CIT Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass

Why There Is No Single CIT Passing Score

If you searched for "the CIT passing score" expecting one scaled number, such as a score out of several hundred, the first thing to understand is that Certified Intrusion Technician Level II does not work that way. It is a coursework-and-experience credential issued through the Electronic Security Association (ESA) and National Training School. You earn it by completing required courses, passing the assessments attached to those courses, meeting a prerequisite and experience requirement, and then submitting a certification request with documentation.

There is no separate, standalone CIT examination in the published pathway. That single fact reshapes the entire question of what "passing" means. Instead of one cut score, you face two course-level thresholds that happen to share the same percentage: a proctored exam for Advanced Intrusion Systems (AIS) and a terminal quiz for Fundamentals of Networking. Our guide to what CIT certification is covers the credential's overall structure; this article focuses on the numbers.

The Passing Numbers That Are Actually Published

Here is the complete picture of what ESA's public course listings support. The table separates the two components deliberately, because blending them is the most common way candidates misunderstand the requirement.

Notice the discipline required here: the 50 questions, two hours, and open-book rule belong to the AIS exam only. Do not transfer them to the networking quiz, and do not treat the four-hour networking course length as a quiz timer. Course hours describe instruction time, not how long you get to answer questions.

The AIS Proctored Exam: Where the 70% Really Bites

The Advanced Intrusion Systems exam is the heavier of the two assessments, and it is the one that carries the proctoring requirement. On 50 multiple-choice questions, a 70% threshold works out to needing 35 correct answers. That arithmetic is simple, but it comes with a caveat: ESA does not publicly disclose whether every question is scored or whether some items are unscored, so treat "35 of 50" as a planning estimate rather than a guaranteed cut line.

The two-hour limit is generous for 50 questions. That works out to roughly two and a half minutes per item, which is why the real challenge is rarely speed. The challenge is that "open book" lulls candidates into under-preparing. Open-book access to the course manual helps you confirm a specification or a wiring convention, but it does not help if you have never worked through the manual's structure and have to hunt for an answer under time pressure on every question.

The AIS course material spans nine published topics, from the practical application of electronics and controls through system power, input and output, networking and communication, advanced systems and devices, testing and commissioning, project management, and residential and commercial sensor application. ESA does not publish how many exam questions come from each topic, so there is no official "largest domain" to prioritize. You prepare across all nine. Our complete guide to all 16 CIT content areas breaks each one down.

The Networking Terminal Quiz: What We Know and Don't Know

The Fundamentals of Networking component is a four-hour course that finishes with a terminal quiz. The published requirement is 70% or higher. Beyond that, the public listing does not verify the quiz's question count, item format, or timer. That gap matters, because it is tempting to assume the quiz mirrors the AIS exam. It should not be assumed to: nothing public says it is 50 questions, two hours, open book, or proctored.

Practically, the safest posture is to treat the quiz as a closed-book knowledge check on the seven published networking subjects until you see the actual quiz interface and instructions. If it turns out to allow notes, you've lost nothing by preparing thoroughly. If you assumed it was open book and it wasn't, you could fall short on a requirement that is otherwise quite approachable.

The Sixteen Topics Behind the Scores

The sixteen "domains" used in this site's materials are not an official weighted blueprint. They are the nine AIS topics and seven networking subjects that ESA publishes for the two required additional courses, grouped for study. There are no official domain weights, no ranked largest domain, and no published item percentages. Think of them as the complete scope of required-course preparation, not a scoring formula.

Because the AIS exam covers all nine of its topics and the networking quiz covers all seven of its subjects, there is no safe topic to skip. A candidate who ignores, say, project management or storage types because "it probably won't be tested much" is guessing, since no weighting is published. Keep your preparation, and any practice questions you use, clearly separated by component. The CIT study guide walks through how to organize that.

Missing 70%: Retake Fee and the Six-Month Window

A score below 70% is not the end of the road. The ESA FAQ lists a $135 retake fee and a six-month window to complete the exam process. Two practical consequences follow. First, a failed attempt costs real money on top of what you already paid for the course, so it is worth preparing as though you only get one shot. Second, the six-month window creates a deadline: you cannot drift indefinitely between attempts.

The six-month window is also why you should check scheduling before you pay. If you register for a live session such as the October 20-21, 2026 AIS training listing, the exam process clock matters from the moment you begin. For details on timing, see our guide to CIT exam dates and testing windows.

Scores Are Only One Gate: Prerequisites and Documentation

Even a perfect score on both assessments does not by itself confer the credential. CIT Level II requires an active ESA Certified Alarm Technician Level 1 or higher certificate, or an accredited equivalent, plus either 24 months of verified industry work history or at least 24 months holding the qualifying Level 1 credential. Both required courses must be completed within the previous five years, and you must submit a certification request with supporting documentation. The certification request itself is free.

This is why "passing score" is only part of the story. Candidates sometimes pass the AIS exam, then stall because their work history is not documented or their courses fall outside the five-year window. Read the full eligibility picture in our CIT requirements guide before you invest in the courses.

What a Passing Score Costs You

Because the assessments are bundled into the courses, the cost of passing is really the cost of the coursework. The published figures are:

One retake of the AIS exam adds $135, which is a meaningful fraction of the existing-prerequisite route. That math is a good reason to invest preparation time up front. For a fuller breakdown, see the CIT certification cost guide.

Scheduling Your Prep Around the Score

Generic study advice is not what clears 70%; knowing how the two assessments differ is. A sensible plan front-loads the material that is easiest to forget and reserves time for open-book navigation practice. Here is one way to sequence a six-week run, tied directly to the topics above.

If you want a deeper treatment of how difficult each piece tends to feel, read how hard the CIT exam is. For a condensed last-day review, the CIT cheat sheet is built for that purpose. You can also build familiarity with question style through the CIT Exam Prep practice test site.

After You Pass: Validity and Renewal

Once certified, the credential is valid for 24 months. Renewal requires 24 CEU hours per two-year cycle, plus an application and fee. The current renewal fee has not been verified, so confirm it with ESA directly rather than relying on a number you find elsewhere. Remember that renewal periods and prerequisite experience periods are administrative requirements, not exam durations.

If you are weighing whether the effort is worthwhile, our analyses of whether the CIT certification is worth it and the CIT salary guide cover the career side, and CIT jobs looks at who hires for intrusion technician roles.

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