- The CAST exam has 75 questions, a two-hour limit, and requires a 75% passing score.
- Registration costs $80 through an ETA Certification Administrator; remote proctoring via ExamRoom.AI adds $16.
- One free retake is available within one year of your first attempt, though proctoring fees still apply.
- No reference sheets or formulas are allowed - Domain 13 (Mathematics) must be memorized cold.
What the CAST Credential Actually Covers
The Certified Alarm Security Technician (CAST) credential is issued by ETA International and validates the base technical competencies for installing, configuring, and troubleshooting alarm and security systems. This article focuses strictly on the base CAST credential - not the additional CAST(C) Commercial competencies, which cover a separate, broader set of skills and are not required to hold base CAST status.
If you're still sorting out terminology before diving into study mode, our companion pieces on What Is CAST?, CAST Meaning, and What Does CAST Stand For? walk through the acronym and scope in plain language. For a full breakdown of eligibility paths, see CAST Requirements 2026.
Exam Format, Fees, and Scheduling Mechanics
Unlike many technical certifications, CAST is a pure knowledge exam - there is no hands-on practical component. You'll sit for a proctored written examination administered by an ETA Certification Administrator, delivered either through Trapeza online testing or on paper at a physical test site. If neither option fits your schedule, remote testing through ExamRoom.AI is also available.
- Question count: 75 questions
- Time limit: two hours
- Passing score: 75%
- Exam fee: $80
- Remote proctoring surcharge: $16 for the two-hour session
- Retakes: one free retake within one year of your first session (remote-proctoring charges are billed separately)
No reference materials, cheat sheets, or formula sheets are permitted during the exam. Calculator use is allowed but must follow ETA's specific rules for the test session - confirm the exact policy with your Certification Administrator before test day. For a granular look at how the fee structure breaks down across scenarios, read CAST Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown. If you want to know exactly what a 75% threshold means in terms of missed questions, CAST Passing Score 2026 covers the math in detail.
Key Takeaway
Because there's no partial credit for "close enough" math and no formula sheet to lean on, treat every numeric domain - especially Mathematics and Data Communications - as memorization work, not lookup work.
The 13 CAST Domains You Must Master
The competency document behind the base CAST exam organizes content into 13 sections. The version currently linked by ETA carries 2013/2016 copyright dates, so double-check you're studying against the current document before committing hours to any one topic. A full walkthrough of each area lives in CAST Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 13 Content Areas; here's a condensed view of the domains that tend to trip up first-time candidates.
Domain 1: Technology and Configuration
Covers how alarm and security technology is set up and configured in real installations.
- Understand system configuration options before memorizing menu paths
Domain 2: Alarms
Core alarm system principles - sensors, zones, panels, and signaling.
- Know how different sensor types trigger and report events
Domain 5: Cabling and Connectors
Physical layer knowledge: wire types, connector standards, and proper termination practices.
- Be able to identify connector types by function, not just appearance
Domain 9: Troubleshooting
Diagnostic logic applied across alarms, cameras, intercoms, and interfacing systems.
- Practice reading symptoms back to root causes systematically
Domain 13: Mathematics
Calculation-based questions with no reference sheet allowed during the exam.
- Drill formulas until they're automatic - you won't have a cheat sheet in the room
The remaining domains - Cameras and Intercoms, Components, Interfacing, Locks, Block Diagrams and Schematics, Computers and Digital Concepts, Hand Tools/Soldering, and Data Communications and Software - round out the full 13-section blueprint. Treat each one as fair game; a 75-question exam pulled from 13 domains doesn't leave much room for skipping sections entirely.
| Exam Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total questions | 75 |
| Time allowed | 2 hours |
| Passing score | 75% |
| Hands-on component | None |
| Reference materials allowed | None |
| Content areas tested | 13 base domains |
Wondering whether this format is actually difficult in practice, or just intimidating on paper? How Hard Is the CAST Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 breaks down the format-specific challenges, and CAST Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows looks at what the available data actually tells us.
