# How long should I give myself to prepare for the new CBT PE Power Exam?



## jujux15

Hey guys, I recently passed the fe exam electrical a few weeks ago. I've been out of school for a few months now trying to find a job and I figure I might as well try for the PE exam since I have nothing better to do, and it'd be great to keep me focused and ready. I was wondering how far out should I sign up for it? I've seen people plan for as far off as a year and others just four months. I am also not entirely sure how to prepare as a broke new graduate haha, I have the graffeo book so I want to read through and do the problems for that. I also was wanted some insight on the nec and the code books I would need.


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## Dothracki PE

jujux15 said:


> Hey guys, I recently passed the fe exam electrical a few weeks ago. I've been out of school for a few months now trying to find a job and I figure I might as well try for the PE exam since I have nothing better to do, and it'd be great to keep me focused and ready. I was wondering how far out should I sign up for it? I've seen people plan for as far off as a year and others just four months. I am also not entirely sure how to prepare as a broke new graduate haha, I have the graffeo book so I want to read through and do the problems for that. I also was wanted some insight on the nec and the code books I would need.


Congratulations on passing the FE. I would say it really depends on how much time and effort you can afford to put into studying. On average, test takers estimate around 250 hours of preparation so if you can spend at least 20 hours a week on studying, you can possibly be ready within 3 or 4 months, but I would ballpark 6 months. That said, everyone is different. I spent over a year preparing, but that was only spending a few hours a week studying at first and then ramping up to 30-40 hours by the time I got to two weeks until my exam and took a staycation from work to do my final preparation. 

Graffeo is a decent book, but there are a few errors and typos in the book. Not to mention that it could use an update to the current (2018) specifications. 

I would most definitely look into the 2017 NEC for preparation at minimum. There is a free access of the PDF available online on the NFPA website. The NESC is also a code book on the exam but it is expensive for not a lot of content. You might only see a few questions on it and it might not take time to search the PDF to find a solution. 

This forum is also a good place to go. If you skim through the forum posts, there is a lot of information on suggested resources, practice problems, and many more. Plus there are often used resources posted for sale for less than market value in the yard sale section.


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## jujux15

Dothracki PE said:


> Congratulations on passing the FE. I would say it really depends on how much time and effort you can afford to put into studying. On average, test takers estimate around 250 hours of preparation so if you can spend at least 20 hours a week on studying, you can possibly be ready within 3 or 4 months, but I would ballpark 6 months. That said, everyone is different. I spent over a year preparing, but that was only spending a few hours a week studying at first and then ramping up to 30-40 hours by the time I got to two weeks until my exam and took a staycation from work to do my final preparation.
> 
> Graffeo is a decent book, but there are a few errors and typos in the book. Not to mention that it could use an update to the current (2018) specifications.
> 
> I would most definitely look into the 2017 NEC for preparation at minimum. There is a free access of the PDF available online on the NFPA website. The NESC is also a code book on the exam but it is expensive for not a lot of content. You might only see a few questions on it and it might not take time to search the PDF to find a solution.
> 
> This forum is also a good place to go. If you skim through the forum posts, there is a lot of information on suggested resources, practice problems, and many more. Plus there are often used resources posted for sale for less than market value in the yard sale section.


Thank you so much this is exactly the type of answer I was looking for. Any other books you’d recommend for me then? I used lindeburg for the fe exam and loved it but sadly there’s no PE power version for the book. And also do you believe in terms of code books the nec one would suffice?


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## akyip

My take on this is somewhere around 4 months to 8 months minimum. I myself studied for over a year, but that was because my exam was pushed back twice. I started studying around November 2019, and I was originally supposed to take the exam on April 2020. But that got pushed back due to CoViD. Looking back though, I don't think I would've been well-prepared on April 2020 as opposed to when I finally took my exam just 2 weeks ago.

We highly recommend Zach Stone's Electrical PE Review course. I believe he is currently doing a live weekly course, and his website also has Premium Course notes. It is a monthly subscription, I myself was fine with using just 2 months.

