April/October 2020 Power PE Exam Prep

[DLD PE]

Oct 2018 - Proctors checked your "Exam notification paper" thingy the board sends you in the mail two weeks before the exam and checked it against your ID.  They also checked your calculator to make sure you brought an approved one.  They did not check any references (for loose papers, etc.) or anything else you brought.  They basically warned against cell phones and read over a few rules.  Stuff on the floor/under desk?  No big deal as long as the walking path between desks was clear.  Once in a while proctors would get up and walk around among the desks, I guess to look over, observe a bit and make sure everything was kosher.

Oct 2019 - Same as above, except this time they didn't check the calculators.  Same proctors.

Note:  After the October 2019 exam, the security guard told me the April 2019 examinees seemed much more flustered and exhausted compared to the two I took.  I was talking to him because a few of the EEs had hung around to report/discuss the duplicate question.

 

[Orchid PE]

They didn't check my calculator, but doesn't really matter since my main school/work calculator was approved.

They did check my ID multiple times, and some questioned it because it was paper. Tennessee gives temporary drivers licenses that are printed on paper until the card copy is mailed to you.

Every exam is different. My proctors also said nobody was allowed to keep a pencil. They made sure every examinee returned a pencil. They only gave out 1 pencil to each person, and you had to raise your hand for a second pencil, but still had to return both.

 

[DLD PE]

They didn't check my calculator, but doesn't really matter since my main school/work calculator was approved.

They did check my ID multiple times, and some questioned it because it was paper. Tennessee gives temporary drivers licenses that are printed on paper until the card copy is mailed to you.

Every exam is different. My proctors also said nobody was allowed to keep a pencil. They made sure every examinee returned a pencil. They only gave out 1 pencil to each person, and you had to raise your hand for a second pencil, but still had to return both.

I have both pencils they gave us.  Here's praying my third is my last

For some odd reason (because I'm not a stickler for such things), I managed to use the same exact mechanical pencil (with replaceable retractable twist-eraser) my entire college career.  For some reason it's been impossible to lose.  Every time I've moved or cleaned out a room it managed to turn up, so I kept using it.

If I pass, maybe I'll get a little trophy case for all these

 

[Swift Fox]

Can someone please help explain this solution. 

 

[LyceeFruit PE]

Can someone please help explain this solution. 

View attachment 16264

 

[Swift Fox]

Can someone please help explain this solution. 

View attachment 16264

The answer to the questions is D. What I don't understand is why the transformer impedance and transformer rating doesn't cause a change in fault power on the low side?

 

[DLD PE]

The answer to the questions is D. What I don't understand is why the transformer impedance and transformer rating doesn't cause a change in fault power on the low side?

(deleted)

 

[DilutedAr18_PE]

I think the key is the wording.  C says fault power (which doesn't make sense), not fault current.  

Yeah, I agree that it is the wording. It is a really weird question. The power available is still the same (minus any losses in the transformer) as the available power from the infinite bus which is unchanged. The fault current will be less on the secondary side of the transformer, which is what is typically the value we want to know. 

 

[Zach Stone P.E.]

The answer to the questions is D. What I don't understand is why the transformer impedance and transformer rating doesn't cause a change in fault power on the low side?

Hi @Swift Fox, do you not have the solution? This question is from the Electrical PE Review Practice Exam. 

 

[DLD PE]

Even though the fault current is different on the primary and secondary sides of the transformer, the fault power is the same on both sides.  Whether or not it's connected to an infinite bus doesn't matter.

(My apologies, my previous comment was not correct.) 

 

[Zach Stone P.E.]

Even though the fault current is different on the primary and secondary sides of the transformer, the fault power is the same on both sides.  Whether or not it's connected to an infinite bus doesn't matter.

(My apologies, my previous comment was not correct.) 

Bingo!

It's a bit counter intuitive at first thought. It's also why transformers are commonly referred to as current limiting devices under fault conditions.

