POWER PE FAILING SCORES

[Kam]

The exams I took were all over the map. Some real easy questions and some that still puzzle me. In fact, I still don't know what was being asked on a couple. Either way, I finally figured out the right formula to pass the test.

Gotcha. Make sense. If it had a pattern it wouldn't be the PE

 

[Dark Knight]

I failed a couple of times before passing a little more than ten years ago. Cannot say one test was harder than the other or if one was more formula or theory driven than the other. What was different was my preparation. The first time did not study at all. I went there with a :bio:  mentality and had my rear end handed to me.

The second time studied as hard as I could. If it was only because preparation should have passed that time but there are other factors. Bottom line...had to go for it a third time. For that one worked with the diagnose sheet and studied more on the areas I was weak, always refreshing the areas where I was strong. That worked for me or maybe am the luckiest SOB alive.

 

[Limamike]

Folks, appreciate the comments of the board.  I failed with a 66%, that said,  I did terrible on the TD section.... 3/14 questions!  

 System analysis, Power system performance and protection - any suggestions on study guides/books for this particular area that anyone can recommend?  

Thanks

 

[TWJ PE]

In Texas

In Texas, if it doesn't say 70 or greater, you won't pass.

You are close... keep after it!

 

[Kam]

Folks, appreciate the comments of the board.  I failed with a 66%, that said,  I did terrible on the TD section.... 3/14 questions!  

 System analysis, Power system performance and protection - any suggestions on study guides/books for this particular area that anyone can recommend?  

Thanks

I used Power System analysis by Grainger for lot of the system analysis. Book was bit hard for me to read (my focus in college was electronics so recognizing terminology was a problem) but provides amazing real world examples and knowledge. T/D, i used Graffeo book "Electrical engineer's guide to passing the power PE" I personally think he does a great job on T/D, you can supplement some of the T/D in Grainger. as for protection, you can find some in Graffeo but I grabbed a white paper off the internet that was a lot of help. I am on work travel so i dont have it on me but it was white paper written by one of the larger electrical equipment distributors. Have the Wildi book as well, it is a great reference to have with when going through the Grainger book and you need little bit more dept on equipment characteristics.

 

[Limamike]

@kam thanks bro.  I went through graffeo, but walked in without grainger or wildi, I already ordered BOTH! 

 

[Kam]

@kam thanks bro.  I went through graffeo, but walked in without grainger or wildi, I already ordered BOTH! 

No problem. I had graffeo with me the first time i took it but walked in very naive, not understanding much of the book, so i failed and did not use the book to its full potential. In all honestly i can see somebody pass the exam with just that book as long as they thoroughly understand every single topic in that book. He does a great job presenting almost every topic in the PE

 

[TWJ PE]

No problem. I had graffeo with me the first time i took it but walked in very naive, not understanding much of the book, so i failed and did not use the book to its full potential. In all honestly i can see somebody pass the exam with just that book as long as they thoroughly understand every single topic in that book. He does a great job presenting almost every topic in the PE

The only thing I'd add is if I remember correctly, the Graffeo book is weak in: electronics, econ, and reliability.

For econ, I worked practice problems with just the FE reference material and I printed several interest tables.

Electronics: I used my book from college. Which, quite frankly, I'd rather slam my head in a sliding glass door than read that piece of **** of a book ever again.

Reliability: well, that happens to be my day job and I took a really good reliability course which had a lot of great reference material.

 

[Kam]

The only thing I'd add is if I remember correctly, the Graffeo book is weak in: electronics, econ, and reliability.

For econ, I worked practice problems with just the FE reference material and I printed several interest tables.

Electronics: I used my book from college. Which, quite frankly, I'd rather slam my head in a sliding glass door than read that piece of **** of a book ever again.

Reliability: well, that happens to be my day job and I took a really good reliability course which had a lot of great reference material.

Yeah you are on point on that one. it doesn't do justice in electronics section, i too used my power electronics book from college and used PPI for econ. 