Another good prep is Engineering Pro Guides.

We also recommend doing as many practice exam problems as you can, to better drill the concepts needed for the exam into your head. Here is the list of practice exams that I used, and below is my opinionated list:

JUST BEGINNING TO PREPARE AND STUDY FOR EXAM:

NCEES Practice Exam
A.S. Graffeo Exam
Complex Imaginary Exam: 4 sets of problems
Spin-Up PE Exam: 5 sets of problems
MIDWAY STUDYING FOR EXAM:

PPI Practice Exams: 2 sets of problems
Shorebrook Exam
HARDER DIFFICULTY PRACTICE EXAMS:

Electrical PE Review Practice Exam
Engineering Pro Guides Full and Final Exams
Cram for PE Power Exam Volumes 1 thru 4


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## jujux15

akyip said:


> My take on this is somewhere around 4 months to 8 months minimum. I myself studied for over a year, but that was because my exam was pushed back twice. I started studying around November 2019, and I was originally supposed to take the exam on April 2020. But that got pushed back due to CoViD. Looking back though, I don't think I would've been well-prepared on April 2020 as opposed to when I finally took my exam just 2 weeks ago.
> 
> We highly recommend Zach Stone's Electrical PE Review course. I believe he is currently doing a live weekly course, and his website also has Premium Course notes. It is a monthly subscription, I myself was fine with using just 2 months.
> 
> Another good prep is Engineering Pro Guides.
> 
> We also recommend doing as many practice exam problems as you can, to better drill the concepts needed for the exam into your head. Here is the list of practice exams that I used, and below is my opinionated list:
> 
> JUST BEGINNING TO PREPARE AND STUDY FOR EXAM:
> 
> NCEES Practice Exam
> A.S. Graffeo Exam
> Complex Imaginary Exam: 4 sets of problems
> Spin-Up PE Exam: 5 sets of problems
> MIDWAY STUDYING FOR EXAM:
> 
> PPI Practice Exams: 2 sets of problems
> Shorebrook Exam
> HARDER DIFFICULTY PRACTICE EXAMS:
> 
> Electrical PE Review Practice Exam
> Engineering Pro Guides Full and Final Exams
> Cram for PE Power Exam Volumes 1 thru 4


Thank you for the concise write up! I don’t really want to spend a lot of money being that I’m out of college looking for a job as I said but, I think if it comes down to it I’ll just have to go for it


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## akyip

jujux15 said:


> Thank you for the concise write up! I don’t really want to spend a lot of money being that I’m out of college looking for a job as I said but, I think if it comes down to it I’ll just have to go for it


Then at the very least I recommend just doing 1 or 2 months of Zach Stone's Electrical PE Review premium online review course. For me, it took me 2 months to cover his entire premium online review course. Also do his practice review exam (in addition to the NCEES PE power practice exam). His solutions are very detailed.

Zach Stone is a regular member of this board, and he does peruse this board from time to time.

The website is electricalpereview.com

I should mention the monthly subscription price is $299 per month... But many people here recommend at least 1 or 2 months. 2 months was enough for me to cover the premium online review course...


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## jujux15

akyip said:


> Then at the very least I recommend just doing 1 or 2 months of Zach Stone's Electrical PE Review premium online review course. For me, it took me 2 months to cover his entire premium online review course. Also do his practice review exam. His solutions are very detailed.
> 
> Zach Stone is a regular member of this board, and he does peruse this board from time to time.


Yeah I’ve seen him around, ok I’ll think about that. So is the graffeo book really that not up to par compared to other things?


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## akyip

jujux15 said:


> Yeah I’ve seen him around, ok I’ll think about that. So is the graffeo book really that not up to par compared to other things?


The A.S. Graffeo reference book is a bit outdated at this point, but I myself would still sort of recommend the exam included at the end of the Graffeo reference book for beginners' practice.

I should mention that currently I am seeing it listed as $108 on Amazon, since you did raise your concerns about cost. It's your call.


