# Electrical PE Exam - Apr. 2017



## knight1fox3

For those who have just taken PE Exam, GOOD LUCK on your results!  Also, as a friendly reminder, please be aware that you signed an agreement with NCEES not to discuss any specific content on the exam. NCEES monitors this forum regularly and _especially_ around exam time. Note the previous post below where one test-taker was close to revealing too much information. Don't let that happen to you. When in doubt, keep it to yourself. :thumbs:



Tim @ NCEES said:


> As a reminder, when you took the NCEES examination you signed an agreement that included the statement that you agreed you will not reveal in whole or part any exam questions, answers, problems, or solutions to anyone during or after the exam, whether orally, in writing, or any internet chat rooms, or otherwise. This agreement also stated that failure to comply with this could invalidate your exam results.
> 
> I was just reviewing a borderline post from this website with my Manager of Compliance and Security when it was edited by the poster. Please do not share exam content - we do not wish to invalidate your results.


That said, in order to take your mind off the results waiting game, feel free to join us in the games sub-forum of the shoot the breeze section for a memorial 10k (or however long it needs to go). Or get involved and tell us about your family or discuss your favorite movies or TV shows. We'd love to get to know you now that the studying is either over or delayed until next time.

And finally, the test is over, you either passed or failed. You can't deduce the cut score and you can't make the results come any faster, so not that me saying that is going to make you feel any less anxious, but it still MUST be said.


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## knight1fox3

Other than that, how'd it go overall? Each cycle I like to post a particular favorite exam recap from another EB member. It still makes me laugh.

And yes, despite the negative recap, he did in fact end up passing.



bingcrosbyb said:


> EE - Power. "You sunk my battleship."
> 
> 
> *Preparation Time/Materials:* 250 total hours. 5 textbooks, prep coursework notebook, 2 notebooks of graduate class material, calculators, snacks, rolling suitcase.
> 
> *Money:* ~$1,550.
> 
> *General Observations:* Arrived at my site 30 minutes prior to report time. Noticed that many others had literally libraries and libraries of books. Someone had a giant wagon with bungie cords holding all of the books together. Others just had a single piece of paper. Wild. I randomly started thinking of a national geographic special with narration by Morgan Freeman on PE test taking habits. I needed that laugh to clear my head.
> 
> *AM Session:* Felt the AM session was great. Only ended up with 6-7 that I didn't have a single solid answer or couldn't find it in my reference. I finished slightly early and checked only some of my work.
> 
> *PM Session:* Total unadulterated bloodbath. Couldn't seem to concentrate enough to find the equations I needed. Calculator was spitting out answers that were out of this world. Saw stuff that I barely covered in droves. About 2-3 hours into the afternoon, my brain felt like it had been through a dishwasher and I started hopping around from question to question. Not good. I will be lucky if I got a quarter to half right. I might as well have taken another discipline in the afternoon or gone to work. A monkey may have been able to do better.
> 
> *Final Thoughts:* As I left the exam area, I felt numb, dumb, and a little crushed. I felt like I blew the morning session out of the water. Then the PE got off a torpedo as I was heading to collect my stamp, promotion, and better life. I'm not very good at guessing and doing the math in my head all weekend I kept envisioning a percentage score in the upper 60s with an afternoon diagnostic that simply says "monkey". 6 months of neglecting my wife and family might be for nothing in the end except doing it all over again. I know the pass rate for repeaters is low, but what is the divorce rate?
> 
> Oh well. If I recall from a coworker, last years results were released in around 45-50 days following the exam. I think he got his in late May. We shall see. I guess the ultimate decision is now do I crack open another book....or another beer?


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## Owism

Last night I kept dreaming about solving one problem in 10 different ways... 

Good relief the burden of the exam is behind.. now just the suspense of the results.

I bought myself an Indian tabla drum set to enjoy and had a grill over the weekend to relax. Now time to start the 5:2 Fast diet (aka Mohammad's fast) to help me come back to healthy standing after months of sitting and studying. Oh yeah and getting a desk cycle to burn any extra calories that remain after fasting

V:


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## trainrider

Morning exam was brutal, but afternoon was not bad. Good luck to everyone!


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## Opisthenar PE

After the exam, I really didn't have a feeling if I passed or failed. I didn't feel I bombed the exam, but I didn't feel as if I passed either. I was content on how I did.

Overall, I think I studied about 150 hours, mostly doing practice exams. I thought the effort was well spent, even though quite a few problems were things I hadn't seen before doing practice. Some of the problems were common sense, and some problems I just lucked out with the references I brought.

I found the morning easier than the afternoon. I used the full 8 hours for the exam and time to go back once to check the answers for the morning and afternoon section.


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## Limamike

I think over all the exam was tough, as I would have expected.  I didn't feel that there were as many conceptual questions this time around. However, the demand and reliability questions seem a bit off to me. That said, the second part had a lot of motor stuff which could have been brutal if you didn't have the right resources


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## justin-hawaii

Hey everyone!  I put together a survey for the power PE exam to hopefully help the next set of test takers.  If you took the exam in April 2017, please take a few minutes to take the survey.  My hope is that the survey results could be given to a new test taker that shows how everyone studied and what references they used.  Thank you in advance!  

Power PE Exam Survey:  https://goo.gl/forms/7Gf8KShmaFQqjnGF3

Congratulations on taking the exam!  If you have any suggestions to the survey, I will gladly make any changes.


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## Princess Leia

Without discussing or mentioning any specific details about exam questions, how do you feel about difficulty of the latest Power PE exam? How did you do? Do you think you have any chance to pass?


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## knight1fox3

The possibility of successfully navigating the Power PE exam is approximately 3,720 to 1.


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## justin-hawaii

Hi Princess Leia,

I put together a survey for the power PE exam to hopefully answer your question.  If you took the exam in April 2017, please take a few minutes to take the survey.  My hope is that the survey results could also be given to a new test taker that shows how everyone studied, how confident they felt and what references they used.  Thank you in advance!  

Power PE Exam Survey:  https://goo.gl/forms/7Gf8KShmaFQqjnGF3

Congratulations on taking the exam!  If you have any suggestions to the survey, I will gladly make any changes.


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## Owism

The morning part was harder than the afternoon. This one had less theoretical questions than the Oct 2016.

I started studying early last year 7 months pre the October 2016, starting fresh slate never before learning Electric Power but do have knowledge of Electrical Engineering in the form of a B.S. 

After failing Oct 2016 I started ramping up my materials, purchasing and studying Chapman, Grainger, Wildi, Complex Imaginary from a nice fellow on this forum. Then I binded hundreds of other print outs from online depending on my weaknesses in understanding.  Best thing I feel helped me was just doing practice.

Now I wait in suspense..


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## rg1

It is very difficult to visualize how hard or easy was the question paper without comparing it with a known reference. Can the comparison be from the available references like from NCEES, CI, PPI question papers in public domain?


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## rg1

knight1fox3 said:


> The possibility of successfully navigating the Power PE exam is approximately 3,720 to 1.


Do you mean 1 in 3720? or 1 in 3.72, then what is 66-68% figures available on net?


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## knight1fox3

rg1 said:


> Do you mean 1 in 3720? or 1 in 3.72, then what is 66-68% figures available on net?


Clearly not a Star Wars fan.


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## justin-hawaii

Owism, It seems like people shared your experience.  The responses lead towards the AM session being slightly harder than the PM session.  I have 8 responses total, so hopefully we get more feedback.  

Power PE Exam Survey:  https://goo.gl/forms/7Gf8KShmaFQqjnGF3


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## KatyLied P.E.




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## Ken PE 3.1

knight1fox3 said:


> The possibility of successfully navigating the Power PE exam is approximately 3,720 to 1.


Don't ever tell me the odds.

-Han

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk


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## BigWheel

I felt like the afternoon session was harder than the morning. Either way, it was a brutal test, in my opinion. I honestly don't know if I passed or not, but I sure as hell hope I did so that I don't have to go through it again. Ugh...


