brought into the exam:_

_List of mateirals you think you should have brought but didn't:_

_General advice:_

I am currently organizing all of the books I used in the exam. Will post once I find them all!


----------



## hello1

Power dicipline

Undergrad in microwaves and antennas Masters degree focused on power

Studied 3 months probably 3-4 time per week. Total study time probably 100 hours

I did not take any prep course. My studying was primarily doing practice problems in the NCEES practice test but doing an in-depth review of the subject matter. Even if I knew the answer to the question I would find it in one of my references and read the section just to refresh my memory on the topic.

I took the test in Utah

Exam Day materials: Calculators(2) only needed 1 but had the back up just in case.

Power Reference Manual from PPI. (Great book to have for the seemingly random topics that will be seen on the test such as probability, reliability, or economics)

Elements of Power System Analysis by Stevenson (some questions on the test were actually examples in this book).

All the practice tests that I worked through. (I did my work in the practice test so it would be easy to find along with page numbers in my references.)

Finally, the National Electric Code Handbook (must have for the power test).

My materials seemed totally adequate, wished I would have had a book more specialized on transformers in the test but don't know what reference that would be.

My only advice is to make sure you learn the topics and don't focus so much on specific questions because those questions will probably not be on the test. The other idea is to be familiar with your references. If are going to use it on the practice tests take it with you to the test. Know your references!!!!


----------



## ee_gator

_Exam taken: _Power, Oct 2012

_Educational background: _BSEE, MBA

_Professional Background: _Power indusrtry, specifically 7 years in the distribution and transmission organizations

_How long did you study? _125-150 hours between end of 2012 summer semester and two days before the exam

_Did you take a prep course? _No

_State: _FL

_List of materials you brought into the exam: _NEC, NESC, PPI Power Manual, Notebook of worked problems, PPI sample problems

_List of mateirals you think you should have brought but didn't: _Book on motors and one on transformers

_General advice: _Get your sleep the night before and put in the hours of study. Work problems under time limits at home_._

Also, I probably had the least amount of reference materials in the room, but I would bet that I knew my refernce materials better than anyone else. Don't take a bunch of materials that will bog you done. Know what you don't know.


----------



## bobadrew

_Exam taken: Power_

_Educational background: BSEE, BBA_

_How long did you study? 200 _

_Did you take a prep course? Yes, Testmasters (Houston, TX)_

_State: MS_

_List of materials you brought into the exam: NEC, NESC (didn't need or use),Wildi Book, NCEES Sample Problems, Spin-Up Problems, Camara Book, Testmasters Notebook with Notes, Handwritten equation sheet from working problems_

_List of mateirals you think you should have brought but didn't: None_

_General advice: Work as many problems as you can find. Know your resource material - don't waste time looking through a lot of books. Make your own equation sheet with ones that you need the most or have trouble remembering. Know the code book and those questions will be easy and save you time for calculations. Know buck / boost configuration for transformers._

_Good luck to everyone!_


----------



## Gaussy

_Exam taken: _Power, Oct 2012

_Educational background: _BSEE, MSEE

_Professional Background: _Applied R&amp;D (energy systems and controls)

_How long did you study? _150 hrs

_Did you take a prep course? _Yes (PPI online; wouldn't recommend; my most useful study time was spent problem solving Wildi and Grainger book problems)

_State: _FL

_List of materials you brought into the exam: _NEC, Wildi Book, Grainger Book, PPI Power Manual, PPI sample problems, NCEES Sample exam

_List of materials you think you should have brought but didn't: _better reference on protective relaying

_General advice: _Take your time to carefully read the problem; most are very easy to solve. Most of the test is fundamentals. Also, have a strategy such as multiple passes with each pass solving problems of varying degrees of perceived difficulty.


----------



## bseepeguy

shezadeh said:


> Not sure if one of these threads has already been made, but I thought this would be helpful. Perhaps people can reply in this fashion, such that future readers may find it easy to see the information they are looking for.




Hey shezadeh,

I know you passed the Electrical/ Electronics exam. Could you fill out the form too?


----------



## DBL

*Exam taken: *Electrical &amp; Electronics, Oct 2012

*Educational background: *BSEE, 10 yrs ago

*Professional background:* Transportation. Not a lot of sustained, in depth use of power or electronics theory on the job. I was on the fence between EE and Power exams (glad I chose EE).

*How long did you study? *Probably 150 hrs total, at about 6 - 8 hrs per week on average (some weeks more, others not at all) for 2.5 months leading up to the exam plus full days of cramming in the last week. I think it also helped that I just took the FE in April 2012 so I was fairly brushed up on math and basic EE topics heading in.

_*Did you take a prep course?* If so, which one? _Yes, PPI online prep course

_State: _VA

*List of materials you brought into the exam: *PPI prep books for Electrical &amp; Electronics (including Camara's reference manual, practice problems &amp; practice exam), NCEES practice exam, NCEES FE Exam Reference Manual, NEC. More on these below.

*List of materials you think you should have brought but didn't: *None

*General advice: *Start studying as early as possible, but don't stress if you're not as far along as you would like, a couple of weeks out. I accomplished a lot coming down the stretch by just sticking to the practice exams (primarily NCEES but some work with Camara's practice exam early in the week, as well). While studying the practice exams I added additional detail and notes, as well as subject tabs, to the Camara reference manual, and was able to use this reference almost exclusively during the exam. I didn't have a furniture dolly, and I still didn't open most of the books I brought, at all, including the NEC book and the Camara Practice Problems. I did use these constantly as placeholders, paperweights and to prop up the other reference books, though.


----------



## DBL

Just wanted to add a sidenote regarding backup calculators. Everyone's probably heard the horror stories already, but just in case.

When I took the FE in April, the young guy sitting next to me was kicked out of the exam because he had in his possession a basic 4 or 5 function calculator as a backup to his primary calculator which was on the approved list. The contraband was only in his possession for literally a few minutes after the exam started. It was clearly placed on the desk, not hidden at all. I don't believe he ever touched it before a proctor spotted it. Lastly, and unlike the PE exam I sat for in Oct, they never made a specific oral announcement alerting people to this risk prior to distributing the exams. Apparently none of that mattered and after continuing to work for about 30 - 45 min after the initial proctor removed his calculator, the gentleman was instructed to leave by the main proctor.

Short version: while it may seem obvious, be sure to read all of the exam instructions that are emailed to you carefully, and ensure that ALL calculators in your possession are on the approved list.


----------



## fornbera

*Exam taken:* October 2012

*Educational background:* BSEE 2004 and then worked at utility engineering companies. Mostly building power plants (coal, natural gas, solar, scrubbers)

*How long did you study?* I started about 3 months before hand. I would estimate I spent about 120 hrs studying

*Did you take a prep course?* *If so, which one?* No, found them to be ridiculously expensive.

