FE Electrical and Computer · reference handbook · checked Oct 29, 2026
The FE electrical handbook, chapter by area
There is no separate electrical handbook. The FE Electrical and Computer exam uses the FE Reference Handbook, the same document as every other FE discipline, on screen as a searchable PDF. What differs for E&C is which chapters you use, and the main one is titled Electrical and Computer Engineering.
FE Electrical and Computer practice test Exam facts
Updated Oct 29, 2026 · Not affiliated with NCEES.
- ExamFE Electrical and Computer
- reference on screenFE Reference Handbook
- design standardsNone
- in MyNCEESFree
- Checked
The handbook on this exam
| Fact | Detail | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reference supplied | FE Reference Handbook, on screen as a searchable PDFThe current version is free in your MyNCEES account; on exam day search with the box on the left (Ctrl+F does not work); no personal copies. | NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) · NCEES: FE exam [1][2] | |
| Design standards supplied | None | NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) [1] | |
| Units | SI and USCS | NCEES: FE Electrical and Computer specifications, July 2020 (PDF) [3] |
Chapters the E&C areas use
NCEES does not publish the table of contents outside the PDF. The chapter titles below are the ones it names in its public errata notice for the handbook (June 2023); the notice lists only chapters that changed, so the list is not complete.
- Electrical and Computer Engineering: the discipline chapter, home of the electrical areas. The errata places AC Machines here, the formulas Power Systems uses for motors.
- Mathematics: the shared math area, and the Finite State Machine material that Digital Systems state-machine questions draw on.
- Engineering Probability and Statistics: the shared statistics area.
- Safety: named in the errata for its hazard assessment material (the NFPA 704 diamond); the safety subtopic of Ethics (grounding, PPE, radiation protection) may draw on it.
- Materials Science/Structure of Matter: has a Thermal Properties section, the thermal subtopic of Properties of Electrical Materials.
- Units and Conversion Factors: significant figures (named in the errata) and unit conversions.
Chapters for engineering economics and ethics codes are not named in that notice. Open your own copy from MyNCEES and check where they sit.
Searching it on exam day
On screen: beside the question on a 24-inch monitor; best viewed at 100%, zoom allowed; search box on the left, Ctrl+F not available.
- Search for a word, the name of a method or a quantity, rather than a symbol; Greek letters and subscripts search poorly in a PDF.
- Learn the order of the electrical chapter before test day, so that when a search returns many hits you know which one is the circuits material and which is machines.
- Practice with the same PDF all through your review. A formula you have found ten times takes seconds on exam day.
Download, versions and printed copies: FE Reference Handbook.
Version numbers on other sites
Some prep sites print a handbook version number newer than any NCEES public page shows. The exam uses the current version from MyNCEES; download it there rather than trusting a number or a mirrored PDF.
More on the E&C exam
- FE Electrical and ComputerWho takes it, the 17 areas, where each is covered, the PE path
- FE Electrical and Computer practice test60 problems spread by the July 2020 specification, every option explained
- FE Electrical and Computer exam factsPass rate series, scoring, format, calculator, Handbook, retakes and results
- FE Electrical and Computer costThe fee per attempt, expected attempts at E&C pass rates, practice exams and books
- FE Electrical and Computer study guideA review plan by the July 2020 ranges, with drills and books
Source notes
- NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF) ncees.org · checked Oct 29, 2026
- NCEES: FE exam ncees.org · checked Oct 29, 2026
- NCEES: FE Electrical and Computer specifications, July 2020 (PDF) ncees.org · checked Oct 29, 2026
FE electrical handbook, quick answers
Is there a separate FE electrical reference handbook?
No. All FE disciplines use the FE Reference Handbook; electrical material is mostly in its Electrical and Computer Engineering chapter.
Can I use Ctrl+F in the FE handbook?
No. On exam day you search with the search box at the left of the PDF.
Handbook-style E&C problems on your phone
FE Electrical and Computer questions, answers and worked solutions in a study app.
Not affiliated with NCEES.