FOREWORD

What does it take to create an exceptional audiovisual experience? What creates a spectacle that wows people or the type of integrated collaboration space that makes companies more productive? It takes the right combination of content, space, and technology, but it also takes you. It takes trained professionals—integrators, designers, manufacturers, distributors, and technology managers.

AVIXA™, the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association, believes in the value of creating experiences through technology—experiences that lead to better outcomes through enhanced communication, entertainment, and education. To deliver these experiences and outcomes, our industry must continually master its craft. That means staying well-trained, using and understanding standards, and committing to professional certifications. Building integrated audiovisual experiences is guided by the science of sight and sound, activated by technology, and realized by dedicated specialists.

For more than 30 years, AVIXA has administered the Certified Technology Specialist™ (CTS^®) program, which is recognized as the leading AV professional credential. There are three CTS credentials: general (CTS), design (CTS-D), and installation (CTS-I). There are currently more than 12,000 CTS holders, and more than 2,000 of them are CTS-D or CTS-I holders. The CTS program is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to meet the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) ISO/IEC 17024:2012 certifications of personnel standards.

As you will learn in this guide, a CTS-I installs and maintains AV systems through a series of industry-accepted skills and best practices. Those who hold the CTS-I credential, like its counterpart for the AV design community, the Certified Technology Specialist–Design (CTS-D), are members of a special group of AV professionals who have gone beyond foundational experience and dedicated themselves to quality work, focused expertise, and the confidence of the people they work with.

So, congratulations on your decision to pursue your CTS-I certification. We hope this guide helps you reach your goals and continue to advance this exciting industry.

What’s inside these pages? For starters, everything you might expect.

Despite changes in AV technology, many skills remain the same. CTS-I professionals are proficient in building racks, terminating cables, setting audio gain, and verifying the performance of installed AV systems. All of those subjects are covered here.

Today’s CTS-I can also configure and troubleshoot modern AV protocols, such as extended display identification data (EDID) and high-bandwidth digital content protection (HDCP)—two important attributes of today’s high-definition video systems. Both, and many more, are addressed in this guide.

Finally, a CTS-I knows that the so-called convergence of AV and IT technologies is yesterday’s news. Convergence has happened. As a result, AV installers must know how to integrate and control AV gear on a network. They must understand Internet protocols, network security, and a host of other IT concerns that help ensure networked AV systems operate as promised without affecting other services. The CTS-I Certified Technology Specialist–Installation Exam Guide, Second Edition includes a networking chapter devoted to such AV/IT skills.

All told, the document in your hands encapsulates the AVIXA knowledge base for aspiring CTS-I holders. Even if you have never taken the CTS-I exam, this guide represents a handy reference for those in the field. It reflects the necessities of being a modern, expert AV installer; as such, it also reflects that the CTS-I exam as it has changed over time. For more on the exam itself, see Chapter 2.

The CTS-I Certified Technology Specialist-Installation Exam Guide, Second Edition will prepare you for the CTS-I exam, but it is not required reading, and for good reason.

The CTS-I credential is accredited by ANSI under the ISO/IEC 17024 General Requirements for Bodies Operating Certification Schemes of Persons program. For many, an ANSI/ISO/IEC certification is an additional mark of distinction. There are roughly 1 million ANSI-certified professionals across different industries. In accordance with globally recognized principles, no single publication or class will necessarily prepare you for the CTS-I exam, nor are you obligated to enroll in AVIXA courses to take the exam. If, however, you are interested in other ways that AVIXA can help establish your professional qualifications, visit us at avixa.org/certification-section/cts-i.

This is an exciting time to be part of the AV industry. By certifying your skills, you’ve shown already that you are committed to your own success and to the success of AV professionals everywhere. Now you’re ready to go a step further and be a leader in this industry. We thank you for your commitment and wish you luck in your certification journey.

David Labuskes, CTS, CAE, RCDD

Chief Executive Officer

AVIXA