Another way to think of it is that inductors by nature slow, or "limit", the rate of change of current and are commonly used in filters and power conditioners for this very reason. Transformers are really just inductors with the primary and secondary coils manufactured inside of each other to allow for electromagnetic induction.

 

[DLD PE]

Thanks for that explanation, Zach.  I actually took your practice exam last fall and had this problem in my binder.  I still watch your free videos and even though the OP posted this problem, I did not recognize it, nor understand the solution at first.  There's just so much to absorb and understand and this tells me I some of the material on fault current analysis still has not sunk in.  

This is one reason I get on here and look at problems people post.  It's a good way to check myself and see what I remember/understand.

 

[Zach Stone P.E.]

Thanks for that explanation, Zach.  I actually took your practice exam last fall and had this problem in my binder.  I still watch your free videos and even though the OP posted this problem, I did not recognize it, nor understand the solution at first.  There's just so much to absorb and understand and this tells me I some of the material on fault current analysis still has not sunk in.  

This is one reason I get on here and look at problems people post.  It's a good way to check myself and see what I remember/understand.

To be fair it's also a really tough problem. We put a lot of effort into making the qualitative questions in the practice exam challenging and thought provoking since qualitative questions are the hardest to prepare for. 

 

[Zach Stone P.E.]

Can someone please help explain this solution. 

Here is the full length solution to the problem for anyone else that wanted to work through it.

The solution explains the why D is the correct answer, and why answers A, B, and C are incorrect:



(you can click the image of the solution to make it bigger)

 

[speakeelsy PE]

Took the NCEES practice exam today! 59/80. First one i've taken timed, ended up running out of time on the afternoon session with 7 blank (oops! - some poor time management, some getting stuck on certain problems, some just didn't want to be doing this anymore)

Need to work on transformer testing, NEC stuff, and symmetrical components (sym. comp. problems were not worded anywhere close to the practice problems I've done).

Also realized I don't like my formula binder and need to tab my notebooks. I used my notes from Zach's course a LOT, the Cram book was helpful, Wildi was helpful, Glover was helpful, used Graffeo a little, and I used the cover of the Ugly's book a lot  

I see why you wanted that Power Electronics book now, @SparkyBill, there was WAY more power electronics than I expected on that practice exam. I just found a pdf of an older version online, so I'll probably just print it at work.

Great advice from @Zach Stone, P.E. to take full length, timed tests. I wanted to quit with 1:30 left to go. Got to train for the marathon.

How did everyone else do this weekend?

 

[Sparky Bill PE]

Took the NCEES practice exam today! 59/80. First one i've taken timed, ended up running out of time on the afternoon session with 7 blank (oops! - some poor time management, some getting stuck on certain problems, some just didn't want to be doing this anymore)

Need to work on transformer testing, NEC stuff, and symmetrical components (sym. comp. problems were not worded anywhere close to the practice problems I've done).

Also realized I don't like my formula binder and need to tab my notebooks. I used my notes from Zach's course a LOT, the Cram book was helpful, Wildi was helpful, Glover was helpful, used Graffeo a little, and I used the cover of the Ugly's book a lot  

I see why you wanted that Power Electronics book now, @SparkyBill, there was WAY more power electronics than I expected on that practice exam. I just found a pdf of an older version online, so I'll probably just print it at work.

Great advice from @Zach Stone, P.E. to take full length, timed tests. I wanted to quit with 1:30 left to go. Got to train for the marathon.

How did everyone else do this weekend?

I'm going to be putting in an all-dayer tomorrow doing practice test working problems. I'll be doing at least one full practice exam. I tried to use Zach's notes all I could but man I keep wasting WAY too much time trying to remember "what section" certain topics are in. Like it's hard to tell sometimes if its a motor starting/electrical theory/ other types problems when I read it. I hate that if I can't find it fast, i give up and start using other references (engineering pro guides/electrical guide to passing electrical exam/ etc). 

I am praying that I keep using it as my #1 reference, that by the time gets here, I will have all the "sub topics" in each of his topics memorized. It would be nice to have an index of each subtopic in alphabetical order but I don't want to take the entire day to make one.

