PE Exam — Professional Engineer (Power)
The PE license is the professional engineering credential. I am preparing for the PE Electrical and Computer — Power exam. These notes go deeper than the FE, focusing on applied power systems knowledge at a professional practice level.
Exam Overview
- Administered by: NCEES
- Format: 80 questions, 8 hours, computer-based
- Reference: NCEES PE Reference Handbook + approved references
- Prerequisite: Passing FE exam + qualifying engineering experience
NCEES PE Power Exam Topics
General Power Engineering (13%)
Electrical safety, codes and standards (NEC, NESC, IEEE), engineering economics, project management.
Circuit Analysis (8%)
AC/DC circuits, three-phase power, power factor correction, harmonic analysis.
Power — Rotating Machinery (9%)
Synchronous generators, induction motors, transformers. Equivalent circuits, performance analysis, efficiency.
Transmission & Distribution (10%)
Transmission line models (short, medium, long). Voltage regulation, line compensation. Distribution system analysis.
Protection (10%)
Overcurrent protection, relay coordination, CT/PT selection, grounding. Fault calculation using symmetrical components.
Power System Analysis (10%)
Power flow (Newton-Raphson, Gauss-Seidel), economic dispatch, contingency analysis, symmetrical components.
Power Electronics & Drives (7%)
Rectifiers, inverters, choppers, VFDs, power factor correction.
Instrumentation & Measurement (5%)
CTs, PTs, metering, power quality, energy measurement.
Codes & Standards (8%)
NEC Article 230, 240, 250, 450, 700. NESC. IEEE standards for protection, transformers, machines.
Power System Grounding (5%)
System grounding methods (solidly grounded, high-resistance, ungrounded). Equipment grounding. Ground fault protection.
Power Quality (5%)
Harmonics, THD, voltage sags/swells, flicker, IEEE 519 limits.
Lightning & Surge Protection (5%)
Surge arresters, shielding, insulation coordination.
Demand and Energy Management (5%)
Load management, demand response, energy efficiency, power factor improvement economics.
Study Approach
- Build on FE notes — PE goes deeper on the same topics
- Focus heavily on protection and fault analysis (highest applied weight)
- Work through NCEES practice exams under timed conditions
- Know the NEC and NESC structure — exam references them directly