The PE Electrical and Computer: Electronics, Controls, and Communications exam, usually shortened to PE ECC, is one of the focused PE Electrical and Computer exams. It blends classic electronics, analog and digital control systems, instrumentation, signal processing, electromagnetics and fiber optics, and communications into a single 85-question exam. Because it is brand new for April 2026, there is very little study material written specifically for it yet, so the most reliable plan is to study straight from the official topic weights.
PE ECC Exam at a Glance
| Exam | PE Electrical and Computer: Electronics, Controls, and Communications |
| Effective | April 2026 examination (new exam) |
| Questions | 85 |
| Format | Computer-based at Pearson VUE; closed book with an NCEES-supplied electronic reference |
| Appointment | 9.5 hours (about 8.5 hours of testing plus tutorial and an optional break) |
| Topics | 12 knowledge areas |
| Calculator | NCEES-approved models only (e.g., TI-36X Pro, Casio fx-115/991 series) |
Practice Coverage by Topic
The weights above come from the NCEES specification. The table below is ours: how many questions our PE ECC bank actually carries for each official topic, how many distinct subtopics they cover, and what share are rated hard. It is the part of a study plan that usually has to be guessed at.
| Official topic | NCEES questions | Practice questions | Per exam question | Subtopics | Rated hard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Circuit Analysis and Design | 10–15 | 79 | 6.3 | 69 | 34% |
| Measurement and Instrumentation | 5–8 | 49 | 7.5 | 41 | 35% |
| Safety and Reliability | 5–8 | 44 | 6.8 | 37 | 41% |
| Signal Processing | 5–8 | 48 | 7.4 | 41 | 42% |
| Digital Systems | 7–11 | 61 | 6.8 | 47 | 39% |
| Electromagnetics and Fiber Optics | 5–8 | 43 | 6.6 | 37 | 47% |
| Electronic Components | 6–9 | 54 | 7.2 | 48 | 48% |
| Electronics Circuits | 7–11 | 61 | 6.8 | 51 | 46% |
| Analog and Digital Control Systems | 8–12 | 67 | 6.7 | 58 | 39% |
| Communication Techniques | 4–6 | 37 | 7.4 | 28 | 49% |
| Noise and Interference | 4–6 | 38 | 7.6 | 31 | 58% |
| Communications Systems | 4–6 | 40 | 8 | 33 | 45% |
Circuit Analysis and Design is the largest topic and also the thinnest relative to its weight, at 6.3 practice questions per exam question. Just under half our ECC questions are alternate-format — drag-and-drop, point-and-click, and fill-in-the-blank — against 9–19% in every other discipline we cover. That reflects when this bank was built rather than a prediction of how many you will meet, so treat it as extra rehearsal with the formats.
Counts are from the live PE ECC bank (621 questions) as of 2026-08-10, matched to the official topic names in the current NCEES specification. Difficulty ratings are ours, not NCEES.
Worked Examples
Four problems from the highest-weight ECC topics - circuit analysis, control, digital timing and op-amp design - each worked through: the setup, the arithmetic, the calculator keystrokes, and the reference section the relation sits in.
Example 1 · Circuit Analysis and Design · RC High-Pass Magnitude
A first-order RC high-pass filter has cutoff frequency 200 Hz. At an input frequency of 2.0 kHz, the magnitude ratio |Vout/Vin| is most nearly:
- A. 0.995 ← answer
- B. 0.707
- C. 0.100
- D. 0.010
Worked solution
- Step 1: Normalised frequency: r = f/fc = 2000/200 = 10.
- Step 2: |Vout/Vin| = r/√(1+r2) = 10/√(101) = 0.995. Well above cutoff a high-pass approaches unity, which is the sense check.
- Why other options are wrong: Option B (0.707) is the value at cutoff, where r = 1. Option C (0.100) applies the low-pass relation 1/√(1+r2) instead, which at r = 10 gives 0.0995. Option D (0.010) squares that.
On the TI-36X Pro:
Frequency ratio: 2000 ÷ 200 = 10. Magnitude: 10 ÷ √(1 + 10 x²) = 0.995.
Handbook: Circuit Analysis and Design > Filters
Example 2 · Analog and Digital Control Systems · Ramp Tracking Error
A unity-feedback type-1 control system has velocity error constant Kv = 25 s-1. The steady-state error to a unit ramp is most nearly:
- A. 25
- B. 5.0
- C. 0
- D. 0.040 ← answer
Worked solution
- Step 1: The input is a unit ramp, and a type-1 system tracks a ramp with finite error.
