- Which DGCP This Cheat Sheet Covers
- The Exam at a Glance
- Scoring Math You Should Know Cold
- The Three Question Categories
- Ten Topic Headings From the Study Guide
- Open-Book Rules: What You Can and Cannot Bring
- Eligibility Routes, Fees and Training
- Renewal Mechanics
- Where the Credential Gets Used
- A DGCP-Specific Prep Sequence
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The AEE exam has 85 questions in four hours: 60 qualitative, 20 short calculations and five longer calculations.
- Passing requires 700 of 1,000 points, which is 70%.
- The exam is open book, but internet or Bluetooth-enabled calculators and electronic references are prohibited.
- The U.S. application and exam fee is USD 400, a retest is USD 200, and approved training is required separately.
Which DGCP This Cheat Sheet Covers
Several credentials in different industries share the acronym "DGCP." This page covers exactly one of them: the Distributed Generation Certified Professional, administered by the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE). It is an energy-engineering credential focused on distributed generation and combined heat and power (CHP). If you are looking for background on the name itself, see What Does DGCP Stand For? or What Is DGCP Certification?.
Everything below is drawn from AEE materials: the DGCP Body of Knowledge, the DGCP Study Guide and Sample Questions, and AEE's published pages on eligibility, testing and renewal. Where the source materials conflict or are silent, this article says so rather than guessing.
The Exam at a Glance
Use this table as your single-page memory anchor. Every figure comes from the AEE study guide and certification pages.
| Item | What to Know |
|---|---|
| Certifying body | Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) |
| Total questions | 85 |
| Question mix | 60 qualitative, 20 short calculations, 5 longer calculations |
| Duration | Four hours |
| Format | Open book; AEE describes its exams as multiple choice, and sample questions include true/false and numerical calculations |
| Passing score | 700 of 1,000 points (70%) |
| Delivery | In-person testing or ProctorU remote delivery |
| U.S. application and exam fee | USD 400 |
| Retest fee | USD 200 |
| Renewal | Every three years; ten AEE renewal credits; USD 300 |
For deeper context on pricing, read the DGCP certification cost breakdown. For scheduling, see DGCP exam dates and testing windows.
Scoring Math You Should Know Cold
The study guide assigns different point values to each question type. That weighting should drive how you spend your four hours.
| Question Type | Count | Points Each | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualitative | 60 | 10 | 600 |
| Short calculation | 20 | 15 | 300 |
| Longer calculation | 5 | 20 | 100 |
| Total | 85 | 1,000 |
The totals reconcile to 1,000 points, and you need 700. A few practical implications follow directly from the arithmetic:
- Qualitative items carry 600 of 1,000 points, so conceptual fluency is the single largest lever.
- The 25 calculation items together carry 400 points. A candidate who skips them entirely cannot reach 700, because the maximum without them is 600.
- The five longer calculations are worth 20 points each, only 100 points combined, but they likely consume the most time per question.
The Three Question Categories
AEE's Body of Knowledge publishes three official headings. Note that these are exam question-category headings, not topical chapters. They describe the type of question you will face, not a syllabus of subjects. For a longer treatment, see the complete guide to the three DGCP content areas.
Domain 1: Qualitative Questions (69-71%)
The largest published range by a wide margin. These are the conceptual and regulatory items: what a technology does, how a rule applies, which approach fits a scenario.
- Expect true/false and multiple-choice formats.
- Worth 10 points each across 60 items.
- Open-book access helps, but only if your reference materials are indexed so you can find answers quickly.
Domain 2: Short Calculation Questions (22-24%)
Single-step or few-step numerical problems, worth 15 points each across 20 items.
- Typical territory includes energy and thermal conversions, performance measures and basic economic calculations.
- Bring a permitted hand calculator and know its functions before test day.
- Units and conversions are where most avoidable errors originate.
Domain 3: Longer Calculation Questions (1-2%)
Multi-step numerical problems, worth 20 points each across five items per the study guide.
- These reward organized, repeatable solution procedures.
- The published percentage range conflicts with the five-of-85 item allocation, so do not assume the exam is only 1-2% by points.
- Practice a worked-problem template: givens, formula, units, substitution, sanity check.
Ten Topic Headings From the Study Guide
Separate from the three question categories, the AEE study guide organizes its preparation material under ten headings. These are unweighted, and the guide itself states it does not cover every exam question, so use them as a map of core content rather than a guarantee of exam coverage.
- Introduction to Distributed Generation and CHP
- Distributed Generation and CHP Technologies
- Energy and Thermal Basics of Distributed Generation and CHP Technologies
- Power Cycle Performance Measures for Distributed Generation and CHP Technologies
- Economic and Life Cycle Cost Analysis for Distributed Generation and CHP Systems
- PURPA and FERC Rules for QF's and SPP's
- Summary Data on Distributed Generation and CHP Technologies and A Case Study
- Regulatory and Permitting Systems Issues for Distributed Generation and CHP Systems
- Distributed Generation and CHP Project Management
- Distributed Generation and CHP System Case Studies
What the headings imply for your review
Three clusters stand out. The technical core (headings 2 through 4) feeds both qualitative and calculation questions: prime movers, thermal recovery, efficiency and performance metrics. The economics heading (5) is where life cycle cost methods show up, and it pairs naturally with calculation practice. The regulatory cluster (6 and 8) covers PURPA, FERC rules for qualifying facilities and small power producers, and permitting issues, which tend to surface as qualitative questions.
