Cheat sheet
BICSI Installer 2 Copper Cheat Sheet
Planning + Safety
- Not published of exam
- Site Survey Work Documents Pathway Readiness Safety Controls Labeling Plan
Copper Installation
- Not published of exam
- Cable Media Pulling Cable Support PoE Heat Route Protection
Termination + Splicing
- Not published of exam
- IDC Work Patch Panels Shielding Coax Splice Records
Testing + Troubleshooting
- Not published of exam
- Wiremap Link Testing Transmission Fault Isolation Test Reports
Delivery + Integration
- Not published of exam
- Retrofits As-Builts Convergence Quality Control Customer Handover
Quick Facts
- Credential Installer 2, Copper (INSTC)
- Owner BICSI
- Focus Copper installation practice
- Format Not published
- Question count Not published
- Exam time Not published
- Domain weights Not published
- Study target 50 ITSIMM hours minimum
Bonding vs Grounding PL
Bonding
- Join metal parts
- Create continuity
Grounding
- Reference to earth
- Fault-current path
- Equipotential vs earth reference
Field Planning PL
- Scope Defined deliverables
- Site survey Verify field conditions
- Drawings Approved installation route
- Work area User connection location
- TR Telecommunications room
- Pathway Cable routing space
- Label plan Traceable identifiers
Safety + Compliance PL
- AHJ Local enforcing authority
- NEC Electrical code baseline
- PPE Task-specific protection
- Firestop Restore rated penetration
- Bonding Join conductive components
- Manufacturer data Installation limits
- As-built Final field record
Pull Sequence IN
- Survey, support, separate, pull, test, document
- Survey route Support cable Save records
U/UTP vs F/UTP IN
U/UTP
- No overall shield
- Unshielded pairs
F/UTP
- Overall foil shield
- Unshielded pairs
- No foil vs overall foil
Installation Picker IN
- Route not verified → Survey pathway ( Before pulling )
- Plenum route → Match cable rating ( Code conditions )
- High EMI exposure → Assess shielding ( Design dependent )
- High PoE load → Review bundle heat ( Temperature matters )
- Pull begins → Control tension ( Cable limit )
- Bend encountered → Maintain radius ( Protect geometry )
- Rated penetration → Approved firestop ( Restore rating )
- Coax endpoint → Compatible BNC ( System specified )
Copper Media IN
- Balanced pair Twisted-pair signaling
- U/UTP No pair shielding
- F/UTP Overall foil shield
- Category 6A 10GBASE-T capable
- Coaxial Center conductor cable
- AWG Conductor size system
- Lower AWG Larger conductor
PoE Heat IN
- More current, resistance, heat, derating
- Bundle size Ambient heat Conductor size
Pulling Practice IN
- Payoff Controlled cable payout
- Pull string Route pulling medium
- Pull tension Follow cable limit
- Bend radius Protect cable geometry
- Lubricant Cable-compatible only
- Cable support Continuous route support
- Separation Avoid interference sources
Termination Basics TE
- IDC Insulation displacement contact
- 110 block IDC connecting hardware
- Patch panel Equipment-room termination
- Outlet Work-area termination
- T568A Pair assignment scheme
- T568B Pair assignment scheme
- Pair twist Preserve near termination
Shielding + Splicing TE
- Shield continuity Continuous bonded path
- STP hardware Shield-compatible components
- BNC Bayonet coax connector
- Conductor ID Match splice pairs
- Splice enclosure Protect joined conductors
- Splice verification Test completed joint
- Splice record Document location method
Test Sequence VE
- Wiremap first, performance second, records last
- Continuity Transmission Report
Permanent Link vs Channel VE
Permanent link
- Fixed cabling
- Patch cords excluded
Channel
- Complete path
- Patch cords included
- Installation vs user path
Test + Fault Picker VE
- Fixed cabling acceptance → Permanent-link test ( Exclude patch cords )
- Complete path evaluation → Channel test ( Include patch cords )
- Wiremap fails → Inspect terminations ( Pair placement )
- NEXT fails → Check pair twist ( Near termination )
- Return loss fails → Inspect connectors ( Impedance discontinuity )
- Loss too high → Check length damage ( Path condition )
- AXT suspected → Assess adjacent bundles ( Cable-to-cable coupling )
- Repair complete → Save retest report ( Close documentation )
Certification Tests VE
- Permanent link Fixed cabling test
- Channel Complete end-to-end path
- Wiremap Conductor continuity map
- Insertion loss Signal loss measure
- NEXT Near-end crosstalk
- Return loss Impedance mismatch reflection
- AXT Adjacent-cable crosstalk
NEXT vs AXT VE
NEXT
- Same cable
- Near-end coupling
AXT
- Adjacent cables
- Bundle coupling
- Inside cable vs between cables
Fault Isolation VE
- Open Broken conductor path
- Short Unintended conductor contact
- Reversed pair Polarity swapped
- Split pair Wrong pair grouping
- Intermittent Nonconstant failure
- Reterminate Correct connector fault
- Retest Confirm corrective action
Open vs Split Pair VE
Open
- Broken path
- Continuity failure
Split pair
- Wrong conductors paired
- Performance failure
- Disconnected vs misgrouped
Convergence + Delivery FI
- PoE Data plus DC power
- PSE Power sourcing equipment
- PD Powered device
- Wireless AP PoE network endpoint
- IP camera Network security endpoint
- Retrofit Existing-system modification
- Handover Deliver test records
Common Traps
Fixed link ≠ channel
- Patch cords excluded ≠ Patch cords included
Wiremap pass ≠ certify
- Continuity only ≠ Performance still required
Shield ≠ automatic grounding
- Bond every component ≠ Follow system design
Standard ≠ local approval
- AHJ enforces code ≠ Meet local requirements
Color match ≠ pair integrity
- Preserve pair twist ≠ Verify wiremap
Lower AWG ≠ smaller
- Lower means larger ≠ Resistance changes
Last Minute
- 1. Confirm approved drawings
- 2. Survey pathways before pulling
- 3. Match cable space rating
- 4. Respect tension and bend limits
- 5. Maintain pair twist
- 6. Bond shielded components continuously
- 7. Restore rated firestops
- 8. Choose correct test configuration
- 9. Save certified test reports
- 10. Update labels and as-builts
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