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## jujux15

akyip said:


> The A.S. Graffeo reference book is a bit outdated at this point, but I myself would still sort of recommend the exam included at the end of the Graffeo reference book for beginners' practice.
> 
> I should mention that currently I am seeing it listed as $108 on Amazon, since you did raise your concerns about cost. It's your call.


Oh I have that one already, a friend had a pdf and lent it to me.


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## akyip

What is your budget for which you are willing to spend up to, for prepping up?

I'm reviewing pricing for some of the materials that I used. Aside from Zach Stone's Electrical PE Review course which is $300 per month, and aside from A.S. Graffeo since you already have it, here are some of the cheaper exams I would recommend for practice:


Engineering Pro Guides: Final and/or Full Exam (each is $42)






Engineering Pro Guides


Engineering pro Guides




www.engproguides.com





These exams are fairly difficult and very good preparation. If you had to choose between one or the other... I would probably slightly favor the final exam over the full exam.


Shorebrook PE Power Practice Exam ($34 with an included quick reference sheet, $29 without the sheet)



https://www.amazon.com/Power-Practice-PE-Quick-Reference/dp/1732656940/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=shorebrook+pe+power+exam&qid=1611709618&sr=8-2





https://www.amazon.com/Power-Practice-PE-Electrical-Computer/dp/1732656932/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=shorebrook+pe+power+exam&qid=1611709664&sr=8-1



Not as difficult as the Electrical PE Review or Engineering Pro Guides exam IMO, but IMO this exam had some decent questions covering power system stability and operation.


Cram for PE Power Exam: Volumes 1 through 4 (each volume, which is a practice exam set, costs $42)



https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Engineer-Electrical-Computer-Sample/dp/1731454155/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=cram+for+pe+power+exam&qid=1611709741&sr=8-2





https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Engineer-Electrical-Computer-Sample/dp/1095317660/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=cram+for+pe+power+exam&qid=1611709794&sr=8-7





https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Engineer-Electrical-Computer-Sample/dp/1712198602/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=cram+for+pe+power+exam&qid=1611709809&sr=8-5





https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Engineer-Electrical-Computer-Sample/dp/B087LH66B9/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=cram+for+pe+power+exam&qid=1611709820&sr=8-3



On a limited budget, I would recommend getting Cram for PE Power Exam Volumes 1 and 2 if you want to buy some but not all of these. IMO, I think that Volumes 3 and 4 might be a bit over the top in terms of difficulty LOL
Just trying to help you prepare, in light of the fact that you raised some understandable concerns about cost. My take on your preparation situation is that you probably should first spend 1 or 2 months on Zach Stone's Electrical PE Review premium review course (and maybe the live class if you want to join that too), and then do practice exam questions... Do not be surprised if you find yourself repetitively doing the same questions over and over again to better understand the concepts you need for passing the exam.


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## akyip

I'm re-reading your first post, and I just want to make sure (with all due respect) - you do know that you need at least a few years of work experience to even qualify to take the PE Exam, right? During the paperwork application for the PE exam, you will have to fill out relevant work experience...


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## jujux15

akyip said:


