I am studying for the PE Exam and taking it this October and am curious to know if anyone has taken it recently and could pass on any good advice. Also I understand that NFPA 70E now shows up on the test and if anyone knows what to be ready for there as well.

Tanks in Advance!!!
James

The week long Power System Engineering Class that I teach covers a lot of it according to many that have attended. So... be prepared for, NEC questions, grounding, overcurrent protection, conductor sizing, voltage drop, short circuit calculations, sometimes harmonics, I had a question about protective relaying but that is ancient history (i.e. I took it a very long time ago). I have not heard about 70E being on the exam but if that is true, that is great. It will help raise the awareness. Good Luck!

Thanks for the response Jim! I need to correct my statement on NFPA 70E though. I have not seen anything specifically stating NFPA 70E. The Exam Specifications from the NCEES web site are:
CODES & STANDARDS:
• National Electrical Code (NEC)
• National Electrical Safety Code (NESC)
• Electric Shock & Burns
I have seen in some of study materials information pertaining to Arc Flash and was just making some assumptions.

Thank Again for the input!

James

Concur w/Jim. His “Power System Engineering Training,� is a great class to take for preps with the PE if you select the power section. Study- STUDY - STUDY!! Took mine in Fl, and it did have some electrical safety questions. OBTW,if your scratch paper from all your practice calc’s don’t reach waist high - you haven't studied enough. Seriously it's a matter of accuracy and time, so Good Luck....

I took the exam last year and all of these topics were still covered. Be prepared to do several hand calculations of simple short circuit and voltage drop problems. I didn't have any harmonics questions, although they are fair game. I did have several question on protective relaying - know the basics of MV overcurrent protection, including CT connections. There were also a few questions on metering of 3 phase power which used to be a big topic but has lost some focus now with numerous low cost electronic meters available. There were also a few questions on lighting design - suggest reviewing the basics of calculating lumens on a working surface in a standard room, taking into account reflection off the walls, etc. The IES Handbook is the standard reference for this and I recommend taking a copy with you to the exam.



This is about what I remember as well. NESC questions were not as much safety topics, but more along the lines of required conductor clearances above various land features. i.e. what is the minimum clearance for a 34.5 kV line above a waterway that could have sailboat traffic. I recall something regarding the basics of electric shock, but nothing specific to NFPA 70E, arc flash, or safe work practices.