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## knight1fox3

BigWheel said:


> I felt like the afternoon session was harder than the morning. Either way, it was a brutal test, in my opinion. I honestly don't know if I passed or not, but I sure as hell hope I did so that I don't have to go through it again. Ugh...


So would this be a similar recap based on your experience? http://engineerboards.com/index.php?/topic/28387-electrical-pe-exam-apr-2017/&amp;do=findComment&amp;comment=7414560


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## BigWheel

I don't know if I passed or not, but I hope I did so that I don't have to sit through this again. I feel like someone took my brain out of my head, and did a ground-n-pound on it when I left the exam room.


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## BigWheel

knight1fox3 said:


> So would this be a similar recap based on your experience? http://engineerboards.com/index.php?/topic/28387-electrical-pe-exam-apr-2017/&amp;do=findComment&amp;comment=7414560


That is an amusing post, and probably does a good job summarizing how I felt leaving.

My friends at work are doing their dead level best to assure me that I failed the exam and that I should start studying now for the October exam since the pass rate for repeat takers is even less than first time takers. ?


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## BigWheel

Not real sure how to say this, but it seemed to me that the exam didn't exactly follow the exam specifications. Did anyone else feel that way?


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## Limamike

There are several threads on here why re-takers' pass rate is even lower. However, I think that's a bunch of hocus pocus. Everyone takes the same test. So repeat takers have the same chance at passing as a newbie. 

Anyhow, yes I think there were a lot of questions which were mixed into other topics, coupled with a bunch of red herrings. That said.. Hang tight, you may have passed!


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## Hugh Jass

BigWheel said:


> Not real sure how to say this, but it seemed to me that the exam didn't exactly follow the exam specifications. Did anyone else feel that way?


don't say that, you'll simply get rude remarks from those who need to be condescending to feel better about themselves.

only see that from those with thousands of posts


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## Ken PE 3.1

BigWheel said:


> Not real sure how to say this, but it seemed to me that the exam didn't exactly follow the exam specifications. Did anyone else feel that way?


The exam specification is at a very high level. So, it may not seem that it follows, but it does. 
Some of the questions can be based on 2 or 3 different areas, depending on what they ask for and what is given.


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## Ken PE 3.1

Hugh Jass said:


> don't say that, you'll simply get rude remarks from those who need to be condescending to feel better about themselves.
> 
> only see that from those with thousands of posts


26 posts and already living up to your screen name.


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## Owism

Day 4 - Results pending...


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## thekzieg

Owism said:


> Day 4 - Results pending...


Oh buddy. You can't be checking already, you'll drive yourself crazy! Come hang out in the spam thread before you lose your mind.


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## Hugh Jass

Ken PE 3.0 said:


> 26 posts and already living up to your screen name.


intelligent joke. good job.

those 5k posts must have helped with your social skills


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## KatyLied P.E.

BigWheel said:


> That is an amusing post, and probably does a good job summarizing how I felt leaving.
> 
> My friends at work are doing their dead level best to assure me that I failed the exam and that I should start studying now for the October exam since the pass rate for repeat takers is even less than first time takers. ?


Don't start studying until after you know the results.  You'll second guess yourself even more.  Relax, drink a few craft beers and wait.  What's done is done.  It's easy to feel discouraged right after the exam.  Why do I know this?  Because I went through the same thing.  BTW, I took the test twice almost 18 years ago.  Did not pass either time and got gun shy until taking it again in April 2014.  No matter what happens if you really want it don't give up.  I'm proof that it can work out.


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## Owism

may I suggest meditation versus any alcoholic beverages.

thank you

yes you can live peacefully in a non alcoholic world without stress, I am proof of that. :true:


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## trainrider

BigWheel said:


> Not real sure how to say this, but it seemed to me that the exam didn't exactly follow the exam specifications. Did anyone else feel that way?


I feel the same way, didn't see subjects I was ready for which makes this process even more frustrating. :brickwall:


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## KatyLied P.E.

Owism said:


> may I suggest meditation versus any alcoholic beverages.
> 
> thank you
> 
> yes you can live peacefully in a non alcoholic world without stress, I am proof of that. :true:


I can see your point. Although I am a fan of high gravity beers I would never encourage anyone to over indulge and I also realize that it is best for some to refrain.  My key point is that there is no need second guess right now.  Wait and see what the scores are and then go forward.


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## Owism

KatyLied P.E. said:


> I can see your point. Although I am a fan of high gravity beers I would never encourage anyone to over indulge and I also realize that it is best for some to refrain.  My key point is that there is no need second guess right now.  Wait and see what the scores are and then go forward.


Thank you for your advice. Yes your right. I started thinking maybe I'll go through some PU problems and demand management problems but I'll hold off on those...


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## pete3589

The test was interesting.  I didn't come out of the test feeling very confident, but I don't know a single person that did feel confident after this test.  It was on the same difficulty level of the NCEES practice test...but different.  I was surprised about the lack of 2 particular subjects on this test that seemed like they were not included that I spent a fair bit of time studying. 

 My concern is that with the amount of time I put in on this test, I don't know if I can sacrifice my work/family life to do it again without repercussions.

After the test was complete, my neighbor who was taking Civil said "I felt a lot better after the FE", which was exactly how I felt.


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## rg1

pete3589 said:


> The test was interesting.  I didn't come out of the test feeling very confident, but I don't know a single person that did feel confident after this test.  It was on the same difficulty level of the NCEES practice test...but different.  I was surprised about the lack of 2 particular subjects on this test that seemed like they were not included that I spent a fair bit of time studying.
> 
> My concern is that with the amount of time I put in on this test, I don't know if I can sacrifice my work/family life to do it again without repercussions.
> 
> After the test was complete, my neighbor who was taking Civil said "I felt a lot better after the FE", which was exactly how I felt.


Good information. How about comparing it with PPI/Kaplan/Chhaya/CI practice tests,


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## Opisthenar PE

rg1 said:


> Good information. How about comparing it with PPI/Kaplan/Chhaya/CI practice tests,


If you did all of those tests (like I did), I would say you were about 60% covered on the exam. The other 40%, however, while I dealt with in some of my classes and at my work was no where near what I saw on any practice exam - and I did all of them.


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## Apothe

So who was the guy that said you only needed the NESC table of contents lol


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## Owism

Apothe said:


> So who was the guy that said you only needed the NESC table of contents lol


never trust that guy. I figured that out in October ...


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## EE2013

For what it is worth.. I felt the morning was fairly straightforward and the afternoon much more difficult for me.  

I studied about 250-300hrs starting in December. 

The questions seemed mostly aligned with the different areas per ncees guide.  

For the second half, it wasn't that I wasn't familiar with the question but rather the phrasing of the question and provided info.  Lot of theory and much less computational which was the exact opposite to what I was expecting.  

Good luck everyone!


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## BigWheel

EE2013 said:


> For what it is worth.. I felt the morning was fairly straightforward and the afternoon much more difficult for me.
> 
> I studied about 250-300hrs starting in December.
> 
> The questions seemed mostly aligned with the different areas per ncees guide.
> 
> For the second half, it wasn't that I wasn't familiar with the question but rather the phrasing of the question and provided info.  Lot of theory and much less computational which was the exact opposite to what I was expecting.
> 
> Good luck everyone!


^ This.

I want to say that I feel good about my chances of passing, but I don't want to say it out loud because there is the very real chance that I won't pass. I do remember feeling this same way following the FE, and I wound up passing it. 

My friends at work (all of whom are PEs) are having fun with the fact that it will be six to ten weeks before I get my results, which is why they are telling me I should go ahead and start studying for October. Some even claim to have made bets with each other that I failed.


