Electrical PE Exam FAQs

Electrical and Computer PE Exam FAQs

What is the format of the exam?
What types of problems will there be on the exam?
What units are used on the exam?
What are the exam topics?
What are the exam dates?
Do exam requirements differ from state to state?
What is the exam's calculator policy?
Which edition of the National Electrical Code^® (NEC^®) should I use for the Power exam?
Which edition of the National Electrical Safety Code^® (NESC^®) should I use for the Power exam?
Do I need to review the NEC and NESC if I am taking the Electrical and Electronics exam?
How does exam scoring work, and when will I get my results?
Where can I find an exam review course?
What should I do if my question isn't answered here?

What is the format of the exam?

Each Electrical and Computer PE exam consists of two, 4-hour sessions (morning and afternoon) separated by a one-hour lunch period. The exams are open book. All problems are multiple-choice.

Upon registering for the exam, you choose to work one of three exam modules: (1) Computer Engineering exam, (2) Electrical and Electronics exam, or (3) Power exam. Each exam consists of 80 problems (40 in the morning and 40 in the afternoon) that assess your knowledge in the areas specified. You must work all 80 problems for the exam of your choice.

Refer to the question What are the exam topics? for more information about the exam specifications for your exam.

What types of problems will there be on the exam?

Almost all of the problems stand alone—that is, they are completely independent. Some sets of NCEES problems may start with a statement of a “situation” that applies to (typically) two to five following problems. Use of such grouped problems is expected to be increasingly rare, however. Some problem statements may contain superfluous information (data not relevant to solving the problem).

Each problem will have four answer choices, labeled “A,” “B,” “C,” and “D.” One of the answer choices is correct (or, “most nearly correct,” as described in the following section). The remaining answer choices are incorrect, and may be logical distractors (e.g., plausible answers, or the results of common miscalculations).

What units are used on the exam?

The Electrical and Computer PE exam uses U.S. Customary (English) units and SI (metric) units.

What are the exam topics?

You can find specifications for Power exam in the Introduction (pages xv–xxxii) to the Power Reference Manual for the Electrical and Computer PE Exam.

Alternatively, you can download the most current Electrical and Computer PE exam specifications from the NCEES website using the following links.

Note that the specifications are examples of topics that you will see on exam day, but they are not exclusive or exhaustive categories.

What are the exam dates?

The Electrical and Computer PE exam is scheduled twice a year on the same Fridays in every state. Here is a list of exam dates for the next seven years.

April 13, 2012
October 26, 2012
April 12, 2013
October 25, 2013
April 11, 2014
October 24, 2014
April 17, 2015
October 30, 2015
April 15, 2016
October 28, 2016

Do exam requirements differ from state to state?

Yes, they often do differ from state to state. Click here to find a link to each state board's website and to find out more about each state's FE and PE exam requirements.

What is the exam's calculator policy?

NCEES often changes their calculator policy. Click here for the current calculator policy.

Which edition of the National Electrical Code^® (NEC^®) should I use for the Power exam?

You should reference the 2011 National Electrical Code^® (NEC^®).

Which edition of the National Electrical Safety Code^® (NESC^®) should I use for the Power exam?

You should reference the 2012 National Electrical Safety Code^® (NEC^®).

Do I need to review the NEC and NESC if I am taking the Electrical and Electronics exam?

No. You don't need to review the NEC or NESC if you are taking the Electrical and Electronics exam.

How does exam scoring work, and when will I get my results?

The maximum number of points you can earn on the Electrical and Computer PE exam is 80. The minimum number of points for passing (referred to by NCEES as the cut score) varies from exam to exam. The cut score is determined through a rational procedure (not on a curve). Each correct solution is worth one point.

Your state board (not NCEES) will typically send exam results by mail within four months of the exam date. Your score may or may not be revealed to you, depending on your state's procedure. Generally examinees receive results of "Pass" or "Fail" only.

For more information about historical passing rates on all PE exams, visit our Passing Rates page.

Where can I find an exam review course?

PPI offers a number of Electrical PE Review Courses. Click here for more information.

An alternative to our review courses is the Passing Zone, which you can learn about here.

What should I do if my question isn't answered here?

For anecdotes and tips about the Electrical and Computer PE exam, refer to our advice from previous Electrical and Computer PE examinees.

You can find extensive Electrical and Computer PE exam information in the Introduction (pages xv–xxxii) to the Power Reference Manual for the Electrical and Computer PE Exam.

In addition to these Electrical and Computer PE exam-specific FAQs, we also have General FAQs for all PE candidates.

For unresolved questions about exam licensing and accreditation processes visit NCEES.org.