*State:* CO

*List of materials you brought into the exam:*

John A. Camara; Power Reference Manual for the Electrical and Computer PE Exam

Complex Imaginary Complete Set (Volumes 1-4)

Homemade Exam 3-ring binder

NCEES practice test

2011 NEC

*List of materials you think you should have brought but didn't:*

None really, well maybe more snacks. J

*General advice:*

The best advice I can give is the following:

Step #1: Print out the PE Power Exam Specification Sheet from the NCEES website, which says what is going to be on the test:

http://cdn3.ncees.co/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Exam-specifications_PE-Ele-POW-Apr-2009.pdf

Step #2: Make a 3-ring binder with tab for each of the areas of study that is in the above mentioned index sheet.

Step #3: Gather your materials. Get your hands on as many practice problems as possible. You definitely need the NCEES practice test. I also got the Complex Imaginary Complete Set (volumes 1-4), but I heard the Spin-up practice test are good too. Make sure to bring the latest version of the NEC code. Get yourself a calculator that can handle both rectangular and polar vectors, it will save you a bunch of time and possible screw ups. If you don't, you'll be spending half the test doing pythagorean theorem. I recommend the TI-36X Pro. I believe one of the HP calculators does it as well but the rest of the approved NCEES calculators will not.

Step #4: Practice, practice, practice!! Do as many problems as you can. Every time you have to use a formula, or a weird tid-bit of information comes up, or just something you don’t know first-hand, write it down in your newly minted three-ring binder in the appropriate section. Also, while doing the problems create a spreadsheet that keeps track of your percent right/wrong and the time it takes you to complete the problems. Get a feel for the average time it takes you to solve a problem. It will help you realize when you are spending too much time on one problem during the test. Due further research when you feel weak on a subject

Step #5: Don’t party the night before. The test is a mental marathon. Take mind breaks and bring snacks to the test.

Remember that you are learning how to take the PE test, not how to become a great engineer. Don’t waste your time trying to learn everything there is to know, just learn what is going to be on the test. Hopefully that helps, worked for me.


----------



## danderson

_Exam taken: _Power, Oct 2012

_Educational background: _BSEE

_Professional Background: _Power indusrtry, 6 years in the distribution, 2.5 in nuclear

_How long did you study? _4 months, a few hours 5 days a week.

_Did you take a prep course? _No

_State: AL_

_List of materials you brought into the exam: _NEC, NESC, PPI Power Manual, Notebook of worked problems, Complex Imaginary exams, Notebook of random reference material I printed of the net.

_List of mateirals you think you should have brought but didn't: Books with variable speed drives reference material. WIldi would have been my choice._

_General advice: _Get your sleep the night before and put in the hours of study. Work problems over and over again.


----------



## shezadeh

bseepeguy said:


> shezadeh said:
> 
> 
> 
> Not sure if one of these threads has already been made, but I thought this would be helpful. Perhaps people can reply in this fashion, such that future readers may find it easy to see the information they are looking for.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hey shezadeh,
> 
> I know you passed the Electrical/ Electronics exam. Could you fill out the form too?
Click to expand...

Working on it right now


----------



## shezadeh

_*Exam taken: *_Electrical and Electronics

*Educational background: *BSEE, graduated 1.5 years ago. Currently working in power industry, but in an I&amp;C position.

*How long did you study?* Roughly 6 months. For the first 1.5 months, did about 2 hours a day starting with topics I found interesting. Then went on a ~2 month hiatus... Started again at about an hour a day. For the last 1.5 months or so, did at least 2 hours a day. Did 5+ hours on Saturdays and Sundays for the last month.

I used the PPI books to study. I found them good in many areas, but lacking in some areas that are simply difficult to test on, such as instrumentation. For this, and similar topics, I would recommend referring to additional material. I actually used YouTube to supplement my studies. I feel that some topics, such as op-amps, are easier to learn when you see someone working out problems vs. reading a book (so I say, read book first and then watch videos)

*Did you take a prep course? If so, which one?* No

*State: * IL

*List of materials you brought into the exam:* Casio FX-115ES calculator, PPI Electrical and Electronics Reference Manual, PPI Electrical and Electronics Sample Exam, PPI Electrical and Electronics Sample Problems, NCEES Sample Exam, Digital Logic textbook (Mano/Kime), Solid State textbook (Pierret), Microelectronics book (Sedra/Smith), Transmission line book (Davidson), FE supplied reference book, and a binder with notes on topics I found difficult during my prep period (make sure you 3 hole punch this. You cannot simply write in a wire bound notebook as far as my understanding goes).

*List of mateirals you think you should have brought but didn't: * Books on basic Power Systems, Communications, E&amp;M (EE style, not Physics), and Control Systems. Bring materials you are somewhat familiar with. The greatest book in the world will not help you that much if you cannot find your way through it. The list of topics on the NCEES website is a good guide for choosing references. I would take one reference for topic. Better to have more that you don't need, than have less than what you need.

*General advice: *

1. Start early. Cannot stress this enough.

2. Make a week by week, or bi-weekly study plan. List all of the topics on the exam and what week you plan to study them. Make sure you leave some margin in case you get sick or get tired of it all (like my 2 months of nothing)

3. Get good references, they will help you during the exam. Yes, it's pricey, but worth it at the end. You'll be able to sell them on amazon, half.com, eBay soon after the test anyways. This also goes for using good textbooks. Study with these references so you become familiar with them. I restate: The greatest book in the world will not help you that much if you cannot find your way through it.

4. Work on many problems. If you get one wrong, look at the worked out solution, and then try it again without looking. Repeat if necessary. Try to understand what you missed, not just blindly copy over and over.

5. While studying, use tabs on your references! Label these tabs or color code them. Again, you will thank yourself later during the exam.

6. Make a 3 ring binder with material on problems/topics you found difficult. Make this binder as you are studying. Organize it in an understandable fashion. I saw a few others had done this as well. I myself got the idea from these forums a few months ago.

7. Bring every reference you feel you will need, provided you won't find it cluttering. I thought I brought in a lot of books, but I had far less than many people.

8. Bring good snacks and a good, light lunch. My lunch for the FE and PE consisted of water, 2 apples, and granola bars.

9. Earplugs can be useful if you don't find them awkward

10. Focus on material you are weak on. Don't just finish a topic 'just to finish it/mark it off your list'

Hope that helps!


----------



## cupojoe PE PMP

So I haven't received results yet, but wanted to get my notes on here while they are still fresh in mind.

