CCTV Installer Certification Examination
Questions And Correct Answers
(Verified Answers) Plus Rationales 2026
Q&A Instant Download Pdf
Question 1
What is the primary purpose of a CCTV system's backlight compensation feature?
A. To reduce power consumption during nighttime operation
B. To adjust the camera's exposure for scenes with strong background lighting
C. To encrypt video data for secure transmission
D. To increase the frame rate during motion events
Answer: B. To adjust the camera's exposure for scenes with strong background
lighting. Backlight compensation (BLC) electronically adjusts the camera's
aperture and gain to improve visibility of a subject when the background is
much brighter than the foreground, preventing the subject from appearing as a
silhouette.
Question 2
Which coaxial cable type is most commonly recommended for analog HD CCTV
installations over distances up to 500 feet?
A. RG-6
B. RG-59
C. RG-11
D. RG-58
Answer: B. RG-59. RG-59 is the industry standard for analog CCTV and HD-SDI
signals up to approximately 500 feet. RG-6 offers lower loss but is thicker and
,less flexible; RG-11 is for very long runs; RG-58 is typically used for data
networks, not video.
Question 3
In IP camera networking, what does the term "PoE" enable?
A. Power over Ethernet – delivery of electrical power and data over a single
twisted-pair cable
B. Protocol over Ethernet – a routing protocol for video streams
C. Priority of Encoding – allocating bandwidth to key frames
D. Passive Optical Ethernet – using fiber for camera connections
Answer: A. Power over Ethernet – delivery of electrical power and data over a
single twisted-pair cable. PoE allows cameras to receive up to 15.4W (802.3af)
or 30W (802.3at) without a separate power supply, simplifying installation.
Question 4
What is the minimum illumination rating typically required for a camera to be
considered suitable for low-light outdoor surveillance?
A. 0.001 lux
B. 0.1 lux
C. 1.0 lux
D. 10 lux
Answer: B. 0.1 lux. A camera with a 0.1 lux rating can operate in moonlight or
deep twilight. Below 0.01 lux is considered starlight; 1.0 lux is typical for indoor
well-lit areas; 10 lux is bright office lighting.
Question 5
Which lens type provides a fixed angle of view and cannot be adjusted remotely
or manually for focal length?
A. Varifocal lens
,B. Zoom lens
C. Prime lens
D. Pinhole lens
Answer: C. Prime lens. A prime lens has a fixed focal length (e.g., 4mm, 8mm)
and provides a constant field of view. Varifocal and zoom lenses allow
adjustment; pinhole lenses are specialty lenses for covert applications.
Question 6
What is the correct termination method for an RS-485 data line used in PTZ
control?
A. Star topology with each device independently terminated
B. Daisy-chain with a 120-ohm terminating resistor at the last device
C. Parallel bus with no termination for maximum signal strength
D. Open-loop with active terminators on both ends
Answer: B. Daisy-chain with a 120-ohm terminating resistor at the last device.
RS-485 requires a daisy-chain (multidrop) topology and a terminating resistor
(typically 120 ohms) at the physical end of the line to prevent signal reflections.
Star topologies cause impedance mismatches.
Question 7
Which video compression standard offers the best balance of storage efficiency
and image quality for most modern IP CCTV systems?
A. MPEG-2
B. MJPEG
C. H.264
D. H.265
Answer: C. H.264. H.264 (AVC) is widely adopted, offering approximately 50%
storage savings over MPEG-2 with comparable quality. H.265 (HEVC) offers
better compression but requires more processing power and is not yet universal;
MJPEG uses intraframe only, causing large file sizes.
, Question 8
When installing an outdoor bullet camera, what is the minimum NEMA rating
recommended for weather resistance?
A. NEMA 1
B. NEMA 3R
C. NEMA 4
D. NEMA 6P
Answer: C. NEMA 4. NEMA 4 provides protection against windblown dust, rain,
and hose-directed water, suitable for most outdoor installations. NEMA 3R is for
light rain; NEMA 6P is submersible (overkill); NEMA 1 is indoor only.
Question 9
What does the term "varifocal" allow an installer to do during setup?
A. Change the lens aperture remotely
B. Adjust the focal length manually to fine-tune the field of view
C. Switch between color and monochrome modes
D. Enable digital zoom without losing resolution
Answer: B. Adjust the focal length manually to fine-tune the field of view. A
varifocal lens has an adjustable focal range (e.g., 2.8–12mm) that the installer
physically twists to set the desired zoom level at installation, unlike a motorized
zoom which can be controlled remotely.
Question 10
Which storage calculation is correct for a single 2MP camera recording at 15 fps,
H.264, medium quality, 24/7 for 30 days?
