IPC Certified Interconnect Designer EXAM
PREP 2026/2027 ACCURATE QUESTIONS
WITH VERIFIED CORRECT ANSWERS ||
ALREADY GRADED A+
< NEWEST VERSION>
1. What do performance classes reflect? - ANSWER ✔ Progressive increases
in sophistication, functional performance, and frequency/intensity of
inspection or stress testing
2. What are the three performance classes? - ANSWER ✔ 1-General
Electronics 2-Dedicated Service 3-High reliability
3. Who is the end user? - ANSWER ✔ The end user is the individual or agency
that contracts the printed board or assembly to be designed and
manufactured
4. Who determines the class of a product? - ANSWER ✔ The end user
5. What would be in class 3 performance? - ANSWER ✔ Military, medical,
etc.
6. What is extra clearance around components required for? - ANSWER ✔ The
placement heads of the chip shooter
,7. What side is exposed to wave solder with TH components? - ANSWER ✔
The side opposite the component body
8. When is a clinched lead not acceptable? - ANSWER ✔ When the pins are
tempered and too stiff for bending
9. What should reference designators match? - ANSWER ✔ The schematic or
logic diagram
10.In a space limited design, what are the most important markings to include
on your legend? - ANSWER ✔ Polarity of polarized capacitors and diodes
11.What is the most significant risk if silkscreen gets onto solderable surfaces?
- ANSWER ✔ Reduced solderability to the component land
12.Who is responsible for the size and location of the legend features as part of
the supplied artwork? - ANSWER ✔ The designer
13.What must be established to eliminate skips and voids in lines and text in
silkscreen? - ANSWER ✔ a minimum line width
14.Where should reference designators be placed? - ANSWER ✔ As close as
possible to the device without being under it (just make sure it's visible)
15.What are typical sheet sizes for outputs from an ECAD program? -
ANSWER ✔ A or B size paper for ease of printing and PDF creation
,16.What can a schematic be? - ANSWER ✔ Hierarchical (partitioned into
circuit functions into multiple levels of design details) or Flat (simple, stand-
alone design)
17.What depicts the logical functions and electrical connections of a specific
circuit? - ANSWER ✔ Schematic diagram
18.What is a subassembly enclosed by? - ANSWER ✔ A phantom line
19.What does the board fab drawing show? - ANSWER ✔ The size, type and
location of all holes
20.What can impact the quality of the production master? - ANSWER ✔
Occurrence of pin holes
21.What is an advantage of using GDT? - ANSWER ✔ Allows at least 57%
more tolerance area with true positioning than with bilateral tolerancing
22.Temperature rating for components - ANSWER ✔ Components are rated at
a temperature that can take the heat of the solder wave
23.SMT component assembly sequence - ANSWER ✔ Parts are placed in
solder paste and then reflowed either by vapor-phase, infrared, hot-air
convection, laser, conduction, or combination of all
24.SMT components proximity to through-hole components - ANSWER ✔ Do
not place secondary SMT parts next to protruding through-hole leads.
, Ensure a minimum clearance of 20 mil away from the through-hole leads to
prevent SMT devices from being affected by the wave
25.Advantage of surface mount parts - ANSWER ✔ Because of shorter lead
lengths in SMT parts, the stress induced by shock and vibe is considerably
smaller compared to through hole leads
26.CTE mismatch - ANSWER ✔ CTE mismatch places mechanical stress on
solder joints as temperature changes
27.Reflow temperature for lead-free solder - ANSWER ✔ Reflow temperature
for lead-free solder melts at a higher temperature
28.Flux residue condition on boards - ANSWER ✔ Flux residue must be no-
clean (non-conductive and non-corrosive)
29.Cleaning before conformal coating - ANSWER ✔ True; if coating is used to
cover all components and board areas, it must be compatible with the solder
mask and flux residue (it is important these chemistries do not impact each
other)
30.Critical aspects before development phase - ANSWER ✔ Parts lists to find
long lead items, available quantities, alternate source, specific part number
variation, costs
31.Important elements in a part list - ANSWER ✔ Verify the part list is
accurate and reflects the specific assembly
PREP 2026/2027 ACCURATE QUESTIONS
WITH VERIFIED CORRECT ANSWERS ||
ALREADY GRADED A+
< NEWEST VERSION>
1. What do performance classes reflect? - ANSWER ✔ Progressive increases
in sophistication, functional performance, and frequency/intensity of
inspection or stress testing
2. What are the three performance classes? - ANSWER ✔ 1-General
Electronics 2-Dedicated Service 3-High reliability
3. Who is the end user? - ANSWER ✔ The end user is the individual or agency
that contracts the printed board or assembly to be designed and
manufactured
4. Who determines the class of a product? - ANSWER ✔ The end user
5. What would be in class 3 performance? - ANSWER ✔ Military, medical,
etc.
