- CAST is a 75-question, two-hour proctored exam with a 75% passing score, no hands-on component.
- Exam fee is $80; remote proctoring through ExamRoom.AI adds $16 for the two-hour session.
- One free retake is available within one year of your first attempt, though proctoring fees apply again.
- The competency document covers 13 base domains, from Alarms to Mathematics, under 2013/2016 copyright dates.
What Is CAST Certification?
The Certified Alarm Security Technician (CAST) credential is issued by ETA International and is designed to validate entry-to-mid-level competency in the low-voltage security and alarm trade. This article focuses on the base CAST credential specifically - not the CAST(C) Commercial add-on, which layers in additional commercial-specific competencies beyond what's covered here. If you're still sorting out the basics of the acronym and how it fits into the broader ETA credential family, our companion pieces on What Is CAST?, CAST Meaning, and What Does CAST Stand For? walk through the terminology in plain language.
Unlike certifications that require a hands-on skills demonstration, CAST is a purely written, knowledge-based exam. That doesn't make it easy - it means the exam leans heavily on your ability to read schematics, interpret component specifications, and reason through troubleshooting scenarios on paper rather than in the field. For a broader breakdown of what that written format actually demands, see What Is CAST Certification? and What Is A CAST?.
Exam Format, Fees, and Registration
CAST candidates sit for a proctored written examination administered through an ETA Certification Administrator. Testing happens two ways: through Trapeza online testing or on paper at an approved site, or remotely via ExamRoom.AI if you can't get to a physical test center. Each format asks the same 75 questions in the same two-hour window, with a 75% score required to pass.
- Exam fee: $80
- Remote proctoring add-on: $16 for the two-hour ExamRoom.AI session
- Question count: 75 questions
- Time limit: two hours
- Passing score: 75%
- Retake policy: one free retake within one year of your first session (proctoring charges apply separately if you retest remotely)
No reference materials or formula sheets are permitted during the exam, and calculator use follows standard ETA rules - so any math-related questions from the Mathematics domain need to be solved from memory or with a permitted calculator, not a cheat sheet. For a full line-item cost breakdown, including how the retake and remote-proctoring fees stack, see CAST Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown. If you want the exact passing threshold explained in more depth - including what a 75% cutoff actually means in terms of questions you can miss - read CAST Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Key Takeaway
Because there's no hands-on portion and no reference sheet allowed, memorization of terminology, wiring conventions, and diagram-reading skills matters more for CAST than for credentials that let you look things up during a practical exam.
The 13 CAST Exam Domains
The CAST competency document breaks the exam into 13 base sections. These aren't evenly weighted trivia categories - they map to real tasks a technician performs on the job, from initial wiring to final troubleshooting. Here's what each domain generally covers:
Domain 1: Technology and Configuration
Covers how alarm and security systems are set up and configured at a system level, including panel programming logic and system architecture basics.
- Understand system-level configuration choices before diving into individual components
Domain 2: Alarms
Core alarm system concepts - sensor types, zoning, and how alarm logic triggers and reports events.
- Know the difference between sensor categories and their typical placement
Domain 3: Cameras and Intercoms
Video surveillance and intercom hardware, including how these systems integrate with access control and alarm platforms.
- Study camera types and common intercom wiring configurations
Domain 4: Components
Individual hardware pieces - sensors, keypads, control panels, power supplies - and their function within a larger system.
- Match each component to its typical role and failure symptoms
Domain 5: Cabling and Connectors
Wire types, connector standards, and termination practices used in low-voltage security installs.
- Memorize common cable gauges, connector types, and their typical applications
Domain 6: Interfacing
How separate systems (access control, alarm, video) communicate with one another and with building systems.
- Understand relay logic and cross-system signaling
Domain 7: Locks
Electronic and mechanical locking hardware relevant to access control installations.
- Know strike types, fail-safe vs. fail-secure logic, and lock hardware terminology
Domain 8: Block Diagrams and Schematics
Reading and interpreting system diagrams - a skill tested directly since there's no hands-on portion to demonstrate it physically.
- Practice tracing signal paths on sample schematics
Domain 9: Troubleshooting
Diagnostic logic for identifying and resolving system faults, often the most scenario-based domain on the exam.
- Work through cause-and-effect troubleshooting scenarios, not just fault lists
Domain 10: Computers and Digital Concepts
Foundational digital and computing concepts relevant to modern networked security systems.
- Review basic digital logic and networking terminology
Domain 11: Hand Tools - Soldering
Tool identification and soldering technique knowledge, tested conceptually rather than physically.
- Know proper tool usage and soldering safety/technique even without a hands-on test
Domain 12: Data Communications and Software
How security systems transmit data and interact with monitoring or management software.
- Understand data communication protocols at a conceptual level
Domain 13: Mathematics
Applied math relevant to the trade - since no formula sheet is allowed, calculations must be internalized.