_Exam taken: Electrical - Power_

_Educational background: BS Electrical Engineering (Missouri S&amp;T)_

_How long did you study? 4 months_

_Did you take a prep course? If so, which one? Yes, schoolofpe.com_

_State: Missouri_

_List of materials you brought into the exam:_

-My own Crib Sheets

_-_EPRM

-NEC 2011 Handbook

-Power System Analysis (Grainger)

-Electrical Machines, Drives and Power Systems (Wildi)

-SchoolofPE notes

-SchoolofPE practice questions/solutions

-NESC

-IEEE C37.2 (ANSI device numbers, etc)

-All the sample problems that I worked (PPI, NCEES, etc)

-NFPA 70E - didn't use, but I'm fairly familiar with it

-Electric Machinery (Fitzgerald, Kinsington, et al) - Didn't use/need

-Power System Analysis and Deisgn (Glover, Sarma, Overbyte) - Didn't use/need

_List of materials you think you should have brought but didn't: _I wish I would've spent more time relearning power electronics.

_General advice:_

If there is one piece of advice I would give, get both the Wildi and Grainger books. These books are absolutely key. I found several questions verbatim out of the text of these two books that I would not have had good answers to otherwise. If you have to beg/borrow these books from a coworker for a few months, do it. Tab the heck out of it. It will pay dividends.

My personal crib sheets were great for the 'easy stuff' It was nice to have the simple things like voltage regulation eqn and change of per unit base listed right there. To me these are only useful if you write them.

The School of PE class was good but I haven't decided if I'm sold on it. It really helped with the NEC portions. I was disappointed by how they just read the slides to you. Also many of their slides come out of the NCEES, PPI, Grainger, and Wildi books. It is so bad that some of the diagrams are difficult to read because they are pixelated from the scan. That all said, it did help focus my studying. Especially on the code section they asked several questions that made you look at several of the exceptions, which is really helpful. The circuit analysis week was the second best week (week 2), followed by the T&amp;D week (week 4). The 3rd week, motors and drives was disappointing, there were lots of mistakes in the equations in the notes. They did have really good explanations &amp; practice problems for autotransformers. They also added an extra 2-3 hour engineering economics session. This was extremely helpful and was worth the extra study. Overall, I liked the focus/accountability it gave me, but some of the other things were annoying. YMMV.

Have solid worked examples (in your own handwriting) of per unit conversions. Also, try to get in the habit of always working in single-phase PU. Maybe that last part is bad advice, but when I started doing that I seemed to get more practice problems right.

The EPRM is good, but can't be your one-stop shop. I'd buy it again, but don't for a second think you can get by with this book. But it did help with a few questions. There is a lot of fluff in this book.

I took a copy of the NESC, and I'm glad I did.

Some people on here have suggested Ugly's pocket reference. I own one of these and think it is the single worst reference in the world. If you try to size a cable based on this book, it will be wrong since it doesn't take into account proper deratings.

I bought 7 days of the PPI exam cafe a few days before the exam. I will never see that $35 again. I might as well have ripped it up in the shower, because I would've wasted less time. Do not buy this product.


----------



## iahim

cupojoe said:


> Some people on here have suggested Ugly's pocket reference. I own one of these and think it is the single worst reference in the world. If you try to size a cable based on this book, it will be wrong since it doesn't take into account proper deratings.


Are you kidding? The crane hand signs helped me out a lot! Joking aside, for the last AM problem, the answer was in Ungly's. None of my other references had that info.


----------



## cupojoe PE PMP

Haha, yeah, there are some



iahim said:


> cupojoe said:
> 
> 
> 
> Some people on here have suggested Ugly's pocket reference. I own one of these and think it is the single worst reference in the world. If you try to size a cable based on this book, it will be wrong since it doesn't take into account proper deratings.
> 
> 
> 
> Are you kidding? The crane hand signs helped me out a lot! Joking aside, for the last AM problem, the answer was in Ungly's. None of my other references had that info.
Click to expand...

Haha, there is some useful info in there. I guess my point is, there is much more that goes into determining cable ampacity than what that tiny book could cover. More of a pet peve of mine from work.


----------



## Redskinsdb21

I took ppi...and GaTech...GayTech binder helped me more than anything...but I had to put extensive time in learning it and thats what you have to do for this exam...after the binder...I studied CI, Spinup and NCEES exam and could do them all in a couple hours...thats what helped me pass it no problem


----------



## iahim

Redskinsdb21 said:


> ...GayTech binder helped me more than anything...


Good to know...


----------



## Ship Wreck PE

iahim said:


> Redskinsdb21 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...GayTech binder helped me more than anything...
> 
> 
> 
> Good to know...
Click to expand...

Where is this school???


----------



## ali1361

What is EPRM, CI, Spinup?


----------



## EEpowerOK

I graduated with a BSEE in 1990 so I had to some catching up to do. I used all the test practice exams (Comples, Spinup, Kaplan, NCEES) and NEC code book. I think Kaplan was the best test book for preparation of the Oct exam.


----------



## AggieELEN

_*Exam taken:* _

_Power October 2013_

_*Educational background:* _

_BSEE - In Oil &amp; Gas Industry with 7 years experience_

_*How long did you study?* _

_Started studying in June, doing about an hour a night 5 nights a week. Upped that to 2 hours a night in August, 4 nights a week. 2 hours a night, 5 days a week + a few hours on Saturday in September. Then as much as I possibly could in October - 3+ hours 4-5 nights a week, plus 8+ hours on Saturdays and Sundays studying with a small group, which I think helped me more than anything_

*Did you take a prep course? If so, which one? *

_Took Testmasters in Houston. It helped, but I was glad I had studied prior to taking the class. I would have been lost the first weekend if I hadn't already put in quite a few hours. I dont know that I would recommend it to friends. I had friends who took GaTech and liked it a lot, and I used a few of their videos and their notebook occasionally and thought it was just as good as Testmasters but half the price. _

*State: *

_TX_

*List of materials you brought into the exam:*

_Testmasters Notebook, My own notebook of formulas and worked problems, NEC Handbook (absolutely necessary to get the CURRENT handbook IMO), CI and Spinup Exams (all solved in my own handwriting), GaTech Binder, NESC (glad I took that with me, even if I hadnt studied it at all), Power Systems Analysis, Electrical Drives book by Wildi_

*List of mateirals you think you should have brought but didn't: *

_I literally brought everything I had ever used. I had a lot of books. I dont think this is a bad thing as long as you are able to control yourself. I knew I didnt have a lot of time on each problem, so I worked 95% of time out of my first 4 books listed above. I hadn't studied much out of Power Systems Analysis or Electrical Drives, but I did use them on the test for a couple of questions at the end when I was just searching for ANYTHING that would help with my last few problems. Turns out it was a good decision as both books helped me solve a problem or two. Every point counts! _

*General advice:*

1. Study early, Study often. I studied probably 125-140 hours, then 60+ for Testmasters.

2. Control yourself during the test. Half of the test is being able to calm down and not freak out when you don't have a clue what the problem is asking. If I felt myself panic at all during a problem, I skipped it and came back to it later, slowed down, took a breath, and really tried to figure out the basics to the problem.

