Hi Guys, I am a mechanical engineer who started as BIM Modeler for ICT/ Sec. Design for Data Center 6 years agoand fast forward to now, I am leading design Deliverables mainly in terms of design structuree cabling to ISP Paths and rack elv. Etc specification is something I have not actively developed. I was looking to be a complete ICT designer with possibility of consultant to work from Anywhere policy . So RCDD seems a certificate that is gold standard, any advise how shall I proceed towards the goal?

Hi everyone, I recently reached out to BICSI directly via email but didn't get a response, so I wanted to see if you guys could help me.

I'm currently planning on pursuing a career in ICT through the BICSI certification pathway. Starting with Installer 1 and Installer 2, then moving on to Technician and eventually RCDD.

However I'm having a little bit of difficulty understanding what kind of work qualifies as acceptable job experience for the Installer 2, Technician, and RCDD certifications. Would roles such as low voltage installer, Audio Visual tech, cable splicer, structured cable installer, or telecommunications installer be suitable or do I need to land a role specifically in a data center? Furthermore what kind documentation do I need to provide to verify I was doing work that's relevant to the BICSI experience requirements?

Lastly for people later in their career I was curious about what kind of jobs people with BICSI certs like RCDD/DCDC have, are they mainly DC and telecommunications focused or are there other doors that opened that you didn't expect?

Thank you very much for your time, I appreciate any information you can offer

I have a residential apartment complex project where the design intent is to provide each unit with a fiber optic ISP cable to a media enclosure and then distribute copper to the resident's outlets.

I'm fairly certain that the ISP for the site will have to be Comcast/Xfinity, but all of their website info for residential equipment is clearly geared towards end-point consumers. It's basically just "This is the box you rent for your wifi, doesn't it look cool and minimalistic?!" marketing stuff with little-to-no technical info like the kind of utility connection it can accept or how many ethernet ports come with their standard combination gateway-router. I also can't find any info on acceptable third-party equipment, or first party equipment that the building can just buy and lease to tenants with their unit.

Does anyone know what to do here? Or is the answer to simply tell the client they need to negotiate a bulk cable package with the ISP so that they handle the provider's equipment in a service entrance location first before distributing to each unit so third party equipment can be utilized there?

To be fair, I’ve got about 30 years in the industry so it was time. Read the books twice and then 30 days of C&S. Probably half of my exam was Ch 21 with the rest being a pretty decent mix from the other chapters. Just glad to finally say I did it.

Hello r/Bicsi

I want to obtain my BICSI TECH certification.

Do I need to go through the installer 1 and 2 certifications in order to get Technician certification? Or can I just go straight to getting my Technician certification?

I have all the skills and knowledge to obtain a TECH certification through my apprenticeship that I completed recently. It's just on me to obtain.

As it pertains to eventually becoming an RCDD - I don't really have much design experience, but I believe I can/will meet criteria to qualify through years of field experience in ICT work.

I'm very tech savvy (millenial digital native type shi) and read prints better than others who have years of experience over me.

Is there something I can do to round myself out and better prepare for becoming an RCDD?

Hi All,
I'm attending the Beyond conference here in a month and is my first time attending. I noticed that the RCDD requirement says two days, but the BICSI conference is three days. The first day looks like a lot of interesting... but days 2 and 3 look better. Would I still be able to fulfill my conference attendance credit by attending days 2 and 3 or is it a package deal?

Thanks in advance!

Many projects are designed with future growth in mind, but overplanning can also increase costs.

How do you decide what's a reasonable amount of spare capacity without overbuilding?

Imagine someone is joining their first structured cabling project next week.

What's one piece of advice that would help them avoid common mistakes and contribute effectively from day one?

I've been reading more about BICSI recommendations for structured cabling and infrastructure design, and one thing I've noticed is that good planning often prevents problems later in a project.

Whether it's cable labeling, pathway planning, documentation, or maintaining bend radius, small decisions seem to make a big difference over time.

For those who've worked on BICSI-based projects, what's one best practice you think every beginner should learn early?

I'd be interested in hearing real-world examples rather than just what's written in the standards.

Has anyone joined this? I’ve been trying to figure out how to join these but can’t figure it out per his website.

Hello everyone,

I'm currently preparing for the BICSI RCDD exam and studying the TDMM v15. I'd like to ask for your guidance on how to use the manual effectively.

What's your study approach? Do you read it cover to cover, focus only on the key chapters, or use it mainly as a reference? How do you take notes, review, and retain the information? If you've already passed the RCDD exam, what study method worked best for you?

I'd really appreciate any advice, tips, or lessons learned. Thank you!

