- What "A STS" Actually Refers To
- Who Governs the Credential
- Who Should Hold This Credential
- The 12 Competency Areas
- Exam Format and Testing Rules
- Registration, Fees, and Retakes
- Prerequisites and Recommended Background
- Keeping the Credential Active
- Sequencing Your Preparation by Domain
- What This Credential Is Not
- Frequently Asked Questions
- STS means Smart Technology Systems, a basic technician certification issued by ETA International.
- The written exam runs 2 hours with 75-80 questions published, and the passing score is 75%.
- The exam fee is USD 105, with one free eligible retake within one year of the first session.
- Twelve competency domains cover safety, wiring, electrical basics, communications, troubleshooting, and customer documentation.
What "A STS" Actually Refers To
If you searched "What is a STS?" and landed here, the answer on this site is specific: STS stands for Smart Technology Systems. It is a basic-level certification for technicians who install, configure, service, and troubleshoot the connected systems found in homes and light commercial buildings. Think structured low-voltage wiring, wireless communication, home networks, control systems, and the customer-facing work that surrounds an installation.
The acronym is shared by several unrelated credentials in other industries, so it is worth being precise. Everything in this article concerns the Smart Technology Systems certification from ETA International, and nothing here applies to any other credential that happens to abbreviate to STS. If you want the shorter definitional versions of this topic, our pages on what STS is, what STS stands for, and STS meaning cover the terminology from different angles.
Who Governs the Credential
The certification is administered by ETA International, a certifying body for electronics and information technology professionals. ETA publishes the competency requirements that define what a candidate must know, and it states that examination questions derive from those competencies. Exams are delivered through ETA Certification Administrators, using in-person Trapeza online testing or paper-and-pencil sessions, with ExamRoom.AI available for remote proctoring.
The official scope document is the Basic STS Certification Competency Requirements, dated May 25, 2022. No separately numbered 2026 exam version has been identified, so that document remains the authoritative description of what the test covers. For a deeper look at the credential itself, see our overview of STS certification and the explainer on what STS certification is.
Who Should Hold This Credential
The Basic STS credential is aimed at practicing technicians. ETA's Credly badge describes the holder as someone with experience as a practicing technician who has accepted ETA's Code of Conduct, though no minimum number of years is quantified. In practical terms, the credential suits:
- Installers who pull and terminate low-voltage cable in residential or light commercial buildings
- Technicians who commission and service smart home components, networks, and control systems
- Field service staff who handle customer calls and need a structured troubleshooting method
- Employees of integrators, alarm and audio-video contractors, and cable or telecom firms who want a documented, third-party validation of baseline skill
Employers in the home-technology integration space, structured wiring contractors, and security and audio-video installers are the natural audience. If you are weighing the career angle, our STS jobs overview and the STS certification ROI analysis go further. For compensation context, see the STS salary guide, which treats earnings qualitatively rather than quoting unverified figures.
The 12 Competency Areas
ETA publishes twelve numbered top-level competency headings for Basic STS. No percentage weights are published, so no single domain can be identified as the heaviest. Treat all twelve as fair game. Here is what each one asks of you.
Domain 1: Safety
Field safety for technicians working in occupied buildings.
- Working at heights, ladders, and attic or crawlspace hazards
- Electrical safety awareness around line-voltage circuits
- Personal protective equipment and safe tool handling
Domain 2: Industry Standards
The codes and structured-cabling conventions that govern installation practice.
- Why standards exist and how they shape pathway and cabling choices
- Recognizing which requirements apply to a given job
Domain 3: Low Voltage Wiring and Wireless Communication Technologies
The core transport layer of any smart system.
- Cable types used for data, audio-video, security, and control
- Wireless technologies, their range, interference, and placement trade-offs
Domain 4: Cabling - Connectorization
Termination skills that determine whether a link performs.
- Terminating twisted-pair and coaxial cabling
- Recognizing poor terminations and their symptoms
Domain 5: Pre-wiring
Planning and running cable before walls close.
- Home-run topology and labeling discipline
- Routing around power, and planning for future expansion
Domain 6: Electrical Basics
Foundational electricity every low-voltage tech needs.
- Voltage, current, resistance, and power relationships
- Using a nonprogrammable or scientific calculator for straightforward calculations
Domain 7: Communications Systems
How signals and data move through a connected premises.
- Networking concepts relevant to home and light commercial installs
- How distribution of voice, data, and video is organized
Domain 8: Residential and Light Commercial Management
The managed systems layered over the infrastructure.
- Control, automation, and monitoring system concepts
- How subsystems integrate and where they commonly conflict
Domain 9: Premises Restoration
Leaving the building as you found it, or better.
- Patching, cleanup, and fire-stopping awareness after penetrations
- Professional responsibility for property condition
Domain 10: Tools and Equipment
Selecting and using the right instrument for the task.
- Hand tools, termination tools, and test equipment
- Matching a tool to the cable or connector type
Domain 11: Customer Orientation and Documentation
The professional, non-technical side of field work.
- Communicating with homeowners and light-commercial clients
- Producing accurate records of what was installed and configured
Domain 12: Basic Troubleshooting
Systematic diagnosis rather than guesswork.
- Isolating faults by layer, from physical cabling up to configuration
- Verifying a fix and documenting the outcome
A longer treatment of each area, including what questions in each domain tend to emphasize, lives in our STS exam domains guide.