3. Don't get carried away searching through all of your material on the test. Stick to a couple of books, and use your other books at the end if you have time.

4. Make a study group! Even if it is just one other person to keep you accountable. I didn't study with anyone for 95% of my study time, but I had a friend at work and we would call each other every morning to talk about what we studied the night before. Just a quick 5 minute conversation, but it helped keep us both accountable and it was slightly embarrassing if I skipped a night to admit it the next morning. It got me studying a lot of nights that I wouldn't have otherwise. We studied as a small group (3 people) Saturday and Sunday the last month and we all learned a lot doing practice tests together.

5. Make your own formula sheet, even if you have a formula sheet from a friend or past test-taker. If you don't know your formula sheets inside and outside, you will not pass the test.

6. Early in your studying time, study things that interest you or are applicable to your job. It will keep you going when it is difficult to get started. Save the boring subjects for a little while later when you are struggling but have a study partner that can help motivate you.

7. The day before the test, get your things packed early in the day and spend the afternoon doing something you enjoy! I watched a couple of movies and relaxed, then spent the night in a hotel close to the testing facility. I figured if I didn't know the material by that point, it was already too late. It helped me calm down and helped me to sleep better that night knowing I had spent time that day making sure I had everything I needed the next morning.

8. *Work your freaking butt off!* It is worth it! Put in the time early on, study as much as you possibly can, and it will pay off!

Good luck to those of you who are just about to start studying. Read all the review material you can, and work every problem you can get your hands on. You can do it! I was very nervous going in, and I didn't feel like I knew very much material at all when I started studying. I put in my hours and ended up with an 88 on the test. If I can do it, anyone can.


----------



## daw4888

I dont think the NESC is required. I would just get a copy of the table of contents, and know what the NESC covers. If you have the GTech Binder, its included in that. I wouldnt waste time going through the NESC book.


----------



## daw4888

_Exam taken: Oct 2013_

_Educational background: BSEE, MSEE, MBA_

_How long did you study? About 2 months, maybe 100 hours Total including GTech Class_

_Did you take a prep course? If so, which one? Gtech_

_State: OK_

_List of materials you brought into the exam: NEC W/tabs (I dont know if tabs are really needed), GTech Binder, _Power System Analysis (Grainger), Electrical Machines, Drives and Power Systems (Wildi), My personal equation page, and some random things off the web(Econ Charts, Lighting Reference), NCEES Test, CI 1-4.

_List of materials you think you should have brought but didn't: I think I brought everything I needed. I used every one of my references for at least one problem(some for only 1). And There was only maybe 1-2 problems that I couldn't find some reference to, but they were very off the wall to begin with, so I don't think having another 2-3 books would have helped on them._

_General advice: Don't Panic. Even if you think you did terrible on one of the sections you might be ok. I thought I didnt do so hot on the second section, but I passed. _


----------



## chilidogfood

_*Exam taken:*_

_Power October 2013_

_*Educational background:*_

_BSEE - In Oil &amp; Gas Industry with 4 years experience_

_*How long did you study?* _

_Started studying in August, doing about an hour a night 4 nights a week after work. As it got closer to October, I started spending more time each day thinking about problems working a couple in my free time. I spent all of early October doing practice problems solo and with friends. _

*Did you take a prep course? If so, which one? *

_No, but I had an old test masters course book to look at._

*State: *

_TX_

*List of materials you brought into the exam:*

_Testmasters Notebook with my own notes, NEC Handbook, CI and Spinup Exams (all solved in my own handwriting), GaTech Binder, NESC_

*General advice:*

1. Study early, Study often. Make a study schedule / calendar before you start. It will help you stay on track and keep pace.

2. Number the problems from 1 to 3 (according to difficulty) and NEC/NESC before you begin to work. It will help if you can do all of the NEC/NESC questions at once, then the problems from easy to hard. I was able to finish each test portion about 2 hours early with that method. (Including checking answers)

3. The Casio fx-115ex calculator is the shit. If you have a TI, I'd recommend picking up one or two of these. It is best to take 2 or 3 calculators into the exam in case disaster strikes.

4. You can't place a watch or anything else besides testing material on the desk, so make sure you have something comfortable enough to wear through the exam.

5. Earplugs were helpful to me. It gets loud with so many people flipping through test and research material.

6. Make sure you dont have any loose piece of paper. You can get ejected if something falls out of your binder.

7. I took the day before the exam off to rest my brain, gather my material, pack my suitcase full of binders and prepare my anu...mind.

****MOST IMPORTANTLY* Pack a cooler of beer to tailgate in the parking lot after the test. Trust me.

Ended up with an 83 on my first attempt. I was study buddy to the AggieELEN poster, above. It was nice to be able to bounce questions off of other people instead of relying on google or message boards exclusively. Try to find someone else in your company that is either taking or has recently taken the exam to use .


----------



## wannabePE

_Exam taken: Oct 2013_

_Educational background: BSEE_

_How long did you study? About 10 days, maybe 40-80 hours.__Started watching some of the GaTech class, but felt like I was wasting my time. Started working sample problems two Mondays before the test and didn't study on the weekend. Studied half a day the _Thursday before and took the rest of that day to myself to relax and have a beer.

_Did you take a prep course? No._

_State: OK_

_List of materials you brought into the exam: NEC 2011 with 10 or so sticky notes I stuck in for looking things up, Power Reference Manual from ppi2pass (didn't use it ever studying or on the test), NCEES Practice problems and solutions, ppi2pass practice book, CI 1-4 problems and solutions (never used to study or on the test), _Power System Analysis and Design by Glover (used during study and on the test, happy with this book), 5-6 pages of equations needed to solve sample problems, and some charts from the web (econ, capacitor correction, etc).

_List of materials you think you should have brought but didn't: Didn't need anything else and more would have just slowed me down._

_General advice: I'm terrible at studying, but test very well and retain information quickly and easily. Most probably won't find success with my method, but it hasn't ever let me down once. I was more worried that it would than I ever have been, but I feel I did very well on the exam. Shame OK doesn't give you your score._


----------



## shsweet28

_*Exam taken:* _Electrical Power

_*Educational background:* _BSEE, Oregon State University Dec., 2008

_*How long did you study?* _1 month (somewhere between 50-60 hours). Because of the many hats I wear at my job, I didn't need to study as much as someone who specialized in one aspect of Power Engineering.

_*Did you take a prep course?* _No

_*State:* _Oregon

*List of materials you brought into the exam: *

NEC 2011

NESC

Electric Machinery and Power System Fundamentals by Chapman

Complex Imaginary practice test I &amp; II

NCEES Practice test

Westinghouse Redbook (I didn't use this)

Spin Up free problems of the week

And a Binder Organized by sections from the NCEES outline with Equations, PDF's from the web, pages scanned from text books etc.. (This was my GO TO reference that I used for 99% of the test)

*List of mateirals you think you should have brought but didn't:*

I wish that I had brought Cooper Power Systems: Electrical Distribution-System Protection. It would have given me confidence in my answer on three for four problems. 

