The PE Electrical Power exam is the path to your Professional Engineer license in power engineering. It covers everything from three-phase circuit analysis and rotating machines to transmission systems, protective relaying, and the National Electrical Code. This practice exam book gives you 100 questions that mirror the NCEES exam in format, depth, and topic distribution. Every solution provides step-by-step calculations with clear explanations of the underlying principles.
Whether you design power distribution systems, work in utility engineering, or specialize in industrial power, this book helps you sharpen your problem-solving skills and build the speed you need for exam day.
Book Highlights
- 100 Practice Questions aligned to the current NCEES PE Electrical Power exam specification
- Detailed Solutions with step-by-step calculations and NEC references where applicable
- Full Topic Coverage across power systems, machines, transmission, protection, and codes
- PE-Level Depth requiring professional practice analysis and judgment
- Per-Unit & Three-Phase Focus on the calculation methods used most heavily on the exam
What Topics Does This Book Cover?
Questions span all major NCEES PE Electrical Power exam areas:
| Topic | Questions |
|---|---|
| General Power Engineering (Circuit Analysis, Power Factor) | 18 |
| Rotating Machines & Electromagnetic Devices | 15 |
| Transmission & Distribution | 14 |
| Protection (Relaying & Coordination) | 13 |
| National Electrical Code (NEC) | 10 |
| Power System Analysis (Fault, Stability) | 10 |
| Power Electronics & Drives | 6 |
| Measurement & Instrumentation | 5 |
| Lighting & Grounding | 4 |
| Codes, Standards & Ethics | 5 |
| Total | 100 |
Sample Question
Question: A three-phase transformer bank is rated at 10 MVA, 69 kV / 13.8 kV, with a per-unit impedance of 0.08. What is the transformer impedance referred to the high-voltage side in ohms?
(A) 29.0 ohms
(B) 38.1 ohms
(C) 47.6 ohms
(D) 56.2 ohms
View Solution
First, calculate the base impedance on the high-voltage side:
Zbase = Vbase² / Sbase
Zbase = (69,000)² / (10 × 10&sup6;) = 4,761,000,000 / 10,000,000 = 476.1 ohms
Then convert from per-unit to ohms:
Z = Zpu × Zbase = 0.08 × 476.1 = 38.1 ohms
Answer: (B)
How to Use This Book Effectively
Power engineering requires both strong analytical skills and familiarity with industry codes. Here is how to structure your preparation:
- Master per-unit calculations. Per-unit analysis is the foundation of power systems engineering and appears throughout the exam. If you are not comfortable converting between per-unit and actual values across different voltage bases, start here.
- Focus on three-phase systems. Three-phase circuit analysis, power calculations, and fault analysis are core topics. Make sure you can handle both balanced and unbalanced system problems confidently.
- Study the NEC strategically. NEC questions require familiarity with specific code sections. Practice looking up conductor sizing, overcurrent protection, and grounding requirements. Know the structure of the NEC so you can navigate it efficiently.
- Work through protection problems. Relay coordination, fault current calculations, and protective device selection are high-weight topics that many candidates find challenging. Use this book to build comfort with time-current curves and relay settings.
- Build your exam-day speed. With about 6 minutes per question on the real exam, practice working through problems at that pace. Flag difficult problems and move on — you can return to them later.
Get Your Copy
100 exam-realistic practice questions with detailed step-by-step solutions.
View on AmazonAlso available: Online practice with full exam simulation
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the format of the PE Electrical Power exam?
The PE Electrical Power exam has 80 multiple-choice questions with an 8-hour time limit. It is a computer-based exam administered at Pearson VUE centers. Unlike the PE Civil exam, the PE Electrical exam is closed-book but provides a searchable electronic reference handbook on screen during the exam.
What are the most important topics on the PE Electrical Power exam?
The highest-weight topics are General Power Engineering (circuit analysis, power factor, three-phase systems), Rotating Machines and Electromagnetic Devices, Transmission and Distribution, and Protection. Together these areas account for the majority of the exam. NEC code questions also appear frequently.
How is the PE Electrical Power exam different from the FE Electrical exam?
The PE exam focuses exclusively on power engineering at a professional practice depth, while the FE covers all electrical and computer engineering topics at a fundamentals level. PE questions require deeper analysis of power systems, knowledge of the NEC, and the engineering judgment expected of a practicing power engineer. The PE also has fewer questions (80 vs 110) but more time per question.