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## Owism

EE2013 said:


> For what it is worth.. I felt the morning was fairly straightforward and the afternoon much more difficult for me.
> 
> I studied about 250-300hrs starting in December.
> 
> The questions seemed mostly aligned with the different areas per ncees guide.
> 
> For the second half, it wasn't that I wasn't familiar with the question but rather the phrasing of the question and provided info.  Lot of theory and much less computational which was the exact opposite to what I was expecting.
> 
> Good luck everyone!


This one was a lot less theory than october for sure.


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## pete3589

rg1 said:


> Good information. How about comparing it with PPI/Kaplan/Chhaya/CI practice tests,


I did all of the CI tests, none of the others you mention there.  I would say that the test was more difficult than the CI tests. 

It's not so much the material, but the way that questions are asked.  The NCEES test has a way of asking questions in a manner that is meant to confuse you.  Sometimes non-pertinent information is provided, sometimes there is a word in the sentence that makes the problem a lot more work, or a lot less.  There was one question in particular on the test that made me re-read it over and over to be sure of my answer.  Of course, after discussion with some work folks the next day on my method (cause I couldn't remember the exact question), turns out I was probably wrong, which is tremendously frustrating since it should have been a gimmie question on an easy topic.  I always found that if I did my calculations on the CI test and my answer was one of the choices, I was always correct.  I also felt this way about the FE which I took in October.  For the NCEES test I had several occasions where my answer was one of the choices, and it was wrong. 

Overall the CI tests do a good job of making sure you have the fundamentals.  There were no tricks, but I felt they covered all of the important aspects of the tests.  However, when I stat down and treated the NCEES practice exam like the real test (spent a Saturday at work with no distractions doing both 4 hour sessions with a 1 hour break in between to simulate the exact test environment/duration) I didn't do nearly as well as what I did on the CI tests. 

On the CI tests I would break them out into 20 question sections and give myself 2 hours.  I would then use my strategy where I read all questions and give them a 1-3 based on difficulty/time to complete, then do them in difficulty order.  By the end of my studying I would routinely get 16-19 correct in each block of 20. 

The NCEES practice exam shook my confidence quite a bit, and sadly there is only 1 of them.


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## rg1

pete3589 said:


> I did all of the CI tests, none of the others you mention there.  I would say that the test was more difficult than the CI tests.
> 
> It's not so much the material, but the way that questions are asked.  The NCEES test has a way of asking questions in a manner that is meant to confuse you.  Sometimes non-pertinent information is provided, sometimes there is a word in the sentence that makes the problem a lot more work, or a lot less.  There was one question in particular on the test that made me re-read it over and over to be sure of my answer.  Of course, after discussion with some work folks the next day on my method (cause I couldn't remember the exact question), turns out I was probably wrong, which is tremendously frustrating since it should have been a gimmie question on an easy topic.  I always found that if I did my calculations on the CI test and my answer was one of the choices, I was always correct.  I also felt this way about the FE which I took in October.  For the NCEES test I had several occasions where my answer was one of the choices, and it was wrong.
> 
> Overall the CI tests do a good job of making sure you have the fundamentals.  There were no tricks, but I felt they covered all of the important aspects of the tests.  However, when I stat down and treated the NCEES practice exam like the real test (spent a Saturday at work with no distractions doing both 4 hour sessions with a 1 hour break in between to simulate the exact test environment/duration) I didn't do nearly as well as what I did on the CI tests.
> 
> On the CI tests I would break them out into 20 question sections and give myself 2 hours.  I would then use my strategy where I read all questions and give them a 1-3 based on difficulty/time to complete, then do them in difficulty order.  By the end of my studying I would routinely get 16-19 correct in each block of 20.
> 
> The NCEES practice exam shook my confidence quite a bit, and sadly there is only 1 of them.


Thanks a lot. It make sense now. Best of luck.


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## EE2013

pete3589 said:


> I did all of the CI tests, none of the others you mention there.  I would say that the test was more difficult than the CI tests.
> 
> It's not so much the material, but the way that questions are asked.  The NCEES test has a way of asking questions in a manner that is meant to confuse you.  Sometimes non-pertinent information is provided, sometimes there is a word in the sentence that makes the problem a lot more work, or a lot less.  There was one question in particular on the test that made me re-read it over and over to be sure of my answer.  Of course, after discussion with some work folks the next day on my method (cause I couldn't remember the exact question), turns out I was probably wrong, which is tremendously frustrating since it should have been a gimmie question on an easy topic.  I always found that if I did my calculations on the CI test and my answer was one of the choices, I was always correct.  I also felt this way about the FE which I took in October.  For the NCEES test I had several occasions where my answer was one of the choices, and it was wrong.
> 
> Overall the CI tests do a good job of making sure you have the fundamentals.  There were no tricks, but I felt they covered all of the important aspects of the tests.  However, when I stat down and treated the NCEES practice exam like the real test (spent a Saturday at work with no distractions doing both 4 hour sessions with a 1 hour break in between to simulate the exact test environment/duration) I didn't do nearly as well as what I did on the CI tests.
> 
> On the CI tests I would break them out into 20 question sections and give myself 2 hours.  I would then use my strategy where I read all questions and give them a 1-3 based on difficulty/time to complete, then do them in difficulty order.  By the end of my studying I would routinely get 16-19 correct in each block of 20.
> 
> The NCEES practice exam shook my confidence quite a bit, and sadly there is only 1 of them.


I went through the 4 volume of CI and felt was much easier than the ncees Exam.

CI is a great fundamentals check but not similar to the PE, in my opinion.  Graffeo practice and ncees sample are the most like it.  I was disillusioned by CI until I started on the sample exam.


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## efg

Did any of you take the School of PE Power Exam course? Did it seem like a total waste of time to you? I did until I realized I need to use my time more wisely. Did anyone take a course they really liked? I did buy Graffeo's prep book and found it somewhat useful but he lacks a code section.

Thanks.


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## Limamike

I'll tell you this, it was a MILLION times better this time vs what it has been in the past!   Though I did find it very useful for the FE. Heck, I have been out of school for 22 years. Took the FE for the first time last year and I do think that the sope FE course did help me pass. BUT the PE - with our boy Nieves, in F-16, sucked more air, than an A-8 taking off a carrier in the med.


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## KatyLied P.E.

Owism said:


> 9 hours ago, Apothe said: So who was the guy that said you only needed the NESC table of contents lol
> 
> 
> 
> never trust that guy. I figured that out in October ...
Click to expand...

I would be one of those guys who made that statement regarding the NESC. I only give advice based on my experience and, in that case, advice given in the GA Tech review course. Use it as you see fit. Each test is didferent.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## BigWheel

KatyLied P.E. said:


> I would be one of those guys who made that statement regarding the NESC. I only give advice based on my experience and, in that case, advice given in the GA Tech review course. Use it as you see fit. Each test is didferent.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I will say that I was very glad to have had a copy of the NESC with me for this exam.


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## Owism

efg said:


> Did any of you take the School of PE Power Exam course? Did it seem like a total waste of time to you? I did until I realized I need to use my time more wisely. Did anyone take a course they really liked? I did buy Graffeo's prep book and found it somewhat useful but he lacks a code section.
> 
> Thanks.


School of PE was 50% better than Spring/Fall of 2016 because those were Dr. Nieves days. This time around they got 4 PE's, 1 for each section. Circuits and Rotating Machines had the best Instructors Mr. Sarmad Raheem and Mr. Jules (Jay) Marchesseault. The General power/NEC instructor was good but hard to understand his accent.  The transmission distribution guy was not very good, comparable to Dr. Nieves. I forget their names. A school is only as good as its greatest teachers.

School of PE only recommends the Camara ref book and NCEES practice book, this is a big mistake. Elsewhere in the forum many people mention a lot of other references, gotta use those. and ofcourse your own printouts from searching on topics and definitely a few formula pages for quick reference.