*General advice:*

Like others have said, MAKE a Binder organized by the subjects listed in the NCEES outline and start putting equations, pages from pdf's from the web (or the whole document if may come in handy), scanned pages from books etc. Don't put too much in because then it defeats the purpose a quick look-up source. Then start taking the practice exams and KNOW where the information is located. If something wasn't in there, I would make a note of it and add that information later either from a book or google. A large part of my study was practice tests and making my bible.. I mean binder.

Btw, I found a good collection of notes off of this site somewhere. I had to email the girl that put it together and she provided me the link to download it. I just built off of those notes.


----------



## EEpowerOK

_Exam taken: Electrical Power_

_Educational background: BSEE 1990_

_How long did you study? 500+ hours_

_Did you take a prep course? If so, which one? No prep course_

_State: OK_

_List of materials you brought into the exam: NEC, NESC, 2 Electrical Books, Notes I put together_

_List of materials you think you should have brought but didn't: n/a_

_General advice: It had been many years since I studied like I studied for this exam so I had some catching up to do. There are no short-cuts in this exam. You have to study all the knowledge areas. Memorize information, work problems, know where to find additional info in the books. Will need to use all resources to pass the exam. Shoot for 100% score. Answer each question as if you had to have the correct answer. Get Kaplan, Complex Imaginary, Spin up, and NCEES. Work every problem until you can get 95% scores. Lots of errors in the practice exams, when you can identify the errors or identify there is something wrong with the answer then you are starting to get it. Took me 2 tries to pass the exam._


----------



## jp08ee

Exam Taken: Electrical and Electronics Oct. 2013

Educational Background: BSEE &amp; MSEE

How Long Did You Study: About 3 months, probably a total of 150 hours

Did you take a prep course: No

State: Michigan

Materials:

1) Camara - Electrical &amp; Electronics Manual

2) Sedra &amp; Smith - Microelectronic Circuits

3) Schaum's Manuals - Analog &amp; Digital Communications, Electromagnetics, Signals &amp; Systems, Electric Circuits

4) Big Binder of Notes

5) NCEES practice exams

6) Camara Practice Exam

7) Kaiser Sample Exam

Materials should have brought but didn't: Nothing, brought too much

General Advice:

Don't try to cram for the exam, start early and take it easy so you don't overload yourself. Make sure you mind your units and assemble a useful binder of notes that you know pretty much by heart. It'll save you time on the test if you already know a large portion of your notes on what you've been studying. Get as many NCEES sample exams as you can. The older ones are still useful even though some of the questions are identical to the latest one. The NCEES exams are the only thing that was similar to the actual test for questions.


----------



## sid

congratulation to all who passed their PE exam. Is there away that you can supply me with your equation sheet that you populated for the test (Power section) it will be really appreciated. you can email it to ([email protected])

I just failed the Oct, 2013 exam. and if I don't pass the April 2014 exam, there is a big chance of losing my Job.

so any help will be very much appreciated.


----------



## iahim

sid said:


> congratulation to all who passed their PE exam. Is there away that you can supply me with your equation sheet that you populated for the test (Power section) it will be really appreciated. you can email it to ([email protected])
> 
> I just failed the Oct, 2013 exam. and if I don't pass the April 2014 exam, there is a big chance of losing my Job.
> 
> so any help will be very much appreciated.


Sorry to hear that. Your best bet is to do your own formula/reference book. Take the practice exams to find out what info your binder needs to include. If you run into a problem that you don't know how to solve or you don't have the necessary info in your binder, look it up, print the info and stick it in your binder. After you finish all the practice exams, organize the info in the binder in a logical way. Use color coded tabs to help you find the info quickly. Highlight the important stuff. Redo the practice tests until you score in the high 90's and you will pass the test. Good luck!


----------



## EEpowerOK

sid said:


> congratulation to all who passed their PE exam. Is there away that you can supply me with your equation sheet that you populated for the test (Power section) it will be really appreciated. you can email it to ([email protected])
> 
> I just failed the Oct, 2013 exam. and if I don't pass the April 2014 exam, there is a big chance of losing my Job.
> 
> so any help will be very much appreciated.


How close were you to passing? I did not pass the April but passed the Oct exam. You can do it, just need to dig in the practice exams and NEC book.


----------



## Anasimongirl

shsweet28 said:


> _*Exam taken:* _Electrical Power
> 
> _*Educational background:* _BSEE, Oregon State University Dec., 2008
> 
> _*How long did you study?* _1 month (somewhere between 50-60 hours). Because of the many hats I wear at my job, I didn't need to study as much as someone who specialized in one aspect of Power Engineering.
> 
> _*Did you take a prep course?* _No
> 
> _*State:* _Oregon
> 
> *List of materials you brought into the exam: *
> 
> NEC 2011
> 
> NESC
> 
> Electric Machinery and Power System Fundamentals by Chapman
> 
> Complex Imaginary practice test I &amp; II
> 
> NCEES Practice test
> 
> Westinghouse Redbook (I didn't use this)
> 
> Spin Up free problems of the week
> 
> And a Binder Organized by sections from the NCEES outline with Equations, PDF's from the web, pages scanned from text books etc.. (This was my GO TO reference that I used for 99% of the test)
> 
> *List of mateirals you think you should have brought but didn't:*
> 
> I wish that I had brought Cooper Power Systems: Electrical Distribution-System Protection. It would have given me confidence in my answer on three for four problems.
> 
> *General advice:*
> 
> Like others have said, MAKE a Binder organized by the subjects listed in the NCEES outline and start putting equations, pages from pdf's from the web (or the whole document if may come in handy), scanned pages from books etc. Don't put too much in because then it defeats the purpose a quick look-up source. Then start taking the practice exams and KNOW where the information is located. If something wasn't in there, I would make a note of it and add that information later either from a book or google. A large part of my study was practice tests and making my bible.. I mean binder.
> 
> Btw, I found a good collection of notes off of this site somewhere. I had to email the girl that put it together and she provided me the link to download it. I just built off of those notes.


can you send me the link to the notes !! thanks!


