Electronics exam - need help!

schmidty99 · Jan 10, 2011

To all:

After receiving my second failure letter in 2010, its fairly obvious that I'm missing a piece of the puzzle for the Electronics exam. Has anyone out there passed the electronics exam in its current format? If so, any pointers would be very appreciated. I'm thinking about the PE Readiness course (pelicense.org), anyone tried this review course? I'll be trying for a 3rd time in April 2011, but its getting frustrating (not to mention expensive.) Anything anybody has to offer would be greatly appreciated!

schmidty99 · Jan 10, 2011

Just did some more checking and the PE Readiness course is specific to Power. Go figure.

CincinnatiControlsGuy · Jan 10, 2011

schmidty99 said:
To all:
After receiving my second failure letter in 2010, its fairly obvious that I'm missing a piece of the puzzle for the Electronics exam. Has anyone out there passed the electronics exam in its current format? If so, any pointers would be very appreciated. I'm thinking about the PE Readiness course (pelicense.org), anyone tried this review course? I'll be trying for a 3rd time in April 2011, but its getting frustrating (not to mention expensive.) Anything anybody has to offer would be greatly appreciated!

I just passed it this past October, but I didn't take any courses, though this was mainly because I'm pathologically incapable of listening to a teacher. Quite frankly I found that being extremely strong in both mathematics (Calculus) and circuit analysis is the key. I started studying in late Feb./early Mar. with my Calculus book from college (Stewart). I made it through differentiation and basic integration. It would seem like doing this is pointless, and maybe it was, but the problem solving and mathematics refresher calmed my mind and proved very useful when dealing with transforms. By late June I started on the EERM package from PPI (big $400 package that included the NCEES problems for the EC&C electrical module). Around August I started studying, concurrently, the Hayt/Kemmerly circuit analysis book from my college days. I was actually able to finish this book, but it took a major toll on my social life even though I had the time (single with no kids). However, after going through it I felt extremely confident with basic circuit analysis and components, op-amps, filters, transformers, and Fourier/Laplace transforms. Between the EERM and the circuit analysis book I felt pretty good about basic circuit analysis, electronics, and controls. By mid-October I had convinced myself that I was done studying and that I could pack no more information in my brain. Satellite stuff is pretty simple if you MIND YOUR UNITS!!! By units I mean dB vs. W, etc.

What I would suggest is getting that package from PPI: http://ppi2pass.com/ppi/PPIShop?ct=ELECTRI...=0&pr=EEEP2. It's comprehensive and can be done in 3 months, but you absolutely cannot skim the chapters. Hang on every word and read as if you're looking for mistakes. Work through every problem and follow the syllabus that PPI provides; it skips the sections that aren't relevant for your module. Once you are confident with your studies from that package simply continue doing problems elsewhere, though the bulk of your studies are done. On exam day bring some of the reference books suggested by the EERM and the ARRL handbook (seemingly impossible RF questions are made easy with this book). Good luck in April!

schmidty99 · Jan 10, 2011

I feel there were several problems on the exam that were not even touched in any of my studies, and I have all the PPI books you mentioned above. Specifically signal processing and control problems. I mostly followed the syllabus that Camara laid out in the EERM. I mean there wasn't any similar problems even in the NCEES sample exam. I'm just wondering how you would have figured those out? Maybe I'll have to find/make up a similar problem and post it out here.

You said that PPI has a specific syllabus, or are you referring to the Camara one?

Brett M Huhman · Jan 10, 2011

schmidty99 said:
To all:
After receiving my second failure letter in 2010, its fairly obvious that I'm missing a piece of the puzzle for the Electronics exam. Has anyone out there passed the electronics exam in its current format? If so, any pointers would be very appreciated. I'm thinking about the PE Readiness course (pelicense.org), anyone tried this review course? I'll be trying for a 3rd time in April 2011, but its getting frustrating (not to mention expensive.) Anything anybody has to offer would be greatly appreciated!

I took the electronics for the first time and passed. What I did was:

1) Buy the NCEES sample exam booklet

2) Bought a bunch of Schaum's Outlines (Electronic Devices and Circuit, Basic Circuit Analysis, Analog and Digital Communications, Digital Signal Processing, Signals and Systems, and Electric Circuits)

3) Bought Electrical Engineering Handbook (Schmidt-Walter-Kories)

4) Textbooks from college

5) Sample test from Kaiser

I started studying in late May, with the NCEES exam. I went through each problem, remembering almost nothing from my basic EE classes. I used the test questions as a guide to research the texts to relearn the basics. From there I worked to the Kaiser test, then I found my local library had the Camera and Kaplan Sample Exams. I worked through all of these, using my texts as references. About early October all I did was rework the tests so I knew the basic concepts they were presenting fairly well. I also marked my references as I went, which made it much easier during the test.

