The NEC electronics and communication syllabus (code AExE) is one document used for three branches: electronics and communication, electronics and telecommunication, and information technology and telecommunication engineering. It has 10 chapters with six sub-sections each, 60 topics in total.
The first five chapters match the computer engineering syllabus: basic electrical and electronics, digital logic and microprocessors, programming, computer organisation and embedded systems, and networks with security. Chapters 6 to 9 are the communication core: electromagnetics, communication systems, signals with DSP, and wireless and telecommunication. Chapter 10 is the project planning chapter shared by all branches. The model question set NEC released in November 2025 has 100 one-mark multiple choice questions.
New to the licence exam? Start with the NEC licence exam guide for eligibility and the application steps. For other branches, see the NEC syllabus list for all 41 branches.
NEC Electronics and Communication Engineering exam pattern at a glance
| Item | What NEC has published |
|---|---|
| Question type | Multiple choice, four options |
| Questions in the 2025 model set | 100 questions of 1 mark each (100 x 1 = 100) |
| Syllabus size | 10 chapters, 6 sub-sections each, 60 sub-sections in all |
| Earlier pattern (exams up to 2023) | 60 one-mark and 20 two-mark questions, 2 hours, pass at 50 marks, no negative marking |
| Where to confirm | The exam notice for your session on the NEC notices page |
With 100 questions spread over 60 sub-sections, there is no safe topic to skip. If you leave out a whole chapter, you give up marks you cannot win back elsewhere.
NEC Electronics and Communication Engineering syllabus: chapter-by-chapter breakdown
The syllabus treats the early chapters as fundamentals and the later chapters as applications, and keeps chapter 10 for project planning, design and implementation like every other branch.
| Chapter and what it covers | What to focus on |
|---|---|
| 1. Basic Electrical and Electronics circuit laws, network theorems, AC fundamentals, semiconductor devices, oscillators, amplifiers and op-amps | BJT and MOSFET operation, amplifier classes and efficiency, oscillator conditions. |
| 2. Digital Logic and Microprocessor number systems, Boolean algebra, K-maps, combinational circuits, flip-flops and counters, microprocessor, interfacing, interrupts | K-maps, counters, and microprocessor instructions and interrupts. |
| 3. Programming Language and Its Applications C, pointers, structures and files, C++ classes, OOP, virtual functions, templates, exceptions | Short code-output questions. Practise tracing by hand. |
| 4. Computer Organization and Embedded System control unit, CPU, cache, I/O, embedded design, RTOS, VHDL | Cache mapping, pipelining and basic VHDL. |
| 5. Computer Network and Network Security OSI and TCP/IP, data link, IP addressing and routing, transport, application layer, security | Subnetting, protocols and port numbers, RSA basics. |
| 6. Electromagnetic Waves and Propagation electric and magnetic fields, Maxwell's equations, plane waves, waveguides, antennas, propagation modes | Boundary conditions, skin depth, waveguide cut-off, antenna gain and propagation types. |
| 7. Communication System signals and noise, Hilbert transform, AM, FM and PM, digital modulation, PCM and quantisation, information theory, random noise | AM power and bandwidth, Carson's rule, PCM bit rate, Shannon capacity. |
| 8. Signal, System and Digital Signal Processing Fourier series and transform, LTI systems, sampling, z-transform and DFT, filter structures, IIR and FIR design, FFT | Convolution, ROC of the z-transform, sampling theorem and filter design methods. |
| 9. Wireless and Telecommunication System telecom evolution, cellular concepts, fading, spread spectrum and multiple access, switching, traffic engineering, ITU, NTA and Nepal's frequency plan | Frequency reuse and cluster size, Erlang and grade of service, and the regulators named in 9.6. |
| 10. Project Planning, Design and Implementation drawings, engineering economics, CPM and PERT, project management, professional practice, NEC Act | Common to all branches. |
Chapter 10 is the same in every NEC syllabus. Its six sub-sections are:
- 10.1 Engineering drawings: drawing sheets, scales, orthographic and isometric views, sections.