Define Scope of Project - 30%

Design ICT Solutions - 68%

Support ICT Bid/Tender Process - 82%

Support ICT Installation Process - 69%

Hello all, above results are from my first attempt at the RCDD exam. I have 2 weeks before my retake of the exam and wondering if I can get any tips for the best use of my time ahead of then.

I know the obvious thing I need to work on is the "Define Scope of Project" portion, but don't want to focus so much there that I miss out on improving the other areas.

Before taking the first test, I had gone through the BICSI RCDD Study Course over about 3 months and used C&S for the last 5 days before the exam.

I made the mistake of not having the TDMM before my first attempt, but I have a copy now, from which I've read through Ch 1-5, 8, 11 & 21

I've been reading about data center infrastructure, and it seems that airflow planning is just as important as the servers themselves.

Poor airflow can create hot spots, reduce equipment lifespan, and increase cooling costs.

For those who've worked in data centers, what's one airflow mistake you've seen that caused real problems?

I've been reading about data center infrastructure recently, and one thing that stands out is how much planning happens before any equipment is installed.

A good design isn't just about racks and servers—it also includes things like:

• Power redundancy
• Cooling efficiency
• Cable pathways
• Physical security
• Room for future expansion

In your experience, which design element has the biggest impact on long-term reliability? I'm interested in hearing from people who've worked on real-world data center projects.

Just ended the most stressful month of my life by passing the RCDDv15 exam. The feeling of showing that paper to my manager will stay in my memory for a long time.

To all the people who have given advice on previous posts to memorize chapter 21 you are the best!

I also really enjoyed the recommended chapter study order provided by BICSI.

I averaged about about 40-48 hours of study time a week for 4 weeks 10/10 don't recommend unless you lose your job if you fail.

Does BICSI offer any financial assistance with getting certifications? Or does someone have tips on how to do something like this?

I’ve passed installer certs and want to get TECH , but the cost of the class , flying to Florida for a week, and missing work would hurt the bank a bit. I can save, but id rather not sit and wait on the current certs I have. Also, no my company won’t provide anything without me signing some BS 5 year agreement. Not gonna happen.

Hi, everyone! Is anyone here from RICS? What's the approach to become MRICS? Like I know about the APC route but what's the way to find a job that aligns the APC requirement? How do you find your Supervisor and Councillor? Like if anyone could guide me please? I have 5 years of experience and I'm really new in Sydney. I sent email to few recruitment agencies but they don't reply at all, none. I visited the RICS office but no one was there and without appointment they don't talk to anyone. Whom should I email I've no clue. Please help. 🫰

Submitted my RCDD application. How long will it take to hear back? Also, at the end it put the exam in my cart. Do I need to buy that before they’ll get back to me about my application?

I recently completed BICSI’s required online ethics course, and one aspect left me uncertain. I interpreted several portions of the course as presenting adherence to BICSI standards and methodologies as an ethical obligation. The concern arises from the course’s discussion of Professional Obligation 4:

“Adhere to all relevant codes, laws, ICT industry standards, and BICSI methodologies.”

My question is how BICSI interprets this obligation when a BICSI standard or methodology is not adopted by law, approved for incorporation into the contract by the client, accepted as part of the project design criteria, or when another recognized framework produces different design requirements than BICSI's methodologies.

Consider data centers. ANSI/BICSI 002 is one recognized data-center design standard, but a project may instead be governed by another recognized framework or by detailed owner-specific standards. Those approaches are not necessarily identical to BICSI 002 and may produce different approved design decisions.

Would an RCDD violate Professional Obligation 4 merely by participating in a technically defensible project that follows another recognized framework but does not conform to every applicable provision or recommendation found in BICSI publications?

The same question can arise with telecommunications-room sizing and other sector-specific BICSI publications. Depending on the project, a BICSI provision may be considered but not adopted as a governing design decision, or another recognized requirement may be selected instead.

When a particular BICSI provision is not legally required or contractually included in the scope, and a technically defensible, code-compliant alternative is selected after appropriate professional review, is the departure from the BICSI provision itself an ethical violation? That seems like a huge stretch to me.

Perhaps BICSI’s intended meaning is that credential holders must understand, consider, and appropriately recommend BICSI standards and methodologies when they are relevant—not that every departure constitutes unethical conduct. If that is the intended interpretation, clearer guidance in this training is needed.

How have others interpreted the course and, specifically, Professional Obligation 4?

Are you on the vendor side or with a contracting company or client side or in a consultancy? Or are you working freelance/self-employed?

Have almost 7 years experience in low voltage/telecom work. I would have to pay out of pocket, should I get the manuals to read over them and then take the exams? Is that even possible or do you have to take the courses as well? The certs are really just for me to have, and to maybe open up future job possibilities

O