CCTV operator exam — how much of it is actually analog vs. IP systems?
Taking the Certified CCTV Operator exam in about 6 weeks and I'm trying to figure out where to focus my prep time. I've been working with IP-based systems exclusively for the last 3 years and my analog knowledge is honestly pretty rusty. The practice materials seem to cover both equally but I've heard the actual exam leans more toward IP.
My current practice scores are around 71–74%, and passing is 70%, so I'm close but I don't want to walk in with that thin a margin. I'm putting in about an hour a day and considering bumping to 90 minutes for the final 4 weeks to tighten things up.
The sections I'm most solid on are camera placement principles, field of view calculations, and basic surveillance law. Where I keep dropping points is on compression formats, storage calculations, and network infrastructure stuff like PoE specifications and bandwidth math for different resolution streams.
Anyone who's sat for this recently — is the storage calculation piece as math-heavy as it looks in the study materials? I'm fine with the concepts but formulas with multiple variables under time pressure make me nervous.
Your margin is thin. If you're at 71–74% on practice, bump your daily time now rather than waiting 4 weeks. The network fundamentals section took me way longer to internalize than I expected and rushing it in the final stretch is stressful.
Surveillance law and privacy requirements varied more by jurisdiction than I expected from the practice materials. Know the general standards rather than assuming your local rules apply everywhere — the exam tests the broader framework.
The storage calculation questions are definitely on there and they require actual math. Drill those formulas until you can do them quickly without second-guessing the unit conversions. GB vs. TB mistakes under time pressure are easy to make and I missed 2 questions from exactly that on my first attempt.
I sat for the CCTV cert about 8 months ago. The split felt roughly 60% IP and 40% analog to me, though the analog questions were more conceptual than technical — signal degradation and coax cable run limits rather than wiring schematics.
Just wanted to drop in with a quick update since I'm in a similar boat. Sat a practice test yesterday and pulled a 74%, which honestly surprised me given how shaky my analog knowledge felt going in. The breakdown showed I'm doing fine on IP stuff but dropping points on coax termination and older multiplexer setups, so that's where I'm focusing the next few weeks.
I've got my exam booked for early July, so about five weeks out. From what I can tell the test does lean a bit more toward fundamentals that apply to both systems rather than deep IP config knowledge, so don't write off the analog sections even if it's not what you're working with day to day. Good luck with your prep.
Failed it the first time around because I made exactly the mistake you're worried about -- I leaned way too hard into IP since that's my day job and I treated the analog sections like a formality. Big mistake. The exam does not care that IP is where the industry is headed. There's a solid chunk of analog fundamentals on there, stuff like coax cable types, BNC connectors, video signal voltages, and I genuinely blanked on a few questions I should've known cold.
Second attempt I spent probably 60% of my study time on analog and legacy concepts even though it felt backwards. Passed with room to spare. My advice is don't skip the older tech just because you don't use it anymore -- the exam was written to test whether you understand the full scope, not just what's current. If your analog knowledge is rusty like mine was, that's actually where you'll lose the most points.