A Domain-Sequenced Study Timeline
Generic study techniques like spaced repetition or timed review blocks only help if they're mapped to the actual 13-domain blueprint. Rather than studying alphabetically, sequence your prep so heavier conceptual domains come first and calculation-heavy or hands-on-adjacent domains get repeated exposure closer to test day.
Foundations
- Technology and Configuration
- Alarms
- Components
Systems and Wiring
- Cameras and Intercoms
- Cabling and Connectors
- Interfacing
Diagnostics and Documentation
- Locks
- Block Diagrams and Schematics
- Troubleshooting
Digital and Numeric Review
- Computers and Digital Concepts
- Hand Tools - Soldering
- Data Communications and Software
- Mathematics - daily calculation drills, since no formula sheet is permitted
Run at least one full-length, timed practice session under two-hour, 75-question conditions before you register. Our CAST practice test platform lets you simulate that pacing so the actual exam clock doesn't catch you off guard. For a condensed one-page reference to sanity-check your recall in the final days, see the CAST Cheat Sheet 2026.
Stand-Alone CAST vs. Journeyman Track
Many candidates confuse the entry-level, stand-alone CAST credential with the Journeyman designation. They are not the same qualification, and mixing them up can lead you to study for - or budget for - the wrong requirements.
- Stand-alone CAST: No CETa requirement. Open to candidates who want to demonstrate base-level competency directly.
- Journeyman status: Requires CETa plus at least two years of combined training and experience in the field.
Full eligibility rules, including how experience is documented, are covered in CAST Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify. If you're weighing whether pursuing CAST at all makes sense for your career stage, Is the CAST Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 lays out the tradeoffs, and CAST Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis looks at how the credential factors into compensation conversations.
Who Actually Hires CAST-Certified Technicians
CAST is designed around the practical skill set of installing and servicing alarm and security systems - meaning employers evaluating candidates for these roles look for demonstrated knowledge across exactly the domains tested: alarms, cameras and intercoms, locks, cabling, interfacing, and troubleshooting. Because the exam has no hands-on component, employers typically pair CAST as a knowledge baseline alongside on-the-job or apprenticeship-style experience.
If you're evaluating open roles or want a sense of how the credential is referenced in job postings, CAST Jobs rounds up how the certification shows up in hiring contexts. And if you're building out a broader training plan before sitting the exam, CAST Training covers preparation options beyond self-study.
Keeping Your CAST Current
Certification is valid for four years from the date it's earned. To maintain it, you have two paths:
- Complete 10 continuing-education hours annually, totaling 40 hours across the four-year term, or
- Secure employer or supervisor verification under ETA policy in lieu of logged CE hours
Maintenance itself has a cost: $25 annually, or $100 if paid as a single four-year lump sum. Building a habit of logging CE hours right after you pass - rather than scrambling in year three - keeps your credential in good standing without last-minute stress.
Key Takeaway
Pay the $100 four-year maintenance fee upfront if you're confident you'll hit your CE hours anyway - it removes one annual billing task from your calendar for the next four years.
For scheduling specifics around when exams and renewal windows open, check CAST Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling. And if you want the full certification overview in one place - from first registration through renewal - CAST Certification and What Is CAST Certification? both offer consolidated summaries.
Frequently Asked Questions
The base CAST exam contains 75 questions with a two-hour time limit, and you need a 75% score to pass.
No. No reference materials or formula sheets are permitted. Calculator use is allowed but must follow ETA's specific testing rules.
The base exam fee is $80. If you test remotely through ExamRoom.AI, add $16 for the two-hour proctoring session. See CAST Certification Cost 2026 for a full pricing breakdown.
You're entitled to one free retake within one year of your first session, though remote-proctoring charges are billed separately if you test remotely again.
No. Stand-alone CAST does not require CETa. CETa is only required for Journeyman status, which also needs at least two years of combined training and experience.
Ready to put a study plan into action? Run a full practice session through CAST Exam Prep's practice tests to see exactly where your domain knowledge stands before you pay for the real exam.