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## trainrider

Owism said:


> School of PE was 50% better than Spring/Fall of 2016 because those were Dr. Nieves days. This time around they got 4 PE's, 1 for each section. Circuits and Rotating Machines had the best Instructors Mr. Sarmad Raheem and Mr. Jules (Jay) Marchesseault. The General power/NEC instructor was good but hard to understand his accent.  The transmission distribution guy was not very good, comparable to Dr. Nieves. I forget their names. A school is only as good as its greatest teachers.
> 
> School of PE only recommends the Camara ref book and NCEES practice book, this is a big mistake. Elsewhere in the forum many people mention a lot of other references, gotta use those. and ofcourse your own printouts from searching on topics and definitely a few formula pages for quick reference.


Glad to hear they are listening to people's reviews. But unfortunately, the damage has been done.


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## Owism

trainrider said:


> Glad to hear they are listening to people's reviews. But unfortunately, the damage has been done.


Yeah. Lesson Learned: Dont put all your eggs in one basket. That applies to prepping for the PE exam as much as it applies to monetary investments.


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## surge82

I ended up using both Testmasters and School of PE to pass mine.


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## Owism

surge82 said:


> I ended up using both Testmasters and School of PE to pass mine.


who was your school of PE and Testmasters instructors?


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## surge82

Dr. Nieves was for the school of PE. The testmasters was the professor that is on the youtube videos for the majority of lectures except for the code section. I took school of PE and retook the test with testmasters and the combination got me through.


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## BigWheel

...day 15.


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## TWJ PE

BigWheel said:


> ...day 15.


Probably half way.... or pretty close.


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## TNPE

TWJ PE said:


> Probably half way.... or pretty close.


Blasphemy!  A quarter of the way there...

And if you're in CA or PA, the clock hasn't even started yet.


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## Owism

exciting and nervous.


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## Ken PE 3.1

The REAL fun has yet to begin around here.

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk


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## BigWheel

Ken PE 3.0 said:


> The REAL fun has yet to begin around here.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk


Man, the guys at work are having a great time with this.

Another FE is taking his this October. They suggested to him that he carpool with me to Birmingham.


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## TNPE

BigWheel said:


> Man, the guys at work are having a great time with this.
> 
> Another FE is taking his this October. They suggested to him that he carpool with me to Birmingham.


Cheaper on gas


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## Owism

well lets keep talking about the exam. If you took school of PE, completed all complex imaginary problems, and reviewed everything twice, if you fail would you take another online course and what would it be?


----------



## TNPE

Owism said:


> well lets keep talking about the exam. If you took school of PE, completed all complex imaginary problems, and reviewed everything twice, if you fail would you take another online course and what would it be?


Seems everyone is focused on a course rather than focusing on what works for them.  Personally, I did not take a formal course.  I didn't want to spend the money, and also, no one knows me and my abilities better than I do.  I will go on the record and say that no course will be a 100% lead pipe cinch guarantee for success on this exam, and if someone tells you that, I hope your BS filter is tuned!  I can't speak from experience, but from what I've gathered, these courses are regurgitated material from session to session.  This test is dynamic, not static.  My first piece of advice to anyone taking the test would be, read the NCEES outline on their website and build your studying off it.  Your weaknesses will become apparent, and from that point, you can adjust your study habits to mitigate/improve these weaknesses.  The outline is clear and concise and will give you the topics that the next exam administration will cover.  Will you see all of them?  Who knows, but if it is on there, it is fair game.  When I took the exam, I would guess that 95% of the material identified in the outline was on the exam.  

From my point of view, I don't believe any course could prepare me in the manner I could prepare myself.  For a lot of reasons, but namely, I had to cover the material (I could go at my own pace, use different approaches, etc.), prepare my materials (no course will do this for you, and no manual/book/binder is an all-inclusive resource... plus, you need to know how to use these resources) and focus my mind and keep my nerves steady.  Some may disagree entirely and feel that a course is the way to go, but I do not for the reasons indicated above.  Just my  :2cents: , whatever that is worth.

Good luck and don't let the wait kill you!  We've all been there, and boy, does it suck harder than a Dyson, but it's done.  Enjoy springtime and let the dice fall where they may.  If you're unsuccessful, you will know where you were weakest and how to improve the next time.


----------



## Owism

TNPE said:


> Seems everyone is focused on a course rather than focusing on what works for them.  Personally, I did not take a formal course.  I didn't want to spend the money, and also, no one knows me and my abilities better than I do.  I will go on the record and say that no course will be a 100% lead pipe cinch guarantee for success on this exam, and if someone tells you that, I hope your BS filter is tuned!  I can't speak from experience, but from what I've gathered, these courses are regurgitated material from session to session.  This test is dynamic, not static.  My first piece of advice to anyone taking the test would be, read the NCEES outline on their website and build your studying off it.  Your weaknesses will become apparent, and from that point, you can adjust your study habits to mitigate/improve these weaknesses.  The outline is clear and concise and will give you the topics that the next exam administration will cover.  Will you see all of them?  Who knows, but if it is on there, it is fair game.  When I took the exam, I would guess that 95% of the material identified in the outline was on the exam.
> 
> From my point of view, I don't believe any course could prepare me in the manner I could prepare myself.  For a lot of reasons, but namely, I had to cover the material (I could go at my own pace, use different approaches, etc.), prepare my materials (no course will do this for you, and no manual/book/binder is an all-inclusive resource... plus, you need to know how to use these resources) and focus my mind and keep my nerves steady.  Some may disagree entirely and feel that a course is the way to go, but I do not for the reasons indicated above.  Just my  :2cents: , whatever that is worth.
> 
> Good luck and don't let the wait kill you!  We've all been there, and boy, does it suck harder than a Dyson, but it's done.  Enjoy springtime and let the dice fall where they may.  If you're unsuccessful, you will know where you were weakest and how to improve the next time.


Thanks. Your right. The first time I took the test and relied fully on the course material with a horrible instructor. The second time I prepared on my own using practice problems I failed at to build my understanding. Closer to the exam School of Pe offers their class so I took it again to see if anything changed. All instructors were new (no more Nieves who just reads slides and does not give you theoretical understanding of subjects). 2 were great, the other 2 not so much. That helped me to solidify fundamental theory of things. 

now we see if that technique worked for me. Your right everyone is different. I need classroom style.


----------



## BigWheel

I kept mental notes of the things (classes/books) I used to prepare for the exam, how well I felt those things prepared me for the exam, and the references I actually used out of all of the references I brought with me. I'm delaying sharing this information until I get my results.

If I pass, it might be useful information to others; if I didn't pass, probably not, unless knowing what not to do is information others are looking for, but I'll share what I think I shouldn't have done if I don't pass anyway.


----------



## Ken PE 3.1

TNPE said:


> Seems everyone is focused on a course rather than focusing on what works for them.  Personally, I did not take a formal course.  I didn't want to spend the money, and also, no one knows me and my abilities better than I do.  I will go on the record and say that no course will be a 100% lead pipe cinch guarantee for success on this exam, and if someone tells you that, I hope your BS filter is tuned!  I can't speak from experience, but from what I've gathered, these courses are regurgitated material from session to session.  This test is dynamic, not static.  My first piece of advice to anyone taking the test would be, read the NCEES outline on their website and build your studying off it.  Your weaknesses will become apparent, and from that point, you can adjust your study habits to mitigate/improve these weaknesses.  The outline is clear and concise and will give you the topics that the next exam administration will cover.  Will you see all of them?  Who knows, but if it is on there, it is fair game.  When I took the exam, I would guess that 95% of the material identified in the outline was on the exam.
> 
> From my point of view, I don't believe any course could prepare me in the manner I could prepare myself.  For a lot of reasons, but namely, I had to cover the material (I could go at my own pace, use different approaches, etc.), prepare my materials (no course will do this for you, and no manual/book/binder is an all-inclusive resource... plus, you need to know how to use these resources) and focus my mind and keep my nerves steady.  Some may disagree entirely and feel that a course is the way to go, but I do not for the reasons indicated above.  Just my  :2cents: , whatever that is worth.
> 
> Good luck and don't let the wait kill you!  We've all been there, and boy, does it suck harder than a Dyson, but it's done.  Enjoy springtime and let the dice fall where they may.  If you're unsuccessful, you will know where you were weakest and how to improve the next time.