> What is your budget for which you are willing to spend up to, for prepping up?
> 
> I'm reviewing pricing for some of the materials that I used. Aside from Zach Stone's Electrical PE Review course which is $300 per month, and aside from A.S. Graffeo since you already have it, here are some of the cheaper exams I would recommend for practice:
> 
> 
> Engineering Pro Guides: Final and/or Full Exam (each is $42)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Engineering Pro Guides
> 
> 
> Engineering pro Guides
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.engproguides.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> These exams are fairly difficult and very good preparation. If you had to choose between one or the other... I would probably slightly favor the final exam over the full exam.
> 
> 
> Shorebrook PE Power Practice Exam ($34 with an included quick reference sheet, $29 without the sheet)
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Power-Practice-PE-Quick-Reference/dp/1732656940/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=shorebrook+pe+power+exam&qid=1611709618&sr=8-2
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Power-Practice-PE-Electrical-Computer/dp/1732656932/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=shorebrook+pe+power+exam&qid=1611709664&sr=8-1
> 
> 
> 
> Not as difficult as the Electrical PE Review or Engineering Pro Guides exam IMO, but IMO this exam had some decent questions covering power system stability and operation.
> 
> 
> Cram for PE Power Exam: Volumes 1 through 4 (each volume, which is a practice exam set, costs $42)
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Engineer-Electrical-Computer-Sample/dp/1731454155/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=cram+for+pe+power+exam&qid=1611709741&sr=8-2
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Engineer-Electrical-Computer-Sample/dp/1095317660/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=cram+for+pe+power+exam&qid=1611709794&sr=8-7
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Engineer-Electrical-Computer-Sample/dp/1712198602/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=cram+for+pe+power+exam&qid=1611709809&sr=8-5
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Engineer-Electrical-Computer-Sample/dp/B087LH66B9/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=cram+for+pe+power+exam&qid=1611709820&sr=8-3
> 
> 
> 
> On a limited budget, I would recommend getting Cram for PE Power Exam Volumes 1 and 2 if you want to buy some but not all of these. IMO, I think that Volumes 3 and 4 might be a bit over the top in terms of difficulty LOL
> Just trying to help you prepare, in light of the fact that you raised some understandable concerns about cost. My take on your preparation situation is that you probably should first spend 1 or 2 months on Zach Stone's Electrical PE Review premium review course (and maybe the live class if you want to join that too), and then do practice exam questions... Do not be surprised if you find yourself repetitively doing the same questions over and over again to better understand the concepts you need for passing the exam.


Oh hey man this is really nice! I was aware of Zach course price but I didn’t realize everything else was less than $100. I was also wondering should one go back through their power textbooks? I plan to only do so if I’m completely lost on something. Thank you for the thoughtful question, I’m in CA. We are able to take the exam after the fe but I wouldn’t be a full fledge PE until I get the experience and references. So taking the exam now wouldn’t be a waste of time.


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## akyip

jujux15 said:


> Oh hey man this is really nice! I was aware of Zach course price but I didn’t realize everything else was less than $100. I was also wondering should one go back through their power textbooks? I plan to only do so if I’m completely lost on something.


Absolutely go back to your textbooks for reference if you are only beginning studying.

Some of the most top recommended textbooks are:


Power System Analysis and Design, by Glover, Sarma, and Overbye:



https://www.amazon.com/Duncan-Glover-Mulukutla-Thomas-Overbye/dp/B004VG2O5I/ref=sr_1_4?crid=XWGQQGKRNN9Y&dchild=1&keywords=power+system+analysis+and+design+by+glover%2C+sarma%2C+and+overbye&qid=1611710449&sprefix=glover+sarma+overbye%2Caps%2C208&sr=8-4



This is a common textbook for college power system analysis courses. This was one of my college textbooks during my undergraduate time, at least. There are newer editions, but I feel that this 5th edition that I had since undergraduate (for me, that was 2008-2012) was sufficient. In addition to power system analysis, I also read their chapter on overcurrent protection for when I was first starting to cover electrical system protection.


Electrical Machines, Drives, and Power Systems by Theodore Wildi



https://www.amazon.com/Electrical-Machines-Drives-Power-Systems/dp/933251853X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=44QK5F6JWWC5&dchild=1&keywords=wildi+electrical+machines&qid=1611710574&sprefix=wildi+%2Caps%2C155&sr=8-1



Another highly recommended book, this time mainly for machines such as induction, synchronous, and DC motors and generators. This is another common college electrical engineering textbook, I had this during my time as an EE graduate student (for me, 2015 to 2019). It also covers transformers, power system analysis, mechanics, and electronic devices (diodes, thyristors, SCRs, etc.


Fundamentals of Power System Protection by Paithanakar and Bhide ($31.50)






Fundamentals of Power System Protection: Y.G. Paithankar, S.R. Bhide: 9788120341234: Amazon.com: Books


Fundamentals of Power System Protection [Y.G. Paithankar, S.R. Bhide] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Fundamentals of Power System Protection



www.amazon.com





An easy-to-read book for power system protection.