----------



## fetaker

*[SIZE=10.5pt]Exam taken:[/SIZE]*_[SIZE=10.5pt] Power October 2013 (1st time)[/SIZE]_

*[SIZE=10.5pt]Educational background:[/SIZE]*_[SIZE=10.5pt] BSEE (Power) - 2004[/SIZE]_

*[SIZE=10.5pt]How long did you study:[/SIZE]*_[SIZE=10.5pt] 3 hrs. daily for 3 months. Approx. 5hrs on Saturdays[/SIZE]_

_*[SIZE=10.5pt]Did you take a prep course? [/SIZE]*__[SIZE=10.5pt]No[/SIZE]_

_*[SIZE=10.5pt]State: [/SIZE]*__[SIZE=10.5pt]CA[/SIZE]_

_*[SIZE=10.5pt]List of materials you brought into the exam:[/SIZE]*_ _[SIZE=11pt]Self-made binder, NEC, CI (1-4), NCEES exam, Camera Sample Exam[/SIZE]_

_*[SIZE=10.5pt]List of materials you think you should have brought but didn't: [/SIZE]*__[SIZE=11pt]NEC Handbook[/SIZE]_

_*[SIZE=10.5pt]General advice:[/SIZE]*_


[SIZE=10.5pt]Practice all the available tests – CI (4), Spin Up (5), Camera Sample Exam (2), NCEES (1). Practice again and again. Make sure you understand the concepts while practicing.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Make a good note and convert it into a binder as you work through the problems.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Get thoroughly acquainted with NEC.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Have good reference books and stick to them, do not get carried away.[/SIZE]


----------



## eXtra_sauce

shezadeh said:


> Not sure if one of these threads has already been made, but I thought this would be helpful. Perhaps people can reply in this fashion, such that future readers may find it easy to see the information they are looking for.
> 
> _Exam taken: *October, 2013 (first attempt)*_
> 
> _Educational background: *B. Tech (EE), 2006*_
> 
> _How long did you study? *Took the week leading up to the exam off from work and studied about ten hours per day for five days.*_
> 
> _Did you take a prep course? If so, which one? *No prep course.*_
> 
> _State: *WA*_
> 
> _List of materials you brought into the exam: *NEC, NCEES Sample Exam, PPI PE Prep Package, Complex Imaginary (1~4), NESC - 2007, an old motors book from school (can't remember the title), and a formula book made from the FE Reference Handbook along with other common formulas, code references, and notes.*_
> 
> _List of mateirals you think you should have brought but didn't: *I was confident with the package I put together and it worked for me!  *_
> 
> _General advice:_
> 
> *- As previously mentioned, know how to navigate through the NEC.*
> 
> *- Do plenty of practice problems, then do some more.*
> 
> *- If you get rattled during the exam, move on to something that's a slamdunk for you instead of spinning your wheels!*
> 
> I am currently organizing all of the books I used in the exam. Will post once I find them all!


----------



## maxus

_Exam taken: OCT 13_

_Educational background: BSEE_

_How long did you study?: 4 months, approx an hour on weekdays and 6 hours on weekends_

_Did you take a prep course? Yes If so, which one?_ Georgia Tech

_State: HI_

_List of materials you brought into the exam: GA Tech binder, NEC Handbook, Camara Reference Manual, CI Practice Problems_, Econ tables from FE ref manual

_General advice:_

-Creating an index for all of my reference materials helped me tremendously. When I encountered a problem that was similar to one in my references. I knew exactly where to look and it saved a lot of time.

-I would also suggest bringing a small roll in luggage to carry all of your reference materials. The fellow next to me brought in plastic crates and placed them on his desk. He placed the crates on their sides with the opening facing toward him. He had all of his books and binders labeled and was able to create a reference bookshelf.

-Skip the problems you dont know and save them for the end.

-Remember to stretch, breathe and relax during the exam.


----------



## shsweet28

Anasimongirl said:


> shsweet28 said:
> 
> 
> 
> _*Exam taken:* _Electrical Power
> 
> _*Educational background:* _BSEE, Oregon State University Dec., 2008
> 
> _*How long did you study?* _1 month (somewhere between 50-60 hours). Because of the many hats I wear at my job, I didn't need to study as much as someone who specialized in one aspect of Power Engineering.
> 
> _*Did you take a prep course?* _No
> 
> _*State:* _Oregon
> 
> *List of materials you brought into the exam: *
> 
> NEC 2011
> 
> NESC
> 
> Electric Machinery and Power System Fundamentals by Chapman
> 
> Complex Imaginary practice test I &amp; II
> 
> NCEES Practice test
> 
> Westinghouse Redbook (I didn't use this)
> 
> Spin Up free problems of the week
> 
> And a Binder Organized by sections from the NCEES outline with Equations, PDF's from the web, pages scanned from text books etc.. (This was my GO TO reference that I used for 99% of the test)
> 
> *List of mateirals you think you should have brought but didn't:*
> 
> I wish that I had brought Cooper Power Systems: Electrical Distribution-System Protection. It would have given me confidence in my answer on three for four problems.
> 
> *General advice:*
> 
> Like others have said, MAKE a Binder organized by the subjects listed in the NCEES outline and start putting equations, pages from pdf's from the web (or the whole document if may come in handy), scanned pages from books etc. Don't put too much in because then it defeats the purpose a quick look-up source. Then start taking the practice exams and KNOW where the information is located. If something wasn't in there, I would make a note of it and add that information later either from a book or google. A large part of my study was practice tests and making my bible.. I mean binder.
> 
> Btw, I found a good collection of notes off of this site somewhere. I had to email the girl that put it together and she provided me the link to download it. I just built off of those notes.
> 
> 
> 
> can you send me the link to the notes !! thanks!
Click to expand...

I can't send you a message for some reason, but if you message me your email I can send over the link.


----------



## joepwr13

shsweet28 said:


> Anasimongirl said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> shsweet28 said:
> 
> 
> 
> _*Exam taken:* _Electrical Power
> 
> _*Educational background:* _BSEE, Oregon State University Dec., 2008
> 
> _*How long did you study?* _1 month (somewhere between 50-60 hours). Because of the many hats I wear at my job, I didn't need to study as much as someone who specialized in one aspect of Power Engineering.
> 
> _*Did you take a prep course?* _No
> 
> _*State:* _Oregon
> 
> *List of materials you brought into the exam: *
> 
> NEC 2011
> 
> NESC
> 
> Electric Machinery and Power System Fundamentals by Chapman
> 
> Complex Imaginary practice test I &amp; II
> 
> NCEES Practice test
> 
> Westinghouse Redbook (I didn't use this)
> 
> Spin Up free problems of the week
> 
> And a Binder Organized by sections from the NCEES outline with Equations, PDF's from the web, pages scanned from text books etc.. (This was my GO TO reference that I used for 99% of the test)
> 
> *List of mateirals you think you should have brought but didn't:*
> 
> I wish that I had brought Cooper Power Systems: Electrical Distribution-System Protection. It would have given me confidence in my answer on three for four problems.
> 
> *General advice:*
> 
> Like others have said, MAKE a Binder organized by the subjects listed in the NCEES outline and start putting equations, pages from pdf's from the web (or the whole document if may come in handy), scanned pages from books etc. Don't put too much in because then it defeats the purpose a quick look-up source. Then start taking the practice exams and KNOW where the information is located. If something wasn't in there, I would make a note of it and add that information later either from a book or google. A large part of my study was practice tests and making my bible.. I mean binder.
> 
> Btw, I found a good collection of notes off of this site somewhere. I had to email the girl that put it together and she provided me the link to download it. I just built off of those notes.
> 
> 
> 
> can you send me the link to the notes !! thanks!
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> I can't send you a message for some reason, but if you message me your email I can send over the link.
Click to expand...

