The GEC course overview outlines the content of the GEC online continuing education course. The GEC program certifies that you have mastered a certain breadth and depth of energy industry knowledge to help you excel within your current energy industry position or enter the energy industry.
GEC Program Timeline
Registration for the GEC program is open year round with examinations offered every month. Examinations are held online on the 10th of the month, and all examinations are completed online from anywhere in the world using a computer or tablet.
After registering for the GEC program, you are welcome to schedule your examination date. There is no deadline to schedule your examination, but you must take your examination within one (1) year of registering for the course, and you must wait at least six weeks before taking the GEC examination after registering for the course. This delay is imposed by the course administrator to protect the integrity of the course; the minimum amount of study time necessary to take the examination is six weeks.
Examination Dates
The online examination dates each year are:
Exam Date:
- January 10th
- February 10th
- March 10th
- April 10th
- May 10th
- June 10th
- July 10th
- August 10th
- September 10th
- October 10th
- November 10th
- December 10th
Must Register For the Course By:
- December 1st
- January 1st
- February 1st
- March 1st
- April 1st
- May 1st
- June 1st
- July 1st
- August 1st
- September 1st
- October 1st
- December 1st
GEC Exam Preparation
Candidates must download the required readings laid out in the study guide. The Glossary also provides some additional ideas on what to pay attention to within the readings but doesn’t cover everything that will be on the exam. The GEC exams are conceptual in nature and require more of an understanding than a great ability to memorize facts.
Preparation time for this exam depends greatly on each candidate’s current knowledge, experience, reading speed and comprehension. It is impossible to calculate how much time a specific individual would need to prepare, but we suggest 75-100 hours of reading/study time.
In order to complete the exam in the allotted time, participants are required to gain a mastery of the core energy industry concepts covered in the required readings. Those who have not read the material may have difficulty in completing the exam within the 2 hour time limit, and are encouraged to not take the examination until reading/study is complete.
Exam Composition
Topic
- International Energy Industry Terminology
- Renewable Energy & Biofuels
- Electricity Generation, Transmission & Distribution, and the Smart Grid
- Electricity & Gas Deregulation
- Oil Reserves & Shale Oil
- Natural Gas Industry
- Energy Efficiency
Number of Questions
- 10 Multiple Choice Questions
- 20 Multiple Choice Questions
- 20 Multiple Choice Questions
- 10 Multiple Choice Questions
- 10 Multiple Choice Questions
- 15 Multiple Choice Questions
- 15 Multiple Choice Questions