6. What is extra clearance around components required for? - ANSWER ✔ The
placement heads of the chip shooter
,7. What side is exposed to wave solder with TH components? - ANSWER ✔
The side opposite the component body
8. When is a clinched lead not acceptable? - ANSWER ✔ When the pins are
tempered and too stiff for bending
9. What should reference designators match? - ANSWER ✔ The schematic or
logic diagram
10.In a space limited design, what are the most important markings to include
on your legend? - ANSWER ✔ Polarity of polarized capacitors and diodes
11.What is the most significant risk if silkscreen gets onto solderable surfaces?
- ANSWER ✔ Reduced solderability to the component land
12.Who is responsible for the size and location of the legend features as part of
the supplied artwork? - ANSWER ✔ The designer
13.What must be established to eliminate skips and voids in lines and text in
silkscreen? - ANSWER ✔ a minimum line width
14.Where should reference designators be placed? - ANSWER ✔ As close as
possible to the device without being under it (just make sure it's visible)
15.What are typical sheet sizes for outputs from an ECAD program? -
ANSWER ✔ A or B size paper for ease of printing and PDF creation
,16.What can a schematic be? - ANSWER ✔ Hierarchical (partitioned into
circuit functions into multiple levels of design details) or Flat (simple, stand-
alone design)
17.What depicts the logical functions and electrical connections of a specific
circuit? - ANSWER ✔ Schematic diagram
18.What is a subassembly enclosed by? - ANSWER ✔ A phantom line
19.What does the board fab drawing show? - ANSWER ✔ The size, type and
location of all holes
20.What can impact the quality of the production master? - ANSWER ✔
Occurrence of pin holes
21.What is an advantage of using GDT? - ANSWER ✔ Allows at least 57%
more tolerance area with true positioning than with bilateral tolerancing
22.Temperature rating for components - ANSWER ✔ Components are rated at
a temperature that can take the heat of the solder wave
23.SMT component assembly sequence - ANSWER ✔ Parts are placed in
solder paste and then reflowed either by vapor-phase, infrared, hot-air
convection, laser, conduction, or combination of all
24.SMT components proximity to through-hole components - ANSWER ✔ Do
not place secondary SMT parts next to protruding through-hole leads.
, Ensure a minimum clearance of 20 mil away from the through-hole leads to
prevent SMT devices from being affected by the wave
25.Advantage of surface mount parts - ANSWER ✔ Because of shorter lead
lengths in SMT parts, the stress induced by shock and vibe is considerably
smaller compared to through hole leads
26.CTE mismatch - ANSWER ✔ CTE mismatch places mechanical stress on
solder joints as temperature changes
27.Reflow temperature for lead-free solder - ANSWER ✔ Reflow temperature
for lead-free solder melts at a higher temperature
28.Flux residue condition on boards - ANSWER ✔ Flux residue must be no-
clean (non-conductive and non-corrosive)
29.Cleaning before conformal coating - ANSWER ✔ True; if coating is used to
cover all components and board areas, it must be compatible with the solder
mask and flux residue (it is important these chemistries do not impact each
other)
30.Critical aspects before development phase - ANSWER ✔ Parts lists to find
long lead items, available quantities, alternate source, specific part number
variation, costs
31.Important elements in a part list - ANSWER ✔ Verify the part list is
accurate and reflects the specific assembly
