Skip to main content
ExamWize
Sign up

FE · 6% of the exam

Basic Electrical Engineering practice questions

10 free Basic Electrical Engineering questions for the FE Other Disciplines Exam (FE) exam, each with the correct answer and an explanation for every option.

Start the questionsFree 10-question FE quiz

What this domain covers

Circuit fundamentals: DC and AC circuit analysis, energy storage elements, power and basic electrical machines.

Exam weight
6%
On a real exam
≈ 7 questions
In our bank
36 questions

Topics that come up most

  • Ohm's law and Kirchhoff's laws
  • Series and parallel resistance
  • Capacitors, inductors and time constants
  • AC phasors, impedance and power factor
  • Real, reactive and apparent power

How to study it

Practise converting between phasor and rectangular form on your approved calculator; AC questions go much faster once that is automatic.

Sample Basic Electrical Engineering questions

Try each one before opening the answer. Original questions written to the official exam objectives.

  1. Question 1

    A sinusoidal voltage has a peak of 170 V. Its RMS value is about:

    • A120 V
    • B240 V
    • C85 V
    • D170 V
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) 120 V

    • ACorrect. \(V_{rms} = V_p/\sqrt{2}\).
    • BIncorrect. Divide by √2, don't multiply.
    • CIncorrect. Divide by √2, not 2.
    • DIncorrect. That's the peak value.

  2. Question 2

    An ideal transformer has 400 turns on its primary winding and 100 turns on its secondary winding. If 240 V (rms) is applied to the primary, the secondary voltage is:

    • A15 V
    • B960 V
    • C3,840 V
    • D60 V
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: D) 60 V

    In an ideal transformer, voltage scales directly with the turns ratio: V2 = V1·N2/N1 = 240 × 100/400 = 60 V. Impedance scales with the square of the ratio, but voltage does not.

    • AIncorrect. This divides by the square of the turns ratio (16). The squared ratio applies to reflected impedance, not voltage.
    • BIncorrect. This multiplies by N1/N2 = 4, which inverts the ratio. The secondary has fewer turns, so its voltage must be lower.
    • CIncorrect. This both inverts and squares the turns ratio (240 × 16).
    • DCorrect. V2 = V1(N2/N1) = 240 × (100/400) = 60 V.

  3. Question 3

    A 100-μF capacitor is connected to a 60-Hz supply. Its capacitive reactance is about:

    • A26.5 Ω
    • B0.038 Ω
    • C166.7 Ω
    • D2.65 Ω
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) 26.5 Ω

    • ACorrect. \(X_C = 1/(2\pi fC) = 1/(2\pi \cdot 60 \cdot 10^{-4})\).
    • BIncorrect. That's 2πfC; take its reciprocal.
    • CIncorrect. Include the 2π factor.
    • DIncorrect. Recheck the powers of ten.

  4. Question 4

    A 12-V source supplies a 4-Ω and a 6-Ω resistor in parallel. The total current is:

    • A10 A
    • B1.2 A, using the series total
    • C2.4 A
    • D5 A
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: D) 5 A

    • AIncorrect. That isn't the calculation.
    • BIncorrect. They're in parallel.
    • CIncorrect. That isn't the calculation.
    • DCorrect. Branch currents are 12/4 = 3 A and 12/6 = 2 A.

  5. Question 5

    A steady current of 3 A flows through an 8-Ω resistor. How much power does the resistor dissipate?

    • A24 W
    • B576 W
    • C1.125 W
    • D72 W
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: D) 72 W

    Power dissipated in a resistor is P = I²R = 9 × 8 = 72 W, consistent with P = VI and P = V²/R.

    • AIncorrect. 3 × 8 = 24 is I·R, which is the voltage across the resistor in volts, not power; the current must be squared.
    • BIncorrect. This is (IR)² = V² = 24² without dividing by R; P = V²/R would give 576/8 = 72 W.
    • CIncorrect. This is I²/R = 9/8; the squared current is multiplied by R, not divided.
    • DCorrect. P = I²R = 3² × 8 = 9 × 8 = 72 W (check: V = 24 V, P = VI = 24 × 3 = 72 W).

  6. Question 6

    An LC circuit has L = 1 mH and C = 10 μF. Its resonant frequency is about:

    • A100 Hz
    • B10,000 Hz, the value of ω in rad/s
    • C159 Hz
    • D1,592 Hz
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: D) 1,592 Hz

    • AIncorrect. That isn't the calculation.
    • BIncorrect. Divide ω by \(2\pi\).
    • CIncorrect. That's off by a factor of 10.
    • DCorrect. \(f = 1/(2\pi\sqrt{LC})\).

  7. Question 7

    A 10-kΩ resistor in series with a 100-μF capacitor gives a time constant of:

    • A10 s
    • B0.1 s
    • C1 s
    • D100 s
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: C) 1 s

    • AIncorrect. Recheck the powers of ten.
    • BIncorrect. Recheck the powers of ten.
    • CCorrect. τ = RC = 10⁴ × 10⁻⁴.
    • DIncorrect. Recheck the powers of ten.

  8. Question 8

    A balanced three-phase load draws 10 A at 480 V line-to-line with unity power factor. The real power is about:

    • A4.80 kW
    • B8.31 kW
    • C14.4 kW
    • D2.77 kW
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: B) 8.31 kW

    • AIncorrect. Include the √3 factor.
    • BCorrect. P = √3 VL IL pf = 1.732(480)(10).
    • CIncorrect. Use √3, not 3.
    • DIncorrect. Multiply by √3, don't divide.

  9. Question 9

    A source has an internal resistance of 50 Ω. For maximum power transfer, the load resistance should be:

    • A25 Ω
    • B0 Ω
    • CAs large as possible
    • D50 Ω
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: D) 50 Ω

    • AIncorrect. Match the source resistance.
    • BIncorrect. A short circuit delivers no power to the load.
    • CIncorrect. Very large loads draw little current.
    • DCorrect. Match the load to the source resistance.

  10. Question 10

    A device draws 2 A from a 120-V supply. The power it uses is:

    • A480 W
    • B60 W
    • C122 W
    • D240 W
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: D) 240 W

    • AIncorrect. That would be I²V, not VI.
    • BIncorrect. Multiply voltage by current.
    • CIncorrect. Multiply, don't add.
    • DCorrect. P = VI = 120 × 2.

Basic Electrical Engineering: FAQs

How much of the FE exam is Basic Electrical Engineering?

Basic Electrical Engineering is 6% of the FE exam by the official exam guide's weighting, which on a 110-question form works out to roughly 7 questions. The real exam's exact split varies by form.

What does the Basic Electrical Engineering domain cover?

Circuit fundamentals: DC and AC circuit analysis, energy storage elements, power and basic electrical machines.

How should I study Basic Electrical Engineering for FE?

Practise converting between phasor and rectangular form on your approved calculator; AC questions go much faster once that is automatic.

Where can I practise more Basic Electrical Engineering questions?

This page has 10 free Basic Electrical Engineering questions with answers. The ExamWize FE question bank has 36 questions in this domain. Every practice exam result breaks your score down by domain, and Review Mode re-drills the questions you missed.

Other FE topics

Also: 15 free questions across all topics, the FE cheat sheet and the study guide.

Get Basic Electrical Engineering exam-ready

The full FE bank has 36 Basic Electrical Engineering questions. Timed practice exams match the real exam's length and domain weights, every result shows your score per domain, and Review Mode re-drills the questions you missed.

See the full FE practice examsTake the free diagnostic

Not affiliated with NCEES; questions are original, written from the official exam outline, and never copied from the real exam.