October 2019 - First Time Pass - My Preparation

[Orchid PE]

Taking the Exam

My method of taking the exam was to work problems I knew how to do first. I marked those with an A. Then, when I came across a code question I would mark it with a star, mark questions I think I knew how to do with a B, and mark questions I didn’t know what to do with a C. After going through all the questions answering only the ones I felt good on first, I then went through and worked B questions. If I ended up figuring it out, I changed the B to an A, if I had to make an educated guess I left it as a B. I then worked code questions. If I found the answer, I changed the star to an A, or if I had to make an educated guess I marked it as a B. If I had to blindly guess I marked it with a C. I then went through and worked questions marked with a C. I used the formula A*0.9 + B*0.5 + C*0.25 to get a tentative score (where A, B, and C are the number of questions marked as such). I then spent time working on C's and B's to get them to B's and A's until my score was where I wanted it. I didn't want to go over my original A answers too much, because I didn't want to start second guessing my answers. My target score was 28.75 for each session, or 28.75 / 40 = 72%.

Study Dates and Times

• 12 Wks before - Tu/Sat - 2/3hr
  
• 11 Wks before - Tu/Sat - 2/3hr
  
• 10 Wks before - Tu/Sat - 2/3hr
  
• 9 Wks before - Tu/Sat - 2/3hr
  
• 8 Wks before - Tu/Sat - 2/3hr
  
• 7 Wks before - Tu/Th/Sat - 2/2/3hr
  
• 6 Wks before - Tu/Th/Sat - 2/2/3hr
  
• 5 Wks before - Tu/Th/Sat - 2/2/3hr
  
• 4 Wks before - Tu/Th/Sat - 2/2/3hr
  
• 3 Wks before - Tu/Th/Sat - 2/2/3hr
  
• 2 Wks before - Tu/Th/Sat - 2/2/3hr 
  
• 1 Wk before - Tu/Th/Sat - 2/2/3hr
  

Around 74 hours of total study time. I was pretty rusty when I first started studying since I hadn't really done hand calculations since school. I started off with the Tues/Sat approach to exercise my memory recall. Surprisingly, studying every single day doesn't help with recall, which is very important. During this Tues/Sat split is when the formulas and problem solving processes where solidified.

Once I became comfortable with that, I then started working on just cranking out practice problems Tu/Thur/Sat (mainly because these were the only free days I had). Everything I did revolved around practice problems. I never just studied material hoping I would come across it on the exam. If I came across a problem that I didn't know (for example, how torque and slip are related for a motor), I would just spend time studying that specific material until I felt very comfortable with answering the problem, then moved on to the next problem.

After I finished working through the Complex Imaginary practice exams (1-4) (during the Tue/Sat split), I started doing "timed" morning/afternoon sessions from other exams on Saturdays. I say "timed" because I didn't spend the whole 4 hours on it. I just worked through each problem once and finished in about 2-3 hours. Then on Tues & Thurs I spent time reviewing only the problems I missed. 

For example, I would work the morning session of an Eng Pro Guide exam on Saturday, then review my missed problems Tues and Thurs. Then the next Saturday I would do the afternoon session of the exam. Of course, if I finished early on Saturday I would begin work on studying missed problems until I reached 3 hours.

During all these I hovered around the 70%-90% range for each Saturday practice session.

I made note of where my holes were, and tried to focus on fixing them. One of my biggest holes was calculating voltage drop for single-phase circuits. I would always forget to multiply my R+jX by 2 to account for the return path. I had to develop a habit to stop every time I came across a voltage drop question and ask myself, "Is this single phase?"

Your study time may vary. I found that personally, the 2-3 hours was the sweet spot for me to be able to retain information. Some people find longer hours work better, and some may do well with less hours.

References Taken to the Exam

• NEC
  
  
  Indispensable! You will use this a lot. I did not use the handbook version because I was comfortable with just the code since I had to heavily use it in a previous job. I did buy the tabs, though. Those were very helpful.
  

[*]NESC

• 
  Required. Used for 2-3 problems.
  

[*]NFPA 70E

• 
  Required. Used for a few problems.
  

[*]NFPA 497, 499, and 30B

• 
  Required. Used for 1 problem, I think.
  

