Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice Flashcards
7 cards from real CWS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice flashcards as text
During a post-deployment validation survey, a wireless engineer measures RSSI of -75 dBm at the cell edge. What is the MOST appropriate next step to confirm adequate coverage?
Answer: Cross-reference RSSI with SNR and throughput measurements at the same location
RSSI alone is insufficient; SNR and actual throughput measurements provide evidence of true link quality at the cell edge.
Which type of wireless site survey is BEST suited for validating that a deployed network meets pre-defined KPIs before client acceptance?
Answer: Active survey with associated client
An active survey with an associated client measures real throughput and latency against the network, directly validating KPIs.
A researcher wants to isolate the impact of co-channel interference on 2.4 GHz throughput in a dense office. What is the MOST rigorous method to control variables?
Answer: Disable all non-test APs on the same channel and measure baseline before re-enabling them
Disabling non-test APs establishes a controlled baseline, allowing the researcher to attribute throughput changes specifically to co-channel interference.
When documenting evidence for an 802.11r fast BSS transition implementation, which measurement BEST demonstrates successful roaming improvement?
Answer: Roam time in milliseconds captured via protocol analyzer before and after deployment
Roam time in milliseconds, captured via protocol analysis, directly quantifies the improvement 802.11r provides over standard roaming.
A spectrum analyzer shows a duty cycle of 85% on channel 6 from a non-Wi-Fi source. What is the MOST evidence-based action to take?
Answer: Migrate all 2.4 GHz clients to 5 GHz and document the interferer type and duty cycle
Documenting the interferer type and duty cycle creates an evidence trail, and migrating clients to 5 GHz removes them from the affected spectrum.
Which statistical measure is MOST useful when comparing throughput samples collected across multiple APs to identify outliers in a wireless network audit?
Answer: Standard deviation of throughput values across all APs
Standard deviation reveals how widely throughput varies from the mean, making outlier APs statistically apparent.
A CWS candidate is reviewing a competitor's site survey report that relies solely on predictive planning data with no on-site validation. What is the PRIMARY limitation of this approach?
Answer: Physical environment factors such as furniture, people movement, and building materials are not fully captured in RF models
RF propagation models approximate real-world conditions but cannot fully account for dynamic physical variables, making on-site validation essential.