Preparing for Your Certification Exam

CEDIA Certifications cover a range of knowledge and skills and are intended for professionals at different stages of their career. Learn about each certification and any applicable eligibility requirements to see what matches your current level and career goals.

Core Technician Certifications

Cabling & Infrastructure Technician (CIT)

The starting place for technical certification is the CIT which covers foundational elements of safety, tools, construction, infrastructure cabling, termination and equipment mounting basics. All other certifications build from this knowledge base.

Integrated System Technician (IST)

Once technicians have earned the CIT certification and have at least 1 year of work experience they are eligible to take the IST which is an intermediate-level certification. The IST covers a broad range of essential technical knowledge and skills that allow a technician to work independently on a job.

Specialist Certifications

Electronic Systems Certified Networking Specialist (ESC-N)

Residential technology systems rely on a robust, reliable network and the ESC-N is for experienced professionals who have expertise in this area. The ESC-N covers the design, configuration, installation and troubleshooting of wired and wireless networks.

Electronic Systems Certified Designer (ESC-D)

This is an advanced-level certification for individuals with a strong technical foundation and experience in needs analysis, documentation, specifying, project design and design management.

• Review the Exam Blueprint Document which gives a detail list of knowledge and skills assessed and how many questions are in each knowledge domain.
• Take the free practice test associated with your target certification to get an understanding of what types of questions are on the exam and areas you might need to improve.
  • CIT Practice Test – Results aggregated by domain to simulate score report format on actual exam 
  • CIT Practice Test – Results include domain score and ability to review of each item showing the correct answer 
  • IST Practice Test – Results aggregated by domain to simulate score report format on actual exam
  • IST Practice Test – Results include domain score and ability to review of each item showing the correct answer
  • ESC-N Practice Test – Results aggregated by domain to simulate score report format on actual exam.
  • ESC-N Practice Test – Results include domain score and ability to review of each item showing the correct answer.
  • ESC-D Practice Test – Designed to simulate a test environment. Correct answers are not shown, and candidates receive a score report at the end which shows performance by domain.
  • ESC-D Practice Test – Correct answers are shown after each question is answered. The final results include a report shat shows performance by domain.

There are many ways to build your knowledge including self-study, job experience, and courses delivered online or in-person. The CEDIA Certification Commission does not require training to take any exam or endorse any specific exam preparation product. Listed below are resources that address content areas outlined in the exam blueprints and examples of pathways some candidates follow to certification.

CIT

• Cabling Infrastructure Technician Book
• Infrastructure Cabling for Voice, Data and Video White Paper
• Cabling & Infrastructure Technician Online Learning Pathway
• Boot Camps or other short-term programs
• Classes by cable or equipment manufacturers which include may include sections on installation practices and cable properties
• Technical schools with a low-voltage or electronic systems technician track.
• Internal training classes taught by an employer or “on the job” training from a more experienced technician.

IST

• Integrated Systems Technician book
• Advanced Residential Electronic Systems book
• Integrated Systems Technician Online Learning Pathway
• Boot Camps or other short-term programs
• Classes by equipment manufacturers which include may include sections on principles and best practices related to systems installation and integration.
• Technical schools with a low-voltage or electronic systems technician track.
• Internal training classes taught by an employer or “on the job” training from a more experienced technician.

ESC-N

• Integrated Systems Technician book
• Advanced Networking Boot Camp or other short-term programs
• Classes taught at industry events such as CEDIA Expo, ISE, or Integrate
• Classes by equipment manufacturers which include may include sections on principles and best practices related to networking
• Internal training classes taught by an employer or “on the job” training from a more experienced technician.

ESC-D

• Integrated Systems Technician book
• Classes taught at industry events such as CEDIA Expo, ISE, or Integrate
• Classes by equipment manufacturers which include may include sections on principles and best practices related to design.
• Internal training classes taught by an employer or “on the job” training from a more experienced technician.
• Relevant standards and white papers can be found on the ESC-D page. 

CEDIA exams are administered worldwide at Kryterion Global Testing Solutions test center locations and at select CEDIA events.

CEDIA’s CIT, IST, ESC-N and ESC-D are also currently available to be taken from your own computer via Kryterion’s Remote Online Proctoring service. Once purchasing your exam, this option may be selected instead of a test center. Email certification@cedia.org if you have any questions about remote proctored exams.