NERC RC EXAM PREP QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
When does the Contingency Reserve Restoration Period begin?
A. At the top of the hour after the Reportable Disturbance
B. At the start of the Reportable Disturbance
C. At the end of the Disturbance Recovery Period
D. When all Contingency Reserve has been exhausted - Answers - C. At the end of
the Disturbance Recovery Period
Which of the following terms is defined as the scan rate values of a Balancing
Authority's ACE measured in MW, which includes the difference between the Balancing
Authority's Net Interchange Actual and its Net Interchange Scheduled, plus its
Frequency Bias obligation, plus any known meter error?
A. Automatic Time Error
B. Reporting ACE
C. ACE Control Error
D. Reserve Sharing Group Reporting - Answers - B. Reporting ACE
Which of the following terms applies to the Western Interconnection only, and the
addition of a component to the ACE equation that modifies the control point for the
purpose of continuously paying back Primary Inadvertent Interchange to correct
accumulated time error?
A. Reporting ACE
B. Automatic Time Error Correction
C. Reserve Sharing Group Reporting ACE
D. Regulation Reserve Sharing Group - Answers - B. Automatic Time Error Correction
A Balancing Authority's CPS1 calculation is computed using its clock-minute average of
two values. What are those two values?
A. Reporting ACE and Frequency Error
B. Actual and Scheduled Net Interchange NIA and NIS.
C. L10 and Reporting ACE
D. Actual and Scheduled Frequency (FA and FS) - Answers - A. Reporting ACE and
Frequency Error
To conform to CPS requirements, a Balancing Authority must have which of the
following?
A. CPS1 greater than or equal to 90% or BAAL greater than or equal to 100%.
B. CPS1 greater than or equal to 100% and ACE does not exceed BAAL more than 15
consecutive minutes.
,C. CPS1 greater than or equal to 100% and ACE does not exceed BAAL more than 30
consecutive minutes.
D. CPS1 greater than or equal to 90% and ACE does not exceed BAAL more than 30
consecutive minutes. - Answers - C. CPS1 greater than or equal to 100% and ACE
does not exceed BAAL more than 30 consecutive minutes.
What should a Balancing Authority set Scheduled Frequency to for a slow Time Error
Correction?
A. 60.02 Hz
B. 59.98 Hz
C. 59.80 Hz
D. 60.20 Hz - Answers - A. 60.02 Hz
Which of the following is a potential source of Contingency Reserve?
1. Offline generation that takes 10 minutes to start and ramp to full output
2. Online generation at full load
3. Controllable load resources
4. Voltage reductions
A. 3 and 4
B. 2 and 3
C. 1 and 3
D. 1 and 2 - Answers - C. 1 and 3
In an Interconnection, which of the following is required to be in the metered boundaries
of a Balancing Authority Area?
A. Generation
B. Transmission
C. Load
D. All are required to be within the metered boundaries of a Balancing Authority. -
Answers - D. All are required to be within the metered boundaries of a Balancing
Authority.
The minimum compliance for NERC Disturbance Control Standard (DCS) is ________?
A. 90% of all reportable disturbances
B. 90% of all disturbances
C. 100% for all reportable disturbances
D. 100% for all generator tips - Answers - C. 100% for all reportable disturbances
A Balancing Authority has a normal load of around 8500 MW. Its most severe single
contingency is a 700 MW coal-fired steam unit. At 0810, the ACE value was at -55 MW
when a 600 MW generator in the Balancing Authority's northern area tripped off line due
to a generator differential. This event resulted in a large negative ACE for the Balancing
,Authority. What value must ACE return to and in what time frame to avoid a DCS
violation?
A. -55 MW ACE in 15 minutes
B. Zero ACE in 10 minutes
C. -55 MW ACE in 10 minutes
D. Zero ACE in 15 minutes - Answers - A. -55 MW ACE in 15 minutes
If a Reserve Sharing Group member has experienced a Reportable Disturbance
condition but does not call for reserve activation from other members, the entire group is
considered to be in a disturbance condition.
A. True
B. False - Answers - B. False
You are a Balancing Authority Operator. A neighboring Balancing Authority in the
Interconnection suddenly has a 500 MW generator trip due to a generator ground. What
part of the ACE equation, ACE = (NIA-NIS) - 10B (FA-FS) - IME, allows you and other
Balancing Authorities in the Interconnection to help stabilize the Interconnection
frequency error?
A. (FA- FS) - IME
B. NIA - NIS
C. 10B (FA-FS)
D. 4 IME - Answers - C. 10B (FA-FS)
Balancing Authority A is scheduled to import a net 200 MW and is actually importing a
net 150 MW. The Bias Setting is -100 MW/.1 HZ and Actual Frequency is 59.95 Hz.