- Step 2: ess = 1/Kv = 1/25 = 0.040.
- Why other options are wrong: Option A (25) reports Kv itself rather than its reciprocal. Option B (5.0) is neither Kv nor 1/Kv. Option C (0) is the ramp error of a type-2 system, or the step error of this one; a type-1 system tracks a ramp with a finite offset, which is the whole point of the question.
On the TI-36X Pro:
Ramp error: 1 ÷ 25 = 0.040.
Handbook: Analog and Digital Control Systems > Steady-State Error
Example 3 · Digital Systems · Synchronous Timing
A synchronous path has clock-to-Q delay 1 ns, combinational delay 8 ns, and setup time 2 ns. Ignoring skew and jitter, the maximum clock frequency is most nearly:
- A. 125 MHz
- B. 90.9 MHz ← answer
- C. 11 MHz
- D. 1.0 GHz
Worked solution
- Step 1: Minimum period is the sum of all three: 1 + 8 + 2 = 11 ns.
- Step 2: fmax = 1/11 ns = 90.9 MHz.
- Why other options are wrong: Option A (125 MHz) is 1/8 ns, counting only the combinational delay and dropping both the clock-to-Q and the setup time. Option C (11 MHz) reads the 11 ns period straight off as a frequency. Option D (1.0 GHz) is 1/1 ns, the clock-to-Q delay alone.
On the TI-36X Pro:
Minimum period: 1 + 8 + 2 = 11 ns. Frequency: 1 ÷ 11E-9 = 90.9 MHz.
Handbook: Digital Systems > Timing Analysis
Example 4 · Electronics Circuits · Inverting Amplifier Gain
An inverting op-amp stage uses Rin=11 kΩ, Rf=33 kΩ, and Vin=0.40 V. The output drives an ADC with a 1.0 V magnitude limit. Determine the ideal output and limit status.
- A. -0.13 V; below the ADC limit
- B. +1.20 V; exceeds the ADC limit
- C. -1.00 V; exactly at the ADC limit
- D. -1.20 V; exceeds the ADC limit by 0.20 V ← answer
Worked solution
- Step 1: Compute the resistor ratio.
- Step 2: Rf/Rin=33/11=3.
- Step 3: Apply the inverting sign: Av=-3.
- Step 4: Compute output: Vo=-3(0.40)=-1.20 V.
- Step 5: Compare magnitude with the ADC limit: 1.20-1.0=0.20 V, so the limit is exceeded.
- Why other options are wrong: A uses reciprocal gain, B misses inversion, and C reports the limit instead of the output.
On the TI-36X Pro:
33 ÷ 11 = 3, apply inverting sign. -3 × 0.40 = -1.20 V. 1.20 - 1.0 = 0.20 V over limit.
Handbook: Electronics Circuits > Operational Amplifiers
These are PE ECC practice questions from our bank, not official NCEES items. Keystrokes are for the TI-36X Pro; the Casio fx-115ES PLUS differs in the memory and solver keys. Handbook references point at FE Reference Handbook 10.6 — confirm the version assigned to your exam date.
What Is the PE ECC Exam?
PE ECC certifies depth on the electronics, controls, and communications side of electrical and computer engineering. It is not the same exam as PE Power (which leans on the NEC and power-system codes) or PE Computer Engineering (which leans on architecture, software, and networks). If your work involves analog and digital circuit design, embedded and control systems, instrumentation, RF and communications, or signal processing, ECC is usually the right fit. Passing a PE exam, combined with your state's experience requirement, is the final step to a Professional Engineer license.
What Changed in April 2026?
NCEES offers the Electrical and Computer discipline as separate, focused exams rather than one broad test. Electronics, Controls, and Communications is the focused exam for candidates in that lane, effective beginning with the April 2026 administration. Two practical consequences for your prep:
- Study from the new blueprint, not old "PE Electrical and Computer" material. Older review books and question sets written for the broad exam will not match the current 12-topic ECC weighting.
- First national pass-rate data is now in. The NCEES July 2026 table reports the first ECC cohort at 63% first-time and 52% repeat, encouraging for a brand-new exam. It is still young with a modest examinee population, so treat your own topic coverage and timed-practice scores as the primary signal alongside that early national figure.
