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BICSI Installer 2, Copper (INSTC)
The BICSI Installer 2, Copper (INSTC) certification examination is BICSI's two-part credentialing exam for copper structured-cabling installers: a hands-on performance exam of six tasks to industry standards (20-minute per-task limit, pass/fail per task, given the last day of the IN225 course or virtually via webcam) followed by a 100-question, two-hour computer-based multiple-choice written exam drawn from BICSI's ITSIMM (8th edition) and delivered through Pearson VUE; the exam application fee is USD 335 (BICSI member) / USD 400 (nonmember) covering both first attempts, and the credential is renewed every three years via 15 CECs plus a BICSI Ethics course.
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QuestionsTwo-part exam: hands-on performance exam of six tasks (pass/fail per task); written exam of 100 multiple-choice questions drawn from the ITSIMM, based on knowledge and application
Testing timeHands-on exam: six tasks with a 20-minute per-task time limit, administered the last day of the IN225 course (generally a Friday afternoon) or virtually; Written exam: two hours, computer-based, with no scheduled breaks (any break counts against the two hours)
ScoringHands-on: pass/fail per task, judged by proctors against industry standards. Written: criterion-referenced pass/fail — the passing score is set by psychometric standard-setting (Angoff method) and is not published as a number; candidates who pass are notified immediately through Pearson VUE, and unsuccessful candidates receive a topic-area performance report (not an actual score)
Exam feeExam application fee USD 335 (BICSI member) / USD 400 (nonmember), paid to BICSI, which covers the first attempt at BOTH the hands-on and written exams plus Pearson VUE registration and testing; exam retest fee USD 135 (member) / USD 200 (nonmember) per retest; virtual walk-in exam fee USD 185 for Installer 2, Copper (scheduling with a BICSI Training Delivery Specialist and shipment of the hands-on materials kit); prices in U.S. dollars, subject to change, and application fees are non-refundable and non-transferable
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What to know before choosing your prep
- Who runs it
- BICSI
- Category
- Networking
- Current version
- Current specification based on BICSI's ITSIMM, 8th edition; the exam content outline derives from a Job Task Analysis repeated every three to five years; Installation Handbook dated September 10, 2025 (no separately versioned exam label)
- Where it applies
- Global
- Exam languages
- English
- Score scale
- No published numeric score scale — hands-on tasks and the written exam are reported pass/fail (unsuccessful candidates receive a weighted topic-area performance report, not a score)
- Testing provider
- Pearson VUE (written exam, test centers and OnVUE); BICSI proctors / BICSI Training Delivery Specialist (hands-on exam)
- Format
- Hands-on performance exam in person (last day of the IN225 course, or as a scheduled virtual walk-in completed via the examinee's webcam using the examinee's own tools plus a BICSI-supplied materials kit) followed by a computer-based written exam at a Pearson VUE test center or at home via OnVUE
- Availability
- Exam application due at least seven days before the hands-on exam date; the hands-on exam is typically given the last day of the IN225 course (generally Friday afternoon) or scheduled as a virtual walk-in; the written exam is scheduled through Pearson VUE only after passing the hands-on exam
- Results
- Hands-on: proctors give pass/fail results after each task on exam day. Written: passing status notified immediately through Pearson VUE; unsuccessful candidates receive a topic-area score report
- Credential validity
- The INSTC certification is awarded for three years; installers must recertify every three years via continuing education — 15 CECs in ICT plus completion of one BICSI Ethics course — and/or examination
- Remote testing
- Available
Exam structure
Two separately administered parts, both required. Hands-on performance exam: six tasks to industry standards (20-minute per-task limit, proctor-scored pass/fail). Written exam: 100 multiple-choice questions across ten blueprint areas — Establish Pathways and Space 28%; Conduct Field Planning, Implementation, and Design 15%; Pull Copper Cable 14%; Terminate Copper Cable 14%; Test Copper Cable 6%; Perform Troubleshooting 6%; Perform Splicing 5%; Apply Concepts of Integration and/or Convergence to Scope of Work 5%; Perform Retrofits 4%; Codes and Standards 3%
Where rules vary
BICSI is a global ICT industry association; its installation credentials are delivered worldwide, with written exams at Pearson VUE test centers located globally (plus OnVUE at-home testing) and virtual hands-on exams by webcam
Eligibility
One of three eligibility paths: (1) six months of verifiable full-time-equivalent structured cabling systems (SCS) field experience AND successful completion of the BICSI Installer 1 certificate program; (2) one year of verifiable copper SCS field experience AND successful completion of BICSI's instructor-led hands-on copper SCS training (IN225); or (3) two years of verifiable SCS field experience AND a minimum of 35 hours of documented continuing education in copper SCS; physical requirements include color discrimination, manual dexterity, standing for extended periods, climbing ladders, and lifting up to 50 pounds
Retake policy
Hands-on: one free same-day retest per failed task; failing the same task twice or failing two tasks total requires retaking the hands-on exam on another date. Written/overall: 30-day waiting period between unsuccessful attempts; after a third unsuccessful attempt, a 90-day waiting period begins; exam eligibility is valid one year from the first hands-on attempt; each retest requires the retest fee