📌 NCEES Power PE Exam Specifications, Codebooks, and Reference Handbook (Always Up-To-Date)

This post was last updated: January 3rd, 2026.

Current Exam Specifications Effective October 2025:

• NCEES Exam Specifications Effective October 2025 (PDF)

• Codebook versions tested on:

  • NFPA 30B-2023 Code for the Manufacture and Storage of Aerosol Products

  • NFPA 70-2020 National Electrical Code®

  • NFPA 70E-2021 Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace

  • NFPA 497-2021 Recommended Practice for the Classification of Flammable Liquids,Gases, or Vapors and of Hazardous (Classified) Locations for Electrical Installations in Chemical Process Areas

  • NFPA 499-2021 Recommended Practice for the Classification of Combustible Dusts and of Hazardous (Classified) Locations for Electrical Installations in Chemical Process Areas

  • ANSIC2-2017 2017 National Electrical Safety Code® (NESC) (*no change)

• Reference Handbook 2.0.1 Effective beginning October 1, 2025 (download from account.ncees.org).

• 🚨 NEW! Reference Handbook 2.1 Effective October 2026 (ignore if taking the PE exam before October 2026).

  • See updates here: #NEW Power PE Exam Reference Handbook 2.1 Is Out! Here’s Everything That Changed (Plus a Few Errors That Remain)

For a detailed review of all changes to the exam specifications and Reference Handbook effective October 2025 including all changes to formulas, subjects, etc., please watch the following webinar replay available on YouTube:

👇 Additional historical PE exam information below

Hi Everyone,

I’ve received a lot of emails and have seen similar questions asking:

• When will the PE exam start testing on a newer version of the National Electrical Code (NEC)?

I figured a general post that I pin to the sidebar of the “General Study Help” space makes the most sense that is easy to reference and link to.

• When changes to the exam specifications and codebooks occur, NCEES will update their official exam specifications at least 6 months in advance.

• If you are taking the exam 6 months from today’s date or sooner, then you do not have to worry about a code change since the specifications have not yet been updated.

• I will update this post anytime the code book versions change, and I will post a follow up comment in the thread so that you will receive a notification when this occurs.

You can find the most up-to-date published specs from NCEES on the following page:

I recommend against bookmarking the actual PDF file of the specifications hosted on the NCEES website, and instead using the page above and scrolling down to the specifications for PE Electrical and Computer: Power.

If NCEES updates the specifications they will update the link on that page, but if they do not delete the older specifications file, you could accidentally be viewing the older specifications without realizing it.

For now:

• I’ve pinned this post to the “General Study Help” space sidebar on the right-hand side so that it is easy to find.

• I’ll update this post anytime changes to the specifications are made so that you can always come here for the most up-to-date information of what code book is being tested on.