Because so little ECC-specific material exists yet, candidates who build their plan directly around the official topic weights below have a real advantage.
Official PE ECC Topic Weights (April 2026)
These are the 12 official topics and their question-count ranges from the NCEES specification. The percentage column is each topic's share of the 85-question exam (rounded), and "Priority" groups the topics by how much exam weight they carry.
| Topic | Questions | ~% of exam | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circuit Analysis and Design | 10–15 | 12–18% | High |
| Analog and Digital Control Systems | 8–12 | 9–14% | High |
| Digital Systems | 7–11 | 8–13% | High |
| Electronics Circuits | 7–11 | 8–13% | High |
| Electronic Components | 6–9 | 7–11% | Medium |
| Measurement and Instrumentation | 5–8 | 6–9% | Medium |
| Safety and Reliability | 5–8 | 6–9% | Medium |
| Signal Processing | 5–8 | 6–9% | Medium |
| Electromagnetics and Fiber Optics | 5–8 | 6–9% | Medium |
| Communication Techniques | 4–6 | 5–7% | Foundational |
| Noise and Interference | 4–6 | 5–7% | Foundational |
| Communications Systems | 4–6 | 5–7% | Foundational |
Ranges are set by NCEES; the exact number of questions per topic varies by form. Use the ranges to budget study time, not to predict an exact count.
Highest-Return Topics
The four High-priority topics, Circuit Analysis and Design, Analog and Digital Control Systems, Digital Systems, and Electronics Circuits, carry 32–49 of the 85 questions (roughly 40–55%). If your study time is limited, these are the highest-return areas:
- Circuit Analysis and Design (10–15): DC/AC analysis, phasors and impedance, transient (RC/RL) response, Thevenin/Norton equivalents, resonance, and op-amp configurations. This is the single largest topic; make it automatic.
- Analog and Digital Control Systems (8–12): closed-loop transfer functions, stability (Routh-Hurwitz, gain/phase margin, root locus), time-response metrics (settling time, percent overshoot), and sampled/z-domain control.
- Digital Systems (7–11): Boolean logic and minimization, combinational vs. sequential design, flip-flops and state machines, setup/hold timing and slack, and basic embedded/PLC logic.
- Electronics Circuits (7–11): small-signal models, gain and bandwidth, active filters, comparators, rectifiers and power supplies, and thermal/heat-sink limits.
The Medium tier (Electronic Components, Measurement & Instrumentation, Safety & Reliability, Signal Processing, Electromagnetics & Fiber Optics) adds another large block, and the three Foundational communications topics round out the exam. Don't skip them, but earn your high-tier points first.
A 12-Week PE ECC Study Plan
A realistic plan budgets 150–300 hours over 8–16 weeks, front-loaded onto the high-weight topics. A 12-week version:
- Weeks 1–4: High-tier core: Circuit Analysis & Design, Electronics Circuits, Digital Systems, and Control Systems. Take a short diagnostic first so you know which of the four is weakest.
- Weeks 5–8: Medium tier: Electronic Components, Measurement & Instrumentation, Signal Processing, Electromagnetics & Fiber Optics, and Safety & Reliability.
- Weeks 9–10: Communications: Communication Techniques, Noise & Interference, and Communications Systems (link budgets, noise figure, modulation, Shannon capacity).
- Weeks 11–12: Mixed timed practice: full-length, time-boxed sets with the electronic reference open. Rehearse classifying each prompt into its topic lane before you search.
Practice with the reference open from day one. On a closed-book electronic-reference exam, knowing where a formula lives is as valuable as knowing the formula. Our companion PE ECC reference-navigation guide drills exactly that.
Test-Day Strategy and Common Mistakes
With 85 questions in an 8.5-hour testing window, you average roughly 6 minutes per question; some take 2 minutes, others 10. On a brand-new exam with limited published pass-rate history, disciplined pacing and clean setup matter even more.
What to do on test day
- Prioritize by weight. Score the high-tier topics first: Circuit Analysis, Analog & Digital Control Systems, Digital Systems, and Electronics Circuits are 40–55% of the exam.
- Work in passes. First pass: bank every question you can solve confidently in a few minutes; flag long calculations and unfamiliar lookups. Second pass: spend the remaining time on the flagged problems. Never leave a blank; a guess is 25%.
- Use the scheduled break. Eat, hydrate, and reset; second-half fatigue errors are preventable.
