- The Basic STS exam is a proctored written test of 75-80 questions in 2 hours, with a 75% passing score.
- The exam fee is USD 105; remote proctoring adds USD 16, and one free retake is available within one year.
- ETA publishes 12 competency headings but no percentage weights, so no single domain can be called the heaviest.
- Phones are prohibited; scratch paper and a nonprogrammable or scientific calculator are allowed, and used paper must be surrendered.
The Exam at a Glance
This page condenses what you need to know about the Basic Smart Technology Systems (STS) certification from ETA International into a single review. It covers the exam mechanics, the twelve competency areas the questions are drawn from, and the policies that catch candidates off guard. If you want the full reasoning behind any item, the STS study guide and the complete guide to all 12 content areas go deeper. This sheet is built for the last pass before test day.
| Item | Must-Know Fact |
|---|---|
| Certifying body | ETA International |
| Testing provider | ETA Certification Administrators |
| Question count | 75-80 questions (published range) |
| Time limit | 2 hours |
| Format | Proctored written knowledge exam, online or paper |
| Hands-on component | None required |
| Passing score | 75% |
| Exam fee | USD 105 |
| Certification term | Four years, with maintenance |
| Prerequisites | None mandatory; stand-alone certification |
Notice that the question count is a range. ETA's published information lists 75-80 questions, and the exact count for the core STS exam and how many items are scored versus unscored are not publicly specified. Do not memorize a single number; plan your pacing around the upper end of the range. Two hours across 80 questions gives you a little over a minute and a half per item, which is comfortable for a knowledge-based written test if you do not stall on any one question.
Registration, Fees and Retake Mechanics
The money side of the exam is short but has a few wrinkles worth knowing. The base fee is USD 105, and ETA does not publish separate member and nonmember exam prices. Membership in ETA is optional and not required to sit for the exam. For a fuller breakdown, see the STS certification cost guide.
- Remote proctoring surcharge: two-hour remote proctoring adds USD 16. Local proctor charges, if you test in person at a site that bills separately, are not quoted by ETA.
- Endorsement discount: ETA offers the core STS exam at half price when you take it at the same time as at least one endorsement. If you already plan to pursue an endorsement, bundling the sittings matters.
- Free retake: one free eligible retake is available within one year of your first exam session. Remote-proctoring charges still apply to the retake.
- Delivery options: in-person Trapeza online testing, paper and pencil, or remote proctoring through ExamRoom.AI, with registration arranged through ETA.
Scheduling windows and deadlines are covered separately in the STS exam dates guide.
Test-Day Rules You Should Memorize
Test-day policy is where well-prepared candidates lose composure. The rules below come from ETA's published testing policies for this exam.
- A proctor and valid photo ID are required.
- Scratch paper is permitted, and so is a nonprogrammable or scientific calculator. Any scratch paper you use must be surrendered when you finish.
- Personal electronic devices, including phones, are prohibited.
- ETA's general rules prohibit leaving the room once testing has started, so handle everything before you begin.
- Remote testing requires a webcam, a microphone, a suitable computer and reliable connectivity.
Two items are not verified for the STS exam specifically: the exact open-book or closed-book rules, and whether the test is adaptive. Do not assume either way. Confirm directly with ETA when you register, and prepare as though no outside references will be available.
Key Takeaway
Because the calculator must be nonprogrammable or scientific, practice your Ohm's law and basic electrical arithmetic on exactly that kind of device before test day, not on a phone app you will not be allowed to use.
The 12 Competency Areas in One Pass
ETA states that its exam questions derive from the published Basic STS competency requirements. The official document lists twelve numbered headings, and it does not publish percentage weights. That means you cannot responsibly say that any one area carries the most points. The sensible approach is to be competent across all twelve. The rundown below gives the practical content to expect under each heading, and the domains guide expands every one.
1. Safety
Personal and jobsite safety for technicians working in occupied homes and light commercial spaces.
- Electrical hazards when working near power and low-voltage systems
- Ladder, attic and crawlspace awareness
- Protective equipment and safe tool handling
2. Industry Standards
The codes, standards and conventions that govern how smart technology systems are installed.
- Recognizing why standards exist and who enforces them
- Following accepted installation practice rather than improvising
3. Low Voltage Wiring and Wireless Communication Technologies
The backbone of a smart home: what travels over wire, what travels over the air, and when to choose each.
- Common low-voltage cable types and their uses
- Wireless basics, including range and interference considerations
4. Cabling - Connectorization
Terminating cable correctly so the link actually performs.
- Connector types and the cables they pair with
- Termination technique and the faults poor terminations cause
5. Pre-wiring
Planning and running cable during construction or renovation, before walls close up.
- Cable routing, labeling and home-run layout
- Why mistakes here are expensive to fix later
6. Electrical Basics
The fundamentals that every other domain leans on.
- Voltage, current, resistance and power relationships
- Reading simple circuit descriptions and doing basic calculations
7. Communications Systems
How the networked pieces of a smart home talk to each other.
- Core networking concepts a smart-home technician needs
- Voice, data and video signal pathways
8. Residential and Light Commercial Management
Running jobs and managing the practical side of installation work.