The biggest problem I see is that some of the people who take these classes are shocked after the exam that the class didn't cover that particular area or question.

The simplest way I was able to explain the test to non-engineers: There are a million possible questions you need to study for, pick 80.

No prep class or book is going to properly prepare you if all you do is take the practice test, score well and then think that you are ready. The ideas of what it is they are asking or the theories behind it all are what is important. You passed college, you should be able to do algebra. Why the intense focus on "doing problems"? My biggest hurdle was what formula do I use? Once I cleared that hurdle, I passed the test. Most problems on the test are fairly straightforward, once you cut through all the BS.

Taking a class or not is an individual choice. There is some merit to it, but if you rely on it as your only source for studying, then you might be disappointed.


----------



## rg1

Ken PE 3.0 said:


> The biggest problem I see is that some of the people who take these classes are shocked after the exam that the class didn't cover that particular area or question.
> 
> The simplest way I was able to explain the test to non-engineers: There are a million possible questions you need to study for, pick 80.
> 
> No prep class or book is going to properly prepare you if all you do is take the practice test, score well and then think that you are ready. The ideas of what it is they are asking or the theories behind it all are what is important. You passed college, you should be able to do algebra. Why the intense focus on "doing problems"? My biggest hurdle was what formula do I use? Once I cleared that hurdle, I passed the test. Most problems on the test are fairly straightforward, once you cut through all the BS.
> 
> Taking a class or not is an individual choice. There is some merit to it, but if you rely on it as your only source for studying, then you might be disappointed.


The ideas of what it is they are asking or the theories behind it all are what is important. Great.

The explanation you have given seems to be the best among others. I have not yet appeared in a PE exam but I get it like this, scoring 100% in CI practice test is not a guarantee pass, but if you work out the theory behind whatever you do, yes it may be. True. Thanks.


----------



## TNPE

Ken PE 3.0 said:


> The biggest problem I see is that some of the people who take these classes are shocked after the exam that the class didn't cover that particular area or question.
> 
> The simplest way I was able to explain the test to non-engineers: There are a million possible questions you need to study for, pick 80.
> 
> No prep class or book is going to properly prepare you if all you do is take the practice test, score well and then think that you are ready. The ideas of what it is they are asking or the theories behind it all are what is important. You passed college, you should be able to do algebra. Why the intense focus on "doing problems"? My biggest hurdle was what formula do I use? Once I cleared that hurdle, I passed the test. Most problems on the test are fairly straightforward, once you cut through all the BS.
> 
> Taking a class or not is an individual choice. There is some merit to it, but if you rely on it as your only source for studying, then you might be disappointed.


Yep, agreed!  I don't understand the "shock."  If you're shocked after taking a course and struggling with the test, your approach was entirely insufficient.  Having good materials and knowing how to use them, I would argue, is  more valuable than any course money can buy.


----------



## Ken PE 3.1

rg1 said:


> 3 hours ago, Ken PE 3.0 said: The biggest problem I see is that some of the people who take these classes are shocked after the exam that the class didn't cover that particular area or question. The simplest way I was able to explain the test to non-engineers: There are a million possible questions you need to study for, pick 80.
> 
> No prep class or book is going to properly prepare you if all you do is take the practice test, score well and then think that you are ready. The ideas of what it is they are asking or the theories behind it all are what is important. You passed college, you should be able to do algebra. Why the intense focus on "doing problems"? My biggest hurdle was what formula do I use? Once I cleared that hurdle, I passed the test. Most problems on the test are fairly straightforward, once you cut through all the BS.
> 
> Taking a class or not is an individual choice. There is some merit to it, but if you rely on it as your only source for studying, then you might be disappointed.
> 
> 
> 
> The ideas of what it is they are asking or the theories behind it all are what is important. Great.The explanation you have given seems to be the best among others. I have not yet appeared in a PE exam but I get it like this, scoring 100% in CI practice test is not a guarantee pass, but if you work out the theory behind whatever you do, yes it may be. True. Thanks.
Click to expand...

I studied mist effectively by categorizing and copying every single formula I could find and organizing them according to the outline NCEES provides. This, plus a lot of 'examples' yielded good results for me.

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk


----------



## KatyLied P.E.

Ken PE 3.1 said:


> I studied mist effectively by categorizing and copying every single formula I could find and organizing them according to the outline NCEES provides. This, plus a lot of 'examples' yielded good results for me.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk


I agree with you in the sense that if you have studied until your mind feels like it's going to explode then the main thing left is how well you've organized your material.  I expanded my GA Tech course manuals with additional info from the internet and also re-tabbed.  I also cross-referenced those sections with appropriate problems from CI, Spinup and NCEES sample test.  Finally I meticulously prepared my note sheet over a two-week period.  Just knowing where everything increased my confidence and prevented me from having panic attacks.  Plus the info was further ingrained into my brain.


----------



## BigWheel

My State Board's website says "There will not be another update until May 19." In the PE Exam section. 

However, this section of the website posts the status of applications that are under review to sit for the exam. 

View attachment 9464


----------



## TWJ PE

Interesting picture above...

So if you pass the exam you have 5 months to get 30 PDH's for renewal - what if you took courses in 2017 but before you were licensed? I happen to like the way Texas allows their PEs to take a exception for their first renewal...I think that's fair.


----------



## BigWheel

I'm not sure if that note applies to *newly* licensed PEs, or not, but I think it would be a little unreasonable to expect that to happen, IMO.

Even if you pass the PE Exam, don't you have to submit an application to be licensed? In other words, passing the PE Exam does not grant automatic licensure, does it?

If that's the case, it could be another 4-6 weeks after getting your results before you're "official," which means you really only have about ~12 weeks to get 30 PDHs?

This leads me to believe that the note applies to those who were licensed in 2017, but not newly licensed in 2017.


----------



## TWJ PE

BigWheel said:


> I'm not sure if that note applies to *newly* licensed PEs, or not, but I think it would be a little unreasonable to expect that to happen, IMO.
> 
> Even if you pass the PE Exam, don't you have to submit an application to be licensed? In other words, passing the PE Exam does not grant automatic licensure, does it?
> 
> If that's the case, it could be another 4-6 weeks after getting your results before you're "official," which means you really only have about ~12 weeks to get 30 PDHs?
> 
> This leads me to believe that the note applies to those who were licensed in 2017, but not newly licensed in 2017.


You are correct...I was stuck in the (old Texas) mind set that you had to be approved to sit for the exam which meant if you passed you were automagically licensed. Good call.


----------



## BigWheel

It might be that way in my State, but I'm not sure. A friend of mine earned his last October. I remember him refusing to put the "PE" after his name until it was official, but I'm not clear if he had to formally apply for his license, or if his application to sit for the PE sufficed. 

I can tell you that for all the information they asked for, it _should _be enough to be its own application, but they probably don't bother with the background checks until they've received notification that the applicant passed the test.

Anyway, I'll ask him tomorrow.


----------



## BigWheel

BigWheel said:


> ...A friend of mine earned his last October...
> 
> Anyway, I'll ask him tomorrow.


So, I talked to him and I was way off - first, he took his PE Exam April 2016, not October. Second, he told me I should not consider him my friend.

He said he took his test April 15 and got his results May 19, to which I responded, "Hey, not-my-friend, that sounds like you got your results before the Memorial Day holiday - what's interesting is you got your results on May 19 last year and the State BELS website says they will not update their website until May 19 this year. Maybe I'll get my results tomorrow!"

He replied, "With that impressive amount of deduction, I'll be surprised if you pass."

I laughed nervously and wondered if he was serious or not.


----------



## BigWheel

He also confirmed that he was exempt from the 30 PDH requirement for 2016 (the year he passed), but he does have to report 30 PDHs this year and then punctuated this summary with, "but you won't have to worry about it anyway."

