The Certified Energy Manager exam from the Association of Energy Engineers is open book, lasts 4 hours and has 130 questions. This page gives candidates free practice sets, worked explanations, a map of the official content areas and a plain summary of the rules, so study time goes to the topics that matter. Practice with the free CEM - Certified Energy Manager practice test on PracticeTestGeeks (11 questions with answer explanations).
Interactive CEM - Certified Energy Manager resources on PracticeTestGeeks, free to start:
The CEM has 130 questions and takes about 4 hours[1][2] (Association of Energy Engineers, verified Oct 28, 2026).
Numbers in brackets link to the official sources listed under Sources & last verified. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.
| Item | Detail | Source · Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Number of questions | 130 questions; open book[1] | Association of Energy Engineers · Oct 28, 2026 |
| Time limit | 4 hours[2] | Association of Energy Engineers · Oct 28, 2026 |
| Passing score | 700 points minimum[2] | Association of Energy Engineers · Oct 28, 2026 |
| Retake policy | Minimum 60-day wait[2] | Association of Energy Engineers · Oct 28, 2026 |
| Validity | 3 years[3] | Association of Energy Engineers · Oct 28, 2026 |
| Renewal | 10 professional credits every 3 years and renewal form[2] | Association of Energy Engineers · Oct 28, 2026 |
| Delivery | In-person or remotely proctored[4] | Association of Energy Engineers · Oct 28, 2026 |
| Eligibility | Approved training required[2] | Association of Energy Engineers · Oct 28, 2026 |
| Registration deadline | 4 weeks prior to desired exam date[2] | Association of Energy Engineers · Oct 28, 2026 |
According to Association of Energy Engineers, “The exam will: be open book, last four hours, and have 130 questions to answer.”[1]
The Certified Energy Manager (CEM) credential is awarded by the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE). It is aimed at people who plan, audit, run and justify energy projects in buildings and industrial plants.
The exam has 130 questions and lasts 4 hours. It is open book, so the skill being tested is finding and applying the right method, not recalling every formula from memory. A minimum score of 700 points is required. You can schedule the exam as part of an in-person training program or take it as a remote proctored exam.
Approved training is a requirement. AEE states that all applicants must take a required approved preparatory seminar before sitting for the exam. Your application should reach the certification department 4 weeks before your desired exam date, so build that into your calendar.
If you do not pass, AEE requires a waiting period of at least 60 days before the next attempt at the same exam. Once certified, the credential is in effect for 3 years. To stay certified you need 10 professional credits every 3 years and a completed renewal form.
Fees, extra experience or education conditions and any changes to the process are set by AEE and can change. Check the current candidate handbook on the AEE website before you apply. Our questions are written by us with AI tools. They are practice material, not real exam questions.
The content areas below are copied from the official CEM content outline published by Association of Energy Engineers. The right-hand column shows which of our practice sets covers it.
| Official content area | Practice on this site |
|---|---|
| Boiler and Steam Systems[1] | Start Practice Test Practise combustion efficiency, steam traps, condensate return and where boiler losses come from. |
| Building Automation, Controls and Artificial Intelligence Systems[1] | Start Practice Test Practise control loops, setpoints, scheduling and what sensors and automation can and cannot optimise. |
| Distributed Generation & Renewable Energy Systems[1] | Renewable Energy Systems Practise how solar, wind and on-site generation are sized, connected and compared on output and cost. |
| Electrical Power Systems and Motors[1] | Start Practice Test Practise motor connections, protection devices, power factor and the voltage relationships in three-phase systems. |
| Energy Accounting and Economics[1] | Finance, Budgeting, and Contracts Practise payback, life-cycle cost, interest calculations and how to present a project case to a decision maker. |
| Energy and Sustainability Policies, Codes and Standards[1] | Mixed practice tests above Read the relevant codes and standards material from AEE, since our sets do not target this area directly. |
| Energy Audits and Instrumentation[1] | Start Practice Test Practise choosing the right meter or instrument for a measurement and reading baseline data correctly. |
| Energy Rates, Tariffs and Supply Options[1] | Mixed practice tests above Work through demand charges, rate structures and supply choices using the official study material. |
| Energy Storage Systems[1] | Mixed practice tests above Review storage types, what each is used for and how storage interacts with demand and tariffs. |
| HVAC Systems and Building Envelope[1] | Start Practice Test Practise load reduction, equipment efficiency, ventilation and how envelope changes affect heating and cooling demand. |
| Industrial Systems[1] | Start Practice Test Practise compressed air, process heat, pumps and fans, and how to spot waste in production equipment. |
| Lighting Systems[1] | Start Practice Test Practise comparing light sources, controls and retrofit savings for different spaces. |
These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.
