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SCTE · Last updated November 2026

SCTE Broadband Premises Installer (BPI): free practice test

BPI is SCTE's foundation certification for entry-level technicians who install video, voice and data services at the customer's premises over coax (DOCSIS) and fiber (PON). The online exam has 50 questions in 2 hours with a 76% pass mark, and the credential is valid for 3 years, renewed with 36 continuing education hours or a retake. It covers the what of a basic installation: safety, customer service, drops, bonding, cabling, meters and service activation.

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About the SCTE BPI exam

BPI is SCTE's foundation certification for entry-level technicians who install video, voice and data services at the customer's premises over coax (DOCSIS) and fiber (PON). The online exam has 50 questions in 2 hours with a 76% pass mark, and the credential is valid for 3 years, renewed with 36 continuing education hours or a retake. It covers the what of a basic installation: safety, customer service, drops, bonding, cabling, meters and service activation.

What's on the exam

SCTE BPI
Field Safety
6 key facts
Customer Service and Professionalism
7 key facts
Broadband Network Basics
6 key facts
Coaxial Cable, Connectors and Passives
6 key facts
Aerial and Underground Drops
6 key facts
Bonding and Grounding
7 key facts
Test Equipment and Signal Levels
6 key facts
Installing Data, Video, Voice and Wi-Fi
7 key facts

Each branch is a topic in the official outline. Members see every key fact on the full mind map. Read the free study guide →

How to pass the SCTE BPI exam

  • 50 questions in 2 hours is 2.4 minutes each, and the exam is open book. Build a one-page sheet of splitter losses, frequency splits and NEC grounding numbers so you look things up in seconds, not minutes.
  • You need 38 of 50 correct. Safety and grounding questions are the easiest marks: learn the 4-to-1 ladder rule, the 811 color code, the 14 AWG and 20-foot NEC limits and the intersystem bonding termination.
  • SCTE's BPI course has three parts: Field Safety, Customer Service and Fundamentals. Customer service is tested too, so read the customer-facing scenarios as carefully as the technical ones.
  • Know both access networks: HFC (node, amplifiers, taps, DOCSIS modem) and PON (OLT, passive splitter, ONT). BPI v2.0 includes DOCSIS, PON and Wi-Fi at the premises.

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Create a free account after the test: your score by topic, a mistakes bank, the complete study notes for the first topic, flashcards and the RCDD Numbers & Formulas Sheet.

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What's in the premium SCTE BPI prep

Premium SCTE BPI 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.

3,000practice questions, every answer explained
6full-length mock exams, 50 questions each, timed
800flashcards with spaced repetition, sorted by topic
60comprehensive key notes across 8 topics

Your step-by-step study path

  1. 1
    Field Safety8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Notes free with an account
  2. 2
    Customer Service and Professionalism8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  3. 3
    Broadband Network Basics8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  4. 4
    Coaxial Cable, Connectors and Passives8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  5. 5
    Aerial and Underground Drops7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  6. 6
    Bonding and Grounding7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  7. 7
    Test Equipment and Signal Levels7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  8. 8
    Installing Data, Video, Voice and Wi-Fi7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  9. Final step: 6 full mock exams50 questions each, timed like test day. Pass them, then book your exam.
    Premium
Free with an account

Read the complete SCTE BPI study notes for “Field Safety”

Our first full set of comprehensive notes, about 12 minutes of reading: Ladders and working at heights · Electrical hazards · Heat, cold and attics · Digging, vehicles and the job site, 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.

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Study tools included

3,000 practice questions

3,000 exam-style questions per exam, organized topic by topic in sets of 25. Every answer explained, with the rule it comes from.

6 full mock exams

6 full-length timed mock exams per exam, with real question counts and time limits, so test day feels like practice day.

Exam Readiness Score

One 0 to 100 number that tells you when you're ready to book. Reach 80 and you're covered by our Pass Guarantee.

800 flashcards + spaced repetition

800 flashcards per exam, in a deck for each topic, that come back right before you'd forget them. Five minutes a day keeps every number fresh.

60 comprehensive key notes

60 key notes per exam, split across its topics and each explained in full: the concepts, worked exam examples, the traps examiners use and a quick recap. Your first set is free with an account.

Mind maps

See the whole exam on one screen: every topic and the facts under it.