[*]Electric Machinery and Power System Fundamentals (Chapman) https://www.amazon.com/Electric-Machinery-Fundamentals-Chapman-Paperback/dp/B00NPP06CO/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1OZUMCJAOZRZV&qid=1576524870&s=books&sprefix=chapman+ele%2Cstripbooks%2C151&sr=1-2

• 
  My choice of book for rotating machines. This is the book I used in school, so I was very familiar with the contents and layout. I found the book very helpful for not only preparation, but I also used it during the exam mainly for it’s graphs to answer conceptual questions.
  

[*]Power System Analysis (Saadat) https://www.amazon.com/Power-System-Analysis-Third-Saadat/dp/0984543864/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1576524841&s=books&sr=1-1

• 
  My choice of book for power system analysis. Again, I used this book in school so I was already familiar with it. Used to refresh on per unit and other topics. I don’t remember if I used it much on the exam, but I felt comfortable having it with me.
  

[*]Power System Analysis & Design (Glover) https://www.amazon.com/System-Analysis-Design-Duncan-Glover/dp/1305632133/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3GHPEKW44TW0W&qid=1576524905&sprefix=glover+power+%2Caps%2C140&sr=8-1

• 
  I found this book the week of the exam. I ordered it and received it in the mail the day before I left for the exam. I’m glad I did, because it helped me solve 1 problem. I originally answered the exam question without any references, but during my second-checking, I found I had answered the question incorrectly because of this book. Well worth the money for that one problem!
  

[*]Protective Relaying Principles and Applications (Blackburn) https://www.amazon.com/Protective-Relaying-Principles-Applications-Fourth/dp/1439888116/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1A0XS3CP3843O&qid=1578489685

• 
  I didn’t use this at all while studying or during the exam. However, it's a good book and the content is very informative. It is more of a masters level book, so it assumes you are already very familiar with basic power concepts.
  

[*]The Electrical Engineer’s Guide to Passing the Power PE Exam (Graffeo) https://www.amazon.com/Electrical-Engineers-Guide-Passing-Power/dp/0988187612/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2360EZE8YDQ50&qid=1576524932&sprefix=electrical+engineers+%2Caps%2C142&sr=8-1

• 
  I really like this book, especially for its symmetrical components section. There are also a lot of random formulas for the applications section of the exam (like lighting, batteries, power electronics, etc.)
  

[*]Cram for the Professional Engineer Electrical and Computer Power Exam *Get this book* https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Engineer-Electrical-Computer-Power/dp/1726729826/ref=sr_1_5?qid=1576524963&sr=8-5

• 
  I found this book about 2 weeks out from the exam. I’m so glad I did! This book is well worth the money (like, $40?). Buy it along with the two practice exams!
  

Reference Sheets

• Personal Formula Sheet
  
• MVA Method Notes
  
• ANSI Device Numbers
  
• Engineering Economy Formulas
  
• Average and Effective Values of Waveforms
  
• Reliability Notes
  
• TCC Curve Notes
  
• Mike Holt NEC Index
  
• Open Delta Transformer Notes and Equations
  
• Fluke ABCs of DMMs
  
• N4L Application Note - 014 3 Phase 2 Wattmeter Power Measurements
  
• GE Instrument Transformer Basic Technical Information and Application
  
• Substation Bus Schemes
  
• Power Factor Correction Multipliers
  

Practice Exams

• NCEES Practice Exam (Errata)
  
  
  Good, but not as difficult as the real exam. Buy it.
  

[*]Complex Imaginary Exams (Vols. 1-4)

• 
  Very good for refreshing on more power system analysis questions. Buy it.
  

[*]Cram for the Professional Electrical Engineer and Computer Power Exam (I & II)

• 
  Very good! Buy these practice exams!
  

[*]The Electrical Engineer’s Guide to Passing the Power PE Exam Sample (From reference book)

• 
  An odd exam, but every practice exam is helpful. Comes in the reference book.
  

[*]Engineering Pro Guides Final Exam 

• 
  Very similar to the difficulty of the real exam. Buy it.
  

Shoot me a PM if you want a link to my reference sheets listed above.

 

[Orchid PE]

@SparkyBill You want any of my references?

 

[Sparky Bill PE]

@SparkyBill You want any of my references?

Sending PM, Yes. 

 

[Orchid PE]

Sending PM, Yes. 

Check my updated post real quick.

 

[casio luck]

Hi, let me know if you want to sell the following books.

