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CALIFORNIA ALARM COMPANY OPERATOR
LICENSING EXAM 2026 COMPREHENSIVE
STUDY COMPENDIUM
◉ FPL Wire. Answer: Fire, Power limited. ◉ Distance away from a vertical wall for portable ladder. Answer: One fourth the working length of the ladder. ◉ How far should a portable ladder extend past the landing being used?. Answer: 3 feet. ◉ Multi-conductor fire related cable minimum size. Answer: Permitted to be as small as 26 gauge, but single conductors can be no less than 18 gauge. ◉ What is POTS?. Answer: Plain old telephone service. ◉ What is swinger shutdown?. Answer: Swinger shutdown or swinger bypass is a false alarm prevention feature in some alarm systems.
◉ What was swinger shutdown designed to prevent?. Answer: Runaway communicator from tying up the central station. ◉ Where should an initiating device not be installed?. Answer: In an inaccessible location. ◉ What is Public Operating Mode?. Answer: Refers to audible or visible signaling to occupants of inhabitants of the area. ◉ Who can call OSHA to report unsafe conditions on a job?. Answer: Anyone. ◉ What must the loudness of audible public warning signals be?. Answer: NFPA 72 says that one of the standards to ensure that the audible public mode signals must be loud enough. ◉ What is a mechanical wire connection?. Answer: A crimp connector or a wire nut. ◉ What is a bonded wire connection?. Answer: Soldered. ◉ Common alarm keypad installation height. Answer: 4 1/2 feet ( inches)
◉ Sprinkler system adjustment. Answer: Sprinkler turn-off control values cannot be adjusted ◉ Securing cable to a wall without conduit. Answer: only allowed if above 10 feet ◉ Max distance a strobe should be from the end of a corridor. Answer: 15 feet ◉ Wire types in air duct areas. Answer: Plenum, MC Cable, MI Cable ◉ Transformer internal fuse. Answer: internal fuses are not replaceable; blow the fuse and the transformer is gone ◉ Recommended delay times for entry and exit. Answer: best to use CP-01 delay guidelines ◉ BSIS FQ firearm carry permit. Answer: does not allow you to brandish a weapon in a threatening manner ◉ Room improvement and audio discriminator. Answer: New Paint does not have an adverse effect
◉ Wire used to ground alarm. Answer: 14/1 fire alarm, 18 gauge ◉ Grounding an alarm panel box. Answer: some alarm systems recommend grounding the metal alarm panel box ◉ Gauge wire for grounding a burglar alarm panel. Answer: 18 awg ◉ Pipe used to ground an alarm panel. Answer: can only be grounded to a cold-water pipe ◉ Where to ground an alarm panel. Answer: metallic cold water pipe and earth soil ground rod ◉ Alarm cross-zoning. Answer: uses multiple sensors to monitor activity in one area; advanced software analyzes ◉ Best way to troubleshoot a wireless transmitter. Answer: 1... ◉ Mounting an infrared sensor. Answer: best to mount to a solid wall ◉ Portable ladder placement. Answer: base should be placed a simple rule for setting up a ladder at the proper angle
◉ Alarm Panel Security. Answer: when possible, the alarm panel should be in a locked room or behind a locked door ◉ Motion detector installation location. Answer: in the hallway ◉ Why hallways are good for motion detectors. Answer: common for burglars to walk through to get to other rooms ◉ fire caulk. Answer: properly use fire caulk ◉ DSL filter. Answer: when they have DSL service ◉ line seizure problems. Answer: the alarm line cannot get ahead of the DSL line with a reg... ◉ How DSL Filter works. Answer: filters out the high frequency DSL signal... ◉ What does a customer need to do if his alarm company is installing a DSL filter?. Answer: Call internet provider...
◉ Reliable way to splice alarm wire?. Answer: twist, solder and tape... ◉ Which is louder? 2 sirens wired in parallel or 2 wired in series?. Answer: Parallel ◉ best place to locate the alarm panel. Answer: behind a locked doors ◉ Alarm company ladders should. Answer: fiberglass and have slip resistant feet ◉ UL says It is a man sized opening if it is greater than how many inches?. Answer: 96 square inches and the smaller of the dimensions is greater than 6 inches ◉ T-taps used in fire alarms are. Answer: parallel ◉ Class B SLC are. Answer: permitted to be t-tapped ◉ SLC. Answer: Signaling Line Circuit ◉ How long must a fire alarms backup battery must last?. Answer: at least 24 hours
◉ You have 2 batteries next to each other, each is a 12 V, 7 Amp. Answer: in parallel= 12 volt, 14 amp and in Series= 24 V 7 amp ◉ What color bands would indicate that a resistor is 100 ohm?. Answer: brown, black, brown, gold ◉ What's the rule on minimum distance between staples in a wire run?. Answer: secured at intervals not to exceed 54" and no less than 12" from an outlet... ◉ What is the proper way to TEST an alarm system's back up battery?. Answer: Do a load test ◉ What amp transformer must be used?. Answer: the transformer should only need 80% of it's output to cover all the needs of th... ◉ What is the maximum load that should be placed on an alarm systems resources?. Answer: 80% of the maximum rating ◉ What does a diode do?. Answer: a diode allows current to flow in only one direction ◉ If you are going to run 1000' of wire to an alarm device such as a siren you better use?. Answer: 12 awg or better
◉ If you have 4 devices wired in series together in a single zone, what happens to the amperage?. Answer: nothing the current that flows through a series circuit is the same throughout t... ◉ Via Keypad, what can you bypass while the system stays armed?. Answer: contacts only ◉ Conventional Fire alarms. Answer: if one device in a zone goes off it just tells a zone... ◉ Addressable Fire alarms. Answer: give each individual alarm unit smoke, heat, pull stations, etc... ◉ Benefits of addressable fire alarms. Answer: easy to figure out where the fire alarm was triggered, know exactly where... ◉ Name a reason that analog devices are less good than their addressable version?. Answer: Because analog (non addressable) devices can only give a general report such as... ◉ How does an addressable alarm system work?. Answer: assign each initiating device a discrete and unique identification (address) pan...
