Try the full study dashboard free, no signup: practice, flashcards and your Exam Readiness Score. Open it →
RCDDQuizBank
Start free
Home / Practice tests / SCTE CEP
SCTE · Last updated November 2026

SCTE Construction Engineering Professional (CEP): free practice test

CEP certifies the knowledge needed to build the access network: coaxial and fiber construction, make ready, right of way, project design and construction engineering. SCTE lists 11 topic categories, from system architectures and distribution components to field survey, utility pole make ready and field safety. The online exam has 50 questions in 2 hours, is open book and needs 76% to pass.

Start the free 15-question testRead the study guide

Premium: 3,000 practice questions, 6 full mock exams, 800 flashcards and 60 comprehensive key notes, topic by topic. See the study path ·

Or open the free SCTE CEP study dashboard: flashcards, notes and your Readiness Score, no signup →

About the SCTE CEP exam

CEP certifies the knowledge needed to build the access network: coaxial and fiber construction, make ready, right of way, project design and construction engineering. SCTE lists 11 topic categories, from system architectures and distribution components to field survey, utility pole make ready and field safety. The online exam has 50 questions in 2 hours, is open book and needs 76% to pass.

What's on the exam

SCTE CEP
System Architectures and Distribution Components
7 key facts
Coaxial Construction
7 key facts
Optical Construction
6 key facts
Construction Equipment, Processes and Troubleshooting
6 key facts
Field Safety
6 key facts
Field Survey and Utility Pole Make Ready
6 key facts
Right of Way and Permitting
6 key facts
Project Design
6 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 CEP exam

  • SCTE lists 11 topic categories with no weights, so cover them all. Make-ready, right of way and project design are what separate CEP from the technician exams.
  • You need 38 of 50 correct for 76%, at 2.4 minutes per question. Prepare indexed notes on NESC clearance concepts, OSHA approach distances, color codes and cable loss tables.
  • Know who governs what in the US: NESC for utility poles and outside plant clearances, NEC for premises wiring, OSHA for worker safety, the FCC or certified states for pole attachment rules.
  • Answer as the construction engineer: verify in the field, document, get permits and easements first, and choose the option that keeps the build safe and code compliant.

Save your results and get your Readiness Score

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.

Take the test first

What's in the premium SCTE CEP prep

Premium SCTE CEP 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
    System Architectures and Distribution Components8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Notes free with an account
  2. 2
    Coaxial Construction8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  3. 3
    Optical Construction8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  4. 4
    Construction Equipment, Processes and Troubleshooting8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  5. 5
    Field Safety7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  6. 6
    Field Survey and Utility Pole Make Ready7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  7. 7
    Right of Way and Permitting7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  8. 8
    Project Design7 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 CEP study notes for “System Architectures and Distribution Components”

Our first full set of comprehensive notes, about 12 minutes of reading: HFC architecture · Fiber and DAA architectures · Passive distribution components · Active components, 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.