I think the biggest part is knowing your references and having the basic concepts down.

CincinnatiControlsGuy · Jan 10, 2011

schmidty99 said:
I feel there were several problems on the exam that were not even touched in any of my studies, and I have all the PPI books you mentioned above. Specifically signal processing and control problems. I mostly followed the syllabus that Camara laid out in the EERM. I mean there wasn't any similar problems even in the NCEES sample exam. I'm just wondering how you would have figured those out? Maybe I'll have to find/make up a similar problem and post it out here.
You said that PPI has a specific syllabus, or are you referring to the Camara one?

I should have been more specific, sorry. Yes, I was referring to Camara's syllabus. If by signal processing you mean solving Fourier Series problems I always brute-forced problems like that by integrating after I found what was periodic about the waveform. You can simplify those problems using symmetry, but I felt that if I integrated them that I'd always have the right answer and I'd never have to think about it. Unfortunately, I did something similar for controls, especially when finding transfer functions.

Brett M Huhman · Jan 10, 2011

schmidty99 said:
I feel there were several problems on the exam that were not even touched in any of my studies, and I have all the PPI books you mentioned above. Specifically signal processing and control problems. I mostly followed the syllabus that Camara laid out in the EERM. I mean there wasn't any similar problems even in the NCEES sample exam. I'm just wondering how you would have figured those out? Maybe I'll have to find/make up a similar problem and post it out here.
You said that PPI has a specific syllabus, or are you referring to the Camara one?

I found Camera to be overly simplistic with no depth. Try reading the reference manual with the sample test in hand, and look up some topics. It mentions some things (like Shannon Bandwidth (516)) but no actual way to apply it to something useful.

Try to answer sample questions 539, 540, 538, and 528 with the reference manual. My textbooks were much more useful.

schmidty99 · Jan 10, 2011

Thanks for the tips guys. I'm finding I have most of the books you guys have (other than some of the specific college texts). I thought I had Fourier figured out too then when the exam came, I just got confused. Are the Kaplan books/exams representative of NCEES sample exam? I found that many of the problems with Camara didn't have the feel of real thing. Brett, I'll try some of those problems you mention again. I can post my failure diagnostic so you guys can see the areas I need help with. Flyer_PE, Dark Knight: That wouldn't be considered any kind of NCEES violation would it?

Brett M Huhman · Jan 10, 2011

schmidty99 said:
Thanks for the tips guys. I'm finding I have most of the books you guys have (other than some of the specific college texts). I thought I had Fourier figured out too then when the exam came, I just got confused. Are the Kaplan books/exams representative of NCEES sample exam? I found that many of the problems with Camara didn't have the feel of real thing. Brett, I'll try some of those problems you mention again. I can post my failure diagnostic so you guys can see the areas I need help with. Flyer_PE, Dark Knight: That wouldn't be considered any kind of NCEES violation would it?

The Kaplan stuff was more difficult than the exam, and the NCEES sample exam was pretty close. If you can do the Kaplan questions without troubles, then you are well prepared. That said, the Kaplan answer key is very helpful on the exam, as it is indexed by topic! I found a few of the questions in it handy.

The EE Handbook that I purchased has a nice section on Fourier, with a table for all of the different types. It actually covers all topics except antennas.

Lord2005 · Jan 11, 2011

I passed in my first time and I suggest to you that try to buy Microelectronics Book from Jacob Millman it will be very helpfull in Opamps, filters, electric cicuits and digital that in my opinion is the core of this exam. Good lock next time. :screwloose:

Brett M Huhman said:
schmidty99 said:

To all:
After receiving my second failure letter in 2010, its fairly obvious that I'm missing a piece of the puzzle for the Electronics exam. Has anyone out there passed the electronics exam in its current format? If so, any pointers would be very appreciated. I'm thinking about the PE Readiness course (pelicense.org), anyone tried this review course? I'll be trying for a 3rd time in April 2011, but its getting frustrating (not to mention expensive.) Anything anybody has to offer would be greatly appreciated!

Click to expand...

I took the electronics for the first time and passed. What I did was:

1) Buy the NCEES sample exam booklet

2) Bought a bunch of Schaum's Outlines (Electronic Devices and Circuit, Basic Circuit Analysis, Analog and Digital Communications, Digital Signal Processing, Signals and Systems, and Electric Circuits)

3) Bought Electrical Engineering Handbook (Schmidt-Walter-Kories)

4) Textbooks from college

5) Sample test from Kaiser

I started studying in late May, with the NCEES exam. I went through each problem, remembering almost nothing from my basic EE classes. I used the test questions as a guide to research the texts to relearn the basics. From there I worked to the Kaiser test, then I found my local library had the Camera and Kaplan Sample Exams. I worked through all of these, using my texts as references. About early October all I did was rework the tests so I knew the basic concepts they were presenting fairly well. I also marked my references as I went, which made it much easier during the test.