• NFPA 70E
  
• NFPA 497, 499, and 30B
  

 

[Orchid PE]

Hi, let me know if you want to sell the following books.

• NFPA 70E
  
• NFPA 497, 499, and 30B
  

I actually borrowed these from work. 

 

[Orchid PE]

I've added a power factor correction spreadsheet to the references. I forgot that I took this.

It's a simple table that lists old PF, new PF, and multiplier. Find the multiplier for the PF you're going from and to, then take that multiplier and multiply it by MVA. This will then give you the required kVAR to improve the power PF. Note this really only works when both PF are lagging.

 

[DLD PE]

Taking the Exam

My method of taking the exam was to work problems I knew how to do first. I marked those with an A. Then, when I came across a code question I would mark it with a star, mark questions I think I knew how to do with a B, and mark questions I didn’t know what to do with a C. After going through all the questions answering only the ones I felt good on first, I then went through and worked B questions. If I ended up figuring it out, I changed the B to an A, if I had to make an educated guess I left it as a B. I then worked code questions. If I found the answer, I changed the star to an A, or if I had to make an educated guess I marked it as a B. If I had to blindly guess I marked it with a C. I then went through and worked questions marked with a C. I used the formula A*0.9 + B*0.5 + C*0.25 to get a tentative score (where A, B, and C are the number of questions marked as such). I then spent time working on C's and B's to get them to B's and A's until my score was where I wanted it. I didn't want to go over my original A answers too much, because I didn't want to start second guessing my answers. My target score was 28.75 for each session, or 28.75 / 40 = 72%.

Study Dates and Times

• 12 Wks before - Tu/Sat - 2/3hr
  
• 11 Wks before - Tu/Sat - 2/3hr
  
• 10 Wks before - Tu/Sat - 2/3hr
  
• 9 Wks before - Tu/Sat - 2/3hr
  
• 8 Wks before - Tu/Sat - 2/3hr
  
• 7 Wks before - Tu/Th/Sat - 2/2/3hr
  
• 6 Wks before - Tu/Th/Sat - 2/2/3hr
  
• 5 Wks before - Tu/Th/Sat - 2/2/3hr
  
• 4 Wks before - Tu/Th/Sat - 2/2/3hr
  
• 3 Wks before - Tu/Th/Sat - 2/2/3hr
  
• 2 Wks before - Tu/Th/Sat - 2/2/3hr 
  
• 1 Wk before - Tu/Th/Sat - 2/2/3hr
  

Around 74 hours of total study time. All my time was spent working sample exam practice problems, and learning how to do the ones I didn’t know how to solve.

References Taken to the Exam

• NEC
  
  
  Indispensable! You will use this a lot. I did not use the handbook version because I was comfortable with just the code since I had to heavily use it in a previous job. I did buy the tabs, though. Those were very helpful.
  

[*]NESC

• 
  Required. Used for 2-3 problems.
  

[*]NFPA 70E

• 
  Required. Used for a few problems.
  

[*]NFPA 497, 499, and 30B

• 
  Required. Used for 1 problem, I think.
  

[*]Electric Machinery and Power System Fundamentals (Chapman) https://www.amazon.com/Electric-Machinery-Fundamentals-Chapman-Paperback/dp/B00NPP06CO/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1OZUMCJAOZRZV&qid=1576524870&s=books&sprefix=chapman+ele%2Cstripbooks%2C151&sr=1-2

• 
  My choice of book for rotating machines. This is the book I used in school, so I was very familiar with the contents and layout. I found the book very helpful for not only preparation, but I also used it during the exam mainly for it’s graphs to answer conceptual questions.
  

[*]Power System Analysis (Saadat) https://www.amazon.com/Power-System-Analysis-Third-Saadat/dp/0984543864/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1576524841&s=books&sr=1-1

• 
  My choice of book for power system analysis. Again, I used this book in school so I was already familiar with it. Used to refresh on per unit and other topics. I don’t remember if I used it much on the exam, but I felt comfortable having it with me.
  

[*]Power System Analysis & Design (Glover) https://www.amazon.com/System-Analysis-Design-Duncan-Glover/dp/1305632133/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3GHPEKW44TW0W&qid=1576524905&sprefix=glover+power+%2Caps%2C140&sr=8-1

• 
  I found this book the week of the exam. I ordered it and received it in the mail the day before I left for the exam. I’m glad I did, because it helped me solve 1 problem. I originally answered the exam question without any references, but during my second-checking, I found I had answered the question incorrectly because of this book. Well worth the money for that one problem!
  