- Practice core calculations without relying on reference sheets, per exam rules
For a much deeper dive into each domain - including how they tend to show up in question phrasing - see our CAST Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 13 Content Areas. And if you're wondering how domain complexity translates into overall exam difficulty, How Hard Is the CAST Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 breaks that down section by section.
Who Hires CAST-Certified Technicians
CAST is aimed squarely at technicians working in alarm and security system installation, service, and monitoring - the kind of hands-on field role where knowing how to wire a panel, terminate cabling, and troubleshoot a faulty zone actually matters day to day. Employers in the residential and light-commercial alarm space use CAST as a way to verify baseline technical literacy before putting someone on a service truck or installation crew, and some job postings in this space explicitly list it as preferred or required.
If you're evaluating whether pursuing CAST fits your career path, CAST Jobs looks at where the credential shows up in hiring, and CAST Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis covers earnings considerations without relying on inflated or unverifiable figures. For a more holistic view of whether the time and cost investment pays off, Is the CAST Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 weighs the credential against alternative paths into the trade.
CAST vs. Journeyman Status
One detail that trips up a lot of candidates: stand-alone CAST certification does not require holding CETa (ETA's foundational electronics credential) first. You can pursue base CAST on its own. However, if your goal is Journeyman-level standing within ETA's credential structure, that requires both CETa and at least two years of combined training and field experience - CAST alone doesn't get you there.
This distinction matters when you're mapping out your credential path, since conflating "CAST-certified" with "Journeyman" can lead to mismatched expectations with employers. For the full eligibility breakdown, including what counts toward the two-year experience requirement, see CAST Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
| Credential Path | Prerequisite | Experience Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Stand-alone CAST | None required | None required |
| Journeyman status | CETa required | 2+ years combined training/experience |
Building a Domain-Based Study Plan
Rather than studying generically, the smartest approach for CAST is to sequence your prep around the 13 domains themselves, spending extra time on the ones that are conceptually dense (Troubleshooting, Block Diagrams and Schematics, Mathematics) and less on domains that are more terminology-based (Hand Tools - Soldering, Cabling and Connectors). Since no formula sheet is allowed during the exam, Mathematics and any math embedded in Domain 13 should be practiced by hand repeatedly, not just reviewed once.
Foundations
- Cover Domain 1 (Technology and Configuration), Domain 4 (Components), and Domain 2 (Alarms)
- Build a terminology list for components and sensor types
Wiring and Hardware
- Study Domain 5 (Cabling and Connectors), Domain 7 (Locks), and Domain 11 (Hand Tools - Soldering)
- Practice identifying connector types from images or diagrams
Systems and Diagrams
- Focus on Domain 8 (Block Diagrams and Schematics) and Domain 6 (Interfacing)
- Trace multiple sample schematics until signal paths become intuitive
Digital, Data, and Math
- Work through Domain 10 (Computers and Digital Concepts), Domain 12 (Data Communications and Software), and Domain 13 (Mathematics)
- Drill calculations by hand since no reference sheet is permitted
Cameras, Intercoms, and Troubleshooting Review
- Cover Domain 3 (Cameras and Intercoms) and spend extra time on Domain 9 (Troubleshooting) scenarios
- Run full-length timed practice sets on our practice test platform to simulate the two-hour, 75-question format
This structure gives every domain dedicated attention while weighting the later weeks toward the domains that tend to require more applied reasoning rather than memorization. For a condensed version of this plan alongside a broader first-attempt strategy, see CAST Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt, and for a single-page reference of must-know facts across all 13 domains, bookmark CAST Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts.
Key Takeaway
Practicing under realistic timed conditions matters as much as content review - with 75 questions in two hours, you have roughly 96 seconds per question on average, so timed practice sets on our CAST practice tests help you build pacing instincts before exam day.
Renewal and Continuing Education
CAST certification is valid for four years from the date you pass. To keep it active, you have two options:
- Continuing education route: Complete 10 continuing-education hours annually, totaling 40 hours across the four-year term.
- Employer/supervisor verification route: Under ETA policy, documented employer or supervisor verification of continued work in the field can satisfy renewal requirements instead of formal CE hours.
Maintenance costs $25 annually, or you can pay $100 up front to cover the full four-year term. Planning your renewal costs alongside your initial exam fee gives you a clearer total cost of ownership for the credential - something covered in more detail in CAST Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. CAST is a written examination only - 75 questions over two hours, with no practical or hands-on demonstration required.
No. Stand-alone CAST does not require CETa. CETa becomes relevant only if you're pursuing Journeyman status, which also requires at least two years of combined training and experience.
You get one free retake within one year of your original exam session. Note that if you retest using remote proctoring, the ExamRoom.AI proctoring fee applies again separately.
No reference materials or formula sheets are allowed. Calculator use is permitted but must follow standard ETA rules for the exam session.
Four years. Renewal requires either 40 continuing-education hours accumulated over that term (10 annually) or qualifying employer/supervisor verification, plus a maintenance fee of $25 per year or $100 for the full four years.