What is Balancing Authority A's ACE reading?
A. +100 MW
B. -100 MW
C. 0 MW
D. -55 MW - Answers - C. 0 MW
Which of the following elements is NOT included in the ACE equations frequency
component?
A. Actual Frequency (FA)
B. Scheduled Frequency (FS)
C. Frequency Bias Setting (B)
D. Meter Error (IME) - Answers - D. Meter Error (IME)
A Balancing Authority is slightly undergenerating its Actual System Frequency (FA) is
60.03 Hz. What is the result of the Balancing Authority's action?
, A. The Balancing Authority is helping the Interconnection Frequency.
B. The Balancing Authority is in CPS1 violation.
C. The Balancing Authority is hurting the Interconnection Frequency.
D. The Balancing Authority is in BAAL violation - Answers - A. The Balancing Authority
is helping the Interconnection Frequency
Which statement best describes the CPS1 requirement?
A. ACE must follow changes in load and schedule within a bandwidth called L10.
B. The Responsible Entity must operate so its CPS1 is greater than or equal to 100%
for the preceding 12-month period.
C. The average ACE for a defined 10-minute period must be within a limit called L10.
D. ACE must start to return to zero one minute after crossing zero. - Answers - B. The
Responsible Entity must operate so its CPS1 is greater than or equal to 100% for the
preceding 12-month period
Turbine governors arrest Frequency deviations. Of the following, which control system
compares and brings Net Actual Interchange back in line or as close to Net Scheduled
Interchange as possible?
A. Load Response
B. Flat Frequency Control
C. Automatic Generation Control
D. Automatic Voltage Regulation - Answers - C. Automatic Generation Control
Automatic Generation Control uses the ACE equation to ________.
A. Minimize Inadvertent Interchange among Balancing Authority areas
B. Provide frequency support for the Interconnection
C. Both answers are correct
D. Neither answer is correct - Answers - C. Both answers are correct
Which part of the ACE equation reflects Pseudo-Ties values?
A. Scheduled Net Interchange component, NIS
B. Actual Net Interchange component, NIA
C. Frequency component, FA - FS
D. Pseudo-Ties are not included in the ACE equation. - Answers - B. Actual Net
Interchange component, NIA
A Balancing Authority's frequency indication has become erratic and unreliable. Which
AGC mode should the Balancing Authority operate in?
A. Manual Control
B. Flat Frequency Control
C. Tie Line Bias Control
When does the Contingency Reserve Restoration Period begin?
A. At the top of the hour after the Reportable Disturbance
B. At the start of the Reportable Disturbance
C. At the end of the Disturbance Recovery Period
D. When all Contingency Reserve has been exhausted - Answers - C. At the end of
the Disturbance Recovery Period
Which of the following terms is defined as the scan rate values of a Balancing
Authority's ACE measured in MW, which includes the difference between the Balancing
Authority's Net Interchange Actual and its Net Interchange Scheduled, plus its
Frequency Bias obligation, plus any known meter error?
A. Automatic Time Error
B. Reporting ACE
C. ACE Control Error
D. Reserve Sharing Group Reporting - Answers - B. Reporting ACE
Which of the following terms applies to the Western Interconnection only, and the
addition of a component to the ACE equation that modifies the control point for the
purpose of continuously paying back Primary Inadvertent Interchange to correct
accumulated time error?
A. Reporting ACE
B. Automatic Time Error Correction
C. Reserve Sharing Group Reporting ACE
D. Regulation Reserve Sharing Group - Answers - B. Automatic Time Error Correction
A Balancing Authority's CPS1 calculation is computed using its clock-minute average of
two values. What are those two values?
A. Reporting ACE and Frequency Error
B. Actual and Scheduled Net Interchange NIA and NIS.
C. L10 and Reporting ACE
D. Actual and Scheduled Frequency (FA and FS) - Answers - A. Reporting ACE and
Frequency Error
To conform to CPS requirements, a Balancing Authority must have which of the
following?
A. CPS1 greater than or equal to 90% or BAAL greater than or equal to 100%.
B. CPS1 greater than or equal to 100% and ACE does not exceed BAAL more than 15
consecutive minutes.
,C. CPS1 greater than or equal to 100% and ACE does not exceed BAAL more than 30
consecutive minutes.
D. CPS1 greater than or equal to 90% and ACE does not exceed BAAL more than 30
consecutive minutes. - Answers - C. CPS1 greater than or equal to 100% and ACE
does not exceed BAAL more than 30 consecutive minutes.
What should a Balancing Authority set Scheduled Frequency to for a slow Time Error
Correction?
A. 60.02 Hz
B. 59.98 Hz
C. 59.80 Hz
D. 60.20 Hz - Answers - A. 60.02 Hz
Which of the following is a potential source of Contingency Reserve?
