AV Events

CTS-D Prep Virtual Classroom

CTS-D Prep can help ease your nerves and boost your confidence before you take the CTS®-D exam. Through this course, you will practice your test-taking skills and focus on specific areas of AV design you need to focus your study time.

Drawing from the latest Job Task Analysis, this course was updated in 2026 to focus on the duties and tasks that a CTS-D holder must perform. Topics in the course include conducting a needs analysis, conducting project implementation activities, collaborating with allied trades, developing AV designs, drawing, and documentation for audio, video, and networking systems. 

Course Content Outline

Below is a breakdown of each module contained in this course: 

• Module 1: Test-Taking Strategies and Tools
• Module 2: AV Design and Integration Process
• Module 3: AV Design Infrastructure
• Module 4: Audio Systems Design
• Module 5: Video Systems Design
• Module 6: Networking Design 

Who Should Take This Course

Professionals who:

• Are a current CTS holder
• Have minimum of two years’ experience in audiovisual design
• Assess client needs
• Prepare AV design documents
• Coordinate and collaborate with other trades to create AV systems that satisfy client requirements 

Prerequisites

It is strongly recommended that students have in-depth knowledge of AV math or have taken AV Math and AV Math for Design. 

Course Features

This six-day instructor-led classroom course is four hours per day. Additional evening work may be required. 

• Prepare with practice questions and study drills.
• Study with the help of facilitators.
• Describe the format of the CTS-D exam along with exam logistics.
• Explain common multiple-choice test-taking strategies.
• Review and perform AV design math equations that are common to the exam.
• Identify and explain the processes and vocabulary related to the AV project process.
• Identify and explain the processes and vocabulary related to designing an AV environment and infrastructure.
• Discover personal gaps of knowledge while reviewing audio and video design concepts, vocabulary, and diagrams that may appear on the exam. 

Important note:

Completion of this program in no way guarantees participants will pass the CTS-D exam, nor will this program cover all the topics listed in the exam content outline. By registering for this course, you are not signing up for the CTS-D exam. The CTS-D exam must be applied for, paid for, and then scheduled separately at a Pearson Vue testing center. 

The eligibility requirements for the CTS-D exam include a current CTS credential and two years' experience with AV design. Also, upon reviewing the CTS-D exam content outline, students may determine that they require in-depth instruction in some areas. 

Candidates should review the CTS-D candidate handbook for a complete list of eligibility requirements for the CTS-D exam before enrolling in this course. 

Class schedule

This course will be taught in six sessions from 1 pm to 5 pm ET on:

    -Tuesday, March 10
    -Wednesday, March 11
    -Thursday, March 12
    -Tuesday, March 17
    -Wednesday, March 18
    -Thursday, March 19

View Cancellation Policy

*Class recordings are for internal purposes only and are not available to registrants.

Registration Coming Soon

Course Fees

Non-member: $911 USD

Premium/elite: $820 USD

Instructors

Greg Carstens
Staff Instructor/Technical Advisor
AVIXA

Greg is a 20+ year veteran of the AV industry, having started his career in the production equipment sales side and quickly branching into AV and commercial installations. He worked in parallel with other low-voltage trades, often working in access control, security, and nurse call systems. For most of the past ten years, Greg has worked in higher education with campus technology departments, designing classrooms, auditoriums, and various types of conference systems.   Greg has presented at a number of conferences in the past focusing on campus standards development and other areas on in-house integration topics.  He's helped publish several universities' AV standards.  
Greg holds Crestron's Masters in Commercial Architecture, Level 3 Dante, QSC Level 2 and Video level 1.  Greg holds CTS-D and CTS-I certifications and has been active with AVIXA’s Standards Steering Committee and other Standards task forces.  Formal education includes an undergraduate degree in Business Administration with and Emphasis in Entrepreneurial Management and a Masters of Engineering in Engineering Management.  Greg is a US Army Veteran and was a Combat Communications Specialist during his time in uniform.