 

[sparkeespud]

I got 48/80 and did not pass.

I had previously taken the test and also got a 48. Seems this time around I got worse/better scores in various areas.

I felt that the Complex Imaginary (version 1) exams were helpful, and the NCEES practice test was okay. I did feel a lot of the NEC code questions were from sections I hadn't really studied a lot of based on other practice exams and problems. Any other practice materials folks recommend?

 

[Owism]

I used Power System analysis by Grainger for lot of the system analysis. Book was bit hard for me to read (my focus in college was electronics so recognizing terminology was a problem) but provides amazing real world examples and knowledge. T/D, i used Graffeo book "Electrical engineer's guide to passing the power PE" I personally think he does a great job on T/D, you can supplement some of the T/D in Grainger. as for protection, you can find some in Graffeo but I grabbed a white paper off the internet that was a lot of help. I am on work travel so i dont have it on me but it was white paper written by one of the larger electrical equipment distributors. Have the Wildi book as well, it is a great reference to have with when going through the Grainger book and you need little bit more dept on equipment characteristics.

Hi Kam, Can you please send us the link to the whitepaper for protection?

 

[Kam]

Hi Kam, Can you please send us the link to the whitepaper for protection?

Im going to try to find it online, otherwise you guys have to wait until I return home and look through my personal computer. 

 

[Halley_guo]

I got 48/80 and did not pass.

I had previously taken the test and also got a 48. Seems this time around I got worse/better scores in various areas.

I felt that the Complex Imaginary (version 1) exams were helpful, and the NCEES practice test was okay. I did feel a lot of the NEC code questions were from sections I hadn't really studied a lot of based on other practice exams and problems. Any other practice materials folks recommend?

View attachment 9001

I believe you were close. You might want to focus two or three area that only got 50% right. For example, Protection, system Analysis, and Machines. Do more exercise, until you improve them to 80%. 

 

[Killua]

In Texas

what were the number of problems you solved correctly?

 

[TWJ PE]

@sparkeespud: were you using Tom Henry's Key Word Index for NEC questions?

 

[Kam]

Hi Kam, Can you please send us the link to the whitepaper for protection?

here it is (not a white paper, its an actual book by GE)

http://www.gegridsolutions.com/multilin/notes/artsci/artsci.pdf

its bit hard to read but has awesome amount of information. I actually printed it out and made book bind to take it into the PE. didn't use it much, protective relay questions in PE were more high level then in depth but i used this book to understand the purpose of each type of protection. Cross reference the stuff mentioned in Graffeo with this and i think you will be ok on the protection side.

 

[Phatso86]

The only thing I'd add is if I remember correctly, the Graffeo book is weak in: electronics, econ, and reliability.

For econ, I worked practice problems with just the FE reference material and I printed several interest tables.

Electronics: I used my book from college. Which, quite frankly, I'd rather slam my head in a sliding glass door than read that piece of **** of a book ever again.

Reliability: well, that happens to be my day job and I took a really good reliability course which had a lot of great reference material.

reliabilty?

that was the hardest graduate course i took. and i've taken a level 6000 seismic without the pre req. i cant even fathom a use for that material, other that manufacturering processes

 

[Phatso86]

OMG

i still am in disbelief that i passed the power exam

that was so tough for me. being structural doesnt help either.

 

[Habib]

OMG

i still am in disbelief that i passed the power exam

that was so tough for me. being structural doesnt help either.

Did you get separate references for power exam or used the same which you used for your structural?

 

[TNPE]

reliabilty?

that was the hardest graduate course i took. and i've taken a level 6000 seismic without the pre req. i cant even fathom a use for that material, other that manufacturering processes

I would guess @TWJ PE is saying he works in power system reliability (which encompasses performance, coordination, relay settings, loading and so forth....reliability is a mixed bag), not reliability in the sense of failure rates etc. that you would encounter in manufacturing processes. 

Quite rewarding and even impressive that you passed the Power PE as a Structural.  Congrats!