Open the free dashboard

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. On an HFC distribution leg, why are the highest-value taps placed nearest the amplifier output and lower-value taps toward the end of the line?
Answer: Level is highest there, so more tap loss keeps drops on target. RF level falls with every span and every tap's through loss, so taps near the amplifier see the strongest signal and need high tap values to bring tap port outputs down to the design level. Further out, lower tap values let the weaker signal still meet the target. Tap value is chosen from the input level.
2. A designer needs to send most of the signal down the main line and a smaller portion into a short side branch. Which device should be used?
Answer: A directional coupler. A directional coupler (such as a DC-8 or DC-12) splits unequally: low through loss on the main line and a higher tapped loss to the branch. A balanced 2-way splitter divides the signal equally with about 3.5 dB on each leg, wasting level on a short branch.
3. Why are expansion loops formed at each pole when aluminum-sheathed hardline coax is lashed to a steel strand?
Answer: To absorb sheath movement that differs from the steel strand. Aluminum expands and contracts with temperature much more than the steel strand. Expansion loops absorb that movement so the sheath does not crack or pull out of connectors (sheath or center conductor suck-out) in cold weather. Loops must still respect the cable's bend radius.
4. A crew is pulling 0.875-in hardline coax into an underground conduit. How should the pulling line be attached to the cable?
Answer: With a grip on the jacket and sheath, through a swivel. Pull with a grip or pulling eye that takes load on the jacket and sheath, with a swivel to stop twisting, and stay within the cable's rated pulling tension. Pulling on the center conductor or a connector can stretch the conductor or tear the connector off, ruining the cable.
5. Using the standard 12-color code (TIA-598) for a loose-tube cable with 12 fibers per tube, what are the tube and fiber colors of fiber 15?
Answer: Orange tube, green fiber. Fibers 1 to 12 are in tube 1 (blue) and 13 to 24 in tube 2 (orange). Fiber 15 is the third fiber in tube 2, and the third color is green. The sequence is blue, orange, green, brown, slate, white, red, black, yellow, violet, rose, aqua.
6. A long underground route has many bends and needs a small-count fiber cable installed in existing microduct. Why is air-assisted blowing often chosen over pulling?
Answer: Air drag spreads the force along the cable, keeping tension low. In blowing, high-speed air flowing along the cable spreads the driving force over its whole length, so it can travel long distances and round bends with little tension. Pulling concentrates tension at the front, which builds with every bend. Bend radius limits and testing still apply.
7. A horizontal directional bore must cross a gas main marked by the utility locator. What should the crew do before drilling across it?
Answer: Pothole the gas main to confirm its exact depth. Locate marks show approximate horizontal position within a tolerance zone and do not give depth. Potholing by hand digging or vacuum excavation confirms the exact location and depth so the bore path can clear it safely. A sonde tracks the drill head, not the gas line.
8. Acceptance testing on a new fiber build shows one fusion splice at 0.45 dB (bidirectional OTDR average) against a specification of 0.15 dB maximum. What should the construction engineer require?
Answer: Have the splice remade and retested before acceptance. Each splice must meet its own acceptance limit even if the span total passes, because margin is reserved for future repairs. The bidirectional average already gives the true loss, so 0.45 dB is a real fault, often from a poor cleave or contamination. Remake, retest and record the result.
9. Before a crew enters an underground telecom manhole, the gas monitor shows 18.9% oxygen. What should happen next?
Answer: Stay out; ventilate and retest until oxygen reaches 19.5%. Under OSHA rules, air below 19.5% oxygen is oxygen-deficient, so the space is not safe to enter. Ventilate with forced air and retest oxygen, flammable gases and toxic gases before entry, and keep monitoring during the work. A dust mask does nothing for oxygen deficiency.
10. A construction worker who is not a qualified electrical worker is placing strand from a bucket truck near a 13.2 kV distribution line. Under OSHA rules, what minimum approach distance must be kept?
Answer: 10 ft. OSHA requires unqualified persons and their conductive tools to stay at least 10 ft from overhead lines up to 50 kV, adding 4 in for every 10 kV above that. Only qualified electrical workers may work closer, using the reduced distances in OSHA's tables.
11. On a joint-use pole in the US, a make-ready engineer checks whether a new communications attachment has enough clearance below the power supply space. Which code sets these clearances?
Answer: National Electrical Safety Code (IEEE C2). The NESC governs utility and communication lines on poles, including clearances between communication and supply facilities and above ground. The NEC covers premises wiring inside buildings, not the pole line. Pole owners often add stricter requirements in their own standards.
12. Under the FCC's one-touch make-ready rules, which work may a new attacher perform itself with an approved contractor?
Answer: Simple make-ready in the communications space. The FCC's 2018 rules let a new attacher elect one-touch make-ready for simple work in the communications space, using a contractor the pole owner approves. Complex make-ready, work above the communications space and pole replacements stay with the owner or existing attachers. States that regulate poles themselves may have different rules.
13. During a field survey, why must clearance to the road be checked at the lowest point of the span and not just at the pole attachment height?
Answer: Because sag puts the lowest point between poles. Cable and strand sag to their lowest point between poles, and sag grows with heat and ice loading. Clearance requirements must be met at that worst point under the specified conditions, so surveyors measure or calculate mid-span heights, not just attachment heights.
14. A proposed fiber route leaves the public road right of way and crosses a private farm to reach a tower site. What must be obtained before construction on the farm?
Answer: An easement from the landowner. Public right-of-way permits cover only public land. Building on private property requires the owner's grant of rights, usually a recorded easement describing the route and access. One-call locates are still required before digging, but they grant no rights to use the land.
15. A design places 400 ft of hardline between two devices. The cable is rated at 1.50 dB per 100 ft at the highest design frequency. What span loss should the designer use at that frequency?
Answer: 6.0 dB. Loss scales with length: 400 ft / 100 ft × 1.50 dB = 6.0 dB. Coax loss also rises with frequency (roughly with its square root) and temperature, so designs use the loss at the highest frequency and add allowances for hot weather.