Question: An exhibitor has purchased a large booth space that is exposed to aisles on three sides and is positioned at the end of a row of standard booths. What is this type of booth called?
Answer: A. Peninsula Booth
Explanation:
The correct answer is Peninsula Booth. A booth open to aisles on three sides, placed at the end of a row, is a peninsula. Island Booth is wrong because an island is open to aisles on every side and stands alone. Corner Booth is wrong because a corner booth sits at the end of a row with aisles on fewer sides. In-line Booth is wrong because an in-line booth sits in a straight row with neighbours and only its front faces the aisle. The rule to remember: count the open sides and note the position. Be aware that this question is about exhibition layout, which is not on the AEE energy manager outline, so do not spend extra study time on it.
Question: Which motor protection device is specifically designed to protect against sustained overload by monitoring winding temperature?
Answer: C. Thermistor embedded in winding
Explanation:
The correct answer is a thermistor embedded in the winding. Sustained overload heats the winding, and a thermistor measures that temperature directly, so it can trigger a shutdown before the insulation is damaged. A fuse is wrong because it reacts to high current, not to slow heating, and is aimed at faults. A circuit breaker is wrong for the same reason: it responds to current, so a mild sustained overload may not trip it. A ground fault relay is wrong because it detects leakage to ground, not heat. The rule to remember: match the protection to what it senses. Heat in the winding needs a temperature sensor.
Question: In a delta-connected 3-phase motor, if the line voltage is 480 V, what voltage appears across each winding?
Answer: B. 480 V
Explanation:
The correct answer is 480 V. In a delta connection each winding is connected directly between two line conductors, so the voltage across a winding equals the line voltage. The 277 V option is wrong because it is the figure you would get for a winding in a wye connection, where each winding sees the line voltage divided by a fixed factor. The 240 V option is wrong because nothing in a delta connection halves the voltage. The 830 V option is wrong because it multiplies the line voltage by the wye factor in the wrong direction. The rule to remember: delta means winding voltage equals line voltage, while line current is the quantity that differs.
Start by reading the AEE body of knowledge study guide and candidate handbook so you know the rules and the list of content areas. Then take the main practice test without any notes to see which areas feel weak. Do not worry about the score at this stage.
Next, use the blueprint table on this page to pick the areas where you missed questions. Work through the matching set, and for every miss read the explanation, then find the same topic in your training materials. Because the real exam is open book, practise looking things up. Tab and highlight your reference material, and note which formulas and tables you reach for most.
Some of our sets cover subjects that are not on the AEE outline, such as exhibition and event topics. Check each set against the official content areas and skip anything that does not fit. For areas with no matching set, such as codes and standards, tariffs and storage, rely on the official material and your seminar notes.
In the final days, retake the main practice test under timed conditions, matching the full 4 hours, and practise pacing across all 130 questions. Mark hard questions, move on and return to them. Confirm your exam booking and application timing against the AEE requirements.
The exam has 130 questions and lasts 4 hours. It is open book, according to the AEE study guide. Plan your pacing across the whole session and bring organised reference material, because finding information quickly matters more than memorising everything.
AEE requires a minimum score of 700 points on the CEM examination. How raw answers convert to points is decided by AEE, so check the current candidate handbook for the latest details rather than relying on any unofficial conversion.
Yes. The AEE handbook states that all applicants must take a required approved preparatory seminar before sitting for the certification exam. You can schedule the exam as part of an in-person training program or take a remote proctored exam.
AEE requires a waiting period of at least 60 days between the first and second attempt at the same exam. Use that time to review the areas where you lost points and to redo the matching practice sets.
The certification is in effect for 3 years. To remain certified, a CEM must accumulate 10 professional credits every 3 years and submit a completed renewal form to AEE. Check the AEE website for which activities count.
AEE says your application should be received by the certification department 4 weeks before your desired exam date. Apply earlier if you are also arranging a seminar or a remote proctored slot, since scheduling is handled separately.
How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.