How to Use FERM3 to Prepare for the

FE Electrical Discipline-Specific Exam

The following table lists all 18 knowledge areas (KAs) of the FE Electrical Discipline-Specific Exam and for
each identifies related content in the FE Review Manual (FERM3), Electrical Discipline-Specific Review
(DSEE2), and other products developed by PPI and found on www.ppi2pass.com and www.feprep.com.

Materials for
Review and Practice

Subjects to Review
(approximate number of problems on exam) percent of exam

General Exam Overview

KA: mathematics
(1117 problems) 11%

algebra and trigonometry; complex numbers; discrete

mathematics; analytic geometry; calculus; differential
equations; linear algebra; vector analysis

KA: probability and statistics

(46 problems) 4%
measures of central tendencies and dispersions (e.g., mean,
mode, standard deviation); probability distributions (e.g.,
discrete, continuous, normal, binomial); expected value
(weighted average) in decision making; estimation for a single
mean (e.g., point, confidence intervals, conditional probability)

KA: ethics and professional practice

(35 problems) 3%
code of ethics (professional and technical societies); NCEES
Model Law and Model Rules; intellectual property (e.g.,
copyright, trade secrets, patents)

FERM3 Introduction and How to Use

This Book for the CBT Exam

FE Electrical and Computer

Assessment 1

FERM3 Chap. 15, 79 and Diagnostic

Exam for Math

FE Electrical and Computer Flashcard

Math KA

FE Electrical and Computer Quiz Bank

Math KA
FERM3 Chap. 6
FE Electrical and Computer Flashcard
Probability and Statistics KA

FE Electrical and Computer Quiz Bank

Probability and Statistics KA

FERM3 Front Matter section titled

Engineering Registration in the United
States, Chap. 54, and Diagnostic Exam for
Ethics

FE Electrical and Computer Flashcard

Ethics and Professional Practice KA

FE Electrical and Computer Quiz Bank

Ethics and Professional Practice KA

HowtoUseFERM3toPreparefortheFEElectricalDisciplineSpecificExam

KA: engineering economics

(35 problems) 3%
time value of money (e.g., present value, future value,
annuities); cost estimation; risk identification; analysis (costbenefit, trade-off, breakeven)

KA: properties of electrical materials

(46 problems) 4%
chemical (e.g., corrosion, ions, diffusion); electrical (e.g.,
conductivity, resistivity, permittivity, magnetic permeability);
mechanical (e.g., piezoelectric, strength); thermal (e.g.,
conductivity, expansion)

KA: engineering sciences

(68 problems) 6%
work, energy, power, heat; charge, energy, current, voltage,
power; forces (e.g., between charges, on conductors); work
done in moving a charge in an electric field (relationship
between voltage and work); capacitance; inductance

KA: circuit analysis (DC and AC steady state)

(1015 problems) 10%
KCL, KVL; series/parallel equivalent circuits; Thevenin and
Norton theorems; node and loop analysis; waveform analysis
(e.g., RMS, average, frequency, phase, wavelength); phasors,
impedance

KA: linear systems

(58 problems) 5%
frequency/transient response; resonance; Laplace transforms;
transfer functions; 2-port theory

FERM3 Chap. 5153 and Diagnostic

Exam for Engineering Economics

FE Electrical and Computer Flashcard

Engineering Economics KA

FE Electrical and Computer Quiz Bank

Engineering Economics KA

FERM3 Chap. 4243

FE Electrical and Computer Flashcard
Properties of Electrical Materials KA

FE Electrical and Computer Quiz Bank

Properties of Electrical Materials KA

FERM3 Chap. 17, 4344

FE Electrical and Computer Flashcard
Engineering Sciences KA

FE Electrical and Computer Quiz Bank

Engineering Sciences KA

FERM3 Chap. 4445

DSEE2
o PP 111, 15, 4849
o E1 47, 13, 14, 1925, 29, 39, 57
o E2 8, 1617, 26, 37, 40, 51, 57

FE Electrical and Computer Flashcard

Circuit Analysis KA

FE Electrical and Computer Quiz Bank

Circuit Analysis KA

FERM3 Chap. 8, 45, 50

DSEE2
o PP 7, 911, 2427, 33, 3839
o E1 13, 3435
o E2 14, 25, 5455

FE Electrical and Computer Flashcard

Linear Systems KA

FE Electrical and Computer Quiz Bank

Linear Systems KA

HowtoUseFERM3toPreparefortheFEElectricalDisciplineSpecificExam

KA: signal processing

(58 problems) 5%
convolution (continuous and discrete); difference equations; Ztransforms; sampling (e.g., aliasing, Nyquist theorem); analog
filters; digital filters

