ETA TTT Exam Study Guide (2026)
Everything the ETA Termination and Testing Technician (TTT) tests, topic by topic: what each section covers, the facts that come up most, and how to study it. Pair it with the free 15-question practice test.
The exam at a glance
| Questions | 75 multiple-choice questions |
|---|---|
| Time | 2 hours |
| Passing score | 75% |
| Format | Closed book; scratch paper and a non-programmable calculator are allowed. ETA requires a hands-on training course from an ETA-approved trainer or school, including building and testing a multimode fiber jumper and a Cat 5e jumper that must pass IP video tests. This prep covers only the written knowledge exam |
| Certifying body | ETA International (Electronics Technicians Association), accredited by ICAC under ISO/IEC 17024 |
| Test provider | ETA-approved schools and trainers, which run the required TTT course and hands-on exercises; the written exam is proctored by an ETA Certification Administrator online (Trapeza) or on paper |
Mind map: the whole exam on one screen
Read the complete ETA TTT study notes for “Network Cabling for Physical Security Systems”
Our first full set of comprehensive notes, about 12 minutes of reading: Bandwidth of security devices · Sizing switch uplinks and the NVR link · Using the internet for security systems · From coax to UTP, a worked exam example, the traps examiners use and a one-minute recap. Create a free account to read it and see how premium notes work before you decide.
1. Network Cabling for Physical Security Systems
Competency sections 1.0 and 7.0: bandwidth needs of security devices, LAN use for CCTV, access control, intercoms and alarm communications, internet use for security systems, and the move from coax to UTP. ETA does not publish weights for TTT categories.
Key facts
- IP cameras use the most bandwidth on a security network: often a few Mb/s to over 10 Mb/s per stream, depending on resolution, frame rate and compression (H.264, H.265).
- Add up all streams that share a link: switch uplinks to an NVR must carry the total plus headroom.
- Access control panels, readers and intercoms use little bandwidth but need reliable, low-latency links; alarm communicators need a dependable path to the central station.
- Remote viewing uses the site's upload speed; plan substreams or lower bitrates if the upload is small.
- LAN cabling evolved from thick and thin coax (10BASE5, 10BASE2) to UTP star wiring (10BASE-T onward) because UTP is cheaper, easier to terminate and easier to troubleshoot.
- Today's security LANs mix UTP for most devices, fiber for long or noisy runs and coax reused with Ethernet-over-coax adapters.
- A properly terminated and tested cable works with any standards-based device: that is the vendor-neutral principle behind TTT.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Bandwidth questions are simple multiplication. Write the number of streams times the bitrate, then compare it with the link speed in the same units.
2. Fiber Cabling, Distance and NEC Ratings
Competency section 2.0: why fiber suits security devices (distance, RF immunity, existing fiber), multimode versus single-mode, standard wavelengths, multimode distance limits, cable constructions and NEC ratings.
Key facts
- Fiber carries signals much farther than copper, is immune to RF and lightning-induced surges along the run, and doesn't need a ground path between buildings.
- Multimode fiber has a 50 or 62.5 µm core and uses 850 and 1300 nm; single-mode has about a 9 µm core and uses 1310 and 1550 nm.
- Multimode distance is limited by modal dispersion: 1000BASE-SX reaches about 220 to 275 m on 62.5 µm and 550 m on 50 µm OM2; 100BASE-FX reaches about 2 km.
- Loose tube cable suits outdoor and long runs; tight-buffered (900 µm) cable suits indoor runs and direct termination; distribution cable bundles tight-buffered fibers under one jacket.
- Outdoor cables resist water and UV; jumpers (patch cords) are short, connectorized single or duplex cables.
- NEC ratings: OFNP (plenum), OFNR (riser), OFNG or OFN (general purpose); conductive versions are OFCP, OFCR and OFCG. Unlisted outside plant cable may run only 50 ft into a building.
Flashcards
Exam tip: For distance questions, check the data rate as well as the fiber: the same multimode fiber runs 100 Mb/s for kilometers but gigabit for only a few hundred meters.