Warning: That girl mentioned above who put those notes together violated copyright infringement laws. Think twice about borrowing (stealing) someone else's material.


----------



## Anasimongirl

joepwr13 said:


> shsweet28 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Anasimongirl said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> shsweet28 said:
> 
> 
> 
> _*Exam taken:* _Electrical Power
> 
> _*Educational background:* _BSEE, Oregon State University Dec., 2008
> 
> _*How long did you study?* _1 month (somewhere between 50-60 hours). Because of the many hats I wear at my job, I didn't need to study as much as someone who specialized in one aspect of Power Engineering.
> 
> _*Did you take a prep course?* _No
> 
> _*State:* _Oregon
> 
> *List of materials you brought into the exam: *
> 
> NEC 2011
> 
> NESC
> 
> Electric Machinery and Power System Fundamentals by Chapman
> 
> Complex Imaginary practice test I &amp; II
> 
> NCEES Practice test
> 
> Westinghouse Redbook (I didn't use this)
> 
> Spin Up free problems of the week
> 
> And a Binder Organized by sections from the NCEES outline with Equations, PDF's from the web, pages scanned from text books etc.. (This was my GO TO reference that I used for 99% of the test)
> 
> *List of mateirals you think you should have brought but didn't:*
> 
> I wish that I had brought Cooper Power Systems: Electrical Distribution-System Protection. It would have given me confidence in my answer on three for four problems.
> 
> *General advice:*
> 
> Like others have said, MAKE a Binder organized by the subjects listed in the NCEES outline and start putting equations, pages from pdf's from the web (or the whole document if may come in handy), scanned pages from books etc. Don't put too much in because then it defeats the purpose a quick look-up source. Then start taking the practice exams and KNOW where the information is located. If something wasn't in there, I would make a note of it and add that information later either from a book or google. A large part of my study was practice tests and making my bible.. I mean binder.
> 
> Btw, I found a good collection of notes off of this site somewhere. I had to email the girl that put it together and she provided me the link to download it. I just built off of those notes.
> 
> 
> 
> can you send me the link to the notes !! thanks!
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> I can't send you a message for some reason, but if you message me your email I can send over the link.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Warning: That girl mentioned above who put those notes together violated copyright infringement laws. Think twice about borrowing (stealing) someone else's material.
Click to expand...

wow!!!!  forget about this girl's notes!!! i don't want to get into any kind of trouble!!!


----------



## Jabert

Exam taken: October 2013

Educational background: BSEE 2009, work as design engineer for power equipment manufacturer

How long did you study? 6 months! I knew I'd need some time to review basics. Probably 300-350 hrs dedicated

Did you take a prep course? If so, which one? Nope

State: LA

List of materials you brought into the exam:

John A. Camara; Power Reference Manual for the Electrical and Computer PE Exam

Complex Imaginary Complete Set (Volumes 1-4)

Spinup exams, 2nd edition

Homemade Exam 3-ring binder

NCEES practice test

2011 NEC handbook with tabs

NESC (latest edition)

Machines, Drives, and Power System by Wildi

Handbook of Electric Power Calculations by Beaty

Eng economics book from college (didn't use)

Calculus book (didn't need it)

AC/DC circuits book (actually used it)

List of materials you think you should have brought but didn't:

None, did leave my snacks in the truck after lunch though 

General advice:

- Stay calm, really understand what they are asking. I heard this before the test but actually got rattled for the first time in an exam! Just breathe and come back to it if it isn't clear the first time.

- If there is an element that you don't quite understand on a practice exam, make sure you master it... B/c you may need to b able to apply a variation of it on the real deal.

- circle or underline key parts of questions that you may take for granted (frequency, 1 or 3 phase, kva,kW, or Kvar). This saved my at least 3-4 questions

- don't leave early if you haven't reworked every problem or a detailed double check of each. Again saved me about 3-4 questions.

Good luck!


----------



## saberger_vt

_Exam taken: April 2013 - passed_

_Educational background: MSEE _

_How long did you study? Two years, I cannot state exactly how many hours per week, I just studied a lot._

_Did you take a prep course? If so, which one? No prep course_

_State: VA_

_List of materials you brought into the exam: 2011 NEC, three binders with notes, solved problems, and discussions on all of the subjects that are listed in the front of the NCEES Electrical Power sample questions + solutions, November 2010 printing of the "Electrical and Computer" Power Sample Questions + Solutions", Schaum's "Electrical Power Systems", Schaum's " Electric Machines and Electromechanics", EC&amp;M's "Electrical Calculations Handbook", "Handbook of Electric Power Calculations" by H. Wayne Beaty, "Power System Analysis" by Grainger and Stevenson. _

_List of mateirals you think you should have brought but didn't: None._

_General advice:_

The binders I brought with me I used for 95% of the exam. There were a few power problems that I used Grainger's book for and there was a few NEC references. I did not need the NESC since I found some good information online showing charts and other useful information.


----------



## RIP - VTEnviro

> -Remember to stretch, breathe and relax during the exam.




Bring a bottle of water, something to snack on, an extra layer (I took mine in a basement in Vermont, if you're in Florida, feel free to bring a layer to remove.), pack a lunch, take a walk afterwards, and don't forget there's a whole afternoon left.


----------



## redsrule2500

Does anyone have a copy of the girls notes that were talked about a few times in this thread? I was interested and wanted to get a good starting point.

Thanks!


----------



## knight1fox3

redsrule2500 said:


> Does anyone have a copy of the girls notes that were talked about a few times in this thread? I was interested and wanted to get a good starting point.
> 
> Thanks!


See post below.



joepwr13 said:


> Warning: That girl mentioned above who put those notes together violated copyright infringement laws. Think twice about borrowing (stealing) someone else's material.


----------



## cupojoe PE PMP

*bump* There seems to be several duplicate threads popping up...figured this would be helpful for folks beginning the October cycle.


----------



## PEoct

thank you ! before i started preparing i read them 5 to 6 times. really helpful and most of my references are from these guides .


----------



## JB66money

PEoct,

I took the PE this past April 2014 as a first-timer and I passed. What I did was begin by studying and learning the topics exam topics listed by NCEES. The key is learning and understanding the fundamental concepts, don't get hung up on numeric calculations, but try to understand why an answer is what it is based on the fundamental concepts related to the topic. Also learn the basic fundamentals of how things work, most of this can be found using a book written by Theodore Wildi. After reviewing / learning the topics start solving problems in the NCEES book, make sure you understand the reasons behind the solutions are related to the concepts. Next purchase the Complex Imaginary practice exams and simulate exam conditions by timing the exams and using all of the references you plan to take to the exam. One quick PEoct, what calculator are you using?