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## jujux15

akyip said:


> Absolutely go back to your textbooks for reference if you are only beginning studying.
> 
> Some of the most top recommended textbooks are:
> 
> 
> Power System Analysis and Design, by Glover, Sarma, and Overbye:
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Duncan-Glover-Mulukutla-Thomas-Overbye/dp/B004VG2O5I/ref=sr_1_4?crid=XWGQQGKRNN9Y&dchild=1&keywords=power+system+analysis+and+design+by+glover%2C+sarma%2C+and+overbye&qid=1611710449&sprefix=glover+sarma+overbye%2Caps%2C208&sr=8-4
> 
> 
> 
> This is a common textbook for college power system analysis courses. This was one of my college textbooks during my undergraduate time, at least. There are newer editions, but I feel that this 5th edition that I had since undergraduate (for me, that was 2008-2012) was sufficient. In addition to power system analysis, I also read their chapter on overcurrent protection for when I was first starting to cover electrical system protection.
> 
> 
> Electrical Machines, Drives, and Power Systems by Theodore Wildi
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Electrical-Machines-Drives-Power-Systems/dp/933251853X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=44QK5F6JWWC5&dchild=1&keywords=wildi+electrical+machines&qid=1611710574&sprefix=wildi+%2Caps%2C155&sr=8-1
> 
> 
> 
> Another highly recommended book, this time mainly for machines such as induction, synchronous, and DC motors and generators. This is another common college electrical engineering textbook, I had this during my time as an EE graduate student (for me, 2015 to 2019). It also covers transformers, power system analysis, mechanics, and electronic devices (diodes, thyristors, SCRs, etc.
> 
> 
> Fundamentals of Power System Protection by Paithanakar and Bhide ($31.50)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Fundamentals of Power System Protection: Y.G. Paithankar, S.R. Bhide: 9788120341234: Amazon.com: Books
> 
> 
> Fundamentals of Power System Protection [Y.G. Paithankar, S.R. Bhide] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Fundamentals of Power System Protection
> 
> 
> 
> www.amazon.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> An easy-to-read book for power system protection.


Excellent, thank you!


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## akyip

One more (cheap in price but highly recommended) practice exam I forgot to mention: the NCEES PE Power practice exam. It costs about $40. I think you need to create an NCEES account to order this exam (someone can correct me if I'm wrong).

This is highly recommended, so you can get an idea of what to expect. In terms of difficulty, IMO the NCEES practice exam is similar in difficulty to the A.S. Graffeo practice exam.


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## jujux15

akyip said:


> One more (cheap in price but highly recommended) practice exam I forgot to mention: the NCEES PE Power practice exam. It costs about $40. I think you need to create an NCEES account to order this exam (someone can correct me if I'm wrong).
> 
> This is highly recommended, so you can get an idea of what to expect. In terms of difficulty, IMO the NCEES practice exam is similar in difficulty to the A.S. Graffeo practice exam.


This I bought, felt like it’s a must. That’s the one thing everyone recommended


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## RedRaider2020

Buy the NCEES practice exam, take it and see how you do on it. That will give you a good idea of how much you need to study to pass the test.


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## Sparky Bill PE

jujux15 said:


> Hey guys, I recently passed the fe exam electrical a few weeks ago. I've been out of school for a few months now trying to find a job and I figure I might as well try for the PE exam since I have nothing better to do, and it'd be great to keep me focused and ready. I was wondering how far out should I sign up for it? I've seen people plan for as far off as a year and others just four months. I am also not entirely sure how to prepare as a broke new graduate haha, I have the graffeo book so I want to read through and do the problems for that. I also was wanted some insight on the nec and the code books I would need.


If you're not working, you could take it in around 3 months easily. Like you said, what else do you have to do? It would be quite silly to not get this behind you right now as this is the easiest as life is going to get for you. If you decide to blow it off you might try it later while working 50 hours a week, with a spouse, with 3 kids screaming, etc etc.