I think the biggest part is knowing your references and having the basic concepts down.

schmidty99 · Jan 11, 2011

Brett: Do you mean the Kaplan problems are more difficult than the NCEES sample exam problems? And that the sample exam is pretty close to the real thing? I know the NCEES sample is close to the real thing, I just wish there would more sample-exam-like problems out there.

Lord2005: thx for the heads up, I'll look into the book. Same to the rest of you guys. Keep the comments coming!!

Brett M Huhman · Jan 11, 2011

schmidty99 said:
Brett: Do you mean the Kaplan problems are more difficult than the NCEES sample exam problems? And that the sample exam is pretty close to the real thing? I know the NCEES sample is close to the real thing, I just wish there would more sample-exam-like problems out there.
Lord2005: thx for the heads up, I'll look into the book. Same to the rest of you guys. Keep the comments coming!!

Kaplan is more difficult, but are still worth doing. The Kaiser sample exam and the questions in the Schaum's Outlines are good, too.

schmidty99 · Jan 12, 2011

Well guys, thanks for the help. I'll be posting problems (almost annoyingly I'm sure). This will be my 3rd time in April 2011, and I want it to be my last. Keep the comments coming!

Lord2005 · Jan 12, 2011

Well the NCEES sample examination is the more close possible problems, but use also schaum series will be very help full on circuits, system and for telecomunication, also the Camara book.

schmidty99 said:
Well guys, thanks for the help. I'll be posting problems (almost annoyingly I'm sure). This will be my 3rd time in April 2011, and I want it to be my last. Keep the comments coming!

schmidty99 · Jan 12, 2011

Ok. I've used the Camara 9th edition for my studies that last two times I took the test. Its starting to lose its luster. Although it has been somewhat helpful. Obviously I can't blame it all my study materials, I'm ultimately responsible for my own success...(or failure)

CincinnatiControlsGuy · Jan 12, 2011

For circuits I think your best bet is to be as solid as you were in college. This is where Brett is absolutely correct: use your college textbooks. When you think about it, a huge chunk of the exam depends on your knowledge of circuits. You can't solve transistor problems without it nor can you deal with the transfer functions in controls. I would contend that the book that helped me the most was my Hayt/Kemmerly circuit analysis book from college: http://www.amazon.com/Engineering-Circuit-...t/dp/0073263184. Don't let the reviews scare you as they're mostly whining about it being too mathematically rigorous. Moreover, it covers almost everything. DC/AC circuit theory, op-amps, filters, Laplace and Fourier transforms, magnetically coupled circuits, all types of power problems (for the EC&C module you still need to know Real/Apparent/Complex power), Thevenin/Norton theorems, and two port networks. From there electronics and controls studying should be pretty straightforward.

schmidty99 · Jan 12, 2011

GroesbeckEE said:
For circuits I think your best bet is to be as solid as you were in college. This is where Brett is absolutely correct: use your college textbooks. When you think about it, a huge chunk of the exam depends on your knowledge of circuits. You can't solve transistor problems without it nor can you deal with the transfer functions in controls. I would contend that the book that helped me the most was my Hayt/Kemmerly circuit analysis book from college: http://www.amazon.com/Engineering-Circuit-...t/dp/0073263184. Don't let the reviews scare you as they're mostly whining about it being too mathematically rigorous. Moreover, it covers almost everything. DC/AC circuit theory, op-amps, filters, Laplace and Fourier transforms, magnetically coupled circuits, all types of power problems (for the EC&C module you still need to know Real/Apparent/Complex power), Thevenin/Norton theorems, and two port networks. From there electronics and controls studying should be pretty straightforward.

From my diagnostic, I do ok in General Engineering, but there is plenty of room for improvement. I missed 8 of the 11 questions in Signal Processing and missed 4 of 7 under Measurement and Instrumentation. I need to be rock solid there to make up for what I am lacking in other areas...I got 50% in Controls and 50% in Communications. I also recall during the exam that my mind pretty much went blank when it came to electronics/transistors, so I obviously didn't have that burned into my brain like I had thought.

I can get more specific if anyone would like to comment on it. I haven't heard from Flyer_Pe or Dark Knight as to whether they think uploading my diagnostic to the forum would be a NCEES violation. I don't think so but....

om_rap · Jun 1, 2012

Hello,

I saw someone mention about "Kaiser Sample PE test"..I tried looking for this online but wasnt helpful.

Can you tell me where I can obtain this sample test(s)?

gte636i · Jun 1, 2012

http://www.klkaiser.com/

You'll have to register for an account, it's free I think. At least it was a few months ago.

om_rap · Jun 1, 2012

Thanks. Its a good site. The tests/ questions also resemble those in the electronics PE exam

Electronics exam - need help!

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