CDCP Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield CDCP facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. Which type of optical transceiver form factor is most commonly used in high-density 100GbE data center switch ports today? → QSFP28
2. Which data center tier level, as defined by the Uptime Institute, requires N+1 redundancy and provides 99.741% availability? → Tier II
3. What is 'stranded power' in a data center context? → Power allocated to a rack but not actually consumed by installed equipment
4. Under NFPA 75, what is the maximum allowable fire compartment size for IT equipment rooms protected by automatic sprinklers? → 52,000 square feet
5. What are the most detrimental effects of having an excessive number of perforated tiles in a datacenter? → It reduces the overall underfloor pressure, while also reducing overall cooling impact
6. Which cooling strategy delivers cooled air directly to the server inlet within or adjacent to the rack, minimizing distribution losses? → In-row cooling
7. Which metric does DCIM use to measure the ratio of IT equipment energy to total facility energy? → DCIE (Data Center Infrastructure Efficiency)
8. Which CCTV camera placement strategy provides the BEST coverage of a data center's server room entrance? → Camera positioned above and behind the entry point facing outward
9. What is the main mechanical distinction between computer room air handlers (CRAHs) and CRACs? → CRACs have refrigeration compressors as part of their primary system
10. A data center implements 'two-person integrity' (TPI) for access to certain critical areas. What does this policy require? → No individual may enter or work in the area alone
11. A facility manager notices the PUE has risen from 1.45 to 1.68 over three months. What is the MOST likely cause to investigate first? → Cooling system inefficiency or failure
12. In data center redundancy notation, what does '2N' mean? → Full duplication of every component — twice the capacity needed to run the load
13. Which fire suppression system is most commonly preferred in data centres due to minimal equipment damage? → Clean agent gaseous suppression (e.g., FM-200)
14. Which data source is most critical for accurate DCIM floor-plan visualization? → As-built drawings with precise rack coordinates
15. Which standard defines the test procedures and performance requirements for UPS systems used in data centers? → IEC 62040-3
16. What does PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) measure in a data center? → The ratio of total facility power to IT equipment power
17. Which RAID level provides striping with double distributed parity, tolerating up to two simultaneous drive failures? → RAID 6
18. Which type of UPS topology provides the highest level of power protection by always running the load through the inverter? → Double-conversion (online) UPS
19. What is the recommended inlet temperature range for most data center server equipment according to ASHRAE A1 class guidelines? → 64–80°F (18–27°C)
20. Which cooling approach is most appropriate for ultra-high-density computing pods exceeding 100 kW per rack, such as AI GPU clusters? → Direct liquid cooling (DLC) or immersion cooling delivering liquid directly to components
21. Which of the following businesses rent or lease their data center capabilities to other businesses? → Both a and b
22. What does 'return loss' measure in a structured cabling link? → Signal energy reflected back toward the transmitter due to impedance mismatches
23. When a data center employee's access badge is reported lost or stolen, what is the FIRST action security staff should take? → Immediately deactivate the lost badge in the access control system
24. According to the NFPA 75 standard, what is the primary purpose of creating separate, fire-rated compartments or zones within a data center? → To contain a fire within its area of origin and prevent it from spreading to other zones.
25. In data centre physical security, what is a mantrap (or airlock)? → A small room with two interlocking doors where only one can open at a time
26. What fire detection technology is most effective at detecting slow, smoldering fires in early stages within a data centre? → Very Early Smoke Detection Apparatus (VESDA)
27. What does "heat density" mean in terms of the HVAC system of a data center? → The temperature average in an area, but not the entire site.
28. Which network topology is most commonly used within a data center to provide redundancy and high availability? → Fat-tree (spine-leaf) topology
29. The capacity of a system or component to carry out its necessary operations under specified conditions for a predetermined amount of time is known as . → Reliability
30. What kind of fire detection system is suggested for safeguarding a data center? → Heat detector