Practice Test Geeks(CAT) Certified Alarm Technician Level I Practice Test
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CAT Burglar Alarm Components & Detection Flashcards

6 cards from real CAT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 6 CAT Burglar Alarm Components & Detection flashcards as text

  1. What is the primary advantage of a supervised alarm loop over an unsupervised loop?

    Answer: Detects tampering, wire cuts, and short circuits as trouble conditions

    Supervised loops continuously monitor the circuit so that any wire cut, short, or tampering attempt is detected and reported as a trouble condition to the panel.

  2. A seismic (vibration) detector is best suited for protecting which type of asset?

    Answer: ATMs, safes, and vaults against physical attack

    Seismic detectors are designed to detect physical attack vibrations on hard assets such as ATMs, safes, and vaults, triggering an alarm when drilling or impact is detected.

  3. What does 'pet immunity' in a PIR motion detector mean?

    Answer: The detector ignores heat signatures from animals below a certain weight threshold

    Pet-immune PIR detectors use specialized lens designs and sensitivity settings to ignore heat signatures from animals typically below 80 lbs, reducing false alarms in homes with pets.

  4. Which alarm zone type remains active 24 hours a day regardless of whether the system is armed or disarmed?

    Answer: 24-hour zone

    A 24-hour zone is always active regardless of the system's armed state, making it appropriate for panic buttons, smoke detectors, CO detectors, and hold-up devices.

  5. What is the purpose of a tamper switch on an alarm sensor or enclosure?

    Answer: Alert the panel if the device housing is opened or the device is removed from its mount

    Tamper switches trigger a tamper alarm signal when a device enclosure is opened or the device is physically removed from its mounting, indicating a possible defeat attempt.

  6. A photoelectric beam detector triggers an alarm by:

    Answer: Detecting an interruption of an infrared beam projected between a transmitter and receiver

    Photoelectric beam detectors project an infrared beam from a transmitter to a receiver; when an intruder crosses and interrupts the beam path, an alarm is triggered.