3. Fiber Safety, Connectors and Mechanical Splices
Competency sections 3.0, 4.0 and the knowledge behind the 6.0 hands-on exercises: fiber scrap hazards, eye-dangerous lasers, eye protection and handling, ST, SC and LC connectors, cleave-and-crimp assembly, mechanical splices and building a multimode jumper tested with an OLTS.
Key facts
- Broken fiber pieces are tiny glass needles that pierce skin and eyes; work over a dark mat and dispose of scraps in a sealed container.
- Lasers in fiber systems (VCSELs at 850 nm, Fabry-Perot and DFB lasers at 1310 and 1550 nm) emit light that is invisible or nearly so; never look into a fiber or port.
- Wear safety glasses for cleaving and handling fiber; don't eat or drink at the work area, and wash hands afterward.
- Common security connectors: ST (bayonet, 2.5 mm ferrule), SC (push-pull, 2.5 mm) and LC (small form factor, 1.25 mm).
- Cleave-and-crimp connectors hold a factory-polished stub fiber; the field fiber is cleaved and pushed against it in index-matching gel, then crimped.
- Mechanical splices align two cleaved fibers in a sleeve or V-groove with index-matching gel; they are fast but have more loss and reflectance than fusion splices.
- The hands-on jumper is tested with an optical loss test set, then used with transceivers to pass live IP video.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Safety questions usually include a tempting shortcut such as looking into a port or brushing scraps aside. Pick the answer that never exposes eyes or skin.
Test yourself on these topics
Take the free 15-question ETA TTT test, then save your results to unlock your Readiness Score and the mistakes bank.
4. CCTV Fiber Transceivers and Optical Budgets
Competency section 5.0: reading 62.5/125 µm and 50/125 µm markings, optical budget ratings for transceiver pairs, and minimum and maximum temperature ratings.
Key facts
- 62.5/125 µm means a 62.5 µm core and 125 µm cladding; 50/125 µm is the same cladding with a smaller core. Use the fiber the transceiver specifies.
- Optical budget = transmitter output minus receiver sensitivity, in dB; it is the most loss the link can have.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Budget questions follow one pattern: add every loss, subtract from the budget, then judge the margin. Check you have used each part of the link once.
5. UTP Cabling and Structured Cabling Layout
Competency section 8.0: four-pair UTP construction, the 100 m channel limit, Cat 3 to Cat 8, pairs used by 10/100 and gigabit Ethernet, structured cabling layout, and plenum cable ties and tray layout.
Key facts
- Four-pair UTP has eight solid or stranded copper conductors twisted in pairs, sometimes a separator spline, and an outer jacket rated for the space.
- TIA sets a 90 m permanent link and a 100 m channel including patch cords for horizontal UTP.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Many UTP questions ask whether old cable will support a new device. Match the cable category's bandwidth and pair use to the Ethernet speed.
6. UTP Connectors, Testers and Network Troubleshooting
Competency sections 9.0, 10.0 and the knowledge behind the 12.0 hands-on exercises: RJ45 plugs and jacks, T568B wiring, tools, power problems, internet tools, public IP and ISP, packet loss, latency and bandwidth tests, connectivity versus qualification testers and fixing connector faults.
Key facts
- RJ45 (8P8C) plugs and jacks are the standard UTP connectors; T568A and T568B differ only by swapping the orange and green pairs.
- T568B order: white-orange, orange, white-green, blue, white-blue, green, white-brown, brown.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Troubleshooting questions reward a logical order: check the physical layer first (wire map, then link quality), then addressing, then the internet path.
7. Power over Ethernet for Security Devices
Competency section 11.0: IEEE PoE standards in volts and watts, power sourcing equipment, PoE budget calculations and PoE extenders.
Key facts
- 802.3af (Type 1): up to 15.4 W at the switch port, 12.95 W at the device. 802.3at (Type 2, PoE+): 30 W and 25.5 W.