Thoroughly deflated, I asked if he had to apply for licensure after he passed, or if his exam application served as his application. He replied, "I had to basically write a check for like 50 bucks to complete the application process. The PE Exam application provided the information needed by the State to grant licensure once they had my check."

I thought I was in the clear when he concluded with, "But I'm sure they dropped your application in the circular file once the results came in, you know?"

I was like, "Okay. Thanks - sorry I bothered you."

He was all like, "You suck. I'm changing my number."


----------



## trainrider

BigWheel said:


> He also confirmed that he was exempt from the 30 PDH requirement for 2016 (the year he passed), but he does have to report 30 PDHs this year and then punctuated this summary with, "but you won't have to worry about it anyway."
> 
> Thoroughly deflated, I asked if he had to apply for licensure after he passed, or if his exam application served as his application. He replied, "I had to basically write a check for like 50 bucks to complete the application process. The PE Exam application provided the information needed by the State to grant licensure once they had my check."
> 
> I thought I was in the clear when he concluded with, "But I'm sure they dropped your application in the circular file once the results came in, you know?"
> 
> I was like, "Okay. Thanks - sorry I bothered you."
> 
> He was all like, "You suck. I'm changing my number."


The animosity between you two is hilarious.Next step would be a restraining order! ROFL


----------



## BigWheel

I expect results will be posted this week. Good luck, everyone!


----------



## Ken PE 3.1

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk


----------



## Owism

...When you see a problem in the PM session which reminds you of a mistake you made in the AM session :huh:


----------



## BigWheel

I passed!


----------



## BigWheel

NCEES's website is posting results.


----------



## trainrider

BigWheel said:


> NCEES's website is posting results.


:thankyou:   But how did you find out?


----------



## EE2013

Still haven't seen mine update in NCEES.  My AR license application updated with pass but no license #.


----------



## trainrider

I passed!!!!!!

:thankyou:  Forum!!


----------



## Vader227

Passed


----------



## TWJ PE

Congrats gang!


----------



## rg1

trainrider said:


> I passed!!!!!!
> 
> :thankyou:  Forum!!


Congrats


----------



## rg1

Vader227 said:


> Passed


Congrats


----------



## BigWheel

trainrider said:


> :thankyou:   But how did you find out?


It was easy...

Beginning at 7 PM on April 21, I checked the NCEES website every hour on the hour...


----------



## viddu512

I passed the electrical pe exam. congratulations to everyone who passed as well. 

Thank you everyone in this forum for sharing wealth of knowledge and resources. This forum helped me immensely.


----------



## Trademark04

Failed, but not surprised. I worked instead of studied ahead of this exam...So I'm an AE (consulting engineer) and i took the power exam because the prep materials for the AE test are terrible. Below are my diagnostics....

Not being an EE and not practicing circuit analysis, no shock there. 

What would be the best resources for measurement and instrumentation and Transmission system analysis?

The few code questions I did not get i'm sure are related to the transmission code. 

View attachment 9588


----------



## trainrider

BigWheel said:


> It was easy...
> 
> Beginning at 7 PM on April 21, I checked the NCEES website every hour on the hour...


Hilarious!! I was this way for the past few days. Thanks


----------



## jv23

Passed.  Studied about 2 hours total with the NCEES practice exam and didn't even go over PM practice problems (completed half of AM practice problems).  I am not a genius in any way but in my opinion, someone who didn't study the material should not pass this exam.  I took the NEC code book with me and the NCEES practice exam with me to the test and that's basically it.  I'm not here to make anyone feel bad about this accomplishment but it makes me wonder the validity of the exam.  I've only been in power engineering for about 2 years.


----------



## phatman492

Finally Passed!!!!! Shouting to sky and thanking you all here at EB for being such good help in this journey.  It is really appreciated.


----------



## Chaser

Thanks everyone and this forum for your support. i passed the exam.


----------



## satrianic

Passed. Cannot believe it though.


----------



## trainrider

phatman492 said:


> Finally Passed!!!!! Shouting to sky and thanking you all here at EB for being such good help in this journey.  It is really appreciated.


Congrats!!! Thanks for your help!


----------



## Opisthenar PE

Trademark04 said:


> Failed, but not surprised. I worked instead of studied ahead of this exam...So I'm an AE (consulting engineer) and i took the power exam because the prep materials for the AE test are terrible. Below are my diagnostics....
> 
> Not being an EE and not practicing circuit analysis, no shock there.
> 
> What would be the best resources for measurement and instrumentation and Transmission system analysis?
> 
> The few code questions I did not get i'm sure are related to the transmission code.
> 
> View attachment 9588


I can't see the diagnostic report. It shows up as a broken link. I passed the A-17 EE Power Exam and I can give you some tips if I could see the diagnostic.

Thanks


----------



## mvsapre

Passed. Thanks everyone here who helped me.


----------



## Millerific

I passed too! So happy and relieved!  Thank you to everyone on this site, your support was a huge help!


----------



## ysj88

Passed from Wa. State. Frequent observer here, but I thought I'd share my story.

I started studying in December, spending about 1-2 hours 3 times a day, and taking 8 hour blocks on the weekends (Graffeo, CI were my main source). I felt confident until I took the official NCEES practice exam towards the end of March and failed. Spent most of April making the reference binder and not really studying (was getting tired of studying and waiting til April 21). Came out of the exam thinking I probably failed because my reference binder, which I spent a lot of time on, ended up being useless. There were lots of my strong suits that did not appear at all, while a lot of topic questions I had not covered well did. I still don't know how I feel about the exam even after passing. Thinking about the way I started giving up on studying as it came close, I probably didn't deserve to pass. But I am glad nonetheless. There's a nice local wine bottle I've been saving for this occasion, and I think I will celebrate with my fiancee tonight. 

To end this, I am very glad to have found this site, as many references and problem solutions here helped me along the way. This was the first source I ever found (and the best) since I decided to register in December. Curiously enough, I went to reddit to link up to this website. Couldn't have done without everyone's help here!!

P.S. Since I passed... I'm selling all my shit! CI, official practice exam, textbooks, etc. PM if you want! (I'll keep my 2017 NEC)


----------



## Don 3.0

Congratulations to everyone who passed! To those that didn't, take a few weeks to get rid of all the negative energy, reflect on what you can improve, and then start again with confidence!!


----------



## justin-hawaii

Hi Everyone, I made a google survey form to track the results of the Power PE. If you have some time, can you please take the survey? 

https://goo.gl/forms/3yzarlz0IaQu63cu1


----------



## Math

I passed too for Electrical PE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## BigWheel

jv23 said:


> Passed.  Studied about 2 hours total with the NCEES practice exam and didn't even go over PM practice problems (completed half of AM practice problems).  I am not a genius in any way but in my opinion, someone who didn't study the material should not pass this exam.  I took the NEC code book with me and the NCEES practice exam with me to the test and that's basically it.  I'm not here to make anyone feel bad about this accomplishment but it makes me wonder the validity of the exam.  I've only been in power engineering for about 2 years.


I want to congratulate all of us who passed the Power PE.

A guy with one single post claims to have passed with a copy of the NEC and one other reference. I call BS on that.


----------



## JamesTX

BigWheel said:


> I want to congratulate all of us who passed the Power PE.
> 
> A guy with one single post claims to have passed with a copy of the NEC and one other reference. I call BS on that.


I smell bullshit as well.  Is it possible?  Yes, I suppose it is possible to guess your way to a passing result or get a string of questions that you know the correct answer to each and every one.  Is it probable?  No.


----------



## jorary

fail the april 2017

View attachment 9669


----------



## jorary

jorary said:


> fail the april 2017
> 
> View attachment 2017 April.pdf


I need help to pass this PE. Any other study material to explain transmission and distribution?