- Scoping, scheduling and coordinating with other trades
- Keeping a project on track from start to handoff
9. Premises Restoration
Leaving the customer's property as good as or better than you found it.
- Repairing penetrations and finishes after cable work
- Cleanup and protection of the customer's space
10. Tools and Equipment
Selecting and using the right instruments for the job.
- Hand tools, test equipment and cable tools
- Matching the tool to the task and using it safely
11. Customer Orientation and Documentation
The professional side of the job: communication and records.
- Explaining systems to non-technical customers
- Producing accurate documentation of what was installed
12. Basic Troubleshooting
A methodical approach to finding and fixing faults.
- Isolating problems step by step instead of guessing
- Using test tools to confirm a diagnosis
Field-Level Facts Worth Burning In
Because the exam is written knowledge rather than hands-on, the questions test whether you understand the reasoning behind field practice. A few patterns recur across the competency list.
Physical Layer First
Three of the twelve areas (low-voltage wiring and wireless, connectorization, and pre-wiring) concern the physical layer. A large share of real smart-home failures trace back to a bad termination, a mislabeled run or a cable routed past an interference source. Expect scenario-style questions that ask what is most likely wrong or what should be done first.
Safety and Standards Are Foundations, Not Trivia
Safety and industry standards are the first two headings, and they inform answers in other domains. When two answer choices both seem technically workable, the one that follows accepted practice and protects the technician and customer is usually the better choice.
The Customer-Facing Domains Are Easy to Underestimate
Premises restoration, customer orientation and documentation, and residential and light commercial management sound soft compared with wiring. They are still testable competencies, and candidates who come from a purely technical background often skim them. Do not. The credential is aimed at working technicians, and employers care about how installs are communicated and documented.
A Domain-Ordered Review Plan
You do not need a generic study system here, only a sensible order that follows how the competencies build on each other. Here is one way to sequence a four-week review. For broader preparation guidance, see the full study guide.
Foundations
- Safety and industry standards, since later answers depend on them
- Electrical basics, with hand calculations on a scientific calculator
The Physical Layer
- Low-voltage wiring and wireless technologies
- Cabling connectorization and pre-wiring
Systems and Tools
- Communications systems
- Tools and equipment, then basic troubleshooting, which ties the physical layer and tools together
Professional Practice and Rehearsal
- Management, premises restoration, and customer orientation and documentation
- Timed practice sets of 80 questions in two hours using the STS practice test
Troubleshooting is placed after tools and communications because diagnosing a fault requires understanding both the system and the instruments used to test it. ETA's membership page lists practice-exam access for STS, but membership is optional, and that access does not mean you will see actual certification questions. For additional rehearsal, work through question sets on our main practice site.
Keeping the Credential Alive
The certification term is four years, and maintenance is required. For general non-hands-on certifications like this one, the requirements are straightforward.
- Submit the maintenance form with a fee of USD 25 per year, which totals USD 100 over the four-year cycle.
- Complete either 10 continuing-education contact hours per year (40 over the cycle) or have a supervisor complete an Employer Verification Form.
- Annual submission is recommended rather than waiting until the end of the term.
If you are weighing whether the ongoing cost and effort are justified, the ROI analysis and the salary guide lay out the career side, and the STS jobs overview covers the kinds of roles that value the credential.
What Is Not Publicly Specified
A good cheat sheet is honest about its gaps. The following are not publicly verified in ETA's reviewed sources, so treat any claim to the contrary with suspicion.
- Pass rate: ETA does not publish a candidate success rate for STS. See the pass rate discussion for how to think about difficulty without invented numbers, and the difficulty guide for what makes the exam challenging.
- Domain weights: no percentages are published, so no domain can be identified as the highest-weighted.
- Question types: an STS-specific item-type breakdown, such as all multiple-choice, was not verified.
- Exam version: the competency PDF in use is dated May 25, 2022, and no separately numbered 2026 exam version was verified.
- Quantified experience requirement: the credential is aimed at practicing technicians, but no minimum years or hours are specified.
On prerequisites specifically: STS is a stand-alone certification, and neither an Associate CET nor ETA membership is required. The competency document highly recommends prior certification such as CAT, DCI, DVE, FOI, FOT, FOT-OSP or TTT, but these are recommendations rather than mandatory requirements. The STS requirements guide explains how to qualify, and the passing score guide covers how the 75% threshold works in practice.
If you are still orienting yourself to the credential itself, start with what STS certification is and the STS training overview.
Frequently Asked Questions
ETA publishes a range of 75-80 questions with a 2-hour time limit. The exact count for the core STS exam and the split between scored and unscored items are not publicly specified, so plan for the upper end of the range.
The passing score is 75%. The passing score guide explains what that means for your preparation.
Phones and other personal electronic devices are prohibited. A nonprogrammable or scientific calculator and scratch paper are permitted, and you must surrender used scratch paper at the end.
No one can say. ETA lists twelve competency headings, from Safety through Basic Troubleshooting, but does not publish percentage weights. Prepare across all twelve rather than betting on a favorite.
One free eligible retake is available within one year of your first exam session. Remote-proctoring charges still apply if you retake remotely, so factor that into your plan.