- 802.3bt Type 3: 60 W at the switch, about 51 W at the device; Type 4: 90 W at the switch, about 71 W at the device.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Learn the four PoE levels as pairs: switch watts and device watts. Budget questions then come down to dividing the switch budget by the allocation per device.
8. Coax for Ethernet and PoE
Competency section 13.0: RG-6, RG-11, RG-58 and RG-59, shielding types, connector tools, and testing coax resistance and distance for Ethernet and PoE.
Key facts
- RG-59 (75 ohm) is the traditional analog CCTV cable; RG-6 and RG-11 (75 ohm) are larger and lower loss; RG-58 is 50 ohm.
- Center conductors may be solid copper or copper-clad steel; copper-clad steel has much higher DC resistance, which matters for PoE.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Coax questions mix impedance with DC resistance. Impedance matters for the signal; DC resistance matters for PoE power. Keep the two ideas apart.
How to pass
- TTT is written for physical security work: expect camera bandwidth sums, NVR uplinks, PoE budgets and long camera runs rather than data center topics.
- Learn the IEEE PoE types in volts and watts (802.3af, 802.3at, 802.3bt Types 3 and 4) and practise switch power budget arithmetic.
- Know what each tester proves: a continuity tester checks the wire map, a qualification tester checks link quality and speed, and ping and online tools check packet loss, latency and bandwidth.
- 75 questions in 2 hours is 96 seconds each, and you need 75%. Bring a non-programmable calculator for bandwidth, dB budgets and PoE sums.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I study for the ETA TTT exam?
Most working candidates need 4 to 8 weeks at 45 to 60 minutes a day. Book your exam once your Readiness Score has stayed at 80 or higher for about a week.
Can I take the ETA TTT exam online?
BICSI's v15 handbook describes the RCDD exam at Pearson VUE test centers, not remote proctoring. Format: closed book; scratch paper and a non-programmable calculator are allowed. eta requires a hands-on training course from an eta-approved trainer or school, including building and testing a multimode fiber jumper and a cat 5e jumper that must pass ip video tests. this prep covers only the written knowledge exam. Check pearsonvue.com/bicsi for the options in your country.
What score do I need to pass the ETA TTT exam?
75%. The exam has 75 multiple-choice questions and a time limit of 2 hours.
What are the most tested topics?
The outline covers network cabling for physical security systems, fiber cabling, distance and nec ratings, fiber safety, connectors and mechanical splices, cctv fiber transceivers and optical budgets, utp cabling and structured cabling layout, utp connectors, testers and network troubleshooting, power over ethernet for security devices, coax for ethernet and poe. Use the free practice test to see which ones you need most.
The premium ETA TTT study path
Premium ETA TTT prep is studied one topic at a time. Each step starts with that topic's key notes and flashcard deck, then its own question sets of 25, so you master one topic before you move to the next. When every topic is strong, the 6 full mock exams show you're ready.
Your step-by-step study path
- 1Network Cabling for Physical Security Systems8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Notes free with an account
- 2Fiber Cabling, Distance and NEC Ratings8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 3Fiber Safety, Connectors and Mechanical Splices8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 4CCTV Fiber Transceivers and Optical Budgets8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 5UTP Cabling and Structured Cabling Layout7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 6UTP Connectors, Testers and Network Troubleshooting7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 7Power over Ethernet for Security Devices7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 8Coax for Ethernet and PoE7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- Final step: 6 full mock exams75 questions each, timed like test day. Pass them, then book your exam.Premium
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- 3,000 practice questions + 6 full mock exams per exam
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- Readiness Score & detailed reports
- Video lessons as they release
- Content updates during your access
- 5 bonuses: numbers and formulas sheet, standards atlas, study planner and more
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Renews once a year until you cancel. We email you before each renewal. Cancel any time from your account; you keep access until the end of the year you've paid for.
Summarized from BICSI's official candidate information and the rules cited, checked October 2026. Confirm current requirements with ETA International (Electronics Technicians Association), accredited by ICAC under ISO/IEC 17024.