----------



## PEoct

just the regular calculator

TI-30xa


----------



## iwire

PEoct said:


> just the regular calculator
> 
> TI-30xa


Use the Casio fx-115es...save you a lot time in converting complex number


----------



## PEoct

okay thank you. i don't know but i think it will make me confuse :lol


----------



## cupojoe PE PMP

You should also consider the TI-36X Pro, it is the TI style interface, but can also handle complex/polar conversions.


----------



## panna1

[SIZE=medium]Hi all, [/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium] Good morning. I have been studying for the past 4 months may be 8 hours per week. So, I can say I studied around 150 hours till now. I completed most of the topics. I took a sample exam yesterday and was surprised to see only 18 out of 40 got correct and got frustrated after completing around 15 questions. This is the test from Complex imaginary # 2. Now I feel devastated. Someone help me in determining what else I should do. How did you guys do it? In one of the topics I heard that you should be getting around 65 to 70 to pass the actual test. If I can’t even score 50% on a simple exam like CI, I have no idea how I can get close to 80% on the original test. Any suggestion will help me. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Thanks[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Panna [/SIZE]


----------



## Ship Wreck PE

Don't worry you will get better. Just don't write in book. I did all of the CI &amp; Spin-Up tests about 7 or 8 times. I also did the CI code drill book twice. It was like pulling teeth on the second pass. I probably did the NCEES book 15 times. You should start passing soon.


----------



## knight1fox3

I would agree with SW. At this point it sounds like the key is repetition. To the point where you are sick of looking at problems. I too did the NCEES book multiple times. Almost to the point where I knew the answer from just reading them. I wasn't trying to memorize the problems, but it ended up that way since I had done them over and over. But it also helped me to utilize my references more effectively and know where things are. Which in my opinion is key during the actual exam. Good luck!


----------



## KatyLied P.E.

panna1 said:


> [SIZE=medium]Hi all, [/SIZE]
> 
> [SIZE=medium] Good morning. I have been studying for the past 4 months may be 8 hours per week. So, I can say I studied around 150 hours till now. I completed most of the topics. I took a sample exam yesterday and was surprised to see only 18 out of 40 got correct and got frustrated after completing around 15 questions. This is the test from Complex imaginary # 2. Now I feel devastated. Someone help me in determining what else I should do. How did you guys do it? In one of the topics I heard that you should be getting around 65 to 70 to pass the actual test. If I can’t even score 50% on a simple exam like CI, I have no idea how I can get close to 80% on the original test. Any suggestion will help me. [/SIZE]
> 
> [SIZE=medium]Thanks[/SIZE]
> 
> [SIZE=medium]Panna [/SIZE]


The important thing is to really review the problems you missed so that you will correctly answer that type of problem the next time. Don't just understand that particular type of problem but review the different ways it can be asked. You might find that some of your mistakes may be math errors or ones which you knew how to work it but misread the problem. Repetition and make sure you understand what the problem is asking.


----------



## iwire

PEoct said:


> okay thank you. i don't know but i think it will make me confuse :lol


that is what I thought. I came from Ti36x and Ti83 background but I found that the Casio is awesome


----------



## panna1

Hi Guys,

thanks for the support. I did really miss 3 problems on using 1.732 at wrong locations and missed around 8 simple, silly and dumb mistakes. i do need to understand little bit more and request god to pass me.

thanks


----------



## JB66money

PEoct,

The TI-36X Pro and Casio fx-115es are probably the best allowable calculators out there. I used the TI-36X Pro during the PE exam and I used the Casio fx-115es during the FE exam.


----------



## cupojoe PE PMP

JB66money said:


> PEoct,
> 
> The TI-36X Pro and Casio fx-115es are probably the best allowable calculators out there. I used the TI-36X Pro during the PE exam and I used the Casio fx-115es during the FE exam.


Me too....the TI-36X Pro must not have been out when I took the FE, because I remember looking to see which one could do rectangular/polar/complex conversions and would've sided with the TI had I known about it, but landed with the Casio. I bought two TIs for the PE (duty/standby), then tossed the old casio in the "survival kit" just in case. During calculator inspection the proctor commented that I was too prepared.


----------



## PEoct

thank you guys.

will buy one, yesterday i was doing transmission lines problems gosh, it took me 10 min to solve just the polar , complex stuff .. really need to buy.

is it straight forward, i really dnt get along with hi tech stuff lol.


----------



## skhedr

Hi Guys!

Congrats to all those passed the PE Exam.

I'm gonna take the next PE Exam "Electrical Power", on Oct 2014, in Houston, Texas and I'm looking for study mate or group

If you know any body interested email me on this email: [email protected]

However, If any of you can share with me his notes or materials it will be highly appreciated

Wishing you all the best, Pray for me!!

Have a great weekend,

Samir


----------



## panna1

[SIZE=medium]Guys, [/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium] I can’t believe that only less than 2 months are left before the exam. Now I am getting scared, as I still need to read a lot. I have been doing sample exams lately and for some reason, I cannot get more than 65. Either it is silly mistakes are wrong bush buttons on the calculator. Can someone tell me how many questions on the main exam will be similar or exactly the same to one on NCEES sample exam? [/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Thank you, [/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]panna[/SIZE]


----------



## PEoct

hello

well i appeared only one time , but trust me it wasn't bad, though i got 50/80 but now i know how silly i was to make mistakes.

i was literary not surprised to see the exam reason being i did sample paper CI and Spin up and NCess is must have.

i would say its quite similar. well rest will find out this time.

but u wont feel like it out of box and new.

those who pass will be able to answer much good way.


----------



## Wheretostart

Don't get panic. Believe me, you still have enough time, and what you need now is concentration, write not just read.

I just sent an email to a co-worker to return the two books I borrowed before the April exam, and it was 29 days before the exam. This site provides all information you may need, but it will be your job to dig out anything that can lead to a green "PASS". I took notes on any information I feel the need to emphasize in my memory, and added more to them when I understood it better after working on a problem or maybe more. It is always about study and make conclusions and refresh.

It doesn't help just count hours spent. You need quality hours.



panna1 said:


> Guys,
> 
> I cant believe that only less than 2 months are left before the exam. Now I am getting scared, as I still need to read a lot. I have been doing sample exams lately and for some reason, I cannot get more than 65. Either it is silly mistakes are wrong bush buttons on the calculator. Can someone tell me how many questions on the main exam will be similar or exactly the same to one on NCEES sample exam?
> 
> Thank you,
> 
> panna


----------

