Senior Technician Certification

IST Application

Start Your IST Application

IST Renewal Application

Renew Your IST Certification

IST Exam Voucher

Purchase transferable exam voucher(s).


This certification represents a technician who can work independently to perform all functions related to the pre-wire (First Fix) and trim-out (Second Fix) phases of a project including troubleshooting common errors and verifying system functionality.

Certified technicians follow best practices to properly mount and install a wide range of home technology equipment in racks and throughout a residence. They understand the basic concepts of how audio, video, and communication and control devices work, and perform the basic configuration of various integrated systems and equipment.

This certification indicates to employers that a person has experience, possesses a broad range of essential technical skills, and is able to pursue more specialized and advanced training on specific technology systems.

Features of the IST

The IST was released in November 2021 and is the result of a year-long process involving input from hundreds of residential integrators around the globe. The IST replaced CEDIA’s ESC-T as the primary intermediate-level technician certification for the industry. 

  • Updated – The content of this exam has been thoroughly vetted by a team of over 20 global subject matters experts.
  • Aligned – This certification is the next step for technicians who have already earned the entry-level CEDIA Cabling & Infrastructure Technician (CIT) certification. Likewise, all of CEDIA’s specialist credentials such as the ESC-N and ESC-D will build directly on top of the core knowledge represented at the IST level. Overlapping content between certifications has been removed.
  • Supported – Apart from the Certification process, CEDIA’s Education and Standards departments have used the IST blueprint to create new curriculum and reference materials that align to this framework and give learners a clear pathway to follow.
  • Global - CEDIA has worked hard to ensure that, as much as possible, the content is representative of a global audience.
The CEDIA Certified Integrated System Technician (IST) is accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) as having met the international standard for personnel certification bodies defined by the ISO/IEC 17024 standard.

IST Test Takers Resources

IST Candidate Handbook

IST Exam Blueprint

Once you have submitted your application and it has been approved you received an email from CEDIA with instructions about setting up a Webassessor Account and scheduling your exam through that portal. In that email you will have received a Kryterion scheduling voucher (valid for 3 months) which can be to register for an exam in either of the following two options. 

  1. Remote Online Proctoring – take the exam from the convenience of your own home or business. Learn more about this option in the Remote Proctoring information page and from the Kryterion Support page.  
  2. Local Kryterion Test Center – There are 1,000+ global test centers and you can browse to locate one near you.

If you do not pass your IST exam, you may retest. You will receive a link at that time to pay the discounted retest fee of $125/£100. Please contact certification@cedia.org if you have any questions about scheduling or vouchers. 

Information for IST Certification Holders

Once you have passed your exam you will receive the following:

  • Score report email from Webassessor with your exam results by domain. (Immediately)
  • Official email form CEDIA recognizing awarding your certification and providing links to the logos. (within 4 business days)
  • Email from Accredible with your specific digital badge link. Learn more about CEDIA’s digital badges here. (within 4 business days)
  • Letter in the mail with your official printed certificate and lapel pin. (within 2 weeks)
  • For more tips and ideas on getting the most out of your certification please download the How to
    Market Your Certification resource    .

To view and manage your certification please log into cedia.org and go to the My Education page from within your account. This will display all your certifications along with your transcript. As you take classes that are eligible for CEUs, you can add them to your transcript through the CEU Petition Form.

Keep in mind that in addition to taking CEU courses, you may also earn CEU from volunteer activities and by reading approved whitepapers and passing a comprehension quiz. There are currently 14 of these approved (1 CEU each) and you can find them in the CEDIA Academy.

If you also hold a CIT certification keep in mind that the CIT and IST certification periods do not sync and you will need to renew them separately.

If in addition to your IST, you hold an active ESC-N or ESC-D then those specialist certifications will sync to be in line with your IST certification period and earning 30 CEUs will renew them all at the same time. Additional CEUs are not required for renewing those additional certifications.

Please reference the IST Handbook for full renewal policies. Contact certification@cedia.org if you have any questions about your certification period or renewing your certification.