Is the InfoComm CTS credential relevant to me?
AV professionals around the world distinguish themselves in the industry by earning and maintaining a professional qualification. InfoComm’s CTS credential is an ISO-standard qualification specifically designed to recognize skill and experience in the professional AV industry. If you’re planning a long-term career in the AV business, earning the CTS credential is a smart move.
How much experience do I need before participating in the CTS Study Group?
This is not a course for newcomers to the industry. Unless you’ve first completed the InfoComm Essentials course or have a few years industry experience under your belt I wouldn’t recommend this as the course for you. MECIA will be hosting the GEN111: AV Essentials course during June and newcomers will find this a more appropriate place to start.
Will the CTS credential help advance my career within the AV profession?
This course is specifically designed to help individuals prepare for the written CTS examination. Many tender requests issued by international contractors give preference to applicants who hold a CTS credential – particularly on larger projects where many contractors are required to work together according to a common standard. The CTS credential assures contractors of your competence and backs up you commitment to professional standards and ethical behaviour.
Why is it no longer possible to write the CTS examination online?
About three years ago the InfoComm CTS credential was recognized by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) as a professional credential for the audiovisual industry. One of the requirements of this process was that InfoComm needed to separate their teaching activities from their testing procedure. All CTS testing is now undertaken at a Prometrics testing centre that operates independently from InfoComm. There are many Prometrics testing centres in the region. The old CTS online examination has been replaced by a new “InfoComm recognised AV Technologist certificate programme” that can be written online. This certificate provides a first-step to industry certification but is not recognised as an ISO-standard.
Who is InfoComm International?
Established more than 70 years ago, InfoComm International is the global trade association for the audiovisual industry. They’re also an ISO-registered standards generating body who engage with the industry to establish technical standards and codes of conduct for AV professionals around the world. Their InfoComm trade show hosted in the USA on an annual basis is the largest technology event for the AV industry. They also host partner with CEDIA to host the annual IS Europe exhibition.
What is MECIA and how is it related to InfoComm International?
MECIA is a not for profit trade association established to promote the adoption of professional standards within the audiovisual industry throughout the Middle East. We have partnered with InfoComm International to provide ISO-standard training programmes to our members in the region. The CTS courses we host are the same course you’d participate in if you attended the InfoComm Academy in Fairfax, VA. In addition, we run our own training programmes which are specifically relevant to the Middle East. Attendance at these courses will allow participants to earn renewal units and count as part of InfoComm’s continuing professional development.
US$1,500 seems like a lot of money – if you’re a not-for-profit Association why do your courses cost so much?

Each of our courses are specific to the audiovisual industry and participation is restricted to a small group of delegates who receive individual attention. Although both InfoComm and MECIA operate as a not-for-profit Association, our costs in presenting these training programmes are high. License fees, instructor costs, air fares, hotel bills, marketing costs, course material, catering …. the list goes on. We’ve tried to make our training material  as affordable as we can but it’s simply not possible to provide ISO-accredited training programmes on a shoe-string. For members wanting to access lower-cost training, InfoComm provide a number of webinars and ‘virtual classroom’ courses that can be accessed via the internet.