----------



## BigWheel

ysj88 said:


> Passed from Wa. State. Frequent observer here, but I thought I'd share my story.
> 
> I started studying in December, spending about 1-2 hours 3 times a day, and taking 8 hour blocks on the weekends (Graffeo, CI were my main source). I felt confident until I took the official NCEES practice exam towards the end of March and failed.


I feel you. Your summary is a perfect description of mine.



ysj88 said:


> I felt confident until I took the official NCEES practice exam towards the end of March and failed. Spent most of April making the reference binder and not really studying (was getting tired of studying and waiting til April 21).


Yup; your experience copied my experience here, too!



ysj88 said:


> Spent most of April making the reference binder and not really studying (was getting tired of studying and waiting til April 21). Came out of the exam thinking I probably failed because my reference binder, which I spent a lot of time on, ended up being useless.


I bet your study binder was more useful than you give it credit for. Actually creating a study binder yourself lends you a better understanding of the material you wrote down in that study binder than copying, highlighting, or otherwise notating information in other reference materials. 

I hardly used my study binder as well, but making my own study binder forced me to understand the underlying principles that I attempted to capture in the study binder I wrote out with my own hand.


----------



## knight1fox3

Congrats to all those who passed. Those who didn't, keep at it! Focus and determination! You'll get there! :thumbs:


----------



## Limamike

jorary said:


> I need help to pass this PE. Any other study material to explain transmission and distribution?


Jorary, PM and I will send you some solid links to download on TD.


----------



## Zach Stone P.E.

BigWheel said:


> I feel you. Your summary is a perfect description of mine.
> 
> Yup; your experience copied my experience here, too!
> 
> I bet your study binder was more useful than you give it credit for. Actually creating a study binder yourself lends you a better understanding of the material you wrote down in that study binder than copying, highlighting, or otherwise notating information in other reference materials.
> 
> I hardly used my study binder as well, but making my own study binder forced me to understand the underlying principles that I attempted to capture in the study binder I wrote out with my own hand.




What's interesting is that creating a study binder is almost like writing out a grocery list then realizing that you don't need it once you get to the store. 

I find that writing things down and organizing a study binder helps you retain about 80% of it since you are stopping and focusing deeply on what you are doing. 

Then, the other 20% is there when you need it in a binder organized to suit your needs. 

Big fan of the study binder approach!


----------



## jrodmonaco

Hi all,

I am following this forum since last year, when I decided to start with the PE Process. For me, getting to the point to be approved by the Board to take the exam was the worst part as I am an expat that came for work to the US so no EIT for me, had to collect references and a large etc. After all, I was accepted (I got the FE waived) for the PE Exam last October. This forum helped me so much that I decided to sign up and leave my experience.

I used for preparing the exam:


Graffeo Book (The Electrical Engineer's Guide to Passing the Power PE Exam)

Complex Imaginary Test Books (all of them, even though the NEC drill wasn't used that much)

NCEES Practice Exam

Chaya PDFs on a binder

I took to the exam:


All the above list (except the Complex Imaginary Books that I had on ebook format).

NEC 2017

Ugly's Electrical Reference

A binder with all the problems from Complex Imaginary solved

With a family of 4 and working, it was really difficult to find a time (and quiet time!) to study. I read the Graffeo book once and started to do problems. I think that was the key for me, for this exam and during college... doing problems. I wrote down every problem on a different sheet of paper that later on I organized by the subjects that appear on the NCEES index for the exam. And I barely used the binder, as I had lots of problems and how to solve them really fresh on my mind.

The exam itself was fine, I don't think that the morning and afternoon sessions were so different in difficulty. In the first pass the amount of answered questions were more or less the same (more than the half of them). Truth is that experience helped to answer some questions without the need to have reference books. Common sense helps a lot as well.

I regret I didn't take with me the NESC. There were two questions I could deduct with the help of the NEC, but I went home with the doubt if I replied correct or not. I don't think I could go through chapter books of hundreds of pages with the given amount of time, that literally was gone quickly. Other Electrical PE guys I was talking to before the exam were surprised of the amount of material I took with me (I was able to fit everything on a diapers box!).

... and I passed! That's it! I was doubtful all these past weeks but now I'm really happy! About to order my stamp today!

I want to thank everybody for the posts and the reference material I could get as well as everyone's experience.

See you around!


----------



## Apothe

jrodmonaco said:


> I regret I didn't take with me the NESC. There were two questions I could deduct with the help of the NEC, but I went home with the doubt if I replied correct or not. I don't think I could go through chapter books of hundreds of pages with the given amount of time, that literally was gone quickly. Other Electrical PE guys I was talking to before the exam were surprised of the amount of material I took with me (I was able to fit everything on a diapers box!).


You and me both, I'm glad I passed but I kicked myself around for not adequately preparing for nesc questions.  People in forum kept saying its going to be solvable by the index, so I printed one from amazon preview, so much help that was.  Glad I had the NEC because that helped me out.

Then again, I didn't see it wise to invest 100-200$ in a textbook that'll only help me in 2-3 problems.


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## jrodmonaco

Apothe said:


> You and me both, I'm glad I passed but I kicked myself around for not adequately preparing for nesc questions.  People in forum kept saying its going to be solvable by the index, so I printed one from amazon preview, so much help that was.  Glad I had the NEC because that helped me out.
> 
> Then again, I didn't see it wise to invest 100-200$ in a textbook that'll only help me in 2-3 problems.


Fully agree...


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## Mobius

This is my first post, sorry if it's long.  I kind of did my exam prep in a vacuum.  I read a lot of advice on-line and spent a lot of time researching what to study, but honestly I didn't really talk to anyone even though I know several power PE's.  I've been out of school for over 20 years now, so I'm an "old timer" I guess.  On top of that my degree is in Physics, not EE.  So I have some hurdles already.  I decided to get back into the test taking mindset I would take a prep course.  I landed on School of PE.  I have some general comments about the course, but overall it was very good.  In some cases it was very hard to follow the instructors either due to language barrier (not PC, but it's a sad truth) or due to the instructor being so focused on covering the prescribed material that they didn't really explain it well.  I chalked the latter up to it being a refresher course not an instruction course.  If I had a EE instead of physics, I might have had fewer questions.  In some case, the instructor was just flat wrong.  Mainly on the relaying areas, not on the technical aspects of electrical systems.  In one case the instructor explained the way an analog/digital PLC is wired.  But that's not a huge deal.

Also, I do not test well.  If you ask me a question in person, I'll answer it without a problem.  But on a test?  That's when my brain checks out and I can't remember simple math.  So I kind of overdid the prep work, if that's possible.  I did the workshop problems from the course, but I also found other problems to work out.  3 weeks before the test I went through my first practice exam.  I ended up doing well according to others, but I felt disheartened.  I ended up getting a 75% which I was convinced was a failing grade.  The weekend before the test, I literally practiced taking the exam.  I borrowed a conference room from work for a Saturday.  Took my materials and the NCEES practice exam.  My wife "proctored" and I took the test.  I ended up doing even worse.  I think I got a 70% on that one.  Believe me, I knew I was going to fail.

On test day, I had my plan.  I was going to read every question in the book.  Answer the easy ones and then start over and answer the medium ones and finally go back and dig into the tough ones.  If there were any I couldn't answer I made the best educated guess I could.  Then I would go back and check every single answer.  I had also decided that at the 2 hour mark no matter where I was in the process I was taking a bathroom break if for no other reason than to clear my head and splash water on my face.

for the AM session, at the 2 hour mark I had answered all but 3 questions.  I took my break and came back and worked the next hour on those.  I went back and checked every answer and had finished completely with 20 mins remaining.  Felt pretty good about it.

For the PM session, at the 2 hour mark I had 6 questions unanswered.  I was shocked at the similarity between the 2 because I was expecting the PM session to be very different.  There were some questions that were out of left field.  Things on the NESC (wish I had taken that book to the exam).  I made my guesses and checked my answers.  I found that in both the am and pm I found errors on maybe 5 questions each.  So I'm glad I checked.