- 10.2 Engineering economics: cash flow, interest and time value of money, payback, NPV, IRR, MARR, depreciation and tax in Nepal.
- 10.3 Project planning and scheduling: project life cycle, bar charts, CPM and PERT, resource levelling and smoothing.
- 10.4 Project management: risk, project financing, tendering and contract management.
- 10.5 Professional practice: ethics, society and environment, occupational health and safety, role of the Nepal Engineers' Association.
- 10.6 Regulatory body: the Nepal Engineering Council Act and Regulations.
You can practise this chapter with the project management and engineering economics MCQ set.
Where to focus your time
- Chapters 7 and 8 decide most results. Communication systems and DSP are formula-heavy and appear in every model set. Make a page of modulation and transform formulas and test yourself on it daily.
- Chapter 9 has Nepal-specific content. Sub-section 9.6 names the ITU, the Nepal Telecommunications Authority, the ministry, the national frequency allocation plan and the Radio Act. Read the basics of each.
- Electromagnetics is often weak. Focus on the results that turn into MCQs: boundary conditions, wave impedance, skin depth and waveguide cut-off.
- The first five chapters overlap with computer engineering, so revision notes and practice questions for those chapters are easy to find.
Six-week study plan for the NEC Electronics and Communication Engineering exam
| Week | What to do |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Read the official PDF and rate all 60 sub-sections. |
| Week 2 | Chapters 1 and 2. |
| Week 3 | Chapters 7 and 8 (communication and DSP). |
| Week 4 | Chapters 6 and 9 (electromagnetics, wireless and telecom). |
| Week 5 | Chapters 3, 4, 5 and 10. |
| Week 6 | Official model set under timing, then two more full papers. |
Two to three hours a day is enough for most graduates who finished the degree recently. If you have been out of study for a few years, stretch the plan to eight or ten weeks. For general and civil practice questions, the site's engineering MCQ practice tool tracks your weak topics.
How this syllabus relates to other branches
Chapters 1 to 5 are word for word the same as in the NEC computer engineering syllabus. Separate syllabi exist for electronics engineering, electronics, communication and information engineering, and electronics, communication and automation engineering. All are linked from the NEC syllabus list for all branches.
Common mistakes
- Downloading the wrong file. NEC lists separate pages for electronics and communication, electronics and telecommunication, and IT and telecommunication, but they use the same AExE syllabus. Some other electronics branches use different syllabi.
- Skipping electromagnetics because it was hard at university. A few key results cover most questions.
- Not practising timed MCQs. DSP and communication questions are quick only if you have seen the pattern before.
- Leaving chapter 10 for the last day.
Frequently asked questions
Which branches use the NEC AExE syllabus?
Electronics and communication engineering, electronics and telecommunication engineering, and information technology and telecommunication engineering. The syllabus file lists all three on its first page.
Is the electronics syllabus the same as computer engineering?
Chapters 1 to 5 are the same. From chapter 6 the electronics syllabus covers electromagnetics, communication systems, DSP and telecommunication instead of computer science subjects.
How many questions are in the NEC electronics and communication exam?
The model question set from November 2025 has 100 multiple choice questions of one mark each. Confirm the pattern in your exam notice, because the older pattern used 60 one-mark and 20 two-mark questions.
Where can I download the official PDF?
On the NEC notices page under "Syllabus / Model Questions". Direct links are in the downloads section below.
Download the official NEC Electronics and Communication Engineering PDFs
- NEC Electronics and Communication Engineering syllabus (PDF, nec.gov.np)
- NEC Electronics and Communication Engineering model questions (PDF, nec.gov.np)
- NEC notices page (filter by "Syllabus / Model Questions")
The files are hosted by the Nepal Engineering Council. If a link stops working, NEC has probably uploaded a new version, so open the notices page and look for the latest file.
Last checked October 2026 against the syllabus and model question files on nec.gov.np. NEC can change the pattern, fees and dates for any session, so read the official notice before you apply. This page is general study guidance, not an official NEC document.
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