FERM3 Chap. 8 and 49

DSEE2
o PP 1, 3339
o E1 5, 7, 3841, 4849
o E2 14, 27, 39, 50, 56

FE Electrical and Computer Flashcard

Signal Processing KA

FE Electrical and Computer Quiz Bank

Signal Processing KA

DSEE2
o PP 35, 4046
o
E1 24, 3033
solid-state fundamentals (e.g., tunneling, diffusion/drift current,
o
E2
1518, 28, 3031, 44, 52
energy bands, doping bands, p-n theory); discrete devices

FE Electrical and Computer Flashcard

(diodes, transistors, BJT, CMOS) and models and their
Electronics
KA
performance; bias circuits; amplifiers (e.g., single
FE
Electrical
and Computer Quiz Bank
stage/common emitter, differential); operational amplifiers
Electronics
KA
(idea, non-ideal); instrumentation (e.g., measurements, data
acquisition, transducers); power electronics

KA: electronics
(711 problems) 7%

KA: power
(812 problems) 8%
single phase and three phase; transmission and distribution;
voltage regulation; transformers; motors and generators; power
factor (pf)

KA: electromagnetics
(58 problems) 5%
Maxwell equations; electrostatics/magnetostatics (e.g.,
measurement of spatial relationships, vector analysis); wave
propagation; transmission lines (high frequency);
electromagnetic compatibility

KA: control systems

(69 problems) 6%
block diagrams (feed-forward, feedback); Bode plots; closedloop and open-loop response; controller performance (gain,
PID), steady-state errors; root locus; stability; state variables

FERM3 Chap. 4546

DSEE2
o PP 1219
o E1 1, 22, 2628, 57
o E2 3, 7, 17, 21

FE Electrical and Computer Flashcard

Power KA

FE Electrical and Computer Quiz Bank

Power KA

FERM3 Chap. 43
DSEE2
o E2 22, 32

FE Electrical and Computer Flashcard

Electromagnetics KA

FE Electrical and Computer Quiz Bank

Electromagnetics KA

FERM3 Chap. 50
DSEE2
o PP 10, 2428, 3839
o E1 6, 812, 49
o E2 6, 27, 36, 41, 50, 5455

FE Electrical and Computer Flashcard

Control Systems KA

FE Electrical and Computer Quiz Bank

Control Systems KA

HowtoUseFERM3toPreparefortheFEElectricalDisciplineSpecificExam

KA: communications
(58 problems) 5%
basic modulation/demodulation concepts (e.g., AM, FM,
PCM); Fourier transforms/Fourier series; multiplexing (e.g.,
time division, frequency division); digital communications

KA: computer networks

(35 problems) 3%
routing and switching; network topologies/frameworks/models;
local area networks

KA: digital systems

(711 problems) 7%
number systems; Boolean logic; logic gates and circuits; logic
minimization (e.g., SOP, POS, Karnaugh maps); flip-flops and
counters; programmable logic devices and gate arrays; state
machine design; data path/controller design; timing (diagrams,
asynchronous inputs, races, hazards)

KA: computer systems

(46 problems) 4%
architecture (e.g., pipelining, cache memory); microprocessors;
memory technology and systems; interfacing

KA: software development

(46 problems) 4%
algorithms; data structures; software design methods
(structured, object-oriented); software implementation (e.g.,
procedural, scripting languages); software testing

DSEE2
o PP 2932
o E1 36, 46, 47, 50, 51
o E2 1214, 51

FE Electrical and Computer Flashcard

Communications KA

FE Electrical and Computer Quiz Bank

Communications KA

FERM3 Chap. 47
FE Electrical and Computer Flashcard
Computer Networks KA

FE Electrical and Computer Quiz Bank

Computer Networks KA
DSEE2
o PP 4751, 54
o E1 1518, 37, 5860
o E2 10, 11, 20, 33, 43, 45, 47

FE Electrical and Computer Flashcard

Digital Systems KA

FE Electrical and Computer Quiz Bank

Digital Systems KA

FERM3 Chap. 47
DSEE2
o PP 5260
o E1 54, 56
o E2 46, 53

FE Electrical and Computer Flashcard

Computer Systems KA

FE Electrical and Computer Quiz Bank

Computer Systems KA

FERM3 Chap. 48
DSEE2
o PP 56
o E1 5253
o E2 2324

FE Electrical and Computer Flashcard

Software Development KA

FE Electrical and Computer Quiz Bank

Software Development KA

* DSEE2 contains three sections. The table abbreviates these as follows: PP = Practice Problems; E1 = Exam 1;
and E2 = Exam 2.

HowtoUseFERM3toPreparefortheFEElectricalDisciplineSpecificExam