You already got a great book for a resource. You don't have to throw a ton of money to pass this test (anymore) since its CBT now.

1st step is to buy the NCEES practice exam. You should take this exam MINIMUM 4 or 5 times before taking the exam. Make sure you understand every question on that practice exam (just like the FE).


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## LyceeFruit PE

Guys the advice is great but @jujux15 needs to answer this question:


akyip said:


> I'm re-reading your first post, and I just want to make sure (with all due respect) - you do know that you need at least a few years of work experience to even qualify to take the PE Exam, right? During the paperwork application for the PE exam, you will have to fill out relevant work experience...



There are few states that would allow them to take the exam right now anyway.
And @jujux15 would need references on the application to attest to work experience and needs work experience as well.

I think you've put the cart before the horse here friend.
And also to be frank, trying to save a few bucks by not buying things, is not going to end well.
Look at the yardsale forum for 2nd hand items when you can actually take the exam.
And toss out Graffeo, it's garbage and will not be updated since it's one person who was like "hey here's what I did" and there's no incentive for them to update it (not that they'd even be able to with any real authority since they passed in 2011 and the exam specs and format have changed 3-4 times since).


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## jujux15

LyceeFruit PE said:


> Guys the advice is great but @jujux15 needs to answer this question:
> 
> 
> There are few states that would allow them to take the exam right now anyway.
> And @jujux15 would need references on the application to attest to work experience and needs work experience as well.
> 
> I think you've put the cart before the horse here friend.
> And also to be frank, trying to save a few bucks by not buying things, is not going to end well.
> Look at the yardsale forum for 2nd hand items when you can actually take the exam.
> And toss out Graffeo, it's garbage and will not be updated since it's one person who was like "hey here's what I did" and there's no incentive for them to update it (not that they'd even be able to with any real authority since they passed in 2011 and the exam specs and format have changed 3-4 times since).


I did answer it, I’m in CA . We can take the test after passing the EIT, but I won’t be a PE without the experience and references. Everybody seems to say graffeo isn’t the best, I’ll keep that it mind then.


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## LyceeFruit PE

jujux15 said:


> I did answer it, I’m in CA . We can take the test after passing the EIT, but I won’t be a PE without the experience and references


Sorry, did not see it.


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## jujux15

LyceeFruit PE said:


> Sorry, did not see it.


It’s ok no worries, you guys are all just trying to help me


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## RedRaider2020

Instead of trying to estimate how long it will take to study, just start studying.
When you're able to easily answer the practice test questions from the various practice exams available then schedule the test. 

Get the engineering pro guides technical study guide for $45 or Zach Stones Electrical PE Review material (part of the course is free) and just get started.

You can get an older edition the Wildi book or most other reference books used for around 20 bucks then find the solution manual online. The older editions work just as well as the newer ones when studying for the test.









Electrical Machines Drives and Power Systems 6th Edition by Theodore Wildi for sale online | eBay


Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Electrical Machines Drives and Power Systems 6th Edition by Theodore Wildi at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!



www.ebay.com





You can get an incredible amount of study material very cheap this way.

The hardest part is just getting started but taking small steps in the right direction will lead to big gains over time.


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## akyip

jujux15 said:


> I did answer it, I’m in CA . We can take the test after passing the EIT, but I won’t be a PE without the experience and references. Everybody seems to say graffeo isn’t the best, I’ll keep that it mind then.


I still highly recommend you keep the Graffeo book you have, at least for the practice exam at the end of the book. The exam has some decent questions.

(It is true though, that the reference material chapters are rather outdated at this point.)


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## jujux15

akyip said:


> I still highly recommend you keep the Graffeo book you have, at least for the practice exam at the end of the book. The exam has some decent questions.
> 
> (It is true though, that the reference material chapters are rather outdated at this point.)


Honestly I want to go through it and then go to other materials recommended. I saw an interview question I got on like page 14 and it made me highly upset because if I had started studying earlier maybe I would have got it lmao. I mean my interview was on the day I found out I passed the fe exam but still.


