- BEE-A covers 13 domains from Diodes through Wave-shaping Circuits - memorize the exact list, not a paraphrase.
- Passing score is 70%, and the exam is a proctored, in-person performance assessment, not a multiple-choice test.
- You'll be evaluated using CertTEC assessment circuit cards, a Nida 130E (or later) trainer, a multimeter, a function generator, and an oscilloscope.
- The credential is valid for 3 years, with renewal via work verification, 18 Alternate Recertification Credits, or a knowledge exam.
Quick Facts Snapshot
Before you dive into the domain-by-domain review, anchor yourself with the administrative facts that shape how you prepare. BEE-A (Basic Electricity and Electronics - Analog) is issued by CertTEC, a division of SpaceTEC Partners, Inc., and it's delivered as a proctored, in-person performance assessment through SPI's online Examination Management System - not a bank of multiple-choice questions you click through at home.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Exam fee | USD 100 per certification |
| Passing score | 70% |
| Format | Proctored, in-person performance assessment (SPI Examination Management System) |
| Validity | 3 years |
| Spec revision | SPI catalog revised March 1, 2025 |
If you want the full breakdown of what these numbers mean for your prep timeline, the BEE-A Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown and BEE-A Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass guides go deeper than this snapshot allows.
All 13 Domains at a Glance
CertTEC's published Analog competency topics define exactly what shows up on the assessment. Use this list as your master checklist - if you can't explain each domain out loud without notes, that's your next study session.
Domain 1: Diodes
Rectification behavior, forward/reverse bias, and failure-mode identification.
- Silicon vs. germanium forward-voltage drop
- Zener regulation behavior under load
Domain 2: Transistors
BJT and FET configurations, biasing, and gain relationships.
- NPN vs. PNP current flow direction
- Common-emitter, common-base, common-collector traits
Domain 3: Thyristors
SCR and triac triggering, latching behavior, and switching-circuit troubleshooting - a stated practical focus area of the exam.
- Gate-trigger conditions for turn-on
- Holding current vs. latching current
Domain 4: Integrated Circuits
Package types, pinout reading, and basic IC-level fault isolation.
Domain 5: Optoelectronic Devices
LEDs, photodiodes, and optocouplers - light-to-current and current-to-light conversion basics.
Domain 6: Power Supplies
Signal tracing through rectifier, filter, and regulator stages is a named practical focus of the exam.
- Ripple identification on a scope trace
- Linear vs. switching regulation behavior
Domain 7: Test Equipment and Measurements
Correct use of the multimeter, function generator, and oscilloscope you'll be handed on test day.
Domain 8: Mathematics and Formulas
The calculation backbone behind every other domain - see the formula section below.
Domain 9: Amplifiers
Gain, bandwidth, and class of operation (A, B, AB, C) for basic amplifier stages.
Domain 10: Operational Amplifiers
Inverting/non-inverting configurations, virtual ground concept, and feedback behavior.
Domain 11: Oscillators
Feedback conditions required to sustain oscillation and common oscillator topologies.
Domain 12: Filters
Low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, and band-stop response identification on a scope or Bode-style sketch.
Domain 13: Wave-shaping Circuits
Clipping, clamping, and integrator/differentiator waveform transformations.
For a longer walkthrough of each topic with example task statements, see the BEE-A Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 13 Content Areas. If you're still weighing how these 13 areas compare in difficulty, the How Hard Is the BEE-A Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 article breaks that down candidate by candidate.
Equipment You'll Touch on Test Day
Unlike a paper-and-pencil credential, part of passing BEE-A is being fluent with the physical gear in front of you before the clock starts. Know this list cold:
- Two CertTEC assessment circuit cards per discipline - the physical boards you'll be diagnosing and repairing
- Nida 130E or later trainer - the platform hosting your circuit cards
- Multimeter - for voltage, resistance, and continuity checks
- Function generator - for injecting test signals into a stage under evaluation
- Oscilloscope - for waveform, ripple, and timing verification
Key Takeaway
Practice setting up and reading a scope trace for ripple and clipping before exam day - fumbling with equipment settings under proctored time pressure costs more points than a shaky formula recall.
Formulas and Math You Must Have Memorized
Domain 8, Mathematics and Formulas, isn't a standalone academic exercise - it's the toolkit that makes every other domain solvable on the bench. Keep these relationships instantly recallable:
- Ohm's Law: V = I × R (and its two rearrangements)
- Power: P = V × I, plus P = I²R and P = V²/R
- Series resistance: RT = R1 + R2 + R3...
