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BICSI Outside Plant Designer™ (OSP) — Requirements & Free Practice

US · License preparation

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BICSI Outside Plant Designer™ (OSP)

Professional certification validating role-specific knowledge in outside plant design.

Licensing authority: BICSI · Application information

Initial by examination
BICSI Outside Plant Designer (OSP)
Application
Submit the online OSP Exam Application through Credentials Home in BICSI Navigator with current résumé/CV, proof of continuing education documentation and additional experience documentation if requested; BICSI verifies experience. A nonrefundable application fee accompanies submission; allow 30 days for approval.
Award
Pass the OSP examination; the certification cycle begins the day of passing and a downloadable certificate becomes available within three days, with digital credential and OSP stamp instructions.
Conduct
Comply with the BICSI Code of Ethics and Professional Obligations and exam policies; candidate identification and applicable sanctions eligibility remain conditions in the handbook.
Eligibility
{"anyOf":[{"currentCertification":"RCDD"},{"allOf":[{"experience":"Two years of verifiable full-time equivalent field experience in OSP design and/or installation"},{"continuingEducation":"At least 32 documented hours in OSP design and/or installation; BICSI, manufacturer, college, industry and/or vendor training may qualify."}]},{"allOf":[{"experience":"Two years of verifiable full-time equivalent field experience in OSP design and/or installation"},{"anyOf":[{"currentCertification":"BICSI Technician (TECH)"},{"currentCertification":"Data Center Design Consultant (DCDC)"},{"currentCertification":"Registered Telecommunications Project Manager (RTPM)"}]}]}]}
Experience Areas
["Pre-Design Preparation","Perform Site Survey","Select Media, Platform, and Cables","Design Underground Platform and Spaces","Design Buried Platform and Spaces","Design Aerial Platform and Spaces","Prepare Design","Quality Control Process","Professional Responsibilities"]
Experience Definition
Hands-on OSP design/installation or direct management/supervision, including creation, planning, integration, execution and/or detailed project management; design means planning/development/documentation of workable/buildable OSP cabling systems and installation means procurement/deployment/verification. The experience areas are the nine areas listed on printed p.9.
Preparation
OSP101/OSP102 and the OSPDRM are suggested study resources, not universally mandatory initial training or additional examinations.
Scheduling
BICSI approval is required before Pearson scheduling. The Exam Authorization Letter supplies candidate ID, first-attempt voucher and scheduling details; eligibility lasts one year after application approval. Schedule the approved OSP-002 examination for an available date/time/location.
Scope
Initial certification only. Existing alternative credential holdings are applicant qualifications, not additional examination leaves; maintenance, reinstatement and retired/future exams are outside this route.

BICSI Outside Plant Designer (OSP)

Provider
Pearson Professional Assessments
Format
Computer-based multiple-choice examination; one correct answer or two correct answers depending on the item.
Exam questions
Total questions: 100.
Time limit
Two hours
Passing score
Determined by psychometric standard-setting using the Angoff Method; no numeric threshold is published in the current handbook.
Examination outline

The authority publishes percentage ranges for each content area. The practice percentages below use the midpoint of each range, normalized to 100%; they are not exact percentages published by the authority. Practice question counts may differ slightly because of rounding.

  • Pre-Design Preparation — Official range: 11–12% (Practice allocation: 12.04%)
    • Research types and capabilities of existing technology
    • Research existing infrastructure/information-gathering
    • Research geography
    • Determine financial parameters
    • Comply with local, state, and national regulations
    • Assess program/client requirements and forecast for the future
    • Interpret customer’s IT and facility master plan
  • Perform Site Survey — Official range: 9–10% (Practice allocation: 9.95%)
    • Perform pre-job assessment for new and existing construction
    • Perform additional pre-job assessment for existing construction
    • Determine easements and requirements for right of way
    • Determine proposed routing
    • Verify network topology
  • Select Media, Platform, and Cables — Official range: 13–14% (Practice allocation: 14.14%)
    • Select appropriate media
    • Select copper AWG and sizing
    • Select fiber mode and type
    • Select coaxial
    • Select splicing hardware
    • Select termination hardware
    • Select splitters
    • Select alternative media
  • Design Underground Platform and Spaces — Official range: 14–15% (Practice allocation: 15.18%)
    • Design underground support structure-conduit
    • Design underground support structure-maintenance hole
    • Design underground support structure-hand hole/pull box
    • Design underground support structure-contained environmental vault
    • Design underground grounding systems
    • Design utility tunnel pathways
    • Design transition structures
  • Design Buried Platform and Spaces — Official range: 14–15% (Practice allocation: 15.18%)
    • Design buried application-trench
    • Design buried application-plowed
    • Design buried application-bore
    • Design buried grounding systems
  • Design Aerial Platform and Spaces — Official range: 14–15% (Practice allocation: 15.18%)
    • Design aerial support structure-existing
    • Design aerial support structure-new construction
    • Design aerial support structure-messenger
    • Design aerial support structure-anchors and guys
    • Design aerial structure grounding-multiground neutral distribution system
    • Design aerial structure grounding based on delta systems
    • Design aerial structure grounding based on wye systems
    • Design aerial structure grounding-special situations
    • Determine space allocation on pole
    • Select cable attachment method and associated hardware
    • Design aerial-to-underground transition structures
    • Design optical ground wire structures
    • Design all dielectric self-supporting (ADSS) support structures
  • Prepare Design — Official range: 8–9% (Practice allocation: 8.9%)
    • Prepare preliminary design
    • Prepare critical design review scope/design development
    • Prepare final design (construction) package
    • Prepare rough order magnitude (ROM)
  • Quality Control Process — Official range: 7–8% (Practice allocation: 7.85%)
    • Develop quality control process
    • Implement design change process
    • Identify common mistakes
    • Design betterments/optimization
  • Professional Responsibilities — Official range: 1–2% (Practice allocation: 1.57%)
    • Perform pre-award responsibilities
    • Perform post-award responsibilities
Examination sources