- Draw the model before you compute. Sketch the circuit, the measurement chain (sensor → conditioning → ADC), the timing path, the control loop, or the link. Most ECC traps are setup errors, not arithmetic.
- Master one approved calculator. Practice your equation solver, complex-number mode, and matrix entry on a TI-36X Pro or Casio fx-115/991 until it is automatic. See our calculator guide.
The most common mistakes to avoid
- Mixing dB and linear. The single biggest ECC error is noise figure, gain, and link-budget problems that mix decibel and linear arithmetic. Keep them in separate steps and convert deliberately.
- Op-amp configuration and sign errors. Inverting vs. non-inverting gain, the virtual-ground assumption, and the feedback sign trip people up. Identify the topology before applying a gain formula.
- Confusing open-loop and closed-loop in control problems. Stability lives in the closed-loop characteristic equation; check gain/phase margin and pole locations, not the open-loop plant alone.
- Sampling and Nyquist slips. Forgetting the Nyquist criterion, mis-spacing DFT bins, or ignoring aliasing before the ADC are common signal-processing traps.
- Cascade noise and gain errors. Use the Friis relation for a multi-stage receiver; the first stage dominates the noise figure, so don't add stage noise figures in dB.
- Bit rate vs. symbol rate vs. coded bit rate. In communications problems, keep information rate, FEC code rate, and bits-per-symbol straight (e.g., QPSK carries 2 coded bits/symbol).
- Slow reference navigation. The exam is closed-book with an electronic reference. Practice classifying each prompt into its topic lane and searching with specific terms so you're not hunting under time pressure.
PE ECC Practice Questions
The fastest way to find your weak lanes is to work real ECC problems with full solutions. Our free set gives 20 exam-style PE ECC questions, multiple-choice plus alternate item types, with step-by-step solutions and calculator steps, scored by topic so you can see where to focus.
✅ 20 free PE ECC practice questions: exam-style, with worked solutions and a per-topic score
✍️ PE ECC worked sample problems: crawlable practice examples with reference-lane notes
📐 PE ECC reference-navigation guide: topic lanes and search cues for the electronic reference
📱 Open the study app: the full PE ECC question bank with the reference panel and calculator
Email me the PE ECC study starter plan
Get the topic-weight checklist and first-week practice route for PE Electrical and Computer: Electronics, Controls, and Communications.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the PE ECC exam?
PE ECC is the PE Electrical and Computer: Electronics, Controls, and Communications exam, effective beginning with the April 2026 examination. It is a closed-book, computer-based exam with an NCEES-supplied electronic reference, containing 85 questions across 12 official topic areas. It is one of the focused PE Electrical and Computer exams and is separate from PE Power and PE Computer Engineering.
What topics are on the PE ECC exam, and how are they weighted?
The April 2026 NCEES specification lists 12 topics. The highest-weight areas are Circuit Analysis and Design (10–15 questions), Analog and Digital Control Systems (8–12), Digital Systems (7–11), and Electronics Circuits (7–11). Together those four account for roughly 40–55% of the 85-question exam, so they are the highest-return places to start studying.
Is the PE ECC exam the same as PE Computer Engineering?
No. PE Electrical and Computer: Electronics, Controls, and Communications (ECC) emphasizes circuits, electronics, controls, instrumentation, signal processing, electromagnetics, and communications. PE Electrical and Computer: Computer Engineering is a separate exam emphasizing computer architecture, systems software, networks, and cybersecurity.
How long should I study for the PE ECC exam?
Most candidates plan roughly 150–300 hours over 8–16 weeks, weighted toward the high-count topics. Because PE ECC is a new (April 2026) exam with limited published pass-rate history, focus on the official topic weights, timed practice with the electronic reference open, and reviewing every missed question by topic lane.
PE ECC Practice Problems • PE ECC Free Practice • Reference Navigation Guide • Calculator Guide • NCEES Changes Timeline • Alternate Item Types
Disclaimer: This guide is an independent educational resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by NCEES. The "PE" exam and "NCEES" are trademarks of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying. Exam specifications and reference materials can change; always refer to the official NCEES website and your MyNCEES account for current exam information.
Start Practicing for the PE ECC Exam
Put the topic weights to work: try 20 free PE ECC questions with worked solutions, then use the full app to drill your weakest topics with the reference panel and calculator open.