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## DarkLegion PE

Congrats on the FE! Everyone else is giving fantastic advice and I agree with everything being shared. 

In my state I needed 4 years of working experience to submit for review before registering for a seat. My plan was to study for 3 months for the October 2020 test but that got cancelled so I wasn't able to take the test until early January.

The cancellation really made me procrastinate studying which turned out to be awful because I had some unexpected life stuff happen which got in the way of studying. So I spent a month and a half studying and grinding problems from the following resources (listing them in order of how I felt they helped me):

Zach Stone Practice Exam
NCEES Practice Exam
Graffeo Book
Spin Up (good for basics)
Complex Imaginary (good to perfect your math calculations)
The biggest game changer for me was after I ran through all of those practice exams I googled and youtube'd videos on the practical concepts of things I encountered. If I were to redo studying properly I would probably spend the first month looking over the concepts of all the topics and familiarize myself with them. Spend the second month grinding problems and the last month solidifying fundamentals. I would probably add the EngineerProGuides and Cram for the Exam tests to my arsenal because I felt the Spin Up and Complex Imaginary tests were too straight forward. Graffeo book is a good source

Good Luck!


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## jujux15

RedRaider2020 said:


> Instead of trying to estimate how long it will take to study, just start studying.
> When you're able to easily answer the practice test questions from the various practice exams available then schedule the test.
> 
> Get the engineering pro guides technical study guide for $45 or Zach Stones Electrical PE Review material (part of the course is free) and just get started.
> 
> You can get an older edition the Wildi book or most other reference books used for around 20 bucks then find the solution manual online. The older editions work just as well as the newer ones when studying for the test.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Electrical Machines Drives and Power Systems 6th Edition by Theodore Wildi for sale online | eBay
> 
> 
> Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Electrical Machines Drives and Power Systems 6th Edition by Theodore Wildi at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
> 
> 
> 
> www.ebay.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> You can get an incredible amount of study material very cheap this way.
> 
> The hardest part is just getting started but taking small steps in the right direction will lead to big gains over time.


I get your logic 100% and I agree only reason why I was trying to figure out an estimate is because of covid. When I signed up for my fe exam it was originally scheduled for December then got pushed to a date which I chose to be mid January. I just figure if something similar happens again it would probably be in my favor to pick a date soon


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## jujux15

DarkLegion PE said:


> Congrats on the FE! Everyone else is giving fantastic advice and I agree with everything being shared.
> 
> In my state I needed 4 years of working experience to submit for review before registering for a seat. My plan was to study for 3 months for the October 2020 test but that got cancelled so I wasn't able to take the test until early January.
> 
> The cancellation really made me procrastinate studying which turned out to be awful because I had some unexpected life stuff happen which got in the way of studying. So I spent a month and a half studying and grinding problems from the following resources (listing them in order of how I felt they helped me):
> 
> Zach Stone Practice Exam
> NCEES Practice Exam
> Graffeo Book
> Spin Up (good for basics)
> Complex Imaginary (good to perfect your math calculations)
> The biggest game changer for me was after I ran through all of those practice exams I googled and youtube'd videos on the practical concepts of things I encountered. If I were to redo studying properly I would probably spend the first month looking over the concepts of all the topics and familiarize myself with them. Spend the second month grinding problems and the last month solidifying fundamentals. I would probably add the EngineerProGuides and Cram for the Exam tests to my arsenal because I felt the Spin Up and Complex Imaginary tests were too straight forward. Graffeo book is a good source
> 
> Good Luck!


Thank you this is short and to the point, I appreciate it!


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## LyceeFruit PE

dup.


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## DLD PE

Also Zach Stone has plenty of free articles on his website. Go to YouTube and search for his videos. He has plenty of free videos you could watch. You can see if his teaching style is right for you before you decide whether to invest in a live course or not.

Justin Kauwale (Eng Pro Guides) is also a very good teacher.


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## Zach Stone P.E.

Thanks for the mention everyone.