Sample questions with answers

These are the questions in the free test above, with answers. Try the test first. You'll learn more by getting some wrong.

1. You set up an extension ladder against a house to reach a drop attachment. The working length of the ladder from its feet to the top support point is 16 ft. How far from the wall should the feet be placed?
Answer: 4 ft. The 4-to-1 rule (OSHA ladder rules) puts the feet one quarter of the working length out from the support, so 16 ÷ 4 = 4 ft, giving an angle of about 75 degrees. Closer than that risks tipping backward; farther risks the base sliding out.
2. A coworker installing cable in a hot attic becomes confused, his skin is hot and dry, and he has stopped sweating. What should you do first?
Answer: Call emergency services and start cooling him right away. Confusion with hot, dry skin points to heat stroke, a life-threatening emergency. Call 911, move him to shade and cool him aggressively while you wait. Heat exhaustion (heavy sweating, weakness, alert) can be treated with rest and fluids, but waiting to see if heat stroke improves wastes critical time.
3. A customer wants a new outlet in the living room, and you must drill through an exterior wall for the cable entry. What should you do before drilling?
Answer: Agree the entry point and cable route with the customer. A professional install sets expectations before any work that changes the home: explain where the cable will enter and run, and get the customer's agreement. Choosing the shortest path or asking forgiveness afterward leads to complaints and rework. Check for hidden wiring and pipes at the chosen spot too.
4. In a North American HFC system using the traditional sub-split, which frequency range carries the cable modem's upstream (return) signals?
Answer: 5 to 42 MHz. Sub-split systems send upstream between 5 and 42 MHz and downstream from 54 MHz upward. Mid-split (5 to 85 MHz) and high-split (5 to 204 MHz) widen the return band for DOCSIS 3.1. The 1125 to 1675 MHz band is used by MoCA in-home networking, not by the plant.
5. Every home on one street loses service at once. The cause is the device in the plant that converts the optical signal from the headend into RF for the coaxial network. Which device is it?
Answer: The optical node. In HFC, fiber runs from the headend or hub to an optical node, which converts light to RF and feeds the coax with its amplifiers and taps. A tap fault affects only the few homes on that tap. The CMTS sits in the headend or hub and talks to modems, but does not do optical-to-RF conversion in the field.
6. After you move a TV, one output port on the customer's 4-way splitter is no longer used. What should you do with it?
Answer: Install a 75-ohm terminator on the port. An open port is an impedance mismatch that reflects signal and lets ingress into the system. A 75-ohm terminator matches the cable's impedance and blocks interference. Tape or a dust cap does neither, and a 50-ohm load is the wrong impedance for cable TV systems.
7. A new 230-ft underground drop on RG-6 delivers acceptable low channels but too little level on the highest channels at the house. Which change is most likely to fix it?
Answer: Replace the run with RG-11 drop cable. Coax loss rises with length and with frequency, so long drops lose the highest channels first. RG-11 has a larger center conductor and dielectric, so it has much lower loss per 100 ft than RG-6. RG-59 has more loss, and extra splitters or coiled cable only add more.
8. The utility locate marks show a yellow paint line crossing the path of your planned drop trench. What is buried there, and how should you proceed?
Answer: A gas or petroleum line; expose it carefully by hand digging. In the uniform color code, yellow marks gas, oil, steam or petroleum lines; red is electric power and orange is communications. Inside the tolerance zone around any mark (often about 18 to 24 inches either side, set by state law), dig by hand to expose the line. Never assume a line is deep.
9. An aerial drop comes down the side of a house to a cable entry hole. What should you form in the cable to stop rainwater running along it into the house?
Answer: A drip loop below the entry point. A drip loop makes the cable dip below the entry before it rises into the wall, so water drips off at the low point instead of following the cable inside. Sharp bends damage coax and raise reflections. Seal the entry hole as well.
10. On a single-family house, the shortest route from the cable ground block to the building's power grounding electrode system is 26 ft. What does the NEC require?
Answer: Add a separate rod, bonded to the power electrode with 6 AWG copper. For one- and two-family dwellings, NEC Chapter 8 limits the grounding conductor to 20 ft. Where that is not practicable, drive a separate electrode near the entry and bond it to the power grounding electrode system with at least 6 AWG copper so both systems stay at the same potential. A faucet is not a grounding electrode, and buried drops still need bonding.
11. A newer house has an intersystem bonding termination (IBT) at the electrical service. Where should the cable ground block's bonding conductor be connected?
Answer: To the intersystem bonding termination. The NEC requires an intersystem bonding termination so communications systems bond to the same grounding system as the electrical service. Bonding there keeps cable and power at equal potential during a surge. Gas piping is never used as a grounding electrode, and an isolated rod creates a dangerous voltage difference.
12. You install a new RG-6 run and want to confirm the center conductor is continuous end to end. Using a digital multimeter, which test does this?
Answer: Short the far end, then read ohms from center to shield. With the far end shorted, a low resistance reading proves both the center conductor and shield are continuous; an open reading shows a break. A DMM cannot measure the cable's 75-ohm characteristic impedance, which is an AC property. Then remove the short and check that the cable reads open.
13. A signal level meter at a TV outlet shows the highest channels several dB lower than the lowest channels. All channels are within the operator's limits. What explains the difference?
Answer: Coax loss increases as frequency rises. Cable attenuation rises with frequency, so after a length of drop cable the high channels arrive lower than the low ones. This slope is called tilt. It is normal as long as every channel is within limits; a sudden dip in only some channels points to a fault instead.
14. A customer uses MoCA adapters on the in-home coax to network a TV and a gaming console. Which device should be installed at the point of entry?
Answer: A MoCA point-of-entry filter. MoCA runs on the home's coax around 1125 to 1675 MHz. A point-of-entry (POE) filter at the ground block or first splitter keeps MoCA signals inside the home, improves MoCA performance and stops neighbors from seeing the network. It passes normal cable signals unaffected.
15. A customer's 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi slows down because many neighboring networks are present. In the US, which channel set avoids overlap with adjacent channels?
Answer: Channels 1, 6 and 11. 2.4 GHz channels are 5 MHz apart but each signal is about 20 MHz wide, so only 1, 6 and 11 do not overlap in the US band. Pick the one with the least interference, or move capable devices to 5 GHz or 6 GHz, which have many more non-overlapping channels. Channel 13 is not used for normal Wi-Fi in the US.