A. Approximately 0.5 TB
B. Approximately 1.5 TB
C. Approximately 3 TB
D. Approximately 6 TB
Questions And Correct Answers
(Verified Answers) Plus Rationales 2026
Q&A Instant Download Pdf
Question 1
What is the primary purpose of a CCTV system's backlight compensation feature?
A. To reduce power consumption during nighttime operation
B. To adjust the camera's exposure for scenes with strong background lighting
C. To encrypt video data for secure transmission
D. To increase the frame rate during motion events
Answer: B. To adjust the camera's exposure for scenes with strong background
lighting. Backlight compensation (BLC) electronically adjusts the camera's
aperture and gain to improve visibility of a subject when the background is
much brighter than the foreground, preventing the subject from appearing as a
silhouette.
Question 2
Which coaxial cable type is most commonly recommended for analog HD CCTV
installations over distances up to 500 feet?
A. RG-6
B. RG-59
C. RG-11
D. RG-58
Answer: B. RG-59. RG-59 is the industry standard for analog CCTV and HD-SDI
signals up to approximately 500 feet. RG-6 offers lower loss but is thicker and
,less flexible; RG-11 is for very long runs; RG-58 is typically used for data
networks, not video.
Question 3
In IP camera networking, what does the term "PoE" enable?
A. Power over Ethernet – delivery of electrical power and data over a single
twisted-pair cable
B. Protocol over Ethernet – a routing protocol for video streams
C. Priority of Encoding – allocating bandwidth to key frames
D. Passive Optical Ethernet – using fiber for camera connections
Answer: A. Power over Ethernet – delivery of electrical power and data over a
single twisted-pair cable. PoE allows cameras to receive up to 15.4W (802.3af)
or 30W (802.3at) without a separate power supply, simplifying installation.
Question 4
What is the minimum illumination rating typically required for a camera to be
considered suitable for low-light outdoor surveillance?
A. 0.001 lux
B. 0.1 lux
C. 1.0 lux
D. 10 lux
Answer: B. 0.1 lux. A camera with a 0.1 lux rating can operate in moonlight or
deep twilight. Below 0.01 lux is considered starlight; 1.0 lux is typical for indoor
well-lit areas; 10 lux is bright office lighting.
Question 5
Which lens type provides a fixed angle of view and cannot be adjusted remotely
or manually for focal length?
A. Varifocal lens
,B. Zoom lens
C. Prime lens
D. Pinhole lens
Answer: C. Prime lens. A prime lens has a fixed focal length (e.g., 4mm, 8mm)
and provides a constant field of view. Varifocal and zoom lenses allow
adjustment; pinhole lenses are specialty lenses for covert applications.
Question 6
What is the correct termination method for an RS-485 data line used in PTZ
control?
A. Star topology with each device independently terminated
B. Daisy-chain with a 120-ohm terminating resistor at the last device
C. Parallel bus with no termination for maximum signal strength
D. Open-loop with active terminators on both ends
Answer: B. Daisy-chain with a 120-ohm terminating resistor at the last device.
RS-485 requires a daisy-chain (multidrop) topology and a terminating resistor
(typically 120 ohms) at the physical end of the line to prevent signal reflections.
Star topologies cause impedance mismatches.
Question 7
Which video compression standard offers the best balance of storage efficiency
and image quality for most modern IP CCTV systems?
A. MPEG-2
B. MJPEG
C. H.264
D. H.265
Answer: C. H.264. H.264 (AVC) is widely adopted, offering approximately 50%
storage savings over MPEG-2 with comparable quality. H.265 (HEVC) offers
better compression but requires more processing power and is not yet universal;
MJPEG uses intraframe only, causing large file sizes.
, Question 8
When installing an outdoor bullet camera, what is the minimum NEMA rating
recommended for weather resistance?
A. NEMA 1
B. NEMA 3R
C. NEMA 4
D. NEMA 6P
Answer: C. NEMA 4. NEMA 4 provides protection against windblown dust, rain,
and hose-directed water, suitable for most outdoor installations. NEMA 3R is for
light rain; NEMA 6P is submersible (overkill); NEMA 1 is indoor only.
Question 9
What does the term "varifocal" allow an installer to do during setup?
A. Change the lens aperture remotely
B. Adjust the focal length manually to fine-tune the field of view
C. Switch between color and monochrome modes
D. Enable digital zoom without losing resolution
Answer: B. Adjust the focal length manually to fine-tune the field of view. A
varifocal lens has an adjustable focal range (e.g., 2.8–12mm) that the installer
physically twists to set the desired zoom level at installation, unlike a motorized
zoom which can be controlled remotely.
Question 10
Which storage calculation is correct for a single 2MP camera recording at 15 fps,
H.264, medium quality, 24/7 for 30 days?
A. Approximately 0.5 TB
B. Approximately 1.5 TB
C. Approximately 3 TB
D. Approximately 6 TB