@jujux15 if you're looking to get started, here is a large amount of excellent free material:

Electrical PE Review - Free Trial

*Included in the Free Trial:*

Complex Numbers and Polar Math (Video and Text Lessons)
Engineering Economics (Video and Text Lessons)
Engineering Economics (10 Question Practice Test)
Three-Phase Circuits (Video and Text Lessons)
Three-Phase Circuits (10 Question Practice Test)
Power Supplies and Converters (Video and Text Lessons)
Power Supplies and Converters (10 Question Practice Test)
Motor Equivalent Circuits and Characteristics (10 Question Practice Test)
Fault Current Analysis (Video and Text Lessons)
Fault Current (10 Question Practice Test)
Introduction to Overcurrent Protection
*Bonus Material Included in the Free Trial:*

How to Beat the Electrical Power PE Exam: Live Webinar Recording (Includes printable PDF of webinar slides)
Power Factor Correction: Live Webinar Recording (Includes printable PDF of the Workbook Notes)
Power Relationships, Delta vs Wye Transformers Connections, and Phasor Diagrams: Live Webinar Recording (Includes printable PDF of the Workbook Notes)
Fault Current Analysis: (Includes printable PDF of the Workbook Notes)

In addition to the Free Trial, there is a wealth of excellent example problems located on our YouTube channel, and Free Articles section of our website. 

Also, a new YouTube series called "How to Pass the CBT PE Exam" interviews with electrical engineers that passed the new CBT PE exam in power.

If you have any questions, feel free to reply to me in this thread and I'll do my best to answer you.

That should keep you busy for awhile


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## jujux15

Zach Stone P.E. said:


> Thanks for the mention everyone.
> 
> @jujux15 if you're looking to get started, here is a large amount of excellent free material:
> 
> Electrical PE Review - Free Trial
> 
> *Included in the Free Trial:*
> 
> Complex Numbers and Polar Math (Video and Text Lessons)
> Engineering Economics (Video and Text Lessons)
> Engineering Economics (10 Question Practice Test)
> Three-Phase Circuits (Video and Text Lessons)
> Three-Phase Circuits (10 Question Practice Test)
> Power Supplies and Converters (Video and Text Lessons)
> Power Supplies and Converters (10 Question Practice Test)
> Motor Equivalent Circuits and Characteristics (10 Question Practice Test)
> Fault Current Analysis (Video and Text Lessons)
> Fault Current (10 Question Practice Test)
> Introduction to Overcurrent Protection
> *Bonus Material Included in the Free Trial:*
> 
> How to Beat the Electrical Power PE Exam: Live Webinar Recording (Includes printable PDF of webinar slides)
> Power Factor Correction: Live Webinar Recording (Includes printable PDF of the Workbook Notes)
> Power Relationships, Delta vs Wye Transformers Connections, and Phasor Diagrams: Live Webinar Recording (Includes printable PDF of the Workbook Notes)
> Fault Current Analysis: (Includes printable PDF of the Workbook Notes)
> 
> In addition to the Free Trial, there is a wealth of excellent example problems located on our YouTube channel, and Free Articles section of our website.
> 
> Also, a new YouTube series called "How to Pass the CBT PE Exam" interviews with electrical engineers that passed the new CBT PE exam in power.
> 
> If you have any questions, feel free to reply to me in this thread and I'll do my best to answer you.
> 
> That should keep you busy for awhile


thank you!


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## jujux15

Based off all the advice everyone has given me, and the fact that although I have passed the FE exam, I dont have the real world experience that others may have had taking the exam. I think I will sign up to take the exam 6 months from now. An added benefit for me is I have seen some topics on the exam that I am not that comfortable with, for example I didnt really learn much about protection in school, its something that has come up in a few interviews I have had and it always bothered me that I didnt know much about the subject. Hopefully studying the PE as well as passing it will give me the needed edge in knowledge to get hired. Also in case someone missed it again, I live in CA I can take the PE exam since I have passed the FE exam, but I still need experience and references to get my PE license in the future.


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