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SCTE BPI exam FAQ

How many questions are on the SCTE BPI exam?

50 questions, with a time limit of 2 hours; the exam cannot be paused and breaks are not allowed. Format: open book: scte training material, books, printed notes, tables, a calculator and internet resources in the same browser are allowed, but ai tools are banned and the session is recorded. scte does not describe item types, so practice here uses single-best-answer questions.

What is the passing score for SCTE BPI?

76% (38 of 50 correct).

How much does the SCTE BPI exam cost?

US$125 for members and non-members (English exam); the Spanish exam is US$112 for non-members and US$84 for members. Each attempt needs a new fee, and the exam must be taken within one year of purchase. BICSI fees can change without notice, so confirm on bicsi.org before you apply.

Which languages is the SCTE BPI exam offered in?

English and Spanish (Instalador de Banda Ancha Domiciliaria).

Where do I take the SCTE BPI exam?

Online through the SCTE portal with Proctorio automated remote proctoring (Chrome or Edge browser, webcam, microphone and a government- or company-issued photo ID).

Is this SCTE BPI practice test free?

Yes. The 15-question practice test on this page is free, with an explanation for every answer and no signup. A free account also unlocks the complete study notes for the first topic. The full SCTE BPI prep is Premium at $147 a month for this exam.

What's in the premium SCTE BPI prep?

3,000 practice questions organized topic by topic (Field Safety: 375; Customer Service and Professionalism: 375; Broadband Network Basics: 375; Coaxial Cable, Connectors and Passives: 375; Aerial and Underground Drops: 375; Bonding and Grounding: 375; Test Equipment and Signal Levels: 375; Installing Data, Video, Voice and Wi-Fi: 375), 6 full-length timed mock exams of 50 questions, 800 flashcards and 60 comprehensive key notes split across all 8 topics, plus a mistakes bank and the Readiness Score.

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Exam details are summarized from the official candidate information available in October 2026. BICSI changes formats and fees, so confirm with SCTE, a subsidiary of CableLabs before you book. RCDDQuizBank is not affiliated with BICSI or Pearson VUE.

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