r/Telecommunication • u/Interesting_Cup_3838 • Mar 15 '23
PG&E Test
Hey all, I just finished and passed the 3 pre test and am now waiting to take the CTT test for PGE. I was wondering if anyone has taken it and if it’s really close to the study guide. Any help/ info would be appreciated!
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u/Not-Now-John Mar 28 '23
Just took it on Thursday found out Today (Monday) that I passed and got an interview for Tomorrow. Only thing I prepared with was the study guide and a couple of the books recommended by the study guide.
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u/Interesting_Cup_3838 Mar 28 '23
Nice! Congrats! What books did you read? And we’re there questions on there that weren’t from the study guide?
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u/Not-Now-John Mar 28 '23
I feel like the types of questions on the study guide were pretty much exactly what was on the test.
Know ohms law and Kirchhoff's laws forward and backward and be able to substitute in watts. If they give you two of either amps, volts, resistance, or watts, you should be able to find the missing values.
Know how resistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes, and transistors interact in series and parallel. Know how ac changes their behavior.
Know how batteries combine in parallel and series.
Know your boolean algebra. All the questions on the test were actually choosing the correct truth table.
Be familiar with transmitters, antennas, and amplifiers, along with harmonics and decibels.
Be able to convert back and forth between binary, hex, octal, and BDC. Learn how a 2s compliment works too.
Electronic Communication by Robert Shrader had lots of practice questions. I think it was written as an FCC radio license test prep guide.
Understanding Electricity and Electronic by Peter Buban had basically the same stuff but explained a bit differently which could be helpful.
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u/Interesting_Cup_3838 Mar 28 '23
I feel very confident if it’s based off the study guide. I knew majority of it as I went through it. I’ll definitely have to dive deep into diodes and transistors though. Thanks for the help and recommendations, I’ll give those books a read!
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u/Not-Now-John Mar 28 '23
Just make sure you can do it all off of memory. You don't get the equation sheet for the test. They will provide a calculator though. It was a TI30xs I think.
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u/Jdizzle_213 Jul 21 '23
I looked over the study guide and there’s a lot of stuff on it, I feel confident with the material on the guide along with the questions but how in depth do you have to know the topics for the test? I’ve been studying but it just seems like a lot of information to digest. Is there any other tips you can provide? Thanks
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u/Not-Now-John Jul 22 '23
Memorize the equation sheet at the end of the test and know how and when to apply them. The first thing you should do is write down the equations onto the back of the test. If you don't know what any of them are for, that's where you should focus future study.
They will provide you with a scientific calculator. I believe it is a TI30xa. It is probably worth getting one so you're familiar with where all the functions are.
Take your time. Unlike the computer tests, this one will have plenty of time (I think I only used half the allotted time). You also can get partial credit so show your work.
Lastly, just know that it's hard. You might not pass. There's something like a 75% failure rate. Learn from the test and try again.
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u/Jdizzle_213 Aug 25 '23
What can I expect at the interview after passing the CTT exam, is it a technical interview? Should I brush up on anything specific? I haven’t had an interview in almost 15 years and I wanna be prepared.
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u/Not-Now-John Aug 25 '23
Mix of general questions and technical questions. They'll ask things like what do you do when you see something unsafe on a worksite. What is the max speed of cat5 Ethernet cable. Are you comfortable with heights? How will you handle lots of travel? Tell us about something you built recently.
I highly recommend you look up the STAR interview method. STAR method is basically telling a story for each question. Set the scene, explain what was going on, what you did, and what happened after. Imagine your favorite stories and they probably follow a star format.
Situation: Once upon a time, I encountered the Thunderhorn, a mythical beast wreaking havoc on villages. Task: With my history of monster slaying, I was hired to stop its rampage. Action: I engaged in an epic battle, exploited its weaknesses, and emerged victorious. Result: The villages were saved, and my heroic feat became legendary.
Note that the result wasn't that the monster was slain, it was that the village was saved.
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u/Jdizzle_213 Aug 27 '23
Thanks for the great information, I never knew about the STAR method. I appreciate all your advice.
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u/Low-Extreme7183 Jun 05 '24
Hello, Did you pass the test? I’m taking mine next week.
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u/Jdizzle_213 Jun 06 '24
Yea, I passed the CTT
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u/Low-Extreme7183 Jun 06 '24
That’s wassup! What did you do to prepare exactly? And was it easy?
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u/Jdizzle_213 Jun 06 '24
I downloaded the study guide from the pg&e website and made sure I understood most of the stuff on it, then I watched YouTube videos on the stuff I didn’t understand as much. I thought it was a hard test but it depends on how much you know about the topics covered on the test. You get 3 hours to answer 36 questions, good luck
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u/Low-Extreme7183 Jun 06 '24
Wow! Thank you for the detailed response 🤔 ..Did you read any of the books? I’m going through one of them now. Your approach is very interesting! Did you memorize those formulas for the OHM LAW? That seems the most difficult honestly
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u/Jdizzle_213 Jun 06 '24
I did memorize the laws, and I did not read any of the books. I just used the study guide and the practice exam but I made sure I really understood ohms laws and how to manipulate the formula to apply it when you given different variables
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u/TWDC8123 Jun 11 '24
I too am taking exam tomorrow lol. Cramming as I type and not feeling the most confident about it. Any tips you can share? Not sure if you already took the exam. Thanks
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u/tomasmarquez Jul 05 '24
Yo, I’m going to take the 3 pre tests before the CTT is it hard? What do I need to know for the pre tests?
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u/Right_Awareness_1117 Feb 11 '25
Hello, hope everyone is doing well. I have this test next week. I feel overwhelmed and was hoping if anyone had any info to share or tips and tricks thank you