CTS Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling

How CTS Scheduling Actually Works

Searchers looking for "CTS exam dates 2026" often expect a neat table of national test days, similar to a college entrance exam. The Certified Technology Specialist credential from AVIXA does not work that way. The exam is a secure computer-based test delivered by Pearson VUE at in-person testing centers, which means the practical question is not "when is the exam?" but "when can I get a seat, and how do I fit it inside my eligibility window?"

This article explains the scheduling mechanics that apply to the general CTS exam: how approval and eligibility work, what the deadlines are, what rescheduling costs, and how to line up your calendar with the exam's content. If you are still deciding whether to pursue the credential at all, start with What Is CTS Certification? and the CTS Requirements guide, then return here to plan the timeline.

Why There Is No Fixed 2026 Exam Calendar

Because Pearson VUE administers the exam continuously at its testing centers rather than on a handful of national dates, there is no single published list of "2026 CTS exam dates" for this credential. Instead, you apply, receive authorization, and then choose from the appointments your chosen center offers. Availability varies by location and season, so a candidate in a major metro area may see plenty of openings while someone in a smaller market may have fewer choices.

That structure has three practical consequences:

• Your personal deadline is the eligibility window, not a calendar date. The 120-day period starts when you become eligible, and that period is what you must plan around.
• Seat availability can be your bottleneck. Popular times near the end of a quarter or around conferences and industry events may fill earlier, so booking early gives you flexibility.
• Policies change by handbook revision. The current CTS Exam Candidate Handbook is the version dated August 27, 2026, and it governs scheduling, ID, and retake rules. Always confirm details against the current handbook before booking.

The Timeline From Application to Test Day

The path to your exam date has several steps, and the order matters. CTS has no required degree, no mandated years of experience, no required training hours and no references requirement. AVIXA recommends about six months of experience, but that is guidance, not a gate. What you do need is to complete the application, accept the application terms and the ethics agreement, and pay the exam fee.

1. Complete the application and ethics agreement. Both the application terms and the ethics agreement are required before you can test.
2. Pay the exam fee. The standard USD fee is $390 for Premium or Elite members and $490 for nonmembers. Eligible residents of emerging economies pay $195 (member) or $245 (nonmember), before applicable taxes. Membership and prep purchases are optional. For the full breakdown, see the CTS Certification Cost guide.
3. Receive your authorization and schedule through Pearson VUE. Your 120-day eligibility window governs when you must complete the exam.
4. Test at a Pearson VUE center. Bring the required identification and arrive early.

Working Inside the 120-Day Eligibility Window

The single most important number in CTS scheduling is 120. Your eligibility lasts 120 days, and each retest authorization also lasts 120 days. If you do not test within that window, you risk losing the benefit of what you paid. Treat the day you receive eligibility as the start of a countdown rather than the start of your studying.

A sensible approach is to work backward from the end of the window:

• Pick a target exam appointment in roughly the last third of your window, leaving a buffer for rescheduling.
• Keep the final two to three weeks of the window as emergency margin in case you need to move the appointment or a testing center closes unexpectedly.
• Avoid booking the last possible day. A single schedule conflict could leave you with no room to adjust.

Rescheduling, Cancellation and the $10 Phone Fee

Life happens, and the CTS rules give you a reasonable path to move your appointment. Rescheduling is handled through Pearson at least 24 hours beforehand. Online scheduling is free. Telephone scheduling, rescheduling or cancellation costs $10 per call.

The cost-saving takeaway is simple: use the online system for everything. The $10 fee seems small, but several phone calls to juggle an appointment add up, and there is no reason to pay it when the online route is free.

The 24-hour cutoff is the part that catches people. If you wait until the night before and discover a conflict, you may be too late to change the appointment without consequences. Check your calendar, work schedule and travel plans when you book, and recheck a week before the exam.

Retest Timing: 30 Days, 120 Days and 90 Days

Not everyone passes on the first attempt, and the CTS retest rules include several time-based requirements. Understanding them in advance helps you plan a realistic fallback calendar rather than being surprised after a disappointing result.

The 30-day minimum gap is useful to think about in terms of preparation. A retest only makes sense if you use the intervening time to diagnose what went wrong. If your score report points to weakness in a particular area, review the relevant section of the CTS exam domains guide and rebuild that area with targeted practice rather than rereading everything.

Understanding how scoring works can also calm the post-exam anxiety. The passing score is 350 on a 0-500 scale, and this is not a fixed 70% raw mark; form difficulty affects the raw requirement. For the full explanation, read the CTS Passing Score guide. For perspective on how others fare, the CTS Pass Rate article covers what limited data exists and why it should be interpreted cautiously.

Test-Day Logistics You Must Plan Around

Your appointment date is only useful if you can actually sit the exam, so the logistics deserve as much attention as the calendar slot itself.

Identification and Arrival

Bring two valid IDs, including a government-issued photo and signature ID, subject to the country-specific alternatives listed in Appendix I of the handbook. Plan to arrive 30 minutes early. Showing up with only one acceptable ID or missing the check-in window can mean forfeiting your appointment.

What the Exam Itself Looks Like

The exam consists of 115 multiple-choice questions: 100 scored items plus 15 unscored pilot questions. Each question has four alternatives with one best answer. You have 150 minutes, and tutorial and survey time are additional. Breaks do not stop the timer, so a bathroom visit costs you exam time.

• Closed book. Personal calculators and reference materials are prohibited.
• Tools provided. You get a supplied on-screen calculator and a non-erasable note board.
• Navigation. You may mark questions and return to them.
• No separate hands-on practical. Nothing in the general CTS format specifies a separate practical component or adaptive testing.

With 150 minutes for 115 questions, you have a bit over a minute per item. That is a comfortable pace, but you should still practice under timed conditions. The CTS practice test on our main site lets you rehearse that pacing before you pay for a testing seat.

Choosing the Right Window for Your Preparation

Because scheduling is flexible, the best exam date is the one that matches your readiness and your work calendar. The exam covers four weighted duties, and your study order should reflect those weights.

Creating AV Solutions at 35% and Implementing AV Solutions at 30% together account for 65% of the 100 scored items. That is why the front half of your preparation should concentrate on those two areas. There is no fixed domain allocation published for the 15 unscored pilot items, so you cannot assume the pilots follow the same distribution.

If you want a more detailed preparation plan, the CTS Study Guide walks through a complete approach, and the CTS Cheat Sheet condenses the must-know facts for a last-week review. If you are wondering how demanding the material is before committing to a date, see How Hard Is the CTS Exam?

Exam Timing for Renewal Candidates

Scheduling does not only matter for first-time candidates. CTS certification is valid for three years, and holders face a renewal decision with its own deadlines. Renewal can be completed by earning 30 approved renewal units (RUs) within the cycle, submitting supporting records, reaffirming the ethics agreement, and paying the $175 general CTS renewal fee. There is no carryover and no credit for pre-certification coursework.

The alternative is to pass the current CTS exam at the current exam fee. This is where timing becomes critical: once you choose the testing route, renewal must be completed through testing, including any necessary retakes, by the renewal deadline. If your first attempt fails and the retest windows described earlier push you past the deadline, you could lapse. Anyone choosing exam-based renewal should schedule early in the cycle's final stretch, not in the last few weeks.

The current renewal page links a Certification Renewal Handbook dated August 27, 2026. An older renewal handbook file with a 2026 filename but earlier internal footers remains accessible, so always use the handbook linked from the canonical renewal page rather than relying on a filename.

To weigh whether the effort of earning and maintaining the credential pays off in your situation, see the CTS ROI analysis and the CTS Salary Guide.

Frequently Asked Questions