Exam Format and Testing Rules
The Basic STS exam is a proctored written knowledge examination, delivered online or on paper. Here is what is firmly established versus what is not.
| Element | What ETA Publishes |
|---|---|
| Question count | 75-80 questions in the shared STS table (exact core count and scored/unscored split not publicly specified) |
| Time allowed | 2 hours |
| Passing score | 75% |
| Hands-on component | None required |
| Delivery | Proctored; in-person Trapeza online testing, paper/pencil, or remote via ExamRoom.AI |
| Item types | Not verified for STS specifically |
| Pass rate | Not publicly disclosed |
Note the range: ETA publishes 75-80 questions, and you should not assume a fixed number. Likewise, the open-book or closed-book status and any adaptive-testing behavior were not verified, so check your confirmation materials before test day. Our pages on the STS passing score and the STS pass rate explain why the 75% threshold is clear while a pass-rate percentage simply is not available.
Test-Day Conditions
- A proctor and a valid photo ID are required.
- Scratch paper and a nonprogrammable or scientific calculator are permitted; used scratch paper must be surrendered.
- Personal electronic devices such as phones are prohibited.
- ETA's general rules prohibit leaving the room once testing starts.
- Remote testing requires a webcam, microphone, suitable computer, and reliable connectivity, with registration arranged through ETA.
Registration, Fees, and Retakes
The published exam fee is USD 105. ETA does not publish separate member and nonmember exam prices. A few mechanics are worth knowing before you register:
- Endorsement discount: ETA offers the core STS exam at half price when it is taken at the same time as at least one endorsement.
- Remote proctoring: A two-hour remote proctoring session adds USD 16. Local proctor charges are not quoted.
- Retake policy: One free eligible retake is available within one year of the first exam session, though remote-proctoring charges remain payable.
- Study resource: ETA advertises a USD 59.95 study resource in its STS section, but whether a dedicated Basic STS course exists in the linked catalog is unverified, so confirm what you are buying before you pay.
The full picture, including optional costs, is laid out in the STS certification cost breakdown. For scheduling logistics, see STS exam dates and scheduling.
Prerequisites and Recommended Background
Basic STS is a stand-alone certification. You do not need the Associate CET (CETa) credential or ETA membership to sit for it. There is no verified mandatory degree, fixed training-hour requirement, experience-hour minimum, or reference requirement.
The competency document does highly recommend prior certification in areas such as CAT, DCI, DVE, FOI, FOT, FOT-OSP, or TTT. These are recommendations, not gates. They signal that the exam assumes familiarity with cabling, installation, and fiber or telecom fundamentals. If you lack that background, budget extra preparation time for Domains 3 through 5 and Domain 10. The full eligibility picture is in our STS requirements guide.
Keeping the Credential Active
Certification runs on a four-year term with maintenance required. For general non-hands-on maintenance, ETA requires:
- The maintenance form
- USD 25 per year (USD 100 across the four-year cycle)
- Either 10 continuing-education contact hours per year (40 over the cycle) or an Employer Verification Form completed by a supervisor
Annual submission is recommended, which spreads both the cost and the paperwork. Treat the supervisor-verification route as a practical option if you work for an employer willing to sign off.
Sequencing Your Preparation by Domain
Because no domain weights are published, balanced coverage beats gambling on a favorite topic. One reasonable sequence follows the logic of the work itself: foundations first, physical layer next, systems and troubleshooting last.
Foundations
- Domain 1 (Safety) and Domain 2 (Industry Standards), since later topics reference both
- Domain 6 (Electrical Basics), including practice with your permitted calculator
Physical Layer
- Domains 3, 4, and 5: wiring and wireless technologies, connectorization, and pre-wiring
- Domain 10 (Tools and Equipment), tied to each cable type you studied
Systems and Service
- Domain 7 (Communications Systems) and Domain 8 (Residential and Light Commercial Management)
- Domains 9 and 11: restoration, customer orientation, and documentation
Integration and Review
- Domain 12 (Basic Troubleshooting), which draws on everything above
- Timed practice sets under a two-hour limit
Troubleshooting goes last deliberately: diagnosing faults is far easier once you understand the wiring, connectors, and communications concepts that fail. For a fuller plan, read the STS study guide, and for last-pass review, use the STS cheat sheet. When you are ready to test yourself, our STS practice tests let you drill each of the twelve areas. Details on formal courses are covered in STS training.
Key Takeaway
ETA's membership page lists practice-exam access for STS, but membership is optional and practice exams do not reveal actual certification questions. Use practice material to find weak domains, not to memorize answers.
What This Credential Is Not
Clarity about scope prevents wasted effort. Basic STS covers the twelve competency headings above and nothing more. Specifically:
- It is not one of the separate STS endorsements, which are distinct certifications with their own competencies.
- It is not the STS Master Integrator credential.
- It is not Safety Trained Supervisor, nor any drone-related examination that shares the acronym.
Preparing from an endorsement course as though it were the core syllabus is a common error. The official competency document, not an adjacent endorsement catalog, defines what the Basic exam draws from.
Frequently Asked Questions
It means Smart Technology Systems, the basic technician certification offered through ETA International. It does not refer to any other credential that shares the acronym. See also what STS means and what a STS is.
ETA publishes 75-80 questions in its shared STS table, with 2 hours allowed. The exact core count and the scored versus unscored split are not publicly specified, so avoid planning around a precise number.
The published passing score is 75%. ETA has not disclosed a pass rate, so any specific success-rate figure you see elsewhere should be treated with skepticism.
No. Basic STS is stand-alone, and neither CETa nor ETA membership is required. The competency document highly recommends prior credentials such as CAT, DCI, DVE, FOI, FOT, FOT-OSP, or TTT, but these are recommendations only.
One free eligible retake is available within one year of your first exam session. Remote-proctoring charges still apply if you test remotely, so budget for that even on the free retake.
Four years, with maintenance required. General maintenance involves a form, USD 25 per year, and either 10 continuing-education hours per year or a supervisor-completed Employer Verification Form.