Get the full SCTE CEP prep

Most popular · cancel anytime

Premium Monthly

$147/month
per exam
About $4.83 a day · a fraction of a retest fee, for the credential that gets you on the bid list
  • The RCDD exam: full prep for the v15 blueprint
  • 3,000 practice questions + 6 full mock exams per exam
  • 800 flashcards + 60 key notes per exam, by topic, plus mind maps
  • Spaced repetition + mistakes bank
  • 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
  • Pass Guarantee: complete the prep, pass or 100% back

Renews monthly until you cancel. Cancel in two clicks from your account; you keep access until the end of the month you've paid for. No minimum term.

Best value · 3 months free

Premium Yearly

$1,323/year
per exam
Pay for 9 months, get 12. Save $441 against paying monthly.
  • The RCDD exam: full prep for the v15 blueprint
  • 3,000 practice questions + 6 full mock exams per exam
  • 800 flashcards + 60 key notes per exam, by topic, plus mind maps
  • Spaced repetition + mistakes bank
  • 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
  • Pass Guarantee: complete the prep, pass or 100% back

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.

Pass Guarantee. Complete the full prep, sit your exam within 60 days, and if you don't pass we refund 100% of your subscription payments. See the requirements
Secure checkout by Stripe Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay Pass Guarantee

SCTE CEP exam FAQ

How many questions are on the SCTE CEP exam?

50 multiple-choice questions, with a time limit of 2 hours; the exam cannot be paused and breaks are not allowed. Format: open book: scte training materials, books, printed documents, notes, tables, calculators and internet resources are allowed (digital content in a separate tab of the same browser); ai tools are not allowed.

What is the passing score for SCTE CEP?

76%.

How much does the SCTE CEP exam cost?

US$125 for members and non-members (Spanish version US$112 non-member / US$84 member); a new fee is due for each attempt and the exam must be taken within one year of purchase. Certification lasts 3 years and is renewed with 36 continuing education hours (CEH) or by retaking the exam. BICSI fees can change without notice, so confirm on bicsi.org before you apply.

Which languages is the SCTE CEP exam offered in?

English and Spanish (Profesional de Ingenieria en Construcción, CEP).

Where do I take the SCTE CEP exam?

Online through the SCTE account portal, with Proctorio automated remote proctoring on Chrome or Edge (webcam, microphone and photo ID required).

Is this SCTE CEP 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 CEP prep is Premium at $147 a month for this exam.

What's in the premium SCTE CEP prep?

3,000 practice questions organized topic by topic (System Architectures and Distribution Components: 375; Coaxial Construction: 375; Optical Construction: 375; Construction Equipment, Processes and Troubleshooting: 375; Field Safety: 375; Field Survey and Utility Pole Make Ready: 375; Right of Way and Permitting: 375; Project Design: 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.

Related practice tests

SCTE

SCTE Broadband Premises Installer (BPI)

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).

15 free questions3,000 premium Qs · 6 mocks · 800 flashcards · 60 key notes
Start free test →
SCTE

SCTE Broadband Premises Technician (BPT)

BPT v2.0 is SCTE's stand-alone certification for experienced field technicians who install and troubleshoot video, voice and data services at the premises over HFC, PON and FTTx networks.

15 free questions3,000 premium Qs · 6 mocks · 800 flashcards · 60 key notes
Start free test →
SCTE

SCTE Broadband Fiber Installer (BFI)

SCTE's BFI certification covers installing, verifying and troubleshooting fiber-to-the-home service, from PON and RFoG components to splicing, connectors, power budgets and OTDR work.

15 free questions3,000 premium Qs · 6 mocks · 800 flashcards · 60 key notes
Start free test →

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

Start the free test