Open-Book Rules: What You Can and Cannot Bring
The DGCP is an open-book exam, but the permissions are specific.
| Permitted | Prohibited |
|---|---|
| Printed references | Internet-enabled calculators |
| Bound notes | Bluetooth-enabled calculators |
| A hand calculator | Electronic reference materials |
Confirm current testing rules on AEE's certification FAQ and remote proctoring pages before you schedule, especially if you plan to test through ProctorU, since remote sessions add environment requirements of their own.
Key Takeaway
Open book does not mean easy book. With 85 questions in four hours, you have roughly under three minutes per question on average, so a reference you cannot navigate quickly is nearly as useless as no reference. Tab your bound notes by the ten study-guide headings and keep a one-page formula sheet at the front. The DGCP difficulty guide explains why time pressure, not recall, is the usual constraint.
Eligibility Routes, Fees and Training
AEE sets experience-and-education pathways to eligibility. The routes in the issuer materials are:
- A related four-year degree, or a PE or RA license plus three years of relevant experience
- An unrelated four-year degree or a two-year associate degree, plus five years of experience
- Ten years of experience without a degree
- Current CEM (Certified Energy Manager) status
Approved training and certification-board approval are required in addition to the route you qualify under. The USD 400 application and exam fee covers the U.S. application and examination, while approved training is a separate cost.
The DGCP-IT window
AEE's DGCP-IT designation gives candidates six years to meet full eligibility after completing the required training, application and DGCP examination. That is useful if you have passed the knowledge threshold but have not yet accumulated the experience for full certification. Details on each route are in the DGCP requirements guide, and training considerations are covered under DGCP training.
Renewal Mechanics
Certification renews every three years. The cycle requires ten AEE renewal credits and a USD 300 renewal fee. One conventional CEU equals two AEE renewal credits, so a candidate holding conventional CEUs needs five of them to cover the ten-credit requirement. Check AEE's renewal process page for which activities qualify before you rely on a specific course or event.
Where the Credential Gets Used
The DGCP sits in the energy-engineering space, where distributed generation and CHP projects need people who can evaluate technologies, run economics and navigate interconnection, permitting and qualifying-facility rules. Natural fits include energy engineers and consultants, project developers and managers for on-site generation and CHP, facility and campus energy managers, utility and ESCO staff, and engineers who size and evaluate systems. The study guide's project management and case study headings reflect that applied orientation.
No salary or hiring statistics are quoted here because none are verified in the issuer materials. For discussion of career value, see the DGCP salary guide, DGCP jobs and the DGCP ROI analysis. Likewise, no official pass-rate figure was found in the issuer materials; the DGCP pass rate article explains what can and cannot be said.
A DGCP-Specific Prep Sequence
Because the three question categories are weighted so differently, sequence your preparation by what each category demands rather than by chapter order.
Technical and Thermal Foundations
- Work through study-guide headings 1 through 4.
- Build your formula sheet as you go: energy conversions, efficiency and performance measures.
- Do short-calculation drills daily, since these 15-point items reward fluency.
Economics and Longer Calculations
- Cover heading 5 (economic and life cycle cost analysis).
- Practice multi-step problems with a fixed solution template.
- Time yourself on the 20-point item style.
Regulatory, Project and Case Study Material
- Cover headings 6 through 10, especially PURPA, FERC and permitting.
- Tab your bound notes by heading for fast lookup.
- Take timed practice sets in the 85-question proportions and review misses by category using the DGCP practice tests.
Adjust the timeline to your background. An engineer with strong thermodynamics may compress the first block, while a project developer may need extra time on calculations. The main principle is to give calculation practice early, because it builds slowly, and to leave qualitative breadth for later, where open-book access supports you.
Frequently Asked Questions
The AEE study guide specifies 85 questions: 60 qualitative items, 20 short calculations and five longer calculations. You have four hours to complete them.
You need 700 of 1,000 points, which is 70%. Qualitative items are worth 10 points each, short calculations 15 points each and longer calculations 20 points each.
Yes. The exam is open book, and printed references, bound notes and a hand calculator are permitted. Internet or Bluetooth-enabled calculators and electronic reference materials are prohibited.
The U.S. application and examination fee is USD 400, and a retest is USD 200. Approved training is required separately and is not included in those fees. See the full cost breakdown for planning.
Every three years, with ten AEE renewal credits and a USD 300 renewal fee. One conventional CEU equals two AEE renewal credits.
Keep this sheet as your quick reference, then verify fees, testing rules and eligibility directly on AEE's pages before you register, since issuer details can change. When you are ready to test your recall under realistic conditions, start with the DGCP Exam Prep practice tests.