Practice Test Geeks(CST) Certified Surveillance Technician Practice Test
← All CST Flashcard Decks

Surveillance Systems Installation Flashcards

7 cards from real CST practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Surveillance Systems Installation flashcards as text

  1. A customer requests that the surveillance system be configured so that camera footage is only retained for 30 days. What storage calculation approach should the technician use?

    Answer: Calculate bitrate × seconds per day × number of cameras × 30 days and convert to terabytes

    Storage is calculated as bitrate (Mbps) × seconds/day × cameras × retention days ÷ 8 (bits to bytes) ÷ 1,000,000 (to terabytes), which accounts for actual recording parameters.

  2. During system commissioning, a technician discovers that two cameras on the same NVR display a 'video loss' alarm intermittently. What is the best first troubleshooting step?

    Answer: Check the switch port status and cable continuity for both cameras to identify a shared infrastructure issue

    When two cameras fail simultaneously, the likely cause is a shared infrastructure component such as a switch, PoE injector, or cable path, so checking these first is most efficient.

  3. What is the significance of the ONVIF Profile S specification in a surveillance system installation?

    Answer: It defines interoperability standards for IP video streaming, PTZ control, and video analytics between devices

    ONVIF Profile S defines a standard set of functions including video streaming, PTZ control, and event handling that enable interoperability between IP cameras and NVRs from different manufacturers.

  4. A surveillance technician is installing cameras in an area with highly reflective floors and large windows. Which camera feature most effectively handles the resulting high-contrast lighting?

    Answer: Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) processing to simultaneously expose bright and dark areas of the scene

    WDR uses multiple exposures or advanced sensor techniques to capture detail in both brightly lit and shadowed areas of the same frame simultaneously.

  5. When installing cameras in a correctional facility, what additional installation consideration is required that differs from a typical commercial deployment?

    Answer: All camera housings and mounting hardware must be rated as tamper-resistant and vandal-proof

    In correctional environments, cameras and housings must be vandal-resistant and tamper-proof to withstand deliberate attacks and prevent inmates from defeating the surveillance system.

  6. A technician is troubleshooting a PTZ camera that responds to pan and tilt commands but fails to operate the zoom function. What is the most likely cause?

    Answer: The camera's zoom motor or the zoom control channel in the PTZ protocol configuration is faulty

    When pan/tilt work but zoom does not, the issue is likely isolated to the zoom motor mechanism, its control wiring, or an incorrect zoom address in the PTZ controller configuration.

  7. During the final walkthrough of a newly installed surveillance system, the client asks for documentation. Which documents should be provided as part of a professional installation package?

    Answer: As-built camera placement drawings, equipment serial numbers, IP addresses, warranty information, and user training documentation

    A complete professional installation package includes as-built drawings, equipment inventory with serial numbers, network configuration records, warranties, and user training to support future maintenance.