- The Exam at a Glance
- The 16 Domains on One Page
- Core Versus Specialty: The Scope Wrinkle
- Numbers Worth Memorizing
- Test-Day Rules and Logistics
- Eligibility, Renewal, and Upkeep
- Formulas and Concepts to Have Cold
- Where This Credential Fits in the Job Market
- Sequencing Your Review by Domain
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The ETA International Industrial Electronics (IND) exam is 100 questions in two hours with a 75% passing score.
- Sixteen numbered competency categories define the scope; ETA publishes no percentage weights for them.
- The fee is USD 80, with one free eligible retake within one year of the original session.
- Journeyman eligibility requires CETa or the complete EM1-5 foundation; certification lasts four years.
The Exam at a Glance
This is the one-page version of everything you need to know about the Industrial Electronics (IND) Journeyman certification from ETA International (the Electronics Technicians Association, International). If you are brand new to the credential, start with What Is IND? and then return here for the condensed facts. If you want the long-form plan, the IND Study Guide walks through preparation in depth.
| Item | What ETA Publishes |
|---|---|
| Credential | Industrial Electronics (IND), Journeyman level |
| Issuer | ETA International |
| Exam fee | USD 80 |
| Questions | 100 (per the live ETA IND tables) |
| Time limit | Two hours |
| Passing score | 75% |
| Hands-on component | None; written exam only |
| Certification term | Four years |
| Retake | One eligible retake free within one year of the original session |
At 100 questions in 120 minutes you have roughly 72 seconds per question. That sounds generous until you reach a multi-step motor or PLC problem that needs a calculator. Plan to move fast on recall items and bank time for calculation-heavy ones. For a realistic read on difficulty, see How Hard Is the IND Exam?
The 16 Domains on One Page
ETA's competency document for IND organizes the exam into 16 numbered categories. These are exam objectives, not a suggested curriculum, and ETA does not publish percentage weights for any of them. Treat every domain as fair game rather than guessing which ones are "light." The full breakdown lives in the IND Exam Domains guide; here is the compact map.
| # | Domain | Think of it as... |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Safety | Hazards, lockout/tagout mindset, protective practices |
| 2 | Industrial Mathematics | The calculation toolkit behind everything else |
| 3 | Diagrams and Schematics | Reading and interpreting drawings and symbols |
| 4 | Electrical Components | Passive and active parts and how they behave |
| 5 | Electro-Mechanical Devices | Relays, contactors, solenoids, and related hardware |
| 6 | Wiring and Codes | Conductors, installation practice, code awareness |
| 7 | AC Power Sources and Motors | Single-phase and three-phase supply and AC machines |
| 8 | DC Power Sources and Motors | DC supplies, batteries, and DC machines |
| 9 | Networking, Interfacing, and Programming | Connecting and configuring control hardware |
| 10 | Test Equipment and Troubleshooting | Meters, scopes, and fault-finding method |
| 11 | Industrial Communications | How plant-floor devices exchange data |
| 12 | Networks | Network fundamentals in an industrial setting |
| 13 | Fluid Power | Hydraulics and pneumatics |
| 14 | Instrumentation | Sensors, transmitters, and process measurement |
| 15 | PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers) | Controller hardware, logic, and programming concepts |
| 16 | Robotics | Robot systems and their control and safety |
Core Versus Specialty: The Scope Wrinkle
Here is a detail that trips up careful readers. ETA's competency document labels categories 1 through 10 as Core and then groups categories 11 through 16 into five specialty areas. Yet the document's introduction says the IND Core examination covers all 16 categories, and elsewhere describes twelve core categories. The document is internally inconsistent on this point.
One more scope note: the competency document includes an unnumbered, unfinished Additive Manufacturing placeholder. It lists no usable objectives, so there is nothing to study from it and it should not drive your preparation.
Numbers Worth Memorizing
Every figure below comes straight from ETA's published materials. If a number is not on this list, treat it as unverified.
- USD 80 exam fee
- 100 questions in two hours
- 75% required to pass (for the 100-question format, that means 75 correct answers)
- Four-year certification term
- USD 16 added for optional ExamRoom.AI remote proctoring
- One year window for the free eligible retake
- 10 hours per year (40 over the term) of continuing education for maintenance, as an alternative to employer verification
- USD 25 per year (USD 100 over the four-year cycle) maintenance fee
For the full money picture, including how these fees stack up, the IND Certification Cost breakdown is the place to go. For the score threshold in detail, see IND Passing Score. ETA does not publish a pass rate in the sources used here, so be skeptical of any site quoting one; the IND Pass Rate article explains what can and cannot be said.
Test-Day Rules and Logistics
How the exam is delivered
The IND exam is proctored through ETA Certification Administrators. Delivery is either online using Trapeza testing or by paper and pencil. There is no hands-on assessment for this credential, so everything is decided by the written exam.
Remote proctoring option
If you prefer to test from home, optional ExamRoom.AI remote proctoring must be arranged through ETA. It adds USD 16 for the two-hour exam, and that fee also applies to an otherwise eligible free retake. Do not assume remote testing can be booked on your own; arrange it with ETA first.
What you can and cannot bring
- Required: photo ID
- Permitted: scratch paper and a non-programmable scientific calculator
- Prohibited: phones
- Procedure: used scratch paper is returned to the proctor, and you may not leave the room once testing begins
Key Takeaway
Practice with a non-programmable scientific calculator well before exam day. Because programmable and graphing models are off the table, you want fluency with the exact keys you will use for logarithms, powers, trigonometry, and unit conversions in Industrial Mathematics and AC theory problems.
For scheduling and registration timing, see IND Exam Dates.
