Why Choose ETA for your Certification?

Thousands of technicians have gained ETA certifications, including over 28,000 fiber optics installers and hundreds or thousands in each basic or specialty segment of electronics. Some reasons for choosing an ETA certification include:

• High Standards: ETA models its electronics certification exams after international competency standards. ETA is a member of the International Certification Accreditation Council (ICAC), which audits ETA’s programs on a 5-year schedule.
      
• Recognition: The National Skills Standards Board’s feasibility study concluded the ETA electronics certification programs were among the best industry certifications available. In addition, our Certified Electronics Technician (CET) program, along with many others, is one of the most widely recognized certification programs in the industry.
      
• ETA Industry Participation: In order to maintain the highest and most up-to-date information on assessment programs, ETA officials participate in industry groups such as ICAC, NCEE, NSSB, ITC, NCC, other voluntary partnerships and at military educator conferences.
      
• Objectivity: All ETA certifications measure competencies of persons, not products or vendors. ETA’s programs are consistent with civil rights, anti-discrimination and fairness standards.
      
• Quality Control: Committees for each competency, made up of a demographically diverse group of ETA staff, educators, multiple national associations and subject matter experts (SME’s), provide input for, review and update examinations at least annually to comply with electronic industry standards.
      
• Feedback: Educators, practitioners, students and employers have the opportunity to provide regular feedback (to discuss individual exam question wording, practicality or fairness) for added reliability, validity and consistency. Where any doubts exist, ETA consults individual C.E.T.s or other SME’s to affirm the validity of the questions.
      
• Accessibility: ETA typically offers its certification exams on a demand basis rather than scheduled dates for added convenience. ETA exams are available at more than 900 permanent public and proprietary educational institutions, nonpermanent locations such as libraries, colleges and penal institutions, and at U.S. Military base education offices. We also offer our electronics certification exams online for added convenience. View list of ETA-approved schools (PDF).
      
• Portability: ETA’s certifications are personal and travel with the individual, regardless of his or her employment or status change.
      
• Cut Scores: While most exam programs establish the cut score at 75% (as does the U.S. Government’s FCC commercial exams programs), the industry establishes the difficulty of ETA exams to match the knowledge and skills requirements of workers, thus the cut scores.
      
• Hands-On: Several of ETA’s assessment programs, such as Line sweeping (FDR) and Fiber Optics require, in addition to the knowledge exam, a practical, or hands-on test of special skills needed to perform in the workplace. Interviews and appeals are a regular part of business at ETA.
      
• Reasonable Fees: Many recognize ETA’s exam fee structure as among the most economical for examinees in the electronics industry, or any other industry. View our online exam fees.
      
• Linkage to Jobs: ETA certifications are widely recognized and frequently used in worker job selection, hiring processes, pay increases and advancements. Visit ETA’s Career Resource Center.
      
• Ladder of Progression: ETA provides a ladder for career advancement. Basic entry levels for Student and Associate Electronics; Journeyman, Senior and Master C.E.T.; Basic, Journeyman and Master Residential Electronics Systems Integrator (RESI); Master Satellite Installer; Fiber Optics Installer, Technician and Designer, or endorsements for specific disciplines have been designed into the program as the need occurs. View ETA’s current Journeyman Certifications
      
• Stand Alone Courses: Although most students gain certification at the conclusion of an educational course, with some programs including a hands-on component or skills documentation, ETA offers many stand-alone certifications that do not require a formal course of study or other training prerequisite.
      
• Usefulness by Schools: ETA programs are widely used by individual states to allow verified credits to students in secondary, post secondary and commercial technical schools.
      
• Privacy: ETA does not divulge individual examination scores to employers or co-workers. Only the examinee’s instructor or proctor may know them (if requested).
      
• Objective Grading: ETA scores and processes all exams from its global database at its headquarters in Greencastle, Indiana. ETA does not weight its exams.
      
• Percentage of Pass/Fails: ETA exams are industry-based, and thus ETA sets exam difficulty levels to match the specific industry segment, rather than to base it on mathematical formulae. We review and reassess the pass/fail percentage if interviews determine its necessity. ETA offers a free retake policy that allows an examinee (after a 30 day wait period) to re-sit for the exam after obtaining additional knowledge.
      
• Study Guides: ETA provides study text or media suggestions for all of its certifications and produces its own study guides and courses where appropriate. Download certification information or review our online self-study courses.
      
• Course Approval: ETA provides experts to schools that require a 3rd party review of their electronics courses, either via mail or on-site.

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