- Parallel resistance: 1/RT = 1/R1 + 1/R2...
- Voltage divider ratio across series resistors
- Gain: Av = Vout/Vin (amplifier and op-amp stages)
- Reactance: XC and XL formulas for filter-cutoff reasoning
If arithmetic under time pressure is your weak spot, the BEE-A Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt lays out a drilling sequence that builds these formulas into muscle memory before you ever touch a circuit card.
Device Behavior Cheat Sheet
A large share of the practical portion comes down to recognizing device behavior fast - on a scope trace, on a meter reading, or by symptom description. This table condenses the behaviors most commonly confused.
| Device | Key Behavior to Recognize |
|---|---|
| Diode | Conducts one direction above forward-voltage threshold; open or shorted failure shows as no drop or full drop across it |
| Zener diode | Holds a fixed reverse voltage once breakdown is reached - used for regulation |
| BJT | Small base current controls larger collector current; check VBE, VCE for bias-point diagnosis |
| MOSFET | Voltage-controlled gate; near-zero gate current in steady state - named practical focus for switching troubleshooting |
| IGBT | Combines MOSFET gate control with BJT-like conduction; another named switching-circuit focus area |
| SCR | Latches on after gate trigger and stays on until current drops below holding current |
| Op-amp | High open-loop gain; feedback network sets actual closed-loop behavior |
Registration and Renewal Numbers
These are the only numbers you need to know for planning - memorize them exactly rather than rounding.
| Path | Cost/Requirement |
|---|---|
| Initial exam | USD 100 per certification, 70% to pass |
| Renewal - work verification | Verified relevant employment 12 of the preceding 36 months; USD 10 emailed certificate or USD 25 mailed hard copy/ID card |
| Renewal - credits | 18 Alternate Recertification Credits within the certification period; USD 15 |
| Renewal - knowledge exam | Equivalent knowledge exam; USD 50 |
Eligibility to sit for the exam runs through one of three routes: relevant training or work experience, a relevant military rating or assignment, or graduation from a relevant college or technical-school program. If you're unsure which route applies to you, the BEE-A Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify article maps each pathway in detail, and the BEE-A Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown piece stacks these numbers against total cost of ownership across a 3-year cycle.
Final-Week Review Schedule
Cramming won't work for a performance assessment, but a tight final-week pass can sharpen recall of the exact facts on this page. Schedule it against the domains most likely to trip you up on the bench, not the ones that feel comfortable on paper.
Formulas and Test Equipment (Domains 7-8)
- Re-derive Ohm's Law and power formulas from memory
- Practice scope and function generator setup speed
Power Supplies and Thyristor Switching (Domains 3, 6)
- Trace a full rectifier-filter-regulator chain on the trainer
- Drill SCR gate-trigger and holding-current scenarios
Amplifiers, Op-Amps, Oscillators, Filters (Domains 9-12)
- Sketch expected waveform shapes for each filter type
- Review inverting/non-inverting op-amp gain math
Diodes, Transistors, ICs, Optoelectronics, Wave-shaping (Domains 1, 2, 4, 5, 13)
- Run a full mock circuit-card diagnosis end to end
- Time yourself against the proctored format expectations
Want a longer-horizon version of this plan built around the full 13 domains rather than a single final week? The BEE-A Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt extends this structure across a multi-week plan, and running timed simulations on our BEE-A practice test platform is the fastest way to see which domains still need bench time before you book your session.
Key Takeaway
Don't split final review evenly across 13 domains. Weight it toward the domains tied to CertTEC's stated practical focus: power supplies, and MOSFET/IGBT/SCR switching troubleshooting.
FAQ
No. It's a proctored, in-person performance assessment delivered through SPI's online Examination Management System, using physical CertTEC assessment circuit cards on a Nida 130E (or later) trainer along with a multimeter, function generator, and oscilloscope.
You need 70%. For a deeper look at how that score is structured, see the BEE-A Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass guide.
Three years. Renewal can be completed through verified work experience, 18 Alternate Recertification Credits, or an equivalent knowledge exam, each with its own fee.
Prioritize Power Supplies and Thyristors, since CertTEC names power-supply signal tracing and MOSFET/IGBT/SCR switching-circuit troubleshooting as explicit practical focus areas, alongside solid fundamentals in Test Equipment and Measurements and Mathematics and Formulas.
The BEE-A Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 13 Content Areas article expands each of the 13 domains listed here with more detail, and our practice test platform lets you drill each one individually.