Eligibility, Renewal, and Upkeep
Who can sit for IND
IND is a Journeyman-level certification. The Journeyman pathway requires either CETa or the complete EM1-5 foundation; ETA issues CETa once all five module certifications are current. ETA's pathway guidance also says candidates should have two or more years of experience. The full rundown is in IND Requirements.
Keeping it active
The general maintenance route for credentials without a hands-on test works like this:
- Submit the Certification Maintenance Form.
- Document 10 continuing-education hours per year (40 over four years) or have a supervisor complete the Employer Verification.
- Pay USD 25 per year (USD 100 across the four-year cycle).
Because the employer-verification route exists, many working technicians can maintain the credential without logging separate training hours, as long as their supervisor will verify their work.
Formulas and Concepts to Have Cold
The exam is built on application, so the core relationships below should be automatic. This is a recall checklist, not a substitute for studying each domain.
Domain 2: Industrial Mathematics
Almost every other domain borrows from this one, so fluency here pays off everywhere.
- Ohm's law and the power relationships (P = V × I and its variants)
- Series and parallel resistance and equivalent-circuit reduction
- Percentages, ratios, unit conversions, and scientific/engineering notation
- Basic trigonometry for phase angles and vector relationships
Domains 7 and 8: AC and DC Power Sources and Motors
Expect questions that connect electrical input to mechanical behavior.
- Single-phase versus three-phase supply and why industry favors three-phase
- Motor speed, slip, and the effect of frequency and pole count on synchronous speed
- DC motor types and how field and armature relate to speed and torque
- Starting methods and basic protection concepts
Domain 15: PLCs
Controllers are central to modern industrial work.
- Scan cycle: input read, program execution, output update
- Discrete versus analog I/O and sinking versus sourcing concepts
- Ladder logic fundamentals: contacts, coils, latching, and timers/counters
- Translating a hardwired relay schematic into logic
Domains 13 and 14: Fluid Power and Instrumentation
These bridge the electrical and process worlds.
- Hydraulic versus pneumatic behavior and common components such as pumps, valves, and cylinders
- Pressure, flow, and force relationships
- Sensor types, transmitters, and common signal standards
- Calibration and measurement concepts
Domain 10: Test Equipment and Troubleshooting
Questions here test method as much as knowledge.
- Correct meter selection and connection for voltage, current, and resistance
- Safe measurement practices and the limits of test equipment
- Systematic fault isolation: symptom, hypothesis, test, confirm
- Interpreting readings to pinpoint open, short, and ground faults
Safety (Domain 1) is deliberately the first category. Expect it to thread through other topics too, such as wiring practice, motor work, and fluid power, where an unsafe answer is never the best answer.
Where This Credential Fits in the Job Market
Industrial Electronics sits at the intersection of electrical, mechanical, and control work, so the roles it supports are the ones that keep plants running: industrial maintenance technicians, electromechanical and automation technicians, controls and PLC support staff, instrumentation technicians, and field service personnel. Manufacturing plants, process facilities, packaging and distribution operations, and equipment service firms are natural employers because their equipment mixes motors, controllers, sensors, networks, and fluid power in the same machine.
The 16-domain scope mirrors that reality, which is why the exam covers PLCs, robotics, industrial networking, and hydraulics alongside basic circuits. For a look at openings and titles, see IND Jobs. For compensation context, the IND Salary Guide discusses earnings without relying on invented figures, and Is the IND Certification Worth It? weighs the investment against the return.
Sequencing Your Review by Domain
You do not need a generic study system here; you need an order that respects how the domains depend on each other. Math and components feed everything, motors and controls build on them, and troubleshooting ties it all together. A sample sequence that follows those dependencies:
Foundations
- Safety (Domain 1) and Industrial Mathematics (Domain 2)
- Drill calculator fluency with a non-programmable scientific model
Reading and Building Circuits
- Diagrams and Schematics, Electrical Components, Electro-Mechanical Devices (Domains 3-5)
- Wiring and Codes (Domain 6)
Power and Motors
- AC and DC Power Sources and Motors (Domains 7-8)
- Work calculation problems on speed, slip, and power
Controls, Communications, and Process
- Networking/Interfacing/Programming, Industrial Communications, Networks (Domains 9, 11, 12)
- PLCs, Fluid Power, Instrumentation, Robotics (Domains 15, 13, 14, 16)
Troubleshooting and Full Review
- Test Equipment and Troubleshooting (Domain 10) as a capstone
- Timed practice sets at the full 100-question, two-hour format
Stretch or compress that to fit your experience. Someone who already maintains PLC-controlled equipment may move quickly through Domain 15 and spend longer on Industrial Communications or Robotics. Test yourself regularly with the IND practice tests to find which domains need more time, and take timed sets from the main practice site as exam day approaches.
Frequently Asked Questions
ETA's live IND tables list 100 questions in two hours. A catalog PDF and a third-party page show 75 questions, so confirm the current count at registration, but prepare for 100.
The passing score is 75%. ETA does not publish domain weights, so there is no way to know which areas carry more points; study all sixteen. More detail is in IND Passing Score.
No. The IND exam has no hands-on assessment. It is a proctored written exam delivered through Trapeza online testing or paper and pencil.
Bring photo ID. Scratch paper and a non-programmable scientific calculator are permitted; phones are prohibited. Used scratch paper goes back to the proctor, and you cannot leave the room once testing begins.
The term is four years. Maintenance requires the Certification Maintenance Form, USD 25 per year, and either 10 continuing-education hours per year (40 total) or supervisor-completed Employer Verification. The IND Certification overview covers the lifecycle in more depth.