PE Electrical: Electronics, Controls, & Communication vs Power

Signing up and registering for the PE exam is a big, and somewhat daunting, experience for exam applicants. From paying exam fees to providing proof of experience, a lot of work goes into the application process no matter which exam an individual is signing up for. Some exams, such as the PE Electrical, Mechanical, and Civil exams, have one extra step applicants have to consider: they need to decide which version of the exam they want to take. 

Right now, we are going to focus on the PE Electrical exam. The PE Electrical exam offers three different versions to choose from, two of the most popular being the Electronics, Controls, & Communications exam, and the Power exam. 

Figuring out which exam to takes requires an understanding of your career goals as well as the examination specifications. To help with the process of choosing which exam to sign up for, we have provided typical career descriptions for each field as well as a general outline of NCEES' exam specifications.

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A Power Engineer performs various tasks in order to deliver stable power electricity to residential buildings, commercial buildings, and appliances. Power engineers may work with different types of circuits, such as three-phase circuits or single-phase circuits, battery devices, converters, and other electrical devices. According to NCEES' exam specifications, an exam applicant is expected to understand the following topics:

• General Power Engineering 
• Circuits 
• Rotating Machines and Electrical Power Devices 
• Transmission and Distribution

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An Electronics, Controls, and Communications (ECC) Engineer works on more specific devices when compared to power engineers. ECC engineers may work with digital systems, such as digital and memory devices, amplifiers, antennas, wireless communication devices, and more. According to NCEES' exam specifications, an exam applicant is expected to understand the following topics: 

• General Electrical Engineering Knowledge 
• Digital Systems 
• Electromagnetics 
• Electronics 
• Control Systems 
• Communications 

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Prepare, Practice, Pass 

Anytime, Anywhere 

It's that easy!