The paper is an attempt to review the state of the art in Computational Electromagnetics (CEM) with a focus on applications related to electrical engineering. Design and optimisation, as well as development of new materials, are emphasised as of paramount importance in the real engineering world. Modern computational methods based on finite elements and related techniques have now become a mature design tool, but the complexity of the underlying mathematics and physics often hampers widespread use of these efficient techniques. Recent advances in general purpose software are encouraging but much remains to be done in improving the standards of education to remove the mist of mystery surrounding the subject.