[*]Protective Relaying Principles and Applications (Blackburn)

• 
  I didn’t use this at all while studying or during the exam. Wish I could get my money back.
  

[*]The Electrical Engineer’s Guide to Passing the Power PE Exam (Graffeo) https://www.amazon.com/Electrical-Engineers-Guide-Passing-Power/dp/0988187612/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2360EZE8YDQ50&qid=1576524932&sprefix=electrical+engineers+%2Caps%2C142&sr=8-1

• 
  I really like this book, especially for its symmetrical components section. There are also a lot of random formulas for the applications section of the exam (like lighting, batteries, power electronics, etc.)
  

[*]Cram for the Professional Engineer Electrical and Computer Power Exam *Get this book* https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Engineer-Electrical-Computer-Power/dp/1726729826/ref=sr_1_5?qid=1576524963&sr=8-5

• 
  I found this book about 2 weeks out from the exam. I’m so glad I did! This book is well worth the money (like, $40?). Buy it along with the two practice exams!
  

Reference Sheets

• Personal Formula Sheet
  
• MVA Method Notes
  
• ANSI Device Numbers
  
• Engineering Economy Formulas
  
• Average and Effective Values of Waveforms
  
• Reliability Notes
  
• TCC Curve Notes
  
• Mike Holt NEC Index
  
• Open Delta Transformer Notes and Equations
  
• Fluke ABCs of DMMs
  
• N4L Application Note - 014 3 Phase 2 Wattmeter Power Measurements
  
• GE Instrument Transformer Basic Technical Information and Application
  
• Substation Bus Schemes
  
• Power Factor Correction Multipliers
  

Practice Exams

• NCEES Practice Exam
  
  Good, but not as difficult as the real exam. Buy it.
  

[*]Complex Imaginary Exams (Vols. 1-4)

• 
  Very good for refreshing on more power system analysis questions. Buy it.
  

[*]Cram for the Professional Electrical Engineer and Computer Power Exam (I & II)

• 
  Very good! Buy these practice exams!
  

[*]The Electrical Engineer’s Guide to Passing the Power PE Exam Sample (From reference book)

• 
  An odd exam, but every practice exam is helpful. Comes in the reference book.
  

[*]Engineering Pro Guides Final Exam

• 
  Very similar to the difficulty of the real exam. Buy it.
  

References

https://drive.google.com/open?id=14vsBt7Aq-9f2o2eYDuhG0YWjKkS-KgAQ

Great job!  Great write up and congrats on passing!

 

[ArgoEE_PE]

Congrats on passing and nice write up!  I'm pretty sure we were classmates.  

Also (if I'm correct), we're license number neighbors.  Look up (your number - 1).  

 

[Orchid PE]

Congrats on passing and nice write up!  I'm pretty sure we were classmates.  

Also (if I'm correct), we're license number neighbors.  Look up (your number - 1).  

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! You passed, too! Nice. And license number neighbors!

"A" passed as well.

 

[ArgoEE_PE]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! You passed, too! Nice. And license number neighbors!

"A" passed as well.

Thanks and congrats to "A!"  

 

[Orchid PE]

I updated my opinion on Blackburn's Protective Relaying Book. I guess if you have the time reading it would be worth it, but I don't think it's necessary.

 

[speakeelsy PE]

References

https://drive.google.com/open?id=14vsBt7Aq-9f2o2eYDuhG0YWjKkS-KgAQ

Thanks so much! I like the Reliability Prediction Basics sheet, I haven't seen anything like that before.

Also thanks for your the opinions on the Chapman and Saadat books, I've got these from school too (UTKnox!) and hadn't looked through them just yet, but it sounds like it won't be a waste of time to get reacquainted with them.

 

[DLD PE]

Thanks so much! I like the Reliability Prediction Basics sheet, I haven't seen anything like that before.

Also thanks for your the opinions on the Chapman and Saadat books, I've got these from school too (UTKnox!) and hadn't looked through them just yet, but it sounds like it won't be a waste of time to get reacquainted with them.

UTKnox alum here too!

 

[Sparky Bill PE]

UTChatt here. We got lots of good ole southern people up in here