This article is a guest post from Scott Largent, the Southwest Region Account Manager for Mitsubishi. Scott took the CTS in January, so he’s got a fresh perspective on the test. Thanks for the help, Scott!
Now, here’s Scott’s advice for taking the CTS exam:
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Taking any exam can be intimidating (remember pop quizzes and the SATs?), but with preparation and practice, you’ll get those important CTS letters at the end of your name. Here is some information and pointers that might help you:
- You need only 70 correct answers out of 100 to pass.
- The test has 110 multiple choice questions and 10 questions don’t count, but you don’t know which they are. I recommend you flag any questions you’re unsure of and then go back and count the number of questions you answered correctly (and you know they’re correct because you studied). If you’ve got at least 70, then you should be fine at that point—the pressure is off!
- Watch for trick questions with more than one right answer – there are a lot of them. And just like when you are on the job, there are a number of ways to solve a problem and there could be more than one answer. For the CTS test, they’re looking for the BEST answer. So, the trick is to know what the BEST answer is.
- You can’t take anything into the testing center, so memorize a few formulas beforehand and you can write them down before you begin taking the exam.
- They give you a sheet a paper (for those memorized formulas) and an online calculator.
Also, here are a few facts / pieces of information that might catch you up:
- How gain, sync, etc effects an image
- How contrast and brightness effects an image
- How you find the amps needed with multiple devices (with only watts given)
- Know the different meetings and processes in design setup and what they do (needs analysis, program phase, program report, client presentation)
- H=D/8,6,or 4 (general viewing, detail, inspect) screen distance formula
- Find area and volume of a room.
- I=V/R formula
- Best mic for conference room and video conference room
- How to find series and parallel speaker setup and ohms
- Different ceiling speakers installation designs
- As you double the distance, how does that effect brightness (75% less) and sound (6dB less)?
- Add 25 dB to ambient sound levels for audio setup in room
- Difference between indirect and constant speakers
- Know different cables termination
- Difference between rs232 and rs422
- Minimum number of wires needed to connect bidirectional rs232 (3)
- Rack cooling methods
- Different wire types and what you can put together and keep apart (AC power, audio, video)
- Plenum run types
- Gantt chart, timelines, progress report
- Interviewing guidelines (what you’re are allowed to ask and not ask, like age, marital status, etc.)
And most of all, relax. YOU CAN DO THIS!
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Thanks for the advice and tips, Scott. You rock!