1. Offline generation that takes 10 minutes to start and ramp to full output
2. Online generation at full load
3. Controllable load resources
4. Voltage reductions
A. 3 and 4
B. 2 and 3
C. 1 and 3
D. 1 and 2 - Answers - C. 1 and 3
In an Interconnection, which of the following is required to be in the metered boundaries
of a Balancing Authority Area?
A. Generation
B. Transmission
C. Load
D. All are required to be within the metered boundaries of a Balancing Authority. -
Answers - D. All are required to be within the metered boundaries of a Balancing
Authority.
The minimum compliance for NERC Disturbance Control Standard (DCS) is ________?
A. 90% of all reportable disturbances
B. 90% of all disturbances
C. 100% for all reportable disturbances
D. 100% for all generator tips - Answers - C. 100% for all reportable disturbances
A Balancing Authority has a normal load of around 8500 MW. Its most severe single
contingency is a 700 MW coal-fired steam unit. At 0810, the ACE value was at -55 MW
when a 600 MW generator in the Balancing Authority's northern area tripped off line due
to a generator differential. This event resulted in a large negative ACE for the Balancing
,Authority. What value must ACE return to and in what time frame to avoid a DCS
violation?
A. -55 MW ACE in 15 minutes
B. Zero ACE in 10 minutes
C. -55 MW ACE in 10 minutes
D. Zero ACE in 15 minutes - Answers - A. -55 MW ACE in 15 minutes
If a Reserve Sharing Group member has experienced a Reportable Disturbance
condition but does not call for reserve activation from other members, the entire group is
considered to be in a disturbance condition.
A. True
B. False - Answers - B. False
You are a Balancing Authority Operator. A neighboring Balancing Authority in the
Interconnection suddenly has a 500 MW generator trip due to a generator ground. What
part of the ACE equation, ACE = (NIA-NIS) - 10B (FA-FS) - IME, allows you and other
Balancing Authorities in the Interconnection to help stabilize the Interconnection
frequency error?
A. (FA- FS) - IME
B. NIA - NIS
C. 10B (FA-FS)
D. 4 IME - Answers - C. 10B (FA-FS)
Balancing Authority A is scheduled to import a net 200 MW and is actually importing a
net 150 MW. The Bias Setting is -100 MW/.1 HZ and Actual Frequency is 59.95 Hz.
What is Balancing Authority A's ACE reading?
A. +100 MW
B. -100 MW
C. 0 MW
D. -55 MW - Answers - C. 0 MW
Which of the following elements is NOT included in the ACE equations frequency
component?
A. Actual Frequency (FA)
B. Scheduled Frequency (FS)
C. Frequency Bias Setting (B)
D. Meter Error (IME) - Answers - D. Meter Error (IME)
A Balancing Authority is slightly undergenerating its Actual System Frequency (FA) is
60.03 Hz. What is the result of the Balancing Authority's action?
, A. The Balancing Authority is helping the Interconnection Frequency.
B. The Balancing Authority is in CPS1 violation.
C. The Balancing Authority is hurting the Interconnection Frequency.
D. The Balancing Authority is in BAAL violation - Answers - A. The Balancing Authority
is helping the Interconnection Frequency
Which statement best describes the CPS1 requirement?
A. ACE must follow changes in load and schedule within a bandwidth called L10.
B. The Responsible Entity must operate so its CPS1 is greater than or equal to 100%
for the preceding 12-month period.
C. The average ACE for a defined 10-minute period must be within a limit called L10.
D. ACE must start to return to zero one minute after crossing zero. - Answers - B. The
Responsible Entity must operate so its CPS1 is greater than or equal to 100% for the
preceding 12-month period
Turbine governors arrest Frequency deviations. Of the following, which control system
compares and brings Net Actual Interchange back in line or as close to Net Scheduled
Interchange as possible?
A. Load Response
B. Flat Frequency Control
C. Automatic Generation Control
D. Automatic Voltage Regulation - Answers - C. Automatic Generation Control
Automatic Generation Control uses the ACE equation to ________.
A. Minimize Inadvertent Interchange among Balancing Authority areas
B. Provide frequency support for the Interconnection
C. Both answers are correct
D. Neither answer is correct - Answers - C. Both answers are correct
Which part of the ACE equation reflects Pseudo-Ties values?
A. Scheduled Net Interchange component, NIS
B. Actual Net Interchange component, NIA
C. Frequency component, FA - FS
D. Pseudo-Ties are not included in the ACE equation. - Answers - B. Actual Net
Interchange component, NIA
A Balancing Authority's frequency indication has become erratic and unreliable. Which
AGC mode should the Balancing Authority operate in?
A. Manual Control
B. Flat Frequency Control
C. Tie Line Bias Control