 

[speakeelsy PE]

I'm going to be putting in an all-dayer tomorrow doing practice test working problems. I'll be doing at least one full practice exam. I tried to use Zach's notes all I could but man I keep wasting WAY too much time trying to remember "what section" certain topics are in. Like it's hard to tell sometimes if its a motor starting/electrical theory/ other types problems when I read it. I hate that if I can't find it fast, i give up and start using other references (engineering pro guides/electrical guide to passing electrical exam/ etc). 

I am praying that I keep using it as my #1 reference, that by the time gets here, I will have all the "sub topics" in each of his topics memorized. It would be nice to have an index of each subtopic in alphabetical order but I don't want to take the entire day to make one.

Good Luck!!!

I've got all the main coursework in 2x 2in binders (ch 1-5 and ch 6-9) tabbed by chapter and section with a title (ex. 8.4 Power Quality), so I can look at the table of contents for each chapter really fast if needed. This worked very well today the few times I needed to look at the full course notes.

All the formula sheets are also in my 'main' formula binder -- though i prefer to work off problems rather than formulas, I used my notebooks that i've kept as I went through the course a lot more.

 

[BebeshKing PE]

Took the NCEES practice exam today! 59/80. First one i've taken timed, ended up running out of time on the afternoon session with 7 blank (oops! - some poor time management, some getting stuck on certain problems, some just didn't want to be doing this anymore)

Need to work on transformer testing, NEC stuff, and symmetrical components (sym. comp. problems were not worded anywhere close to the practice problems I've done).

Also realized I don't like my formula binder and need to tab my notebooks. I used my notes from Zach's course a LOT, the Cram book was helpful, Wildi was helpful, Glover was helpful, used Graffeo a little, and I used the cover of the Ugly's book a lot  

I see why you wanted that Power Electronics book now, @SparkyBill, there was WAY more power electronics than I expected on that practice exam. I just found a pdf of an older version online, so I'll probably just print it at work.

Great advice from @Zach Stone, P.E. to take full length, timed tests. I wanted to quit with 1:30 left to go. Got to train for the marathon.

How did everyone else do this weekend?

Took the graffeo practice exam at the end of his book earlier today and got 74/80 with timed test. I finished 2 hrs in the morning session and 2.5 hrs in the afternoon session.
I was thinking that the problems in the actual exam is much harder( but I can’t really tell because this is my first time taking the PE exam) than the graffeo problems. I just based the problems from the NCEES practice exam since I only got 62/80 and used all the full 8hours. 
 

I didn’t really used up all of my other reference books since most of its problem can just be referenced to its own book. 
 

nevertheless, it was a good practice!    

 

[BebeshKing PE]

I'm going to be putting in an all-dayer tomorrow doing practice test working problems. I'll be doing at least one full practice exam. I tried to use Zach's notes all I could but man I keep wasting WAY too much time trying to remember "what section" certain topics are in. Like it's hard to tell sometimes if its a motor starting/electrical theory/ other types problems when I read it. I hate that if I can't find it fast, i give up and start using other references (engineering pro guides/electrical guide to passing electrical exam/ etc). 

I am praying that I keep using it as my #1 reference, that by the time gets here, I will have all the "sub topics" in each of his topics memorized. It would be nice to have an index of each subtopic in alphabetical order but I don't want to take the entire day to make one.

@SparkyBill, I used the index that’s similar to @ItsStudyTime!.

 

[Sparky Bill PE]

@SparkyBill, I used the index that’s similar to @ItsStudyTime!.

Yeah I went the Zach way of each section being by the NCEES Specifications page. I made 2 binders A-Z There are 48 total sections so 26 letters x 2 binders means 52 tabs. SO each section has its own tab. I have an index at the start of each binder that labels those sections. 

So if its a illumination or an engineering economy I'm there in 5 seconds. What hurts is when its a small subsection, and its hidden in those 2 binders. I'm trying to add important subsections to my index