◉ Descriptions required in alarm installation contracts. Answer: A description of the work to be done. ◉ Required statement in alarm contracts. Answer: A statement setting forth that upon completion of the installation of the alarm. ◉ Mechanics Lien requirements. Answer: A notice to owner statement that describes in non-technical terms. ◉ Fine for ACO willfully disregarding building safety laws. Answer: $100 for first violation, and $500 each subsequent. ◉ Fine for failure to complete alarm system installation. Answer: $100 for first violations, $500 each subsequent. ◉ Requirement for agreements for alarm work. Answer: Yes, all agreements for alarm work, leases, labor, materials, and monitoring are required to be in writing. ◉ Amendments to the original agreement. Answer: No, amendments cannot be oral.
◉ Contract work dates requirement. Answer: No, the contract does not have to have the exact begin work dates and work completion dates. ◉ Disclosure on all contracts. Answer: ACO are licensed and regulated by the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services. ◉ Items in residential sales and lease agreements over $250. Answer: A schedule of payments. ◉ Fine for failing to commence work within 20 days. Answer: $ for 1st violation, $500 for any after. ◉ Fine for allowing employee to carry a firearm without verification. Answer: $250 each violation. ◉ Fine for failing to maintain accurate firearm records. Answer: $ each violation. ◉ Fine for failing to notify BSIS of a violent incident. Answer: $25 for first violation, $100 each afterwards. ◉ Deadline to deliver court judgement to BSIS. Answer: Within 7 days.
◉ Conditions for stating alarm system is insurance or police approved. Answer: Only if the approval has been obtained in writing. ◉ Fine for violating Approved by rules. Answer: A fine of $100 for 1st violation, $500 thereafter. ◉ Notification requirement for address change to BSIS. Answer: Within 30 days. ◉ Fine for knowingly installing a defective alarm system. Answer: $1000 for 1st violation. ◉ Definition of ACO branch office. Answer: Any additional location. ◉ Is a telephone answering service a branch office?. Answer: No. ◉ Designated branch office manager. Answer: A designated branch office manager is responsible for managing and supervising the designated branch office. ◉ Qualified manager of the licensee. Answer: The qualified manager of the licensee must direct the new branch office during its initial time.
◉ Duration for managing a new branch office. Answer: A new branch office can be managed for one hundred & 25 days from the date of initial application for registration. ◉ Crime for operating without ACO license. Answer: Operating an alarm company without an ACO license is classified as a misdemeanor. ◉ Punishment for operating without ACO license. Answer: The possible punishment for operating as an alarm company without an ACO license is a fine of $1000. ◉ Crime for falsifying application. Answer: Falsifying photographs or fingerprints when applying for an ACO license is considered a felony. ◉ Court action by unlicensed alarm company. Answer: No, an unlicensed alarm company cannot file a court action against his/her customer for non-payment of alarm work. ◉ False alarm penalty ordinances. Answer: Yes, cities or counties can enact false alarm penalty ordinances.
◉ Management of registered branch. Answer: Every registered branch shall be managed by a designated branch office manager. ◉ License force duration after cessation notice. Answer: If the notice of cessation of the qualified manager being in active charge is filed timely, the license shall remain in force for 90 days or for an additional period not to exceed one year. ◉ License suspension after cessation. Answer: After notification of cessation is filed, the ACO license shall be automatically suspended after the license remained in force for the entire approved period. ◉ Continuation of business after licensee death. Answer: In case of death of an ACO licensee, a member of the immediate family of the deceased licensee shall be entitled to continue the business under the same license for 120 days. ◉ Notification period after licensee death. Answer: For an immediate family member to continue business, they must notify BSIS within 30 days after the death of the licensee. ◉ License duration after partner death. Answer: If a partner on an ACO license dies or breaks away from the ACO partnership, and the other partner notifies BSIC within 30 days, the ACO license will remain in force for 90 days before it is cancelled.
◉ Last step of alarm repair. Answer: The last step of completing an alarm repair is to check panel status. ◉ Notification of death or disassociation. Answer: In case of death or disassociation of an ACO license with partnership, the licensee shall notify the bureau in writing within 30 days. ◉ Operation by heir. Answer: The only person other than the person named on the license who can operate using that named person's BSIS business name & number is an heir. ◉ Workers compensation coverage exemption. Answer: Persons working for your BSIS licensed company who are not always required to be covered by workers compensation insurance are named officers with stock ownership in a corporation. ◉ Employer's issuance time for workers compensation form. Answer: An employer must issue to an injured employee a workers compensation form within one working day of receiving notice or knowledge of injury or illness. ◉ Control panel communication language. Answer: The language used by the control panel to 'talk' to the receiver is not specified in the notes.