I left thinking I had maybe a 60-70% on the full exam.  I felt I did better on the AM than the PM.  I had nagging doubts about at least 6 questions that I literally could not find the answer and hoped I had guess with some form of intelligence.  My wife told me I passed.  I told her I didn't think I did well enough.

When I got the result I was in the middle of a conference call with clients and didn't register it was the result e-mail.  I clicked on the link and it sent me to the NCEES dashboard.  The page was 90% blank and I had no idea what I was supposed to be reading.  Finally it dawned on my.  The status said pass.  I passed the test.  It was hard to contain myself, but I was in the middle of an hour long meeting.

Just thought I'd share my story, and to a small extent my excitement about passing.


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## Omar Hadid

Hello All,

I need a help to pass my next PE Exam, i did this exam twice at last October and this last April, i feel i did better at April comparing to last October but still did not pass, i used as much as i can from the above mentioned references but now i am disappointed and need help to get properly prepared to the exam by organizing the references and books and some extra drills, both exams i did poor at 35/80 for October 2016 and 34/80 for April 2017 which surprised me!

Your help highly appreciated.


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## Omar Hadid

Hello All,

I need a help to pass my next PE Exam, i did this exam twice at last October and this last April, i feel i did better at April comparing to last October but still did not pass, i used as much as i can from the above mentioned references but now i am disappointed and need help to get properly prepared to the exam by organizing the references and books and some extra drills, both exams i did poor at 35/80 for October 2016 and 34/80 for April 2017 which surprised me!

Your help highly appreciated.


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## Mobius

Just so you don't get redundant advice, what was your exam prep before?


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## Omar Hadid

@ Mobius thank you, i was using the following references:


NEC, 2014

THE ELECTRICAL ENGINEER'S GUIDE TO PASSING THE POWER PE EXAM, ALEXANDER GRAFFEO

COMPLEX IMAGINARY POWER PRACTICE EXAM

SPIN-UP FOR THE ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING PE EXAM (POWER), CORY LANZA

CAMARA PRACTICE PROBLEMS

CAMARA POWER REFERENCE MANUAL

HAND-WRITTEN STUDY BINDER FROM ELECTRICALPEREVIEW.COM

NCEES PRACTICE EXAM


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## Mobius

Taim said:


> @ Mobius thank you, i was using the following references:
> 
> 
> NEC, 2014
> 
> THE ELECTRICAL ENGINEER'S GUIDE TO PASSING THE POWER PE EXAM, ALEXANDER GRAFFEO
> 
> COMPLEX IMAGINARY POWER PRACTICE EXAM
> 
> SPIN-UP FOR THE ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING PE EXAM (POWER), CORY LANZA
> 
> CAMARA PRACTICE PROBLEMS
> 
> CAMARA POWER REFERENCE MANUAL
> 
> HAND-WRITTEN STUDY BINDER FROM ELECTRICALPEREVIEW.COM
> 
> NCEES PRACTICE EXAM


First, I'm no expert.  I will only say that I took the test 20 years after school, have a degree that is not in EE, and had no clue where to start.  This is what worked for me.  I paid the money for the School of PE refresher course.  I know it's a lot, but it's less than many and more than some.  It's in the middle.  I have some issues with the class in little things, but overall it's a good idea to get instruction rather than try to haphazard your way through.  

Second, dedicate yourself for around 3 months prior to the test.  Most people will recommend various time ranges from 1 week to 6 months.  Here's why I like longer times.  Let's say you assume you're planning to spend 100 total hours on studying for the test.  You could take 24 hours a day for 4 days prior to the test.  And then you'd be wiped out.  Or you could spend 8 hours a day for the last 2 weeks, which is probably still going to wear you out.  Or you could spend 4 hours a day for the last month.  But that's real dedication and no time for any breaks.  So I did 4 hours a day every other day, but I allowed some weekends and some time with family and just breaks for a day sometimes.  After 3 months I had completed all of the materials of the refresher, taken 2 practice exams, and still managed to have a life on occasion.  So give yourself more time than you think you need so you can take breaks.

Analyze your reports and figure out where you need help the most.  Find someone who knows those areas and ask them to teach you.  Remember, I'm a 20+ yr out of school and I took Physics.  I asked ended up getting help from one of the drafters I work with who is studying for his EIT.  It's not a shame to ask, most everyone wants you to pass.

For my practice exams I actually took 2 plus a third kind of.  The first time I sat down with a practice exam, I was methodical.  I addressed each question until I had the right answer.  As I went I marked up and tabbed my reference materials with subject matter.  So I knew where to find answers to types of questions quickly.

The last part comes from my wife.  She recommended that I actually take the test as if it was test day using a practice exam.  She proctored the test and I took all my reference materials to a conference room at work on a Saturday.  I spent 4 hours on the AM portion and 4 hours on the PM portion.  She also gave me a strategy that I would never have thought to use.  One is the classic read every question answer easy one etc that everyone knows.  But she told me to take a break in the middle of each session.  Stop working at the 2 hour mark of the test and just breath.  go to the bathroom and splash water on your face.  just relax for a few minutes and then go back to it.  It really helped my stress less than I normally do.

Here's some off the wall things I also did.  Go to Youtube.  Seriously.  Search subject matters that you struggle with.  It's amazing how much information you will find.  Not because it's the best information, but because it's often the stuff you already know presented in a different way.  Everyone learns in different ways.  Absorb as many different explanations of a subject that you can find.  Electrical PE Review on YT is a great source for material.  But I also found Learn Engineering has some great visuals on concepts that help make things click in your head.  Their series on induction and synchronous motors is incredibly helpful.

That's all I have.  I know it's not "the answer" but I hope it helps.  Others with have different and maybe even more useful advice also.


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## trainrider

@Mobius great job explaining a strategy that worked for you. I'm sure others will benefit from it. Here are some youtube links that helped me understand more the concepts I reviewed from my textbooks to supplement @Mobius post.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnd9K2cN1WicLyr-o3_ytCA

https://www.youtube.com/user/shriefsaed

https://www.youtube.com/user/MrMuhammad2010

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoTRQknkwX5_Xv5s7m3v31g

https://www.youtube.com/user/ValenceETS

https://www.youtube.com/user/BTCInstrumentation

https://www.youtube.com/user/ABBPOWER

You get the idea!


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## BigWheel

Taim said:


> Hello All,
> 
> I need a help to pass my next PE Exam, i did this exam twice at last October and this last April, i feel i did better at April comparing to last October but still did not pass, i used as much as i can from the above mentioned references but now i am disappointed and need help to get properly prepared to the exam by organizing the references and books and some extra drills, both exams i did poor at 35/80 for October 2016 and 34/80 for April 2017 which surprised me!
> 
> Your help highly appreciated.






Mobius said:


> Here's some off the wall things I also did.  Go to Youtube.  Seriously.  Search subject matters that you struggle with.  It's amazing how much information you will find.  Not because it's the best information, but because it's often the stuff you already know presented in a different way.  Everyone learns in different ways.  Absorb as many different explanations of a subject that you can find.  Electrical PE Review on YT is a great source for material.  But I also found Learn Engineering has some great visuals on concepts that help make things click in your head.  Their series on induction and synchronous motors is incredibly helpful.


I've said it a couple of times already, but I recommend @Electrical PE Review for a review course. I took his online review course leading up to the PE. Passed it on the first try.

The material is presented in a very concise manner and Zach is very responsive via email. The videos are top-quality and he has an excellent introduction that really puts the exam in perspective.

I made a 1" three-ring study binder from his course and never once referenced it...not because it wasn't useful, but because I was able to retain the information much better since I wrote it down myself instead of just highlighting another person's material.

He has a pass guarantee - if you take his review course and you don't pass, I believe he lets you take the course again for free, so you really don't have anything to lose.

I spent approximately 8 to 10 